resoldering circuit boards

[Bob Bruner WB4TAJ]

You can't be too careful with a kit.  I once bought a V-6 VTVM, that was
cosmetically perfect, not a mark on it, even had the original probes.  I
bought it from an old fellow that gave a moving testimonial about what a good
instrument it was, and how much he had enjoyed using it, as he took my $10.
I got it home and, of course it didn't work, pilot light blinking on and off,
no reaction to input on the probes.  I opened it up and all the lead dress
was immaculate, parts were dress very professionally and wiring to the
switches was neat and precise.  The problem was there were 23 connection s
that had never been solder.  The wires ran through lugs, or terminated on a
lug with a neat, very tidy wrap.  Whoeve had buil the kit had simply failed
to solder most of the connections on the band switch wiring.  I soldered the
connections, re solder the few others, the kit lit up, and with a new batter,
and a double check of the calibration it came up and worked perfectly.
Somebody had held onto that meter all these years disappointed that it didn't
work.

Bob Bruner
WB4TAJ/9

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