Hello everybody,

My problem is that i was installing a modchip and when i went to solder in the header pins.... i did so without realizing that this piece was slanted so now i have it all sodered in slanted. What tools am i going to need to desolder this and fix the problem? Im very new to this so please excuse the noobish question.

First, how bad is it slanted? if its not too bad it could possibly still work.

to desolder, either use:

-desoldering braid
-desolder pump

i think the braid is a bit easier to use than the pump.

The mod chips have enough room over the mobo that it might still work at a slant. Check for fit and see.
Otherwise, get some desoldering braid and put that over the solder you need to clean off. Then use your soldering iron to heat the braid which will then soak up the solder underneath.
Good luck.

heres some pictures of the work i did ( or didnt do right as the case may be )

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c304/ser...N3730Medium.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c304/ser...N3727Medium.jpg


first one is the chip's connector at a slant and the second is the solder i did.

Are there any retail stores that sell desoldering braid or am i gonna have to wait a week and a half to get it online?

way, way too much solder was used.

theres a bunch of soldering guides if you just look around.

Radio Shack I thought had desoldering tools. Youre definatley going to want to delsolder that bridge too, and maybe use some better solder; did you use lead-free? it doesnt look like it lol.

EDIT: And way too much solder was used like Metal said ^^^

That was my first time soldering anything.... lol

I looked at a couple guides but i guess i should practice a bit on something else before soldering again.... Would radioshack have lead-free solder too? To be honest i just used whatever came with the soldering iron.

Yea, radio shack has some lead-free, resin core (sp?) lead.

Get some Rosin-Core 60/40 Solder.. That should do you good..

well looks like i gotta go to radioshack tomarrow so i can pick this stuff up, Thanx for the advice/help and if anybody has anymore i would surely appreciate it.

Wow that soldering is bad, you need to make sure you heat the small rings around the holes as well as the pin, then apply the solder to the pin and ring not the iron, it should flow over both.

Practice on an old circuit board before going back to the box, once you get the hang of it you will be suprised how easy it is.

What version of Xbox are you modding?

i have rosin core solder from radioshack, and reading the back of it it says "warning, contains lead"

is there such thing as solder that is COMPLETELY lead free that should be used?

i know it looks horrible doesnt it? lol

1.6b is the version of xbox im modding, and i think i will pick up/find an old circuit board to use before going back to the xbox because i would kick myself really hard if i happen screw up the mobo

Another Question:

What kind of soldering iron would you prefer for a job like this, my soldering iron that i got in my pc repair kit looks ok but ive seen some better ones out there like the Cold Heat wireless soldering iron. Any recommendations for a soldering iron? Any tips i should purchase to make this easier??

Ok if you are chipping a 1.6b then practice alot because you need to rebuild the lpc which means some small points to be soldered too. You dont need to spend heaps on an iron just a reasonable 30watt iron will do the trick.

well my reasoning on getting a nice solder iron was in fact because i have that rebuild to do. Ill have to check rs and see what they have later on today but my shopping list is basically gonna be:

desoldering braid
Rosin-Core 60/40 solder
a nice solder iron



anything im missing?

I use a 15w solder iron & its ample hot enough. If you can get hold of some lead/tin solder you will find it melts much easier than the lead free sh1te and you wont get "boulders & blobs" like you have in the above pics.

We all started somewhere and werent expert solderers the first time we tried. So dont rush, have a little patience & make sure you use the correct tools for the job.

Slim

Read This its a good place to start.

Get a 25 or 30 watt iron at least. Any less will struggle with braid.
The art of it is to get in out quickly. Each joint should take 2 seconds no more. the reason the soldering you have done looks like it does is inadequate heat, the solder has not flowed. I did a big thread on soldering somewhere (I can't find it ) and the reasons not to go too low powered.
Basically its not the amount of heat that does the damage and its easier to solder with a powerful iron that melts solder as soon as it sees it.
problems usually come when the iron can not heat the joint and the solder sufficiently so the person usually applies more pressure risking damge to the print (Traces), or leaves the iron on for a long time risking damge again or the worst one is withdraws the iron and the heat applied to the joint is not enough to leave the solder molten for a second or two so the iron pulls the joint and rips the print track (Trace).
Below are pics of an IC I braided out and one I soldered in. Note the wattage of the iron. this whole process took a couple of minutes. It just gives an example of how a powerful iron can be used for stuff like this. The work in the pictures has not been cleaned up at all. So practice first and it will go fine

very nice i appreciate all the advice