3 Dec
2009
3 Dec
'09
11:59 a.m.
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 13:23:18 -0600
From: Brian Lanning <brianlanning at gmail.com>
Batteries I can handle. But leaky surface mount caps
scare me to death.
I can solder, but not on the new surface-mount stuff. My eyes aren't what
they used to be. Maybe I should practice some and invest in a reflow
setup. But I don't have enough time either.
The surface mount electrolytics aren't bad at all. You should be able to
manage with reading glasses.
To remove the old ones, just get two soldering pencils. Heat controlled
is nice, but you can use a pair of Radio Shack 15watt grounded pencils
(>$10 ea. last time I checked). Apply one pencil to each side of the
capacitor until it lifts easily off of the board. Do not pry.
Remove the old solder with a bit of desoldering braid. Clean the pads
with your favorite solvent(s). Lightly tin one pad. Position the new
capacitor on the pads and hold in place by pressing down with a flat blade
screwdriver or similar (pencil eraser at end of pencil might work well).
Heat the tinned side until the capacitor sinks flat on the pad. Remove
heat, then remove screwdriver. Solder the other terminal normally.
In the old Macintosh world we've been replacing the SM electrolytics with
SM tantalums in hopes that they will last longer.
Anyway, this may not be best practice, but it gets the job done for about
$20 in equipment (two soldering pencils) and less than $10 in supplies
(solder, flux, braid).
Jeff Walther