This is a nice kit. It is supplied with a very high quality silk-screened, solder-masked, plated-through-hole FR-4/G-10 printed circuit board (PCB). It went together quickly and works well. It includes six or so crystals. All included crystals oscillated and could be detected by a general-coverage receiver.
My kit came with two pairs of transistor types to choose from: BC338 and 2N3904. However, the note on my schematic contained an error suggesting the PCB silkscreen component silhouette was correct for the BC338 and backwards for the 2N3904, which has an opposite pin order. The silkscreen on my particular kit actually matches the 2N3904.
So, be careful how you identify the transistor lead placement and whether you are identifying the leads from above or below. You can get datasheets with lead information for these transistor types with an internet search.
Tools you should have for assembling Nightfire or similar kits:
1. 25 Watt or temperature-controlled Soldering Iron with a small chisel tip,
2. Pair of small diagonal cutters (flush cut is good) for cutting component leads.
3. Pair of small needle-nose pliers for bending component leads for insertion through the circuit-board holes.
4. High-power illuminated magnifying glass for reading component values on the components.
5. A tool similar to a "Panavise" for gently holding the circuit board while you solder the components.
6. Rosin core solder such as what might be available at Radio Shack or Kester "44". I recommend a 63/37 PB/SN "Eutectic" blend with a thin diameter such as 0.030 or 0.060 inches.
7. Desoldering hand pump such as Edsyn DS017.
8. Desoldering braid or wick (for when you make a soldering mistake).
9. Color code chart for understanding resistor values.
10. Chart for understanding capacitor value codes such as "103" or "104".
11. Internet computer for searching for component information such as identifying transistor emitter/base/collector or drain/source/gate leads.
Be sure to read the accompanying information about the components included in your kit.
No comments:
Post a Comment