Mean Well RSP-500-15 Switching Power Supply
IT just arrived. Initial impressions: Much heavier than the cheapowatt 1/2" wider, 1/2 inch longer and almost 1/2 inch less High than cheapowatt. The casing is about 50 to 75% thicker aluminum t...
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IMHO landyacht is doing ***** Five star research! Seenyore you get an official KUDOS from me with oak leaves...!
Soldering tips from Neaderthalville...
Mask off the area to be soldered or desoldered. I get fancy and use clay. But tape will work even scotch tape.
Then I spray the board sides with HEAVY DUTY spray silicone lubricant. Can find HEAVY DUTY (it's thicker and less apt to run) silicone in auto parts and hardware stores. Several 1 minute apart light coats are better than one heavy coat.
I then rig up a Mickey Mouse arm or lamp or anything that I can clip a strong alligator clamp jumper wire to and dangle the jumper to hang within three or four inches or so from the work surface. My clips are Mueller and they grip well. You might have to make up a jumper wire the right length for the project.
I mark the terminals to be soldered with a red or green marker pen. Makes ID'ing them easier when I go to work.
Computer cleaner spray air preferably with a straw.
A bit of 60/40 solder to aid heat transfer
Paste solder flux. I don't want to hear complaints about using paste flux on circuit boards. It's pure B.S. The area will be washed later.
A bottle of isopropyl alcohol and a handful of Q-tips.
A STRONG light to illuminate the work surface. You may think you have enough light but when you put on 3.00 to 4.00 diopter reading glasses the level of illumination fades. Having enough light can make or break the project. Don't skimp!
All ready?
Hang the circuit board. Clip the dangling alligator clip to the device you wish to desolder. With a resistor, pot, or diode, clip the clip to the plastic portion of the part.
The board is now dangling in mid air. Push down a little and test the strength of the clips, and clip points and whatever is above acting as a gantry crane. You don't need surprises when working.
I use the tip of a TINY screwdriver to apply a teeny dab of paste flux to the points to be desoldered. Use discretion. Even the tip of an ice pick works great for this. Dab the miniscule bit of paste flux atop and below the circuit board (aren't you glad you used magic marker?)
Prepare yourself and your site for surprise release of the component. When the desoldered component releases, the board is going to drop to the table.
Hint. Cheap pencil tip soldering irons can have their tip filed down to decrease the angle of taper and make a needle like point. This will fit anywhere.
Apply heat to the point to be soldered. If the board wants to swing away from the pressure, stick something behind the circuit board but not under it.
Many times the FLUX transfers enough heat to melt the solder. When molten grab the AIR DUSTER can and give the point a shot of air. Solder spatter will fly. One side of the device usually releases instantly.
Now do the other connection. Again don't fret it when the board drops to the work table. Gravity did all the work not your "free" hand that really isn't free.
With the discrete component removed from the board, it's inspection time. Careful inspection to check for flecks of solder that may have spattered onto the board. Use the ice pick or micro screwdriver to pick them away. The piece of cake release of solder spatter is due to the silicone spray - yay!
Push the gantry and hanger clip away. You're done with that setup.
A 1/16" drill can be clamped to a Vice Grip to clean out circuit board holes of excess solder.
With alcohol and Q-tip carefully clean all paste flux from both sides of the board. Do a good job.
Solder in whatever replaces the device you removed. Check and solder on both sides of the board. Being old I need strong reading glasses plus a magnifying glass plus strong lighting.
Clean the solder rosin flux residue with another Q tip and alcohol. Clean a wide area around the work area.
Recheck both sides of the circuit board for tiny bits of solder spatter. There shouldn't be much if any.
NOTE ON PASTE FLUX: This stuff is magic. It makes desoldering a piece of cake. The existing solder joint will melt, when a solder joint without flux just sits there grinning at you. It reduces heating time maybe 60%. But the trick is to use a PINpoint of flux. If you screw up and dab on too much it can allow molten solder to bridge to closely adjoining circuit traces or components. If you dab on too much, use a Q-tip and alcohol and start over. I cannot emphasize enough just how much faster and easier this makes desoldering. A near freakin' miracle.
Solder paste flux is shunned by many because of bad press. I have many components that were soldered using paste flux FIFTY YEARS AGO. The trick is to clean up with alcohol after you're finished soldering. And do NOT use paste flux when you are soldering in the new part or wires or whatever.
Hope this helps
Soldering tips from Neaderthalville...
Mask off the area to be soldered or desoldered. I get fancy and use clay. But tape will work even scotch tape.
Then I spray the board sides with HEAVY DUTY spray silicone lubricant. Can find HEAVY DUTY (it's thicker and less apt to run) silicone in auto parts and hardware stores. Several 1 minute apart light coats are better than one heavy coat.
I then rig up a Mickey Mouse arm or lamp or anything that I can clip a strong alligator clamp jumper wire to and dangle the jumper to hang within three or four inches or so from the work surface. My clips are Mueller and they grip well. You might have to make up a jumper wire the right length for the project.
I mark the terminals to be soldered with a red or green marker pen. Makes ID'ing them easier when I go to work.
Computer cleaner spray air preferably with a straw.
A bit of 60/40 solder to aid heat transfer
Paste solder flux. I don't want to hear complaints about using paste flux on circuit boards. It's pure B.S. The area will be washed later.
A bottle of isopropyl alcohol and a handful of Q-tips.
A STRONG light to illuminate the work surface. You may think you have enough light but when you put on 3.00 to 4.00 diopter reading glasses the level of illumination fades. Having enough light can make or break the project. Don't skimp!
All ready?
Hang the circuit board. Clip the dangling alligator clip to the device you wish to desolder. With a resistor, pot, or diode, clip the clip to the plastic portion of the part.
The board is now dangling in mid air. Push down a little and test the strength of the clips, and clip points and whatever is above acting as a gantry crane. You don't need surprises when working.
I use the tip of a TINY screwdriver to apply a teeny dab of paste flux to the points to be desoldered. Use discretion. Even the tip of an ice pick works great for this. Dab the miniscule bit of paste flux atop and below the circuit board (aren't you glad you used magic marker?)
Prepare yourself and your site for surprise release of the component. When the desoldered component releases, the board is going to drop to the table.
Hint. Cheap pencil tip soldering irons can have their tip filed down to decrease the angle of taper and make a needle like point. This will fit anywhere.
Apply heat to the point to be soldered. If the board wants to swing away from the pressure, stick something behind the circuit board but not under it.
Many times the FLUX transfers enough heat to melt the solder. When molten grab the AIR DUSTER can and give the point a shot of air. Solder spatter will fly. One side of the device usually releases instantly.
Now do the other connection. Again don't fret it when the board drops to the work table. Gravity did all the work not your "free" hand that really isn't free.
With the discrete component removed from the board, it's inspection time. Careful inspection to check for flecks of solder that may have spattered onto the board. Use the ice pick or micro screwdriver to pick them away. The piece of cake release of solder spatter is due to the silicone spray - yay!
Push the gantry and hanger clip away. You're done with that setup.
A 1/16" drill can be clamped to a Vice Grip to clean out circuit board holes of excess solder.
With alcohol and Q-tip carefully clean all paste flux from both sides of the board. Do a good job.
Solder in whatever replaces the device you removed. Check and solder on both sides of the board. Being old I need strong reading glasses plus a magnifying glass plus strong lighting.
Clean the solder rosin flux residue with another Q tip and alcohol. Clean a wide area around the work area.
Recheck both sides of the circuit board for tiny bits of solder spatter. There shouldn't be much if any.
NOTE ON PASTE FLUX: This stuff is magic. It makes desoldering a piece of cake. The existing solder joint will melt, when a solder joint without flux just sits there grinning at you. It reduces heating time maybe 60%. But the trick is to use a PINpoint of flux. If you screw up and dab on too much it can allow molten solder to bridge to closely adjoining circuit traces or components. If you dab on too much, use a Q-tip and alcohol and start over. I cannot emphasize enough just how much faster and easier this makes desoldering. A near freakin' miracle.
Solder paste flux is shunned by many because of bad press. I have many components that were soldered using paste flux FIFTY YEARS AGO. The trick is to clean up with alcohol after you're finished soldering. And do NOT use paste flux when you are soldering in the new part or wires or whatever.
Hope this helps
