Could use some help troubleshooting a LED chase kit

Thread Starter

chongolio

Joined Mar 22, 2010
21
Just wanted to let y'all know that I finally replaced the 4071 chip and all is working now. My guess is that I over heated the first IC when I was soldering. I have since replaced my soldering iron have seen a big improvement in my soldering skills.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
You started with a CD4017 counter IC and ended up with a completely different CD4071 quad 2-input OR gates IC. They have different amounts of pins.

My temperature controlled Weller soldering iron makes an excellent solder joint in half a second to 1 second. A cheap soldering iron that overheats burns its tinned tip and burns away the rosin in the solder so a very poor solder joint takes 10 seconds and the IC gets fried.
 

Thread Starter

chongolio

Joined Mar 22, 2010
21
My dyslexia has set in the replaced IC was the same 4017 IC not a 4071. The Weller soldering iron is on my wish list.

Cheers
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
I've used an unregulated iron most of my adult life with fair results. I got a vellman station a while back, it makes a difference. Wouldn't recommend it though, it has a lousy lifespan.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
My temperature controlled Weller soldering iron is 44 years old and works the same as a new one. They still sell exactly the same thing (but it costs a lot more today).
Its tip lasts for years.
 

Thread Starter

chongolio

Joined Mar 22, 2010
21
Frustrating.. this thing went back to just lighting one LED again. It was working then when I went back to it over the weekend it was back to lighting only one LED again. So at this point I am gonna bread board the circuit and see if I can get the circuit to work consistently.

Which leads me to ask what do you folks do with a circuit board and components that just don't work out. I tried pulling out the IC chips and other components from the board but most of the time they just get mangled.
 
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My temperature controlled Weller soldering iron is 44 years old and works the same as a new one. They still sell exactly the same thing (but it costs a lot more today).
Its tip lasts for years.
A good temperature controlled iron will HELP you do some really good soldering. The tips, if looked after, will last for years. There are a few very simple rules to follow for soldering.

1. Set your temperature to 300C. 60/40 solder melts at 273C from memory. 300C allows for the drop when you place it on your work.

2. Flux. Flux is your friend. The flux inside core solder really is not enough. Go buy some liquid or paste flux. You will be amazed at how much better your jobs will be.

3. When you have finished a joint or 2 and you put your iron up for a while load the tip with solder. When you want to do your next joint wipe the tip with a dry tissue. DO NOT flick it off. Safety glasses (yes you all wear them don't you????) are not perfect and hot solder WILL do severe damage to your eyes.

4. Flux. Flux is your friend. See above.

5. Take your time. rushing a job will cause problems (can be applied to anything you do in life)

6. Flux..... yeah you get the idea I like flux.

7. Alcohol..... Not for drinking but a good option. Get some isopropyl to clean of the flux and residue. NO Clean flux isn't. It CAN still cause problems.

8. If you follow the above rules you should not need to have your iron on a joint any longer than about 4 seconds. If you do you are doing something wrong. Check the rules again. Also if you are doing multi pin ICs use the shotgun method. This means DO NOT do adjacent pins. Scatter the order you do them to spread the heat.

Hope that all makes sense.

PS. Good tools make a good tradesman BUT they won't do the work for you.
 

tom66

Joined May 9, 2009
2,595
I'm not certain but in the original pictures posted pin 1 of the 555 was not directly grounded. A capacitor was used. This will not work. Try temporarily shorting out pin 1 to the battery (-) terminal.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
My Weller tip is regulated at 700 degrees F which is 371 degrees C.
I tried 600 degrees F (316 degrees C) but each solder joint took too long to make.

Now a good solder joint is finished in about 1 second.

Occasionally I wipe the tip on a damp sponge to clean it.
 
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