Soldering The Pads

Soldering Tips

• When you solder to the pads - BE CAREFUL.
• It really helps to use magnifying glasses or a Loupe.
• Use a high quality soldering iron with say a small tip. I like the Antex TCS230.
• Use a small (<5mm) chistle point bit on the iron. If you buy an Antex toss the tip and buy a replacement chisel tip.
• Make sure the iron is not carrying any electrical charge.
• Use an iron with enough power to solder electrical contacts - say less than 50 watts.
• Use good quality 60/40 lead/tin, fluxed electrical solder, with less than about .8mm diameter - it's expensive these days but the investment is worth it.
• Get the iron hot - to about 430ºC. Some irons have a temperature indicator on them.
• Clean the tip on a sponge.
• Tin the tip with a small amount of solder.
• Hold the solder wire above the pad, touch the iron on the pad and quickly feed in a tiny blob of solder.
• If the solder does not melt lift the iron off immediately. Check the iron is hot, and repeat the process.
• If you do it right, the solder will melt on the pad in <½ second.
• Shave a couple of millimeters of insulation off the end of each phase wire, and tin them with solder.
• Clean the iron and tin it with a tiny amount of solder.
• Hold the phase wire over the pad and touch the tinned iron on to it.
• Take the iron away quickly as soon as the solder melts on the pad to leave a small shiny lump. DO NOT KEEP THE IRON ON THE PAD.
• Be careful not to move the wire. If the solder looks dull after it’s dried it might be because the wire moved while it dried and it’s a “dry joint”. Touch the iron on it again.