surface mount stuff

[Andre' Kesteloot]

Dave wrote:

> John.
>
> > What about telling us how to do it - I refer to 64 pin Surface Mount
> > Devices?
>
> I had the advantage of a quick "course" on surface-mount installation by a
> sales rep for a soldering-iron company! The secret to installing the things
> is to use a flux-pen and coat all the legs and pads with flux. Excess solder
> then just runs off and doesn't tend to "stick" between the legs. The final
> trick is to use an iron with a concave bit, I think Weller now do one, this
> draws solder into its dimple and, in conjunction with the flux, makes it
> easy to clean away solder bridges. You just run the tinned iron along the
> row of pins and Bob's yer uncle! Well... if your lucky! I still spent a long
> time with a powerful magnifying glass, checking every pin.
>
> 73. Dave G3YXM.