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Each installation step has a check-off line, we strongly recommend that you check them off as
you go, and that you perform the steps in sequence. We have listed the steps in order to make
it easiest to assemble the Eggtimer, deviating from them isn't going to make your life any
easier.
About Soldering Your Eggtimer...
Assembling your Eggtimer isn't that hard, but we recommend that you don't choose it as your
first kit project. You must be able to solder small components using fine solder and get nice
shiny solder joints. If you have never soldered before, you need to learn anyway, because if
you are going to do rocketry electronics you're going to be doing some soldering. If you want
to get into advanced projects like telemetry, you're probably going to be doing a lot of
soldering. We recommend that you get a few small kits from Ramsey or SparkFun, put them
together, and hone your skills on them first. There's a lot of fun stuff out there, so go for it!
We recommend using the finest solder that you can find, either .025" or .032" rosin-core
solder. We recommend Kester or Multicore brands, a good 60/40 solder (60% lead 40% tin)
works great and those brands an alloys are readily available. If you do not wish to use leaded
solder, or you can not due to environmental regulations, get the lowest melting non-leaded
solder you can find; if you want to read all about lead-free solder, go to:
http://www.psma.com/ul_files/forums/leadfree/aim_lead_free_guide.pdf
A low-temperature Sn/Ag/Cu alloy is best, look for one that melts at 217 °C or lower and is
suitable for high-vibration applications.
European Union countries have a regulation known as RoHS, "Restriction on Hazardous
Substances", that prohibits the use of leaded solder in consumer products. Kits such as the
Eggtimer are exempt from this regulation, however we abide by the principle regardless, all
components are certified by their vendors as being RoHS compliant. However, we do not
certify the Eggtimer as RoHS-compliant because we have no control over what solder alloy is
used to mount the components. This does not currently apply to the US or Canada, but who
knows when it might be adopted here...
For soldering components on a board like the Eggtimer, we recommend a small pencil
soldering iron, about 15W. If you are only going to use it occasionally, Weller makes a decent
cheap 12W iron, it's about $15. We like it, but the copper tips seem to oxidize and corrode
rather quickly compared to some more expensive irons; fortunately, the tips are replaceable
and cheap. Better would be a fancier soldering pencil with iron tips; those run about $30, but
they'll last forever. The best iron would be a temperature-controlled solder station, they
typically start at about $50 for a cheap one and can go to a few hundred dollars if you want to
get really fancy. Weller makes a good one for about $50, if you make the investment that will
probably be the last soldering iron you will ever need to buy. These solder stations usually
have a little well with a tip-cleaning sponge, so they end up taking less room on your
workstation too.
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