melbar wrote on 2021-10-23, 09:47:@ SBlive […]
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@ SBlive
You have written that most of the parts are NOS (now old stock).
About the Enermax EG465AX-VE, is it also NOS?
Even when it is NOS, the capacitors will age nevertheless.
Yes, all my power supplies are NOS. Though that doesn't really solve the problem of aged caps.
However, from my experience, all of my Enermax power supplies had high-quality Sanyo or Rubycon caps in them so I left them as they are.
If the machine starts malfunctioning - random crashes, hangups, or freezes, which are symptoms of unstable power - then it's time for me to replace the caps.
melbar wrote on 2021-10-23, 09:47:
Problem: at the positions of holes which are close to this wire, it was really difficult to solder- / desolder, because of the heat transfer.
The wire transfers all the heat away, so i had to ramp up the iron's temperature 10°C to 15°C higher than normal.
How many watts is your soldering iron? It sounds like it's really weak, you should not have to crank the temperature or hold the iron to the board for more than 3-4 seconds because you'll burn the traces off the board and burn the laminate.
To solder a massive solder plane like that, you need a very powerful iron. Minimum 85W or even 100W, and a wide, flat tip (5-8mm wide) with lots of surface area. This is because you have to deliver a massive amount of heat to the area and keep it that hot long enough to remove the wiring and capacitors, and then solder it all back in. You should also use high-quality gel flux to deliver the heat to every square millimeter of metal that needs it. Cranking the temperature on your weak iron will only cause destruction and disappointment. Keep it at around 375°C-400°C maximum, basically the lowest possible temperature at which the solder melts and stays melted.