Copyright © 2007, 2008 AudioNote Kits
www.AudioNoteKits.com
audionotekits@rogers.com
Page 5
3. Long nose or “needle” nose electronic pliers. Round nose pliers for bending component leads are recommended,
but not essential.
4. A pair of small diagonal wire cutters and a wire stripper. The US made ‘T-Stripper’® is recommended.
5. 1/4”(7mm), 5/16”(8mm), 11/32”(9mm), 3/8”(10mm) and 1/2”(13mm) open-end wrenches and/or nut drivers.
6. 5/32” (3.5mm) Allen or hex key.
7. Adjustable wrench.
8. A de-soldering tool is also useful. The best type is a ‘solder-sucker’ (Edsyn™ brand) but a de-soldering wick will
suffice.
9. Clear silicone adhesive.
Soldering
The golden rule is that solder is not glue, so that even though it is electrically conductive, the joints to be soldered joints
should be as mechanically solid and electrically sound as possible before the connection is soldered. This will ensure low
oxidization, prevent crystallization and thereby reduce the chances of the joint going “cold”.
Once a good mechanical joint has been made between the two parts, touch both materials with the soldering iron’s tip and
after a few seconds of pre-heating the junction, apply the solder to the joint - not the tip of the soldering iron. It is
important that both the components, or the component and PCB pad, are hot enough to melt the solder to ensure even
flow of the melted solder around and between the parts being joined, as you gradually feed in the strand of solder as it
melts. You then remove first the solder and then the soldering iron.
Try not to leave the soldering iron in contact for much longer than two or three seconds. If you fail to complete the joint in
this time, remove the iron and leave the PCB to cool for 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the operation. With experience it
should be possible to take the soldering iron away within one and a half seconds of first touching the iron to the joint.
Wipe the tip of the soldering iron on a damp cloth, or damp (not wet) sponge to clean off the excess solder and leave a
thin film on the tip. This should be done before and after every joint is made to ensure a ‘wet’ tip.
A good solder joint looks bright and clean, with concave surfaces, and with a slight residue of flux around it. If the wire
from the joint is pulled, the wire should not pull out of the joint.
It is worth repeating that unless both the materials are hot enough, the solder will not flow properly, even though there is a
metal-to-metal contact. Very often a film of oxide on the surface of the component leg is enough to insulate the two parts
and the result is a “dry” or “cold” joint that will soon give problems with electrical contact.
If you are unsure as to your abilities, practice by joining some pieces of wire until you are happy that you can achieve the
type of connection described above. You will never lose the feeling that you need three hands but experience allows you
to ignore it more frequently!
Thanks for purchasing this Audio Note kit. Our goal is to provide you with the highest quality Kit that you will build from
scratch with these instructions. If you have any questions or comments during the build feel free to contact us and we
would be happy to help out.
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