Message-ID: <3D972B11.375C7AD1@webaccess.net>
From: Chuck Simmons
Organization: You jest.
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Newsgroups: sci.electronics.cad,sci.electronics.misc,sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: having SMT components mounted
References: <3D985FEB.3060507@gornall.net> <3D97176C.E9037BCF@webaccess.net> <3d972382$0$163$1b62eedf@news.euronet.nl>
Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 16:32:25 GMT
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NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 09:32:25 PDT
Frank Bemelman wrote:
>
> "Chuck Simmons" schreef in bericht
> news:3D97176C.E9037BCF@webaccess.net...
> [snip]
> > There are small companies that do assembly. We use a shop where the
> > owner's son does much of the assembly. The son is still young enough to
> > see the parts and solder them though he does have to use a microscope.
>
> I often use a stereo microscope, at least to check how and if I
> indeed have soldered all pins. During the soldering I use a
> jeweller's loupe, one that eh, fits in your eye. In the beginning
> they drop out of your eye all the time, but after a while it's
> amazingly easy to use.
Yes, the microscope we have is a stereo job. A low cost unit from Edmund
Industrial Optics but it serves well. I have a Behr 5X/10X glasses clamp
loupe (I also have a set of conventional loupes of various powers). The
Behr loupe was a bit expensive but I can attach it to my glasses and
flip the lenses out of the way when I don't need them.
The problem with working with a loupe is lack of depth perception. The
microscope is better but takes getting used to because the spaces
between pins look like canyons. Even if I could see my way clear to
soldering these fine pitch horrors, it would be expensive anyway.
Soldering a 208 pin part is mind numbing even to think about.
Chuck
--
... The times have been,
That, when the brains were out,
the man would die. ... Macbeth
Chuck Simmons chrlsim@webaccess.net