UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Servicing PCBs compared with wired chassis

wireful3 · 29th May 2014, 2:28 pm

I agree that some hand wired sets can look very attractive. The Mayflower comes to mind, unfortunately this usually goes with very secure connections to tags. It makes fault finding easy but replacing components with very strong mechanical joint - threaded through eyelets then wrapping round the tag - followed by solder can be a pain. it is even worse when more than one component is secured to the same tag.

Most PCBs look very tidy on the component side but the solder side is a matter of taste. Replacing components neatly on the earlier single layer PCBs though is almost a pleasure. The problem of several components on the same tag does not arise. What I find irritating is service data that shows the component side all nicely labeled but no identifiers on the solder side. Some very thoughtful manufacturers though show ghost representations on the solder side with everything identified and this is fine.

I have a vague memory of a PCB with components identified on one side and the leads on the solder side bent so that they would not fall out. The tracks were not very robust either so changing parts on this was a bit of a challenge. In fact at the time I thought it was the worst of all worlds.

29th May 2014, 2:28 pm	#8
wireful3 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 808	Re: Servicing PCBs compared with wired chassis I agree that some hand wired sets can look very attractive. The Mayflower comes to mind, unfortunately this usually goes with very secure connections to tags. It makes fault finding easy but replacing components with very strong mechanical joint - threaded through eyelets then wrapping round the tag - followed by solder can be a pain. it is even worse when more than one component is secured to the same tag. Most PCBs look very tidy on the component side but the solder side is a matter of taste. Replacing components neatly on the earlier single layer PCBs though is almost a pleasure. The problem of several components on the same tag does not arise. What I find irritating is service data that shows the component side all nicely labeled but no identifiers on the solder side. Some very thoughtful manufacturers though show ghost representations on the solder side with everything identified and this is fine. I have a vague memory of a PCB with components identified on one side and the leads on the solder side bent so that they would not fall out. The tracks were not very robust either so changing parts on this was a bit of a challenge. In fact at the time I thought it was the worst of all worlds.