25 Dec
2015
25 Dec
'15
9:32 a.m.
In my experience, the type of socket you used is quite
unreliable and
will tend to develop bad contacts. There is a reason they are cheap... I
would use a turned pin type socket instead, e g an Augat socket. They
will not let you down. More expensive, but considering the work involved
in replacing a socket and the risk of messing up the PCB, the cost is
negligible.
My feeling is that for the sort of things most of us do here, a turned pin
socket is the most reliable of all. Yes, soldering the IC directly may have a
(slightly) lower risk of bad connections, but given that we do (or at least I
do) component level repairs, may want to remove ICs for testing, etc, there
is a risk to the PCB if the IC is soldered directly. As you say, cheap sockets
are cheap for a reason. They do develop bad contacts!
I don't think I've ever had a problem due to a bad contact at a turned pin
socket. Not saying they can't happen, but it's very rare.
I use nothing else, both for prototyping and for repairs.
-tony