snapped 2 wires :(

[Steve A]

Disaster struck this morning,
I removed my open cockpits mcp from the glareshield so i could paint an area on the mip and i have managed to break off 2 wires from the usb connection, the green and white ones. I know where they go back but they are so tiny i haven't got the confidence or the skill to re solder them. ( the last time i soldered anything was at college )

Please can anyone advise a way to re-attach the wires without soldering or is there no other way :-(

Im afraid to say this is the most fragile connection i have ever seen so other owners beware ;)

[Jackpilot]

may be, just ask OpenCockpit what to do...

[Geremy Britton]

Process of procedure:

Firstly, contact opencockpits, is it the lead? if so they may be able to replace a lower cost item for you. Customer service at OC is generally good.

Secondly, you have rights if the item is under a guarantee still

Thirdly, and if you have no other option, heatshrink may be able to solve the idea of not soldering. Headshrink is usually used as well as soldering however it can provide a strong connection. And maybe a little electrical tape around the joint afterwards just to reinforce that connection and everything should be ok.


And lastly, steve. Don't go doing anything like that again! LOL

[Westozy]

If you can replace the lead that's the way to go...if you solder....

Westozy's soldering tip!!!

Soldering is daunting to many but with a few hints it can be made easy!
Make sure the iron is spotlessly clean, I sometimes clean the cold iron with wet and dry sandpaper back to the copper. If it is a cheap iron without temp control it is best to use it immediately when it has become hot enough to melt solder so test it with solder as it heats, too much temp can cook the flux and make it useless. The flux residue is an acidic cleaning agent that when in contact with the hot wire 'eats' the foreign substances like the grease our skin puts into the wire when we twist it. First you have to 'tin' both pieces to be soldered for example you want to join a wire to a toggle switch. First clean the solder tabs on the back of the switch with a fine sandpaper, preferably wet and dry. Hold the switch so the tab is flat (horizontal). Wear safety glasses, solder spits acid! Melt some solder onto the iron and try to coat the tip, if you get a big blob shake it off and don't get splashed! Put the iron on the tab and put the resin cored solder onto the tab close to the tip of the iron and when the iron has heated the tab the solder will melt onto the tab. Put enough solder onto the tab to form a little hill then remove the heat, you can shape the hill with the tip of the iron. Next place the iron on the bench so you can access the tip without the iron moving. The wire has to be clean and recently stripped of the plastic coating, trying to solder old wire rarely works well. Put more solder on the iron until a bubble is hanging from the tip then poke the wire in and out of the blob until it is coated in solder (tinned). Now clean the iron and bring the wire to the switch. Put the iron on the toggle switch tab near the 'hill' and when the solder on it turns to liquid push the wire into it and remove the iron. You must try to not let the wire move until the solder has solidified again. Joining two wires is similar, tin both ends before attempting to join them. This will produce a really good weld time and time again.

Gwyn

[makoy]

Hi,
What about if you ask some TV repair shop to soldering it.
Maybe cost couple euros only.

[Goldmember]

No reason to panic :-) Just solder it, it's no big deal.

1. take a soldering iron with a fine tip (see picture)
2. use special electronics tin, it has a core with stuff in it that lets the tin and the objects attach better
3. most important: melt the tin on the objects, not on the soldering iron. So you have to put the iron to the one side of the objects and the tin to the other side until it melts, see this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZjdiRxr0OM).
4. have somebody to hold the wire very still while you do this. Hold it still until the tin gets hard
5. don't blow or force the hardening in some way, just give it 5-10 seconds.

Just practice a few times on some spare wire if you're uncertain. There's no need to clean everything because you broke it just ago. You might even be able to do it with the old tin. Should be a 1 minute job.

[Steve A]

Thanks for the response guys, I did actually pay 10 euros at a local electronics shop and they have re-soldered the wires for me, Whilst i was there i bought a good soldering iron and im gonna start practicing on scrap wire.
The young chap who repaired it commented on how weak the original joints were and actually tied the wire to the pcb. So it should be ok now :p

[Goldmember]

LOL, this kid makes EUR 600,- per hour! Anyhow, good to practice on scrap wires so you can manage when something breaks again. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be soldering things for all your friends and relatives at EUR 10,- per joint :D

[jongas]

I had the same problem with my OC USB wire on the MCP

I re soldered them myself by using the metal ends of a resistor - soldered the wire to the resitor wire (obviously I cut the resistor out!)then soldered the other end back on the board.

The wire was less flexible and easier to position because it is in quite a fiddly position on the board

They really should look at the manufacturing process of this - I recall another thread about the same problem here about 6months ago.

Having said that, if we don't tell them and just fix ourselves they are not to know !! :D

Jon

[Goldmember]

The problem is that they don't have pull relief on the wires that come out of the case. Last week I had to modify an EFIS of theirs and I discovered the same thing. If you pull the wire strong enough, it could come loose from the PCB. A simple knot inside the case could prevent that.

On the other hand, if you choose to use the bare MCP inside your glare wing, it's obvious that you either take care yourself or find yourself soldering sometimes. No problem eitherway.

[vidarf]

Gents, here's a good tip for ya:

Buy a simple electronic kit and learn how to solder! It does not need to be anything specific - any toy electronic kit will do. The idea is to get familiar with the different electronic parts, how to solder and so on.

About the soldering iron: do not cheap out! Buy a temperature controlled one - or, if you foresee that you will do more soldering in your pit/house/car/etc., buy a soldering station with temperature control. Should last you a lifetime, and ensures perfect soldering every time!

And last, but not least: Search for soldering guides, especially on youtube! :)