RadioBanter - View Single Post - [KG3V] Your Elecraft KAT-500 Tuner Protects your KPA-500 Amp

Ralph Mowery

In article , rec-radio-amateur-
says...

I found a very inexpensive SMT rework station online which is sold by a
number of Vendors. It got pretty good reviews, so I thought I would give it
a try. I had some old Computer boards that could be used to see if the
Rework Station and the Operator (me) were up to the task. The hot-air
worked fine for removing and attaching SMT capacitors. I did blow a couple
off the PC Board in the process from the moving air.

Ebay has the rework stations for around $ 60 or so. Not very wxpensive
at all for a small soldering iron and hot air wand.

I did find that buying an Amscope micorscope for about $ 200 was a good
investment. The Amscope SE400 version with the 10x lenses are a good
place to start. The Z version comes with the 10 and 20 x if they have
not changed it.

If you get some Kapton tape and put it over the SMD area and just cut a
hole in it over what you want to replace, the hot air will not blow the
other components away.

Not conting a microscope you can get set up for SMD for about $ 100 to
$ 150 for the home hobby user. I was around 60 some when I started
working with the SMD and found it really easier than the other equipment
in many cases.

Get o youtube ans look at the videos and practice on some of the old
circuit boards first.