Star Adventure mount repair, part two

[Astrofriend (Lars)]

Hi,
Last night when we was out in the night to do astro photographing I got problem with my Star Adventurer mount. The friction coupling in RA axis got stuck and I have difficulties to aim the camera to the object.

Today I have dismantled the mount to find what the problem is with it. I got to repair it, I took photos from my disassembling and repair that I think can be interesting for others to look at and read.

Here is the link to my homepage:
http://www.astrofriend.eu/astronomy/...t2-repair.html

Have any other of you had a simular problem with the Star Adventurer mount?

BR
Lars

[Astrofriend (Lars)]

After a copule of year my Star Adventurer got broke, the mini USB contact disappear and I got a hole in the chassi. I didn't do anything about it first because I can use the mount without this USB contact. But today was a good day to try to repair it.

My documentation of the reapir:
http://www.astrofriend.eu/astronomy/...er-repair.html

The small connectors of the mini USB get it very difficult to solder.

Anyone else that got this problem ?

/Lars

[Rerouter (Ryan)]

To rip off oxide, you want flux, either added from an external source, e.g. a flux syringe, or by cleaning off the old solder and adding fresh with flux in its core, just remelting old oxidised solder doesn't tend to last too well,

This stuff makes up about half my job at work, stupid designers not using through hole securing methods for there user exposed sockets,

The process would be:
Remove the socket,
Add fresh solder to the pads, (this makes a eutectic mixture, low melting point but pretty crappy properties, but it makes it easier to clean off)
Clean off all the pads carefully with desolder braid,
Add solder to 1 of the large sheild pads
position the socket, heat that sheild pad and melt into position the socket, this will act as the "tack"
Solder the opposite side of the sheild when its nice and aligned,
Add solder to the pads, thinner solder (0.71 is my go to) makes it easier, If solder bridges across 2 pads, tilt the board so away from the socket is down, heat those pads, and drag the solder down it prefers to follow heat and gravity, so there is a good chance it will follow the iron and breakt he bridge, otherwise just use the desolder braid

Also unless your selling something in bulk to europe, use leaded solder, just remeber you need to clean away any old lead-free stuff or you end up with a weird brittle mix.

[Astrofriend (Lars)]

Hi,
I think that is what I did, but didn't describe it that detail.

Thank you, your list is good information to all who want to solder something.

/Lars