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Mark Hayenga · 08-22-2006, 10:56 PM

Different types of transistor packages are easier/harder to solder. DIPs (dual in-line package) are like op-amps and stuff, their pins are on 0.1" centers IIRC. Some stuff has pins that get much closer together (like microcomputers and such). Surface mount (SMT) have no pins, rather a pad of sorts for a connection and it gets soldered right to the board (if you've seen the teeny flat brown things on a circuit board with silver on either end, that's a surface mount resistor most likely).

DIPs aren't too terrible solder, I'm not comfortable with anything smaller than that though. If we're talking about something like a standard 1/4 resistor or TO-220 packaged transistor, it should be real easy. If this is a power supply board, it will probably be something easy like a big diode, resistor, cap, etc. Send me a link to the thread/pictures and I'll take a look. I suck at soldering, but that doesn't mean I couldn't do it, depending on what it is.

08-22-2006, 10:56 PM	#4 of 10
Mark Hayenga Member Join Date: Jun 1999 Local Time: 01:06 PM Local Date: 10-07-2008 Posts: 854	Re: Austin soldering gurus?? Different types of transistor packages are easier/harder to solder. DIPs (dual in-line package) are like op-amps and stuff, their pins are on 0.1" centers IIRC. Some stuff has pins that get much closer together (like microcomputers and such). Surface mount (SMT) have no pins, rather a pad of sorts for a connection and it gets soldered right to the board (if you've seen the teeny flat brown things on a circuit board with silver on either end, that's a surface mount resistor most likely). DIPs aren't too terrible solder, I'm not comfortable with anything smaller than that though. If we're talking about something like a standard 1/4 resistor or TO-220 packaged transistor, it should be real easy. If this is a power supply board, it will probably be something easy like a big diode, resistor, cap, etc. Send me a link to the thread/pictures and I'll take a look. I suck at soldering, but that doesn't mean I couldn't do it, depending on what it is. "There are 10 types of people in the world: those that understand binary, and those that have friends."