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*** and people like me. After a year of sitting on a shelf I have finaly populated these My_Ref boards. It is my first time to solder components to a circuit board. Many folks on "the thread" asked about a build guide. Maybe this thread can help convince those people who have NO experience that they really can build their own amplifier. I did it and I ooze n00b sauce. First I had to learn to solder. I googled and found becoup sites teaching the task including Nelson Pass' site and this site with videos. Next, I went to radio shack and got a 25watt iron, .032 rosin core solder, a tiny can of Tip Cleaner and Tinner and a roll of DeSoldering wick. All that was less than $25.00usd Oh yea, I also got a 50 pack of diodes and a Small project PC board so I could practice soldering new component lead to clean copper traces. I began practicing and immediatly realized the importance of good lighting. I had one of those workpiece holders with the two aligator clips and magnifying glass. I did not find the clips handy for holding the board and looking through the magnifying glass was awkward. Using the magnifying glass to focus the light from a overhead desk lamp on the solder joint the way you would use it to burn a leaf in the sunlight DID work well. That and some reading glasses really helped me see what I was doing. Getting this close to the work, I then realized the importance of ventilation. Flux stinks. With the ceiling fan on high I was producing passable solder joints on the practice board in no time. Wife checks them with her coke bottle glasses off and sez, "Hmm, you may pull this off after all". HA, oh she of little faith.
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Rank: Member
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I began to populate the board by inserting the shortest components first. I had no idea if the parts were resistors, diodes or capacitors. It was like Paint by Numbers for the color blind. Russ' board had a number on every empty spot and every one of Brians parts had a number. I wasn't sure which parts had a polartiy so I just coppied a picture. I tried bending the component leads to right angles with needle nose pliers to insert them in the board but my judgement of the spacing was bad. I got best results by arcing the leads into the holes on the board and pushing down untill the part was centered in position. At first I was cutting the excess lead with side cutters before soldering but found it easier and neater to cut with end nips after soldering. I soldered on top of a place mat made out of non-skid foam.
As for the soldering I would touch the tip to the copper trace and roll to touch the component lead. Touch solder, remove solder, move tip to the side (not lift up) away from the joint. If the solder joint was not done in three seconds the tip was removed anyway and given over 30 seconds to cool.
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Rank: Administration
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Joined: 10/24/2006(UTC)
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I admire your perseverance :) This is how we all start! Keep it coming. I hope you have the success you certainly have earned so far. :)
Cheers!
Russ
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Quote:I admire your perseverance :) Your kit was easy, it was reading "the thread" that took perseverance :) The evolution of the trace design and ground plane was cool to read. It was like we were watching you learn as the design got better. Then the thread took a trip to snubberville. Rudi's hot rod was some interesting reading and Mauro's My_Evolution !!!!!!! squalor attached the following image(s):  IMG_0519.JPG (75kb) downloaded 388 time(s).You cannot view/download attachments. Try to login or register.
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Who ever uploaded these pics to DIY, I hope you'll jump in here and take a bow cuz you helped me out BIG TIME ! squalor attached the following image(s): IMG_0548.JPG (70kb) downloaded 378 time(s). IMG_0567.JPG (70kb) downloaded 378 time(s).You cannot view/download attachments. Try to login or register.
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Here's a pic of mine. It's an early kit but I asked Brian if he could send the upgraded R1 & R4 parts with my recent order, a Kookaburra and Darwin. He did and also threw in some .220 bypass caps. I used them everywhere except C30. R1 & R4 are over a quarter inch off the board surface and Z1 & Z2 are lifted up a bit too. squalor attached the following image(s): sqMy_Ref-3.JPG (133kb) downloaded 376 time(s). sqMy_Ref-2.JPG (97kb) downloaded 378 time(s).You cannot view/download attachments. Try to login or register.
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IT WORKS !!!Sounds nice too. It's running some Niles OS10 outdoor cabinets now and I tested with my walkman and a portable CD. squalor attached the following image(s): TwistedDesk7.JPG (71kb) downloaded 354 time(s).You cannot view/download attachments. Try to login or register.
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Rank: Member
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I know, my heatsinks look weak. They are for a socket 7 computer CPU but they stay cool to the touch, I can even put my finger on the edge of the LM3886. How big of a fuse is everyone using ? What hardware is best for bolting the heatsink to the LM3886 ? (i bought the wrong size twice) Oh yea, I got to tell you guys about my Sony Walkman. It's FM reproduction is the best i've heard. I got a modified SRF-s84 from Xin Feng. Wish I could use it to build a integrated amp/reciever.
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