Education

Learn To Solder

What:  Learn to solder and create a practical functional project.

Why:  Soldering is a basic skill with many uses, not the least of which is making reliable electrical connections

When:  Every Fourth Thursday of each month (as long as the kits last).

Where:  Building 1, Riverwood Park Recreational complex (JSARS).

Who:  Instructor – N1CRR, Charlie, KD2JBJ, Bill

            Students – You (Paid Members of JSARS)

Terminal Learning Objective:  The student will be able to:

1.  Make reliable soldered joint(s) to join a discrete component to a circuit board

2. Identify basic discrete components

3. Become familiarized with resistor color code and verify using a multi-meter.

4. Become familiar with basic hand tools used for soldering.

5. Become familiarized with the theory of operation of this project.

Results of this class will be a take home Battery Condition Monitor project.   This project includes resistors, LED’s (Light Emitting Diodes), header strips, and switches, printed wiring assemblies (PC Boards).

Reason: A basic skill of electronics and a necessity of ham radio is the ability to make reliable electrical connections.  The method of making these connections involves soldering which is similar to welding but is not the same.  Soldering is more like making connections with glue.  Welding makes connections by melting metals together (welding) at high temperatures.  A metal is used for soldering in place of glue since most metals are conductive and most glues are insulators.  Therefore solder, since it is a metal will make electrically conductive joints.  Solder has limits in the strength of the joint made.

Q.  What do you need to bring to the class?

A.  At a minimum you will need;

Soldering Iron with a 1/8” chisel tip, 25 to 40 watts (25 watts preferred). NOTE 1/NOTE 2

Solder 60% lead, 40% tin flux core, 0.035” diamater.  Or electrical solder. NOTE 1/NOTE 2

Flush cutting Pliers.  NOTE 2

Soldering aids.  NOTE 1

  OPTIONAL ITEMS:

Bottle of ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL (This is NOT Rubbing Alcohol, ask a pharmacist for this one)

Green scrub pad (Scotch Brite)

NOTE 1 – Cheap Ham

NOTE 2 – Michaels/Hobby Shop (In Home Depot Plaza Rt. 9 & 571 in Toms River)