Whats a good site to learn how to solder?

[Jetsfan4ever80]

I am just about ready to start building a cabinet.  I am going to try an easier way than mame by just using my genesis instead of mame and the pc.  I have the tv and wood and the genesis.  I need to learn how to solder a genesis controller to arcade contolls.  Does anyone know a good site where I can learn to solder, or can you give me any tips based on what I am doing.  I am just going to hook it up just like I would hook it up regurlarly but just add the cabinet and arcade controls.  Please help out the beginner.

[bowmand1]

well, first off, if you wanna go the quick and (decently) easy route, I'd say go with a Dreamcast, if you can get your hands on one.  Used, they go anywhere from $30 to $70 at the stores around me.   It's Windows-based, and you can get a lot of the popular emulators ported to it...  I'm currently running NesterDC (nintendo), DCStella(Atari2600), SMEG (Sega Master System), DCGenerator(Genesis), and DreamSNES (Super Nintendo), and I'm working on putting together a working copy of MamedDC (MAME arcade)  Tis good stuff.  :-)  Not to mention all the great arcade ports that actually came out for the Dreamcast (Virtua Fighter 3tb, House of the Dead, Gauntlet Legends, etc.)

    To top it all off, the easiest to hack Dreamcast controller, the MadCatz dreampad, is at FuncoLand/GameStop used for $7.99 right now (at least in Detroit it is) so you can pick up a handful and practice, if you want to.  Not to mention it's the best-designed controller for actually playing DC games.

   All that aside (Dreamcast RULES!), there's really no GREAT sites online about how to solder.  There is a link on the front page of www.arcadecontrols.com that isn't bad...  or, if you're anywhere near detroit, come on over, and I'll show ya how to do it.  e-mail me    good luck  --dave

[Jetsfan4ever80]

Thanks I happen to have a dreamcast ,so thanks for the help.  

[BobA]

Another good site to learn how to solder is

http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/solderfaq.htm

Bob

[Tehrasha]

Soldering 101 -- Some soldering basics that are often missed or ignored.....

1) Be sure that the items being soldered and your iron are clean.

Dirty surfaces make for inefficient heating and weak solder joints.

2) Apply heat to items being solderd -then- add solder.

This takes some manual dexterity and possible a 2nd pair of hands.  But the results are worth it.

Applying solder to your iron, then carrying it to and heating the objects being soldered boils the flux out of the solder.   The flux is used to wick away impurities and help clean the connection during the soldering process. (see above)

3) More solder != better connection.

If the wire you are soldering to a board appears attached by a bubble or ball of solder, you have used too much.  If two wires are being soldered together, you should be able to see the wires twisted together in the solder, not just wired ending in a big glob of solder.  On a board, the solder should slope away from the wire to the board, not look like a ball sitting on the board with a wire sticking out of it.

4) Do not apply too much heat.

Holding an iron an a circuit board for more than a couple seconds can lift the contacts right off the board.  Some components are heat sensitive (chips, LEDs, switches with plastic bodies), and as the heat travels the circuit/wire it could damage it.  (this includes the fingers holding the wire)

5) Do not apply too little heat.

An easy way to tell if you have a 'cold' solder joint, is if the solder is dull gray instead of shiney and mirror like.  (not counting the brown stain of the flux)

6) Be patient.

All of the above take time and practice to become proficient.

While better equipment can give you better results, buying the nice stuff doesnt equate to experience.  I work with solder and wires all day in my job, so it has become almost 2nd nature to me.  When I come home to work on my cabinet, I really wish I could bring the $700 Metcal solder-station from work instead of my $20 RadioShack Iron-From-Hell.  But if I take my time and am careful I can get very good results even with the cheapest generic irons.

Hope this helps

--Teh