Greetings all. Just popped my cherry on a v1.0 with an X2.6 CE lite install. I gotta say it wasn't the easiest finding the correct instructions but all the advice here finally paid off. I'd like to send a special thanks to tehsoul with that fantastic pdf that finally answered the question of whether I needed the lpc pbc....NO v1.6 only. It was kinda unclear since I never saw an install showing an x2.6 CE lite.
There are a few things I thought I would pass along.
I'm lucky to have a great soldering station from Metcal as well as a solder sucker but even with some awesome tools, I still had problems clearing the holes to install the header. Heres a trick that works great.
Find a piece of solid wire, not stranded. I used a 6 inch piece that was a bit smaller diameter than the hole. Strip an inch of insulation off the end. I have a pcb fixture holder thingie but you can use your knees or have someone hold the mobo up on end. Take your solder tip and heat one side of the hole while pushing the stripped end of the wire through the hole from the opposite side and then take the tip away as it comes through. You'll see the solder build up on the side you heated.
Lay the board flat on the edge of your table with the wire hanging down and grab your solder wick. Flux the hole (I like flux pens myself) and the solder wick as well, place the wick on the fillet that formed around the wire, place your tip on the wick until you see the solder start to flow throughout the wick. Keep your tip on the wick and pull the wire out before removing the heat.
I been using this technique for years with great succuss. One of the reasons this works well is the wire helps transmit heat through the entire barrel of the pcb.
I worked for years in circuit manufacturing and most of the damaged traces I saw were from people using too much force on the joint. Soldering only needs a light touch to reflow the solder. If the joint doesn't reflow, more pressure will only gouge the board. Try to retin your tip and swipe it on the pad. Keep them tips clean, only distilled water on your tip pad. Most tap water has too much minerals that can fowl a tip. Get some tip tinner/conditioner. If you use it before you shut the iron off, it will be clean and ready to go the next time you use it.
Here is my happy photo of the day, Bones
There are a few things I thought I would pass along.
I'm lucky to have a great soldering station from Metcal as well as a solder sucker but even with some awesome tools, I still had problems clearing the holes to install the header. Heres a trick that works great.
Find a piece of solid wire, not stranded. I used a 6 inch piece that was a bit smaller diameter than the hole. Strip an inch of insulation off the end. I have a pcb fixture holder thingie but you can use your knees or have someone hold the mobo up on end. Take your solder tip and heat one side of the hole while pushing the stripped end of the wire through the hole from the opposite side and then take the tip away as it comes through. You'll see the solder build up on the side you heated.
Lay the board flat on the edge of your table with the wire hanging down and grab your solder wick. Flux the hole (I like flux pens myself) and the solder wick as well, place the wick on the fillet that formed around the wire, place your tip on the wick until you see the solder start to flow throughout the wick. Keep your tip on the wick and pull the wire out before removing the heat.
I been using this technique for years with great succuss. One of the reasons this works well is the wire helps transmit heat through the entire barrel of the pcb.
I worked for years in circuit manufacturing and most of the damaged traces I saw were from people using too much force on the joint. Soldering only needs a light touch to reflow the solder. If the joint doesn't reflow, more pressure will only gouge the board. Try to retin your tip and swipe it on the pad. Keep them tips clean, only distilled water on your tip pad. Most tap water has too much minerals that can fowl a tip. Get some tip tinner/conditioner. If you use it before you shut the iron off, it will be clean and ready to go the next time you use it.
Here is my happy photo of the day, Bones