Trying to use a solder sucker on the same side of the board as the soldering iron usually doesn't work for me either. Some builders trim a notch in the side of their sucker nozzle to they can put the sucker over the soldering iron tip.
I put the sucker on the opposite board from the iron and have excellent results on the first try. I do it like this: Carefully choose which side of the board to touch with the iron. Choose the side with the fewest heat-sensitive parts like relays, trimmer caps and pots, etc. Generally, that's the "bottom" of the KX1 PCB. So you position the board in the vice so you have a clear view of the side you are going to touch with the iron then, with your hand supported on a rest to hold it steady, position the solder sucker on the opposite side over the hole with your finger/thumb on the trigger. Now, while looking at the pad where you are going to touch the iron, touch the iron carefully to the pad and, as soon as the solder melts, squeeze the sucker trigger and WHACK! You have a clean hole. Don't admire the clean hole until you've carefully moved the soldering iron back to its stand! A LOT of builders groan about having successfully cleared a pad and then, while they're admiring the clean hole while holding the iron in their hand accidentally touch a relay case or pot shaft and melt it! Put the iron back in the stand before looking or doing anything else! Until it's safely back in the stand, it's a "bomb" waiting to attack your rig! Ron AC7AC _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
