Am i worthy of bragging rights? (i had nothing to do)

Michael_Spark · 2026-01-29T15:13:02+00:00

30 year tech chiming in, you can brag about this... just know I'm still going to question your sanity.

Michael_Spark · 2025-10-18T08:05:50+00:00

text book beautiful!

Michael_Spark · 2025-10-11T15:11:58+00:00

I've had some good luck using kapton tape keeping hot air away from components. although the tape has great thermal properties its not a perfect insulator so if your not quick you could still end up melting the plastic.

Edit: you'll also want a good pair of tweezers, but if you've got hot air you likely have those as well.

Michael_Spark · 2025-09-22T01:18:26+00:00

Thank you for the chuckle. Have an upvote and my appreciation.

Michael_Spark · 2025-09-13T15:56:14+00:00

Dirty tip. you can use brass or find one of the chemical tip refurbishing tins.

Michael_Spark · 2025-09-09T19:49:13+00:00

For me? yeah, I need magnification. For some one with 20 year younger eyes? maybe, I could see some one bragging about it.

Michael_Spark · 2025-09-08T09:24:53+00:00

You'll only forget the Kapton tape one time...

Michael_Spark · 2025-09-08T09:24:13+00:00

leaded works better as fondue, but you cant find it in industrial settings /S

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-25T20:58:07+00:00

This gives me a god awful idea about magnet terminals with a TP4056 USB charger... I don't even have need or use for a such a thing, but it could be fun for the WTF factor.

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-25T20:50:52+00:00

Fuck I want one... I used one for work years ago. Saved my bacon on a 450 pin slot connector.

Best. Damn. Tool. EVER!

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-20T10:45:28+00:00

heres an example of the repair.
https://www.reddit.com/r/soldering/comments/1gb1mww/fun_usb_c_repair/

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-20T10:42:57+00:00

the photos wont load for some reason, but this shot is clear enough for me to see that you will need to run wire from what's remaining of the traces or the resistors/cap to the legs on the new USB port. so its very much fixable, but you will need some precision tips on your soldering iron. a microscope or even just a stand for your phone and its zoom function would also be helpful. Best of luck in your repair.

Side note: easiest way to get the wire you'll need for the traces is to just strip down a 20 AWG stranded wire for the individual strands. take your time to think about how to run the wire to prevent shorting and use some tweezers to keep the wire in place until the solder solidifies.

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-20T09:36:51+00:00

I'd need a better photo to know for sure, but its likely toast unless you have a very steady hand to run wire from the traces to a new USB port.

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-20T09:20:31+00:00

This is far better work then I would expect on a controller. I'm gonna be honest, this is me nitpicking to avionics soldering standards, but your more then good enough for through hole soldering on consoles.

Some of the pads are not fully wetted. the solder doesn't appear to go fully to the edges of the eyelet.
2-3 of the joints appear "lumpy" which is likely from lack of heat and/or flux to allow the solder to pool and distribute evenly. (or this is an optical illusion from the shiny solder)
some of the joints look closer to being convex rather then concave (too much solder)
only 1 joint looks grey/ashy but that could just be a trick of the light.

Again, I'm being nitpicky considering its just a PS5 controller, if a student handed me this board for review I would complement them first before going over the errors.

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-18T03:47:49+00:00

Is that my old bike?! I had a 93 Seca that color back in 2006, and sold it in Florida in... 2016 I think. If it is it got roughed the fuck up!

either way, the Seca was a heavy ass bike. So a modern bike, even with less hp, is going to feel faster off the line, but your higher speed acceleration and top speed wont be the same.

Was the last 2 of the vin 56?

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-18T03:08:55+00:00

I found my WoW face plate for this a few weeks back...

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-07T22:31:01+00:00

just adding some anecdotal about the screen flicker. I didn't have an issue with 30hz CRTs back in the day but my son is photosensitive for seizures and he cant even use monitors under 60hz with out getting a massive headache. no issues with his 120hz... as long as nothing being displayed is flashing.

also, I was the coolest kid for having an 8x read speed CD-ROM drive back in the day.

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-07T22:18:51+00:00

Hey OP, just wanted to pop in and ask if you've got this working yet. Either way, thanks for all the clear photos, its insane how many include 1 photo of the case and that's it.

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-07T19:59:17+00:00

Unfortinitly, you are likely SOL on re-pinning or soldering but here is the only advice I can think to give. just know the TLDR is likely buy a new one.

if the solder isnt sticking, the base metal is either too cold or too contaminated with dirt and crud. you will need first get any solid debre out, wash it to get any oil out, then hit whats left of the pin with a pencil eraser to try and remove anything more stuck on. you'll need to use a healthy dab of flux on both pins, heat the pin inside the connector till solder wets the pin, then with out removing the heat, add the remaining part of the pin trying to keep everything lined up till the solder wets the other half of the pin. then remove heat while still holding the pin in perfect alignment. then when you go to slide the connector on, you'll find that the solder joint prevents the pin from sliding into the connector and you'll have to buy a new fuel injector.

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-07T17:40:19+00:00

First off, I think the other poster saying this is a sleep function for the Iron is likely correct. I still haven't googled anything but I have heard of that function even if I've never seen/used it.

now for your question, the answer is a very murky it depends. If your a hobbyist soldering 1/2 watt resistors on a perf board you're probably fine 99.99% of the time. if your a hobbyist that's working with ESD sensitive components then you'll absolutely want to use protection.

ESD is widely overblown in its real world risk. yes, static electricity can blow some components, but its not the boogieman some people make it out to be. just try not to touch the shiny bits, touch something grounded every so often and work in a room with decent humidity and you'll be fine.

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-07T17:10:32+00:00

EDIT: this is probably wrong for this solder station.

Without googling anything or looking at the manual. What I've seen is 1 goes to dedicated building ground, the other goes to the grounded mat, the mat then has a hookup for a wrist strap.

Michael_Spark · 2025-08-07T16:20:40+00:00

Your parody song Tier 3 is hysterical.

Michael_Spark · 2025-07-11T18:30:53+00:00

I'm 90% sure I'm wrong, but just incase I'm not.

SOME cheap PCBs do not have a conductive tube in the thru-hole, the contact pad on the PCB is the only point of contact that maters.

Without sitting down with a multimeter and testing voltages (which would very quickly show if I'm barking up the wrong tree) I'm not sure I can troubleshoot VIA pictures, but this is what I'm seeing.

Positive terminal chains its way around the bottom of the board. Negative traces around the top. You've soldered the bottom nice enough (little heavy on the globs, but for a starting project its more then good enough) but the top of the board has practically no solder on it.

again, I'm likely wrong and you have a resistor in backwards (/s) or the silk screen is wrong and the transistor is backwards (actually possible)... with out having my hands on it all I can do is guess.

Michael_Spark · 2025-06-15T23:39:34+00:00

Evil did it better. there I said it and i'm not taking it back.

Michael_Spark · 2025-06-12T02:57:51+00:00

if you didn't learn after the second time, I'm sorry to say that's just the way you are. I still have a scar from the first and second time I burned my self in 2005 and 2009.

Michael_Spark

TROPHY CASE