EEVblog

Soldering the Nixie Tube display PCB. How to do drag and dab soldering to make surface mount parts soldering easy.
Also a look at the Elecrow blank prototype PCB quality.
Jump to 3:36 for the soldering tutorial
Part 6 of the Nixie Tube project
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[@dand8282]

Surface mount skills (for better or worse) are needed by today's hobbyists. Thanks for keeping the flame burning!

[@nickguy6820]

You open a lot of possibilities that way. (To all) If you haven't converted yet, give it a shot. Not hard. :-)

[@noanoxan]

I find it easier than through-hole parts because you don't have to worry about getting that nice fillet on the main side of the board.

[@DFX2KX]

I haven't tried it because I don't see well. I solder bad on the things I CAN see. xD (I need a microscope mount for my phone or something)

[@nickguy6820]

Nobody sees SMD parts well. :-) An articulating lighted magnifier or an RPi camera + LCD work pretty well though.

[@EngiMeer]

I just use hot air like most youtubers.. lol

[@tohopes]

This is like The Bob Ross of Soldering.

[@andruloni]

Nah, that would be BigClive, Dave's too excited.

[@MyBigThing2010]

Niko Andruloni I was gonna say Big Clive too....you beat me to it

[@kallewirsch2263]

We don't have short circuits. We just have happy little accidents. Every resistor needs a friend.

[@DiverCTH]

Maybe in your world, RoHS doesn't cause (intentional) premature equipment failure, and that's OK.

[@alpachino468]

Bob Saget

[@totally_not_a_bot]

Thanks a bundle for this! As an amateur, being able to look over the shoulder of a professional is priceless, and much appreciated.

[@KuraIthys]

Love the tutorials. They really help us hobbyists out a lot. I mean, you can learn many things best by doing, but it helps to know some basic things to avoid stupid mistakes or common pitfalls. Or just get general advice on some of the more complex and really quite confusing things...

[@parentteachernight]

Not boring at all. This was very helpful to me. Thanks.

[@capeman29]

That was NOT a bit boring. That was mesmerizing!

[@802Garage]

Came for the soldering, stayed for the accent. Joking, but you could definitely voiceover a children's show, hahaha. Awesome video really appreciate it. You're hopefully going to help me revive my car radio that burned an STM32.

[@johnpiettro4644]

Ha-ha, I like those Dave's casual mumblings "Beauty, Joy forever" and alike. Makes it fun to watch.

[@blessedwarrior1]

Remarkable Sir. You are awsome. The world is still in existence just because of you awsome people. Sharing knowledge, and guiding people to the right stuff, clearing up their confusions in a matter of minutes. The world definitely ows you alot. May you live strong and long. Best Regards

[@russtuff]

That was not boring, it was excellent. I'm new to this stuff and have learned a ton from your indepth explanations. Thank you.

[@2dfx]

I've enjoyed this series. It's nice to see the whole start - finish from conception to real world 'in your hands'!

[@hendacteslar]

Thanks Dave for this short one. I like the minimalistic and short type of videos, filled with just the "right" amount of information. Thank you as well for those soldering tips and the checkup for the pcb.

[@unsaltedskies]

Dave you're a legend mate. I've not soldered in 15 years and your tutorial was super helpful. Nice one!

[@Cephalon_Shade]

Been soldering stuff for years, and I haven't need to solder smd stuff til now, and this video came at the right time. Thanks Dave!

[@deathrodamus9608]

Your videos aren't boring at all. I've learned many things. Thanks man! Keep doing these kind of videos.

[@TazzxCc]

To follow up on my tweet to you - this is the video that showed what a difference 03mm solder makes vs the call it 1mm that I used to have. I really wish I learned this earlier - it makes *SUCH* a huge difference ! My headers now look like machine fitted headers ! Thanks again from across the ditch !

[@oglordbrandon]

At 9:20 he spits on the chip while talking. The spit then evaporates when the iron touches the nearest pin.

[@geonerd]

Aussie spit makes a fantastic flux! ;)

[@EEVblog]

Aussie flux

[@Viaexplore]

DNA trade mark, so you know you have a origin not a china clone :D

[@EngiMeer]

That's called spit-iron technology!!! It's a new thing in the west! Everyone on the east coast have been doing it for ages...... ;)

[@duchenpaul]

He just cannot stop talking

[@modestas3d391]

best of the best electronics channel of all time. clarity, accent, knowledge, humor - perfect combo :)

[@ukzoinks]

I learnt more in this short video, than I have in all the other videos I've watched that say they teach soldering. A really good demonstration of technique with information on tips and solder gauge too. The only thing that was missing, was the question of iron temperature. I get the impression it's hotter the better, but only if you are fast and proficient at soldering as having it too hot for too long reduces the life of the tips.

[@richardgoebel226]

Straight forward and to the point soldering tutorial.

[@Slicksparky]

Love your channel, I'm a line voltage electrician, trying to get into electronics, Thanks for all your videos... you're awesome to listen to!

[@maceliusfpv370]

Great tutorial. As a newbie to surface mount, I gotta say I find dabbing easier than dragging, at least without having to go back and fix as many bridges.

[@Elecrow]

I actually like Nixie Tube and EEVblog. Thanks for your review on Elecrow blank prototype PCB quality.

[@Nalianna]

Dave, this is among your best content. Thank you.

[@EngiMeer]

Dave is a madman and I LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART ! :))))

[@gfrias06]

It wasn't boring at all. Thanks Dave!

[@tychosis]

Thanks for the video, Dave. I'm no EE, I work in integration and test on SONAR (a field I think you're pretty familiar with based on past videos of yours.) Of course, I&T is the catch-all and the end of the line before delivery, and far too often that means I end up doing work others should have already done. I've never been great at soldering but KZbin has always been a great resource for learning. I also want to thank you for the great reviews you've done on test equipment and test equipment concepts. Your channel, the Signal Path, and w2aew almost make me sound like I know what I'm talking about when operating unfamiliar scopes/analyzers/etc.

[@mxcollin95]

Thanks for posting. I definitely need all the advice/help I can get when it comes to SMD work! 🤙 PS. Can’t believe how ridiculously easy you make it look.

[@RedTopProductions]

I'm a newbie with soldering and working on electronics in general and I love these videos! Thank you for all the tips that more experienced folks probably already know and don't think to mention.

[@nowt2957]

Could have done with watching this before I just finished soldering some SMDs. Joking aside, pleasantly surprised that I didn't do it all wrong and I love your practical attitude to this. I have learned for next time from watching this but also gained confidence that I was on the right lines and to just do it.

[@Elminator666]

Another soldering video. Whoo! I really love soldering it's just such a relaxing thing to do.

[@rikvdmark]

Nice to see the Nixie tube project progressing further. Looking good Dave :)

[@renesolis2604]

Is a pleasure checking your tutorials. Greetings from MX.

[@rantalbott6963]

Not boring at all. ;-) Thanks! And *extremely* helpful: it showed me the mistakes I'd made in trying to do SMD after over 50 years of through-hole experience (mostly using solder that was too thick, and not doing flux separately). You've inspired me to get some proper supplies and try again. One tip I'd offer in exchange: when doing something like those Nixie pins, I use an actual part to hold them in alignment while soldering. If I don't, I inevitably find that one or more winds up off-center, or standing taller than the rest. I do something similar for jobs like soldering the headers on a Wemos, or Arduino Mini/Micro, board: I have a piece of protoboard with some male and female headers soldered to it about an inch apart. I insert the two headers to be soldered so they span those two rows, and they stay properly spaced and perpendicular to the board while I solder them in.

[@Besmirchant]

Not boring at all. I could watch this all day.

[@jonnyblaze4065]

I was not board once this entire video. I really feel like I learned a lot watching this. And thanks for taking them time to go over multiple methods. I want to solder hdmi into a nintendo 64. This is just the information I was looking for. Now I know more about the tips to use and the solder as well. I never knew what to buy before.

[@thesnowedone]

I actually really liked this one; learnt a lot about soldering SMDs which was awesome!

[@springwoodcottage4248]

Loved it! Super useful & delivered with such delightfully encouraging enthusiasm. Thank you!

[@matthewfischer3312]

Great video. I have a couple of tiny smd chips I need to solder and this was all of the instruction I needed to feel confident doing so. Thanks a bunch.

[@arn1238]

Very good video. I built a four digit IN-12 clock a few months ago and I put it into a 70s style case with a red glass filter. I will use your tutorial to solder my golden 5402 IC from 1970 on a DIP-adapter to test and use it later for other projects.

[@mCKENIC]

Thanks Dave - gives me confidence to try myself on a couple of boards Ive been putting off!

[@MrSpinteractive]

Your soldering videos are my favorites. Thanks!

[@W1RMD]

You're never boring!

[@lachlan1971]

Thanks so much mate. Soldered my first smd chip last night using your drag method worked great!

[@PolygonByte]

Wonderful vid, Dave! Thank you. I love watching SMD soldering vids and this was great. I have not used a well tip for soldering SMD and have only used a fine point chisel tip. I will probably never use a conical tip ever again. Looking forward to seeing your board powered up.

[@EEVblog]

Don't use conical tips, the surface area for thermal transfer is horrible.

[@PolygonByte]

Agreed! After I bought my Hakko FX-888D, and it came with chisel tips, the difference is amazing. It really makes soldering enjoyable. Conical is just bad. Thanks for the reply, Dave! Keep up the fantastic vids.

[@mikeissweet]

The fine chisel is my shit. I solder everything with it, every day- down to fine-pitch TQFP and QFN

[@igmusicandflying]

I didn't solder for years because I thought I sucked at it, and you gave that "chisel tip" tip in another video. Asked for some chisel tips as a stocking stuffer for last Christmas got them and the difference is like night and day. I actually can solder well now and am getting back into making my own electronics projects again after not really doing much in decades.

[@Jokalido]

please dave keep doing this multi paert videos from concept to assembled circuit! really cool

[@cutzwithrazzor]

Awesome! great seeing the solder techniques. I too love the solder flux pens.

[@mcconkeyb]

Great job Dave, soldering is starting to become a rare skill. But to really be able to deal with today's components being able to solder BGA's is the ultimate test of ones skill set. Looking forward to a tutorial on that subject.

[@dandhcomputers]

thanks Dave that was one of the best teaching videos I have seen .Keep up the good work :)

[@madbstard1]

So relaxing watching someone solder. Am I a freak or something?

[@SianaGearz]

Not at all, no. Maybe check out Big Clive and maybe Paul Daniels and Louis Rossmann and Jessa Jones.

[@madbstard1]

Big Clive is my hero lol. Was through his page that I started watching EEV.

[@Blendedasian]

madbstard1 so relaxing seeing something getting done, it's technology slowly being crafted.

[@ridonculous8374]

everybody love to watch someone soldering, its porn.

[@madbstard1]

That's why I love Clives videos , especially when he designs and builds stuff. Makes it looks so effortless.

[@injoelsgarage3934]

Dave , not boring at all, that was fun. Thank you for sharing. Joel

[@FurryMcMemes]

This helps me a lot for an upcoming project. I have a Xbox One X that needs a new plug on the motherboard for the front USB sync cable, bought the part but didn't know how to attach it when it arrives. Now I know what I need to get in preparation, thank you.

[@notrealy180217]

My friend who isn't with us anymore used to watch this guy. I was never subscribed but I'm getting into electronics also and once I heard this guy say "hi" I immediately felt nostalgic

[@ed10523]

Thank You Dave...I am finally confident in soldering something. I have always made mistakes, and i feel that i can do it now. Great Video!!

[@lg1355]

EEVblog is one of the few channels that I watch at normal speed. Most are at 1.5 X. Makes it a struggle to catch up on the first 800+ that I missed, but I believe in taking time for the things that are truly enjoyable.

[@nrdesign1991]

Maybe I'm just too old, or too old-fashioned for watching at more than 1.0X, but then I'm doing other things while the video rambles on in the background

[@iwtommo]

Try mikeselectricstuff at 1.5 if you dare!

[@lg1355]

I tried, I failed....

[@Elecifun]

I am so glad you are showing people how to solder surface mount devices like this. The amount of abuse I have had because I do not apply solder to every pin before mounting the device. Halayluya ! Hopefully they watch this and leave me alone.

[@KostadinIVKostadinov]

Good work Dave. You nailed it! Now go with the next 6 more PCBs! :D

[@jordanjohnson714]

I love these tutorial and project videos!!

[@grindle2000]

Nice video , I learned something and someone who is just thinking about moving in trying things like this , this was great.

[@jensL.]

my birds went crazy singing when you whistled while soldering the tube pins :-D

[@MrFrobbo]

Some great tips for nuubs, thanks. Having been in the industry for 15 years I was always a dab man with these packages, your example shows why drag (with these tip types) is so unreliable and often time consuming due to reworking via dab. Might as well dab to begin. I often didn't even use a flux pen. Priority of component assembly and the diagonal tacking are great tips.

[@shurdi3]

I really love the phrase "A bit how you doing"

[@awideman5981]

Really cool to see man! I haven't done anything with surface mounts yet and this was informative.

[@timgore829]

Excellent video. You really helped me (a beginner) start off with proper technique.

[@royh4305]

Incredible stuff Dave. Thank you.

[@danishbegmirza]

Thanks for sharing your SMD experience.

[@heathwellsNZ]

As a person who's only really ever spent any decent time soldering is with much heavier guage wiring for automotive / CB and HAM radio type purposes it's a marvel to see this fine stuff up close!

[@linksmith1057]

My personal favorite tip for drag soldering is the Metcal STTC-126. Bent conical tip, depending on the pitch of the part, I can hit like 5-6 pins at once so it distributes it beautifully.

[@veda-powered]

thanks for this, I've been wanting to learn how to do Surface Mount electronics for a while now

[@xcross8537]

Just do it. It’s difficult at first like anything else.

[@felixcosty]

Thanks for the video. I have watched your soldering videos and they helped a lot. I needed to take the switches out and put new one in my logitech mouse and was having nothing but trouble, after watching your solder vids, I took a file to my stick no controls solder iron gave it a chisel point and got the job done. Now I have two m570 mice that work better then original. Thanks for the demo vids they are a great help.

[@felixcosty]

I looked up the switch that Logitech used and it is an Omron pressure to activate and distance is normal, but if you release just a little it goes off. The switches work they way there where built, but they where built for things like paint ball markers where you want a very fast on off switch. I did the same got some mice that where not used and had good stiff switches took them out of the cheap mouse and put them into my m570 now it works proper.

[@gordonwedman3179]

Very worthwhile watching. This will help with building the kit I purchased when it finally arrives. China is so far away. But then I have been waiting a month for a used book purchased on Amazon.

[@samk2630]

Nailed it first try after watching this, bravo mate

[@richfiles]

I used the dab method to solder an UltraHDMI kit into my N64. LOVE the results! :D

[@NestorKazar]

Thx for the soldering tips!, i never do surface solder because i always get terrible results. Now i see where i was wrong!

This video arrived just at the right time for me. And I ordered by Elecrow too ^^ Thanks

[@MyLastSong719]

Loving these project videos!

[@Yreq]

When I bought microscope I found small piece of five-core soldering wire. It's amazing. Now I know what to look for.Thanks

[@matthehat]

Thanks for this one Dave. Makes me a little less apprehensive of retrying SMD work. Tried it a couple of years ago and it was a disaster!

[@dardosordi]

This is just great Dave! Thanks.

[@George-gz5zm]

Nice video Dave. Bit of blu tack on the bench stops the pcb from sliding too. This Nixie tube finale has got to be the 1000th video

[@imakevideos5377]

Thanks for this, im doing my first smd circuit boards this semester in university

[@h2o-fpv623]

Nice job I'm practicing with SMDs I got me a practice board with the components and it's not that easy u make it looks so easy good job .

[@junctioneerblog]

A a real novice, love these build videos.

[@koset]

Dave, you made it look so easy. I'm going to give it a go .. and Bob can be my uncle too.

[@romainbrami5001]

Thanks for the video, great as always. I usually use paste and hot air for SMDs. Any reason you would not recommend this or chose iron over hot air ?

[@NivagSwerdna]

"quite reasonable"? That board is bang on, super duper great. Really nice video.

[@nombinator]

Hi Dave. For the JBC mini spoon, it is better not to get a solder ball under it but rather fill it (make it a flat surface). Once I figured it worked like that, drag soldering was a no brainer. After I figured it, it was a real pleasure to use it. Even if I can get good result with a bezel tip, I like to switch to the mini spoon just even for a single chip.

[@jungoogie]

Thanks for posting this👍! I've started getting into soldering small mounted parts like this and god damn they are small. I'm using a magnifying glass and feel I need to upgrade to something better to make sure I can accurately see if the soldering is holding or not.

[@mosfet500]

Dave, Thanks for the video. I've been doing surface mouut the same way you just did for years. Just one question. What's your iron temp? I find I have to go a little hotter with lead free.

[@shadyengineer1988]

So so so professional. Thumbs up

[@pugnate666]

Since I always like to learn, thank you very much for the tips :)

[@Matt_Aquila]

Thanks for this vid Dave. Very handy to know for novices like me :)

[@ranzee]

Excellent video Dave.

[@alexbrown1050]

Just soldered my first SMD pin by pin thanks to this video

[@buffplums]

Great demo mate

[@noworries12]

Great,you wiped away all my fears..and you're very funny!

[@simonmcd75]

At first I thought I'd stumbled upon another Ozzy man reviews vid... fantastic video, never has soldering been so engrossing.

[@JeffHopkinsMusic]

Thanks for the upload!

[@jamie405]

Thanks for the how to... Very informative. What is the best way/product for removing the flux residue from the PCB after soldering? What product and process do you use?

[@m1bear148]

Thanks, I enjoyed, would love to see it powered and working.