Soldering Tips — Karen Douglass / 2004

PCBoard Soldering can be a kind of art form, when done properly. The result should be a perfect physical and electrical connection, between the part lead and the solder pad on the board. I recommend that you find some solder with low lead content, and rosin core. This can help reduce the amount of lead being dumped into our landfills. You should also have a good soldering iron. Be sure the tip size is appropriate for the job. I suggest a 1/8” 3mm screwdriver tip. Hold the iron tip on one side of the joint (where the part lead and… More...

DIY Op Amps — Nelson Pass / 1998

Carl Sagan observed, "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." If you want to build an audio circuit, you will make the decision as to how much you will actually build yourself, and how much you will buy fabricated. The line is always drawn somewhere. Will you be melting down some sand to make your transistors? Probably not, but it is always in the mind of the hobbyist to do as much as possible. Many of the project articles in AE and elsewhere employ commercially available integrated circuits, usually operational amplifiers.… More...