Support with Soldering

Questions & Answers
1

Can anyone offer up some advice please.

I’m having a real nightmare trying to repair thr power connection on my SpeedyBee Bee 25.

Those that were at the last Chesterfield Bando meet, will know that I broke the power connection on this drone on its maiden flight.

Since then I’ve learnt to solder (to some degree) by following JB’s YT tutorials.

I’ve been practicing on a practice board, fixing new wires and then desoldering them. Which seems to go OK.

Now I struggle to fix the wires back on to the new board I’ve purchased. The bloody solder won’t adhere to pad on the new board.

I’ve tried all sorts -
Heat the pad several times for longer period (up to 6-8 secs).
I’ve used a flux pen on the board.

I’m concerned that I may over heat the new board and ruin it altogether.

Any advice would be an assistance

TIA

2

Here’s the new board that I’m trying to connect to.

IMG_1672
IMG_16723024×2510 681 KB

I’ve just noticed the board has bubbled a little, and the pad I’m struggling with has gone a brown colour, does that mean it’s knackered?

3

I have a love dislike/hate relationship with soldering. Sometimes it goes okay, other times - while I believe I am doing exactly the same thing - it’s a nightmare, like you’re currently having.

You seem to be doing all the right things. Little changes that helped me marginally were switching from lead-free solder, getting a “decent” iron and keeping the tip clean/deoxidised (copper swarf, not a wet sponge). Using the right tip can sometimes help, too.

Other than that, I’ll leave it to better welders to offer their advice. :grin:

1 Like
4

What solder are you using?

I’ld recommend leaded 60/40 as a starting point with chip quik flux.

Also the size of the tip/ thermal mass etc plays a part

Edit. Isopropyl alcohol and an old toothbrush should clean up that brown crud

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5

image
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These pads are ok with solder

Have you tinned the wires and then fluxed them and the pads

Is the iron tinned

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6

Yes, those are the pads I’ve been able to get the solder to adhere to, it’s the 2nd one in from the right, I’m having the issue with.

As for tinning the solder Iron, no I had not.

Both the solder wire and pad have been fluxed

7

That would be ground… it’s got the largest amount of metal to heat up as it goes everywhere.

The solution is to increase the temperature of your soldering iron. even up as high as 470 degrees C… But don’t put the tip on it for a really long period of time, more than say 6 or 7 seconds…

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8

A must

Flux the wire and pad, then apply solder to both

Then flux both again and put the wire on the pad heat and apply some more solder if needed

2 Likes
9

I’ll have a read of the soldering iron instructions and see how I increase the max temperature, at the moment it’s set to max out at 400 degrees.

:+1:t2:

10

400 is way too low for a ground connection like that

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11

Using a bigger tip might help if your limited on the max temp of the iron.

12

100%

the tip needs to match the size of the pad.

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13

wet the tip with solder once it is touching the pad. The solder will conduct the heat to the pad better than the tip will on its own

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14

I only have the one tip, lucky enough it’s the size of the pad

Looks like I need to buy a selection of tips, if I’m going to progress with proper FPV instead of DJI.

More spending, better not tell the missus and have stuff delivered to work :joy::joy:

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15

Always one more thing to buy… and then another…

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16

If your looking to ‘invest’ in decent kit.

I can personally recommend hakko and to a lesser degree weller.

I use a hakko setup extensively for work.

17

Thank god for AliExpress, BangGood & Temu
:joy::rofl::joy::rofl:

1 Like
18

I have some of that (well the missus does, for cleaning her cuticles, before she applies gel to her nails)

Might as well use her toothbrush too, she’ll not know.

:joy::rofl::joy::rofl::joy::rofl:

4 Likes
19

Depends where you put it :grinning:

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20

UPDATE

Finally got it all soldered up and started to put the drone back together and the bloody solder joint on the negative cable snapped :face_with_symbols_over_mouth::face_with_symbols_over_mouth::face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

I’ve had enough of mucking about with it for one day, so I’m checking / updating firmware on the Avata 2, Neo, controllers and Goggles 3 ready for tomorrow’s meet at Chesterfield Bando. :+1:t2::+1:t2:

Need a couple hours of flying to divert my frustrations.

1 Like