Troubleshooting Resources
AD2CS Quansheng UV-K5 (8) Handheld Radio Review.PDF
W2MMD Clubhouse Test & Repair Bench : Coaxial Cable Tester
By Chris Prioli, AD2CS - [email protected] - www.ad2cs.com
I am very pleased to announce that I have just added a new piece of equipment to the W2MMD Clubhouse arsenal on the test and repair bench. The new tool is a multi-connector-type coaxial cable tester that will test cables of several types and of any length for continuity on the outer shield braid and on the inner center conductor, as well as testing the cables for shorts between the braid and the center conductor.
The tool indicates the results of the two-stage testing process via LED's on the front panel. The test procedure instructions are labeled on the unit, which is extremely easy to use.
This device will test cables with SMA, BNC, UHF, and N connectors, in any combination of those connector types. It is compact, portable, and completely self-contained. It is powered by a standard nine-volt alkaline snap-top battery, which should have an extensive service life due to the very limited current drawn during the testing of the cables.
I am fully open to suggestions for additional test equipment that may be suitable for the Club and for the T&R bench. Please feel free to pass any such comments or suggestions on to me, as well as any comments on the new cable tester.
By Chris Prioli, AD2CS - [email protected] - www.ad2cs.com
I am very pleased to announce that I have just added a new piece of equipment to the W2MMD Clubhouse arsenal on the test and repair bench. The new tool is a multi-connector-type coaxial cable tester that will test cables of several types and of any length for continuity on the outer shield braid and on the inner center conductor, as well as testing the cables for shorts between the braid and the center conductor.
The tool indicates the results of the two-stage testing process via LED's on the front panel. The test procedure instructions are labeled on the unit, which is extremely easy to use.
This device will test cables with SMA, BNC, UHF, and N connectors, in any combination of those connector types. It is compact, portable, and completely self-contained. It is powered by a standard nine-volt alkaline snap-top battery, which should have an extensive service life due to the very limited current drawn during the testing of the cables.
I am fully open to suggestions for additional test equipment that may be suitable for the Club and for the T&R bench. Please feel free to pass any such comments or suggestions on to me, as well as any comments on the new cable tester.
Electronic Tool Tip #1 - FRP Tube Pin Straightener
I came across this tool while searching for an obscure vacuum tube on ebay.com one day, and I decided then to buy one and to give it a try-out. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. The tube that I was searching for had a Compactron base, and I had used that term in my search query, which is how I ended up finding this handy tool. The tool is a vacuum tube pin straightener, designed to straighten and align the pins of some of the most popular vacuum tube base types out there, namely the miniature seven-pin, the miniature nine-pin, the |
miniature ten-pin, the Magnoval, the Noval, and the Compactron bases.
The tool is fabricated from a piece of one-quarter-inch thick FR4 fiberglass board material, and it is precisely machined as to its general form and its pin openings. Each of the pin openings is wider at the tool surface, where the pins get inserted, and then the holes taper down to the final pin diameter, bringing misaligned pins into shape quickly and easily.
There are a pair of countersunk holes in the body of the tool, useful for mounting the tool to a bench top for stationary use, where it would not take up much space, being a mere two and a half inches in diameter.
Unlike some other tube pin straighteners out there, this one does not have vertical guides for the tubes, meaning that both large-envelope more modern tubes and miniature-envelope vintage tubes will fit the tool equally well.
The tool costs $29.95 (USD) from Vintage Electron via their eBay storefront, where this vendor has a 99.9% positive rating over almost 16,000 transactions. The vendor reports that they will give one of these tools free with each order over $250 from their storefront, where they deal with all kinds of vintage electronics parts and components.
I much prefer this tool to the newer series of same-priced 3-D printed straighteners offered by other vendors on the auction site. I believe that this tool, due to its machined holes rather than printed holes, will be more accurate. I also believe that the tool’s material of construction will make it more durable than the 3-D printed versions.
Go to ebay.com/itm/224424049020 to investigate this tool for yourself.
The tool is fabricated from a piece of one-quarter-inch thick FR4 fiberglass board material, and it is precisely machined as to its general form and its pin openings. Each of the pin openings is wider at the tool surface, where the pins get inserted, and then the holes taper down to the final pin diameter, bringing misaligned pins into shape quickly and easily.
There are a pair of countersunk holes in the body of the tool, useful for mounting the tool to a bench top for stationary use, where it would not take up much space, being a mere two and a half inches in diameter.
Unlike some other tube pin straighteners out there, this one does not have vertical guides for the tubes, meaning that both large-envelope more modern tubes and miniature-envelope vintage tubes will fit the tool equally well.
The tool costs $29.95 (USD) from Vintage Electron via their eBay storefront, where this vendor has a 99.9% positive rating over almost 16,000 transactions. The vendor reports that they will give one of these tools free with each order over $250 from their storefront, where they deal with all kinds of vintage electronics parts and components.
I much prefer this tool to the newer series of same-priced 3-D printed straighteners offered by other vendors on the auction site. I believe that this tool, due to its machined holes rather than printed holes, will be more accurate. I also believe that the tool’s material of construction will make it more durable than the 3-D printed versions.
Go to ebay.com/itm/224424049020 to investigate this tool for yourself.
Electronic Tool Tip #2 - Vacuum Tube Puller
It is funny how you sometimes find a great idea when you are looking for something else. I was on ebay.com one day looking to purchase some NOS (New Old Stock or “Nasty Old Stuff”) vacuum tubes of the 12AU7 type, when my search for that tube number brought me to this little wonder. I have often struggled to remove vacuum tubes from down inside a host of other tubes, transformers, and capacitors, with little or noroom for getting a decent grip on the vacuum tube, which is slick and slippery glass to begin with. |
On occasion, I have even broken a tube or two trying to get them out under really tight space conditions. As a result, I was very quick to jump on this nifty tool when I found it. The illustration above shows two of these tools together with two vacuum tubes; the price discussed near the end of this article will get you a single puller.
The concept is quite simple. The tool is a molded pliable thermoplastic tube with a “flattened” mushroom profile and a closed dome at the upper end. To remove a vacuum tube, the tool is placed down over the top of the tube, and then the tube can be wiggled and pulled straight up and out. The tool is then easily removed from the vacuum tube by just pulling it off at a slight angle to break the suction.
It is an easy task to use the tool as an aid in the installation of the vacuum tubes back into the equipment chassis. Insert the tube into the puller, align the pins with the tube socket properly, and push the tube into place. To remove the tool from the installed tube, once again pull the tool off at a slight angle to the tube to break the suction.
This puller fits many of the miniature seven-pin, nine-pin, and ten-pin tubes, and is quite useful when space around the tube location is limited. I heartily recommend this tool to anyone who does more than just occasional vacuum tube removal and installation.
The tool costs $10.95 (USD) from spin4cards via their eBay storefront, where this vendor has a 100% positive rating over 15,500 transactions. Shipping was quite reasonable at $4.95 from Cicero, NY.
Go to https://www.ebay.com/itm/394061782564 to investigate this tool for yourself.
Electronic Tool Tip #3 - Lead Bending Jigs
Doing even the little things neatly and precisely is the hallmark of a craftsman, in any field or discipline. That extends to a simple thing like bending the leads of electronic components to fit properly into printed circuit board (PCB) locations designated for those components. It is not unusual for hobbyists or even professional electronics technicians to bend component leads freehand. Another option is to grab a pair of needle-nose pliers and use them to bend the component leads. While both of these methods work, and while both of these methods are widely used, I prefer to size and form the leads properly for the PCB hole spacing in use. |
To that end, I have long used devices similar to those illustrated above. In fact, some of the jigs in my assortment are the same ones as those depicted in the illustration. Others? Well, I have had some of them for so long that I have completely forgotten when, where, or from whom I purchased them.
I have a total of six bending jigs in my assortment, each of them sized differently either for the component body sizes that they will handle, or for the spacing distances offered, with those distances being either metric or English dimensions. These things are handy! Can the job be done without using these jigs? Sure… but it is not as good a job as when the jigs are used. Components bent with the jig just fit! In addition, the contours of the jigs cause the bend radius of each component lead bent in the jig to be precise and in line with the standard bend radius limits typically defined by the component manufacturers. Further, there is no risk of nicking or damaging the component leads as is possible when using pliers to bend the leads.
The set shown above is available at $12.50 (USD) as a set, or individually at $4.80 each. They can be ordered directly from the manufacturer, Production Devices via their website, where they also offer telephone ordering of their products. The tools are USA made and the company is located in El Cajon, California.
Go to http://productiondevices.com/leadformingtools.html to investigate this tool for yourself.
Electronic Tool Tip #4 - Desoldering Pump
Every electronics hobbyist will eventually find the need to desolder components, whether from point-to-point “dead bug” wired devices or from a printed circuit board (PCB). It will also come to pass that the solder wick, the squeeze bulb, and the stand-alone plunger pump will no longer fill the bill. The reason for this is that by the time that you remove the soldering iron and properly place the vacuum tool on the joint, the solder will have solidified again. What is needed is the ability to suck the solder out while still heating it. Not every hobbyist will have the need or even the budget for a high-dollar electric vacuum pump type of desoldering tool. This is where this pump comes in. The tool is a combination of a soldering iron and an integrated plunger pump in a single assembly. |
Use of this tool very quickly becomes familiar and routine. The only problem that I had was making myself remember to point the tip of the tool upward while resetting the plunger, so as to avoid forcing solder balls down into the tip of the tool.
The tool works best on PCB’s, but it performs acceptably on dead bug wiring as well. It will take some getting used to, but the “heating while sucking” action is the ticket. As the user’s needs grow, it may be appropriate to move up to a higher-level desoldering pump, but for most hobbyists, this tool is a good choice.
The barrel lifts directly off the frame of the iron for cleaning of the accumulated waste solder from within the barrel. Re-assembly is simple - just align the end of the barrel with the opening in the base of the iron’s frame, and then press the barrel down onto its locating tabs in the upper end of the frame.
The desoldering pump, Yihua model #929D-V, comes complete with a stand, and extra tip, and a cleaning tool used to keep the tip clear.
The tool shown above is available at $39.99 (USD). It can be ordered directly from the Yihua store at www.amazon.com, where the many high-quality offerings of this company are showcased. Yihua manufacturers a wide line of soldering and desoldering tools and equipment, suitable for anyone from the hobbyist to the professional.
Go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094ZCRXMN to investigate this tool for yourself.
The tool works best on PCB’s, but it performs acceptably on dead bug wiring as well. It will take some getting used to, but the “heating while sucking” action is the ticket. As the user’s needs grow, it may be appropriate to move up to a higher-level desoldering pump, but for most hobbyists, this tool is a good choice.
The barrel lifts directly off the frame of the iron for cleaning of the accumulated waste solder from within the barrel. Re-assembly is simple - just align the end of the barrel with the opening in the base of the iron’s frame, and then press the barrel down onto its locating tabs in the upper end of the frame.
The desoldering pump, Yihua model #929D-V, comes complete with a stand, and extra tip, and a cleaning tool used to keep the tip clear.
The tool shown above is available at $39.99 (USD). It can be ordered directly from the Yihua store at www.amazon.com, where the many high-quality offerings of this company are showcased. Yihua manufacturers a wide line of soldering and desoldering tools and equipment, suitable for anyone from the hobbyist to the professional.
Go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094ZCRXMN to investigate this tool for yourself.
Electronic Tool Tip #5 - Hot Tweezers
From time to time, it becomes necessary to solder - or desolder - SMD devices to or from a printed circuit board (PCB). -While this can often be done with a pencil-type standard soldering iron with a fine tip, it is often much more convenient to use a pair of “hot tweezers” for this task. Many companies make hot tweezers, but I am a fan of the Yihua products. I already own a Yihua 948-II soldering station and a 929D-V desoldering pump iron. This tool was a logical addition to my armory of soldering equipment. The use of a hot tweezer becomes especially useful when the chip sizes get smaller. The |
larger chips are more easily handled with a standard pencil iron, but the tiny SMD devices demand a better alternative, and this may just be it.
The tool consists of a fixed iron with a specialized bent tip, and an opposing movable spring-loaded iron with its tip bent to mate with that on the fixed iron. The opening angle of the hot tweezer is adjustable for convenience of the user.
The hot tweezers, Yihua model #938D, comes complete with a stand and a cleaning sponge, as well as a protective cover for the (cool) tips. The unit is temperature-controlled, with the adjustment made via a potentiometer on the control unit located on the tweezers cord. I have ordered replacement tips directly from the manufacturer via an e-mail exchange.
The tool shown above is available at $104.99 (USD). It can be ordered directly from the Yihua store at www.amazon.com, where the many high-quality offerings of this company are showcased. Yihua manufactures a wide line of soldering and desoldering tools and equipment, suitable for anyone from the hobbyist to the professional.
Go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078NS2HZ8 to investigate this tool for yourself.
Electronic Tool Tip #6 - Solder Wick & Flux
When it comes to removing solder from a joint or a PCB, sometimes using solder wick is the quickest and easiest way to go. This is especially true when working with SMD component installation and removal, and with cleaning the PCB pads after an SMD component has been removed. Solder wick is a flat braided length of fine copper wire strands, available in various widths and also in various spool sizes. The better solder wicks are pre-impregnated with rosin flux, but even they can stand an occasional boost of additional flux to really get the solder flowing up the wick. The braid is laid in place on the solder to be removed, and heat from a soldering iron is applied to the braid, moving the iron on the braid, and sometimes moving the braid itself, as necessary to absorb the desired solder from the joint. Solder wick must be clean in order to do its job, so for best results, cut off the used portion frequently as you work. Rosin flux can be added before the wick is applied, or it may be applied directly onto the wick braid. Either method will get the job done. I prefer the braid marketed by NTE Electronics of Bloomfield, NJ as their part number SW02-10, which is a ten-foot length of the 0.098”-wide braid on a convenient plastic dispensing spool. It is of a high quality and it always does the job without the strands separating as some other brands will do. I rarely need to add additional flux with this brand of solder wick, but with some other brands, flux must be added every time it is used, almost as if the wick has no flux in it at all. One brand of rosin flux that I like is ChipQuik part number NC191. This product comes in a capped syringe and includes the plunger, a dispensing tip, and a cap for the dispensing tip. I remove the plunger and the dispensing tip from the syringe after each use, and store the whole shooting match in its original heavy-gauge zipper-type plastic pouch, with the original syringe cap put back in place on the business end of the syringe. I also highly recommend the use of a more free-flowing liquid rosin flux such as the GC Electronics 10-4202 Liquid Solder-Flux. I typically purchase this in a brush-cap bottle. The part number cited above will get you a two fluid ounce bottle of this flux. Note that clean-up of rosin flux and its residue can most easily be accomplished through the use of 99.9% isopropyl alcohol (IPA), scrubbing with a toothbrush as needed to get the stubborn areas clean. |
These items are widely available online, from suppliers ranging from Amazon and Jameco to Mouser and Digikey. Pricing is approximately $10 (USD) for the ChipQuik rosin flux, $20 (USD) for the GC Electronics rosin flux, and $7 (USD) for the solder wick, all as described above, from Digikey.
Go to www.digikey.com to investigate these items for yourself.
Go to www.digikey.com to investigate these items for yourself.
Electronic Tool Tip #7 - Static Free Tweezers
When handling electronic components, it is necessary to get into the habit of ensuring that the devices are protected from the discharge of static electricity. Static discharge can immediately destroy many components, especially any semiconductor devices of the CMOS type. With the miniaturization of electronics devices and components, it becomes necessary to use tools to lift, handle, and manipulate many components, particularly SMD components. This is where a good set of anti-static tweezers comes into play. The tweezer set shown here includes high-quality non-magnetic stainless-steel tweezers that are anti-static and non-corroding. This particular set offers nine different tweezer types plus a pair of fine cutters, a wiping cloth, |
and a carrying pouch to keep everything together, and is called their nine-piece set. Also available are two seven-piece sets and individual tweezer models. I use my ESD-11 tweezer from this set literally on a daily basis, and I have found them to be quite durable.
The tweezers aid greatly in the placement of SMD parts onto the printed circuit board (PCB), and the back end of the tweezer is useful for holding the device in place while soldering is being done. Just a little bit of downward pressure on the chip keeps it from walking away while the soldering process occurs.
Tweezers like these are a tool item that any electronics hobbyist should not be without. They are useful for a wide array of tasks, like plucking one particular resistor out of a container or pile of components, or for aligning the holes in a PCB with the mounting holes in an enclosure. A favorite trick of mine is placing washers onto screw threads in poorly accessible locations, and then starting a hex nut on the threads. This is done by inserting the long narrow tip of the ESD-11 tweezer into the center of the hex nut, and then letting the tweezer open to hold the nut on the end of the tweezer. Next, bring the tip of the tweezer into alignment with the end of the screw, and then squeeze the tweezer to allow the hex nut to slide down onto the end of the screw. Then simply reach in there with the tip of a screwdriver, with the tweezer still in place to serve as an axle, and turn the hex nut to begin the thread engagement. A lock washer, for example, can be placed onto the screw threads in the same manner before the hex nut is put into place.
This set is available online from Amazon, at a price of $13.99 (USD) plus shipping if you are not an Amazon Prime member. Of course, the governor has to get his share, so tax will also be applied.
Go to https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JMBGL3W to investigate this item and its companion sets and individual pieces for yourself.
The tweezers aid greatly in the placement of SMD parts onto the printed circuit board (PCB), and the back end of the tweezer is useful for holding the device in place while soldering is being done. Just a little bit of downward pressure on the chip keeps it from walking away while the soldering process occurs.
Tweezers like these are a tool item that any electronics hobbyist should not be without. They are useful for a wide array of tasks, like plucking one particular resistor out of a container or pile of components, or for aligning the holes in a PCB with the mounting holes in an enclosure. A favorite trick of mine is placing washers onto screw threads in poorly accessible locations, and then starting a hex nut on the threads. This is done by inserting the long narrow tip of the ESD-11 tweezer into the center of the hex nut, and then letting the tweezer open to hold the nut on the end of the tweezer. Next, bring the tip of the tweezer into alignment with the end of the screw, and then squeeze the tweezer to allow the hex nut to slide down onto the end of the screw. Then simply reach in there with the tip of a screwdriver, with the tweezer still in place to serve as an axle, and turn the hex nut to begin the thread engagement. A lock washer, for example, can be placed onto the screw threads in the same manner before the hex nut is put into place.
This set is available online from Amazon, at a price of $13.99 (USD) plus shipping if you are not an Amazon Prime member. Of course, the governor has to get his share, so tax will also be applied.
Go to https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JMBGL3W to investigate this item and its companion sets and individual pieces for yourself.