Show some EE Failures - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: chrome
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 08:30:03 pm
content: Click for largerNote: This is not something I did, I found this on another forum a while back and found it in my pictures folder recently.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 08:37:12 pm
content: Looks good to me, Ship it!

author: wkb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 08:53:04 pm
content: I've seen 6 year olds do a lot better after 10 minutes of hands-on instruction..

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 08:55:07 pm
content: That looks like chicken shit.

author: M. András
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 08:57:24 pm
content: dear god, how could that guy screw it up that badly? how hard was he trying?

author: sacherjj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 09:03:31 pm
content: You should be able to fix that with a little spray on antenna.It looks like some of those bits of solder are pole dancing on the leads.

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 09:15:13 pm
content: Looks like someone spat a mouthfull of hot solder over that PCB.Mind you, I wouldn't worry too much about the PCB if I had hot lead in my mouth.

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 09:16:11 pm
content: Quote from: wkb on February 22, 2012, 08:53:04 pmActually, Iwaswondering if this was the result of child labor.

author: electrode
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 09:49:22 pm
content: Somebody needs to learn that solder isn't hot glue.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 09:58:00 pm
content: Exactly. You need to melt some solder on the tip of your iron, until a large drop forms on the tip. Then you wait until all the smoke clears, since that's contamination in the solder that would cause bad joints. Then you transfer this blob of solder from the tip to your component leg, do this as fast as possible, don't let the component get hot, that might damage it. If it does not work, add more solder, or just skip the joint. Half of those components were put there to inflate the budget, anyway, so soldering half of the joints should work just fine.

author: 8086
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 10:17:11 pm
content: I'm not sure I could solder that badly even if I was trying to. Blimey.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 10:19:16 pm
content: Quote from: TerminalJack505 on February 22, 2012, 09:16:11 pmThis is what I was wondering as well.

author: wkb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 10:19:54 pm
content: Quote from: TerminalJack505 on February 22, 2012, 09:16:11 pmI intro-ed kids into electronics as a hobby and they were better than this. By a lightyear or 2.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 10:25:09 pm
content: Quote from: wkb on February 22, 2012, 10:19:54 pmI presume you gave them some proper instruction first, not just handed them a PCB, some parts, a picure of where the parts go, an iron, and then said "Have at it".

author: olsenn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 11:38:55 pm
content: He/she/it obviously had a $10 Radioshack soldering iron, an IQ less than 15, and was wearing a blindfold.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 11:41:40 pm
content: At least it has a CE mark. That'll do.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2012, 11:47:10 pm
content: You can still do OK even with not so good tools. Just look at the iron this poor young lady has to use:I bet she'd love a Hakko instead of the cheap iron she has there.

author: Kibi
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 12:10:43 am
content: At first look, it seemed to me that someone had tried to solder that board using a wheelbarrow. Who on this earth thought that was good enough for anything.

author: damo
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 02:22:40 am
content: Quote from: alm on February 22, 2012, 09:58:00 pmI hope you're being sarcastic hereWith regards to the soldering on the board, I've seen worse and I've seen a million times better.My personal soldering iron is an old cheap Dickie Smith one which works fine. I've used all sorts of irons in my time, from the expensive Hakkos to really cheap $10 ones and I find that you don't really need to use an expensive iron if you know the correct technique of soldering (though the tip and wattage is important).

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 02:50:24 am
content: Quote from: alm on February 22, 2012, 09:58:00 pm

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 06:00:23 am
content: The types of errors don't look like bad hand soldering to me.They look like flow soldering with something drastically wrong with the system.I have run into some of these faults on otherwise perfect flow soldered PCBs.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 06:02:57 am
content: yeah, it almost looks like the solder/paste contained zero flux

author: Jad.z
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 10:18:25 am
content: chrome, are you messing with us

author: dcel
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 12:46:21 pm
content: A first attempt with lead-free solder and no flux and no nitrogen atmosphere and low watt iron.....YukChris

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 02:10:35 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on February 22, 2012, 11:47:10 pmShe's awesome!! (sorry)She uses lead free stuff with that crappy iron, too.

author: sacherjj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 02:21:16 pm
content: Quote from: olsenn on February 22, 2012, 11:38:55 pmYou can't blame the tools. I had to do a power board fix and the only thing we had was solder and a hot knife. With an assistant flipping the power on and off on the power strip, to control temperature, I was able to get solder joints that looked 100x times better than this.Heck, now that I think about it. I still have some of those 1/8" x 1" strips of solder that you can melt with a match. I've replaced a soldered in fuse on the road, with snips, a non pig tail fuse, these strips and 8 matches. It STILL looked better than this.

author: chrome
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 05:13:49 pm
content: In case people didn't know, No i didn't do that, I found the image on another forum.I intended this thread as a "show EE failures" but I guess that's my fault for not being clear enough.

author: 8086
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 05:18:12 pm
content: Not sure what happened hereSoldering Failbysimon.rgrant, on Flickr

author: sacherjj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 05:21:35 pm
content: Quote from: 8086 on February 23, 2012, 05:18:12 pmAlmost looks like they were trying to camouflage it to look like the surface it is sitting on.

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 06:18:23 pm
content: Soldering by blow torch?

author: Neilm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 07:54:09 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on February 23, 2012, 06:00:23 amAnd if it worked when tested just ship it out the door - we are behind quota this week...Neil

author: electrode
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2012, 09:28:11 pm
content: Quote from: 8086 on February 23, 2012, 05:18:12 pmHaha, not to mention the battery won't fit...

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2012, 01:27:01 am
content: Quote from: 8086 on February 23, 2012, 05:18:12 pmNowthatone is bad soldering by a person,the other was by a machine.If you look at them,you will see the difference.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 08:35:31 am
content: Quote from: electrode on February 23, 2012, 09:28:11 pmI think that's for size comparison... that looks more like a holder for 2 button-cells.

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 09:25:37 pm
content: this is why i don't like zip ties for electrical stuff...-sj

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 09:37:04 pm
content: brushless motor from commercial hair clippers. sintered stator core was very brittle. not the best choice of materials for a commercial tool imo.-sj

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 09:46:15 pm
content: courtesy of sparkfun

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 10:06:36 pm
content: nonwetting joint

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 10:07:46 pm
content: poor wetting + blowhole

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 10:15:18 pm
content: my one and only farnell order. shipping cost ($11) was more than the product. i wonder why?-sj

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 10:21:20 pm
content: in the video looked like she was using an old scope iron, they are actually quite impressive once you get the hang of them, working soley off shorting out a small 30VA transformer, and heat up in about 1-2 seconds, so really just kick out heat, (not ideal but easy to do ground plains, (also isolated supply so handy for live work)

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 10:29:42 pm
content: dry joint

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2012, 10:54:33 pm
content: Quote from: sonicj on February 25, 2012, 10:29:42 pmIs this from one of Dave's videos? The Agilent U1253A teardown?I notice Dave never did a review of the U1253B. (Unless I missed it.) I wonder if they had second thoughts about sending him one for review after his U1253A video.

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2012, 02:02:51 pm
content: Quote from: TerminalJack505 on February 25, 2012, 10:54:33 pmNegative. This was in a failed $750 1.5KW PFC golf cart charger. That one board had over a half dozen joints with various problems. Failure rate of these chargers is quite high. Great charger when it works... but unfortunately, they have some serious issues with their assembly process & a bad attitude towards end user support.-sj

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2012, 11:07:49 pm
content: Quote from: Kibi on February 23, 2012, 12:10:43 amHahaha. Just LOLed.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2012, 12:07:07 am
content: Quote from: sonicj on February 26, 2012, 02:02:51 pmAgain,a failed machine soldering job!When you fix stuff for a living you begin to realise that flow soldering machines are not infallible,as you will find plenty of such faults.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2012, 08:23:30 am
content: Quote from: amyk on February 25, 2012, 08:35:31 amI think more likely they soldered the battery to the board, there are wires going to the board from the battery, looks like a lighter was used for heat as it looks like a carbon deposit on the board.

author: orbiter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2012, 12:03:20 am
content: Quote from: chrome on February 22, 2012, 08:30:03 pm