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the front, with a few extra centimetres (the holes are drilled from the back of the cradle’s rear panel), and
wide enough to provide stable support for the cradle.
Solder Wick (de-soldering braid) – Braided copper strands a few mm wide used to absorb excess solder
during rework. It will help the job go a lot more smoothly.
Coarse grit emery or other abrasive paper – only a small scrap is needed, something around 80 – 100 grit is
perfect.
Here’s a couple of photos for reference.
The photo on the left shows the soldering tool I use,
with the extra tips I have for different jobs. The tip
second from the right is the one I most commonly
use. (the marker is there for scale)
The above photos detail the extraction wires for the head unit. Notice the notch about 3-4mm from the end
– this helps the wires to get a bit more “purchase” on the locking clips to assist with removal. Without these
notches, the wires just tend to pull out of the unit rather than pulling the unit out of the cradle. The clips in
the head unit which are pushed aside by these wires have a small “tang” pressed into them, and these
notches allow a firm purchase on these clips and therefore the rearward force on the wires is transferred to
the unit itself.
Make certain also that you have a clean and well lit work area. This can’t be done with the gear “sitting on
the boot”. Something soft to place things on whilst you’re working on them is also very handy, and helps
avoid scratches and so on.
(I use a piece of anti-static foam about 45cm square)
Static – there’s a good point. Much of the circuitry inside the head unit is sensitive to static electrical
discharge. Avoid wearing synthetic clothing, and don’t shuffle your feet around on the carpet just before
diving elbow-deep into the unit, otherwise you might blow something up without even realising it. A good
habit to get into is to touch something that’s earthed after sitting at the work bench and before touching the
item being worked on. This will eliminate any static charge you might have picked up.
