VECTRONICS COMPREHENSIVE SOLDERING COURSE

The VECTRONICS COMPREHENSIVE SOLDERING COURSE [p/n VEC-1500K] is the first of three “beginner” soldering courses that I will be doing. I will be using them as “refresher” courses (due to the fact I have done VERY little soldering since school).

From Vectronics website:

The Best Home-Study Soldering Course Available!

This professional-grade soldering course was designed for schools and individuals. Includes theory, quizzes, PC board and components for soldering practice. Taking this course will result in professional soldering skills and fun blinking LED project. This course covers all of the latest tools, techniques and materials youll need for "through-hole" style PC board assembly and repair.

When you complete this course youll be ready to tackle a wide range of jobs on the bench and in the field. Short, concise lessons cover topics like solders and fluxes, product safety, soldering irons, circuit boars, and much more.

Skill Level: Simple Calls for a few basic tools -- a soldering iron, cutters, pliers, wire-strippers and a small screwdriver.

Note: This is merely the kit. If you would like to purchase a case for your electronic kit as well, you will need to purchase it separately.

This course consists of 9 instructional lessons that cover all the tools, techniques, and materials needed for "through-hole" style Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly and repair (each with a quiz at the end on the material covered in that lesson). This course teaches in a simple, straight forward manner, the fundamentals of handling, installing and soldering components onto a PCB.

Along with the 9 instructional lessons, there is also a “Hands-On” lab in which you build a small project that gives you some basic experience in practical through-hole style soldering. According to the included course literature, by the time you complete this course, you should be ready to tackle a wide range of jobs on the bench and in the field.

Here are some pictures of the project for the lab portion of this course that I finished on Sunday, June 16th 2013

Pictures of Project for Electronics Lesson #1!

Getting Started
Here is the beginning of the project. I just got the resistors installed and ready to be soldered on the PCB.

Another view, a close up view.

Here is the back side. The components still need clipped and soldered.

Tight-Wad Special
Here is my CHEAP lil' soldering unit. I hunted and hunted until I found this one for $19 w free shipping. It had bad reviews; lots of people had to make repairs to get it working. Luckily mine worked right out of the box. Cheap but does the job.

Overall View
Here is a quick view of the bench.

Transistors Installed
OK, here is a view of it with all of the Transistors installed. Got the Digital Multi-Meter out to test the connections to confirm continuity where needed but no bridging between connections.

Another Close-up
Here you can see the Transistors (across the top). You can also see that all four Capacitors have been installed (three of them are yellow and the fourth is the little black canister on the left side) as well as the Diode (orange/black part in the lower right-hand corner).

LED's Installed
Here are the red LED's. LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes. They are similar to a bulb only take a minute amount of power.

IC Sockets
Now I've added the IC sockets. IC stands for Integrated Circuits. IC's are "chips" that contain several individual microscopic components (sometimes MANY) that actually make up entire complex circuits (or sets of circuits) and are embedded into silicon with certain connection points for electronic connection so the circuits in the chip can be integrated into the circuit(s) on the board. IC's can be direct soldered on the board or, if the option to remove/replace the chip is desired, snapped into a socket that has already been soldered onto the board.

Close Up
Here is another close-up.

Switch, and Wire installed
Here I have installed the On/Off switch and all of the point to point wiring.

Just another picture of the same.

IC's installed in their sockets
This is what it looks like after the IS chips have been gently nested into their sockets.

IT WORKS!!
Everything must be installed correctly because it works. The lights flash sequentially down the line as the 555 timer/oscillator fires each LED circuit at the proper time.

Last one
Once the last LED (LED #10) is lit the sequence starts all over from the beginning (LED #1) and runs on an endless loop as long as the switch is on (and the 9V battery has "juice" left).

THANKS FOR VIEWING!

Want to try VECTRONICS COMPREHENSIVE SOLDERING COURSE [p/n VEC-1500K] for yourself?
It can be found HERE!

Be sure to check out ALL of VECTRONICS Kits!
They offer all different skill levels - Simple, Intermediate and Moderate.

Feel free to look around!
Hope you enjoy!

Just be advised!!

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BIOGRAPHY & EQUIPMENT - A look at my amateur radio biography and a listing of the equipment I use.
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COMING SOON - Description of page to come.
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OTHER INTERESTS - Here are some of me MANY other hobbies and interests.

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