[lolwatpear]

I have a couple question:

1. would this be a good iron for the job (tip fin enough, and temp/wattage good)? I have a crappy radioshack one that I'm not confident with.

http://www.amazon.com/Stahl-Tools-Variable-Temperature-Soldering/dp/B0029N70WM/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2SG24VNRXYDG2&colid=3MK4YL3J1CR15

2. After cutting off the old opamp, do I really need to desolder the legs at all? Why can't I just solder on the new opamp?

3. What soldering process should I use for the most ease? I saw someone use some liquids solder early? What do you recommend?

 

[guy121]

Quote:

I have a couple question:

1. would this be a good iron for the job (tip fin enough, and temp/wattage good)? I have a crappy radioshack one that I'm not confident with.

http://www.amazon.com/Stahl-Tools-Variable-Temperature-Soldering/dp/B0029N70WM/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2SG24VNRXYDG2&colid=3MK4YL3J1CR15

2. After cutting off the old opamp, do I really need to desolder the legs at all? Why can't I just solder on the new opamp?

3. What soldering process should I use for the most ease? I saw someone use some liquids solder early? What do you recommend?

That iron looks really cheap and reviews are pretty bad. Don't knock radioshack's irons as I have their 15watt and 30watt and they work pretty well for basic soldering, but because I think there is only one tip its hard to do SMD soldering.
 
You're not confident, probably because you don't quite have a handle on what a good solder joint is. Also there are little things that you notice after a while of soldering things, like what works and what doesn't. Everyone kinda has their own style at the way they solder things, so its more just practice.
 
Easiest way to do this is probably with a reflow station and some solder paste. Since you probably don't have either, with an iron its pretty simple.
 
1) Cut off old op-amp
2) Apply a little flux to pads that holds old legs
3) Melt the solder and then "scrape" to the side (don't actually scrape) and lift to get the solder and leg to stick to iron. Repeat till legs are off.
4) Apply flux to pads.
5) Desolder old solder with desoldering braid
6) Tin pads with a tiny bit of new solder and make sure its nice and even
7) Clean pads/area with 91%+ rubbing alcohol to remove old flux. I guess this part depends on the type of flux/solder you're using.
8) Align new op-amp then tap the leg and pad with the iron and some fresh solder.
9) Desolder a leg if you applied too much (remember only takes a small amount for this).
10) Clean legs/pads with 91%+ rubbing alcohol.
11) Test with Multimeter. Don't forget to test for shorts.
 
Forgot to say, Be sure to keep the tip clean and tinned. Meaning wipe it with the sponge then apply new solder to all around the tip. Then wipe off excess solder.
 
 

 

[lolwatpear]

Quote:

That iron looks really cheap and reviews are pretty bad. Don't knock radioshack's irons as I have their 15watt and 30watt and they work pretty well for basic soldering, but because I think there is only one tip its hard to do SMD soldering.
 
You're not confident, probably because you don't quite have a handle on what a good solder joint is. Also there are little things that you notice after a while of soldering things, like what works and what doesn't. Everyone kinda has their own style at the way they solder things, so its more just practice.
 
Easiest way to do this is probably with a reflow station and some solder paste. Since you probably don't have either, with an iron its pretty simple.
 
1) Cut off old op-amp
2) Apply a little flux to pads that holds old legs
3) Melt the solder and then "scrape" to the side (don't actually scrape) and lift to get the solder and leg to stick to iron. Repeat till legs are off.
4) Apply flux to pads.
5) Desolder old solder with desoldering braid
6) Tin pads with a tiny bit of new solder and make sure its nice and even
7) Clean pads/area with 91%+ rubbing alcohol to remove old flux. I guess this part depends on the type of flux/solder you're using.
8) Align new op-amp then tap the leg and pad with the iron and some fresh solder.
9) Desolder a leg if you applied too much (remember only takes a small amount for this).
10) Clean legs/pads with 91%+ rubbing alcohol.
11) Test with Multimeter. Don't forget to test for shorts.
 
Forgot to say, Be sure to keep the tip clean and tinned. Meaning wipe it with the sponge then apply new solder to all around the tip. Then wipe off excess solder.
 
 

 
thanks for the advice. i'll try this. but what I was talking about with the radioshack iron, was i feel the tip isn't fine enough for me to work with.  I've done some decent work in the past, but nothing on something so small.  I don't even see how I can solder one leg at a time with such a thick tip.
 
 

 

[guy121]

Quote:

 
thanks for the advice. i'll try this. but what I was talking about with the radioshack iron, was i feel the tip isn't fine enough for me to work with.  I've done some decent work in the past, but nothing on something so small.  I don't even see how I can solder one leg at a time with such a thick tip.
 
 

Oh yeah the tip is a bit too big. Although I've found very thin tips to actually be harder to use on pcb components since they cool down very quick and often can't melt the solder without heatsoaking, which is bad. I think you should be able to get each leg even with a larger tip, it just takes patience and a steady hand. If you bridge the legs, you can either do the swipe and lift method to try to remove the excess or preferably use a desoldering braid. You can try drag soldering, which will work just fine for larger tips, but takes a little practice to get right.
 
The way I did it was with a larger chisel tip and got one leg soldered on so that it holds the chip down in place. Then for every other leg just tap a tiny bit of solder onto the leg + pad at the same time. This should get it to flow and be just fine. If you have the 30watt it should be plenty of heat to get it to stick within a second or two.

 

[Telim]

I've seem to have lifted the pad for the non-inverting input for the center/sub op-amp. Anyone happen to know where I can tap off to get the non-inverting input on the board?

 

[satanel]

Hi guys! Recently I got hold of an Extreme Music card and some parts for 'hotrodding'.
I am a noob at soldering so I will give the card to one of my friends to do all the work.
 
The kit contains 1 x LM4562 MA, 3 x LME49860 MA, 1 x 2200UF/16V Panasonic, 2 x 100 uF/16v Nichicon Gold, 6 x 220 uF/10V Elna and 1 x 330uF/25V. Unfortunately the op-amps don't have anything written on them.
 
http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/8541/img0667z.jpg
http://img804.imageshack.us/img804/6500/img0668mh.jpg
 
I need your help in mapping the parts and their place on the board by using colors, as shown in the pic.
 
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/7731/extrememusic.png
 
Thank you in advance!
 
PS: I don't know how to embed imageshack thumbnails here so I've posted the direct link to the images.

 

[satanel]

Nobody?

 

[ramachandra]

I'm not sure You have the right capacitors other than 2200UF/16V Panasonic. Not a good idea to change the capacitance, unless you know what will be the effect on the circuit. The X-Fi card have mostly 16v and 25v capacitors, i suggest not to go under the original voltage. Higher voltage is usually better but the capacitors are bigger, and the space is too small for big caps.

 

[Groundloop]

You started a new thread without any need of it. It's the same mod, but you decided to show off yourself as the great copycat who even did things wrong. Sorry, wheel had been already invented.

 

[ramachandra]

I have removed the link from my last message just in case before i get more blame.

 

[XacTactX]

You started a new thread without any need of it. It's the same mod, but you decided to show off yourself as the great copycat who even did things wrong. Sorry, wheel had been already invented.

If that is the case I, and I'm sure other people would appreciate it if you posted what you think is wrong. Are you talking about the long wires connecting some of the components? Sorry if I'm kicking a dead horse it's just that I'm about to do the mod myself, minus the long wires.

 

[Groundloop]

@XacTactX - I have already answered your questions in @ramachandra's thread. Also, you have 144 pages of useful advices in this thread. I've read them long time ago and suggest you to do so too.

 

[ReTiCuLe]

Has anyone done the PCI-E Titanium card yet?

 

[bflmpes]

Greetings guys. I bought old X-fi xtreme music and did this mod but I get something wrong. My card is not detecting in Windows any more. I replaced main OPAMP , replaced power filter capacitor by 2200uF 16V (ZLH Rubycon - best I could get in our country :/ ). But I didnt short filter capacitors, I pull them out and short it by wire. I tried to read responses if someone got the same problem but 144 pages is just too much. Ive got Xtreme music SB0460 fatality version with that blackbox no the top right corner (SB0550?).
Can anyone knows what should be wrong?

 

[ramachandra]

C184 (0.1uf) capacitor is to close to the leg of the C177 capacitor. Once died for me from overheat, and i had the same experience as you. I have managed to change and the card still up and running.