Beginner - Not sure where to start, need to remove sim reader from phone

Thread Starter

Gorship

Joined Dec 1, 2015
3
Hi Everyone!

I googled a forum for help with Circuit boards and voila, here I am.

I need some help. I wanna remove a sim card reader on my Blackberry Z30, as i kinda broke it (oopsie). I can order the part fine, however in terms of tools, some people say to use a heat gun to remove it, some say you can use a soldering iron. If its possible to do it all with an iron I would like that in terms of keeping price down.

Im wondering what resources you feel would be best to learn:

-The basics of soldering, tinning, and cleaning the tip and when to do certain things (ive seen guys kinda smack the solder of their iron and such, I just dont know the mechanics of it)

-Removing chips and SMC

-A good starting iron and what I will need. Ive seen sponges, and tape and all sorts of things, just curious to know what I will need.

the plan isnt to just fix the z30 and never touch it again, I want to get into it but this is my first project.

Would appreciate any help.

Thanks!
Jordan
 

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,284
Surface mount component removal is a deadicated art, for skilled soldering, i doubt if you haven't soldered before you will not be able to repair it, only ruin it,

If you want to go ahead and try it, get yourself a temperature controlled iron like a Hakko, or a Circuit specialists, Weller,
With a fine tip and tweezers etc..
 

Thread Starter

Gorship

Joined Dec 1, 2015
3
hm thats too bad. I was really hoping to do be able to do this.

So ill shelf it for now, may I ask this then, are there "starter projects" or perhaps like kits you can buy to practice techniques like desired and other basics, I know nothing, but I would like to be able to fix my own monitors if the chip breaks etc, at the moment, I can easily swap out parts. I guess I want to learn the next level and sink my teeth into it. Where do I start, what do I need?

thanks all, Appreciate the honesty.
 
http://www.proto-advantage.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=400014
is a practice kit. No stencils.

Cutting the pins is SOMETIMES an effective way to remove.

Adding an alloy to lower the temperature also helps.

My very first SMT removal was a processor in a car radio. I used the cut the pins method of removal.
This was before the ROHS stuff, so I used 63/37 lead based wire solder. 60/40 won;t work well.
ROHS makes the temperatures hotter and thus more difficult to re-work.

Take a look at. http://www.proto-advantage.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2210003
and their videos. The second video uses a toaster oven.

Take a look at. http://www.proto-advantage.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2210003
and their videos.

Im wondering what resources you feel would be best to learn:

-The basics of soldering, tinning, and cleaning the tip and when to do certain things (ive seen guys kinda smack the solder of their iron and such, I just dont know the mechanics of it)

-Removing chips and SMC

-A good starting iron and what I will need. Ive seen sponges, and tape and all sorts of things, just curious to know what I will need.

the plan isnt to just fix the z30 and never touch it again, I want to get into it but this is my first project.

Would appreciate any help.

Thanks!
Jordan
You asked the "right" questions, but the answer will fill book, not a post.

This http://www.circuitspecialists.com/bk6000.html contains a lot of stuff. A temperature controlled iron, a Hot air gun and a vacuum solder sucker at an attractive price. Maybe not attractive for you, but it is attractive.

There are manual solder suckers and solder wick. SMT is another world. BGA packages are quite nasty and so are packages with a "power pad". See these http://www.proto-advantage.com/store/images/PRODUCTS/IPC0183_0.JPG with the large solder pad under the IC. Some packages don't have any exposed leads like the BGA. Those may require heat from the bottom too.
 

Thread Starter

Gorship

Joined Dec 1, 2015
3
wow lots of help so far, thank you very much. Lots of definitions I need to read up on to follow along. I think I gotta great start...

that hot air/solder station looks fantastic... start puttin some money away.
 
I did forget something important. A magnifier of some sort. The cream of the crop is a stereo microscope with a camera because it allows you to see depth.

I have a lighted LED visor with various magnifications.

You also want a pair of non-magnetic tweezers (Titanium) when handling parts.
 
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