So I have been dragged kicking
> >and screaming into the 21st century.
>
> Ain't Technology wonderful?
∗∗∗ It sure has come a long way since the 6V6GT's and 5U4GB's of my
youth...
> Yeah, now try to measure them. Seems to be the 50 dollar solution
and
> the 350 dollar solution, other than the 10 dollar ebay tweezers
> (only).
∗∗∗ I bought the $10 ebay tweezers. They work pretty good, except
that the tips are pretty dull/rounded, and the pivot a just a little
wobbly. Also, my DMM that matches them ( a Fluke 10 ) doesn't do
capacitance. I have another credit-card sized DMM that does do C,
but it has it's own can't-change-em test leads. Lucky I'm a chinese
food fan, and long ago mastered the use of chopsticks :).
> You'll either want a small tip (almost a needle) soldering pencil
for
> the leads, or you'll want to tin-lead coat the pads before
soldering.
∗∗∗ Probably tin-coat before. I just ordered flux and a roll of
20-mil rosin-core 63/37 solder.
> Very find gauge solder is also a must. I find that upon occasion, a
> larger soldering iron to solder multiple pins at once, and a
> desoldering tool (built in air pump kind, not spring release) cleans
> up things nicely. NOT elegant, I know.
∗∗∗ I ordered some rolls of solder wick, with just that in mind.
>
> If you had the right stuff, then a syringe of solder paste and your
> hot air pencil would be the optimum method. (Right stuff defined as
> right tools and paste, etc...)
∗∗∗ I did order a kit of solder paste from www.celeritous.com. The
lead-free kind, because paste has to be kept in the fridge, and I
really don't want to keep a tube of lead in with my sandwiches!
But further research into the characteristics of lead-free solder has
me thinking that I might want to skip that. Maybe get one of those
little coolers with peltier junctions just for the solder paste.
>
> Yeah, possible to do, messy, and then there's the matter of vias...
∗∗∗ Close inspection of my scrounged TQFP-64 convinces me that I
cannot put any through-holes under it, because there is no space for
the height of the wire sticking through.
>
> An alternate option is to use a carrier, such as the schmartboard
> carriers, and go from there. Chip will be on a carrier that's 2
> inches by 2 inches.
∗∗∗ I looked at that. Really porks out the part...
- Jerry Kaidor