Ramsey Electronics FX-440 Manual page 67

VERY IMPORTANT PC BOARD ASSEMBLY INFORMATION
FOR A-L-L OUR BUILDERS!
1. Your FX- transceiver PC board is double-clad with plated- through
holes. What this means in practice is that it is VERY important to select
and install correct part values the FIRST time around. This type of board
makes "desoldering" much more difficult and risky because the solder
adheres inside the hole and flows to the component side of the board as
well. It is VERY tricky to remove a part without damaging it. If too much
de-soldering heat or component "pulling" is used, there is also the
serious risk of damaging small PC board traces. Be careful and
methodical in assembly!!!
2. Do not, under any circumstances, install L9orL10 until instructed to
do so in Assembly
Stage
"TX." This applies even if you are following
your own assembly sequences. This procedure will prevent damage to
09
and QB during the initial test and alignment procedure.
3. Do not attempt to "re-engineer" our transistor orientation illustrations.
Simply point flat sides or tabs as illustrated.
4. After installing all parts, you will see a few empty holes in the circuit
traces on the top or component side of the board. These plated-through
holes are placed intentionally to connect with traces on the solder side.
The hole IS the connection! However, if these holes nag at you, simply fill
them in with a touch of solder - AFTER verifying that all parts have been
placed and installed correctly.
5. Additional "empty" holes are marked on the PC board to allow for easy
connection of accessories or modifications as you begin to customize
your transceiver. See "GUIDE TO FX- CIRCUIT ACCESS POINTS."
6. The purpose of DOUBLE check boxes [ ] [ ) in the assembly steps
is to make it easy to re-check the accuracy of your work. Checking your
work backwards usually reveals problems overlooked during assembly.
7. Almost all resistors are mounted in vertical (upright) position. You can
see that the wire leads for resistors come in several styles. If a resistor's
pre-trimmed lead is ever too short for upright installation, simply solder a
scrap wire nipped from another resistor to extend its length.
8. Some of the resistors and miniature inductors used in this project
require upright or vertical installation.. It is important to follow the
orientation illustrated for vertically installed parts. Always put the body of
the part in the hole with the circle!
9. Whenever you have a choice, install parts with stamped markings so
that you can still see the markings later. This will help greatly with any
possible troubleshooting needed.
1
O.
PARTS SORTING: In a kit of this size and complexity, there is no
single best way to sort and organize the 300
+
individual components
FX-440
Assm. 7