If you now look at the board, you’ll notice
that we have put a curved ident on the
board to one side of the holes. This curved
ident signifies the round side of the
transistor.
Here is the board with the transistor
dropped in.
In order to set the correct length of the
transistor leads, turn the board over and
rest it on the tops of the large Electrolytic
capacitors. Then lower the transistor back
through the holes so that its body also
rests on the worksurface. In other words,
the top of the transistor is set to the same
height as the tops of the large capacitors.
The transistor leads are now straight and
ready for soldering. My general rule is this:
Solder the middle lead first. Let it cool for
10 seconds. Then solder the left-hand lead.
Let that cool for ten seconds. Then solder
the final lead.
This process stops heat build-up in the core
(junction) of the transistor. If you stick to
the 3 second rule detailed earlier and set
the height as mentioned, you shouldn’t
need any heatsinks on the leads.
