Radio engineering tools. Ham radio workshop, tools and devices. Basic list of necessary tools and materials for soldering

In order to be productively engaged in radio electronics, a beginner radio amateur first of all needs to acquire a minimum set of tools, which is simply necessary for the design and installation of various electronic devices.

As the personal radio laboratory develops, its composition will be replenished with new instruments and devices.

Usually, radio amateurs starting their journey in electronics want to quickly solder some, albeit simple, electronic device. Success in this matter depends, among other things, on the tool used.

It has already been mentioned on the pages of the site that the main tool in the workshop of a novice radio amateur is a soldering iron. Therefore, the first tool in the workshop should be an electric soldering iron. Every radio amateur should be able to monitor the condition of the soldering tool. For an electric soldering iron, you should assemble or buy a stand on which the soldering iron will be placed in between work.

Electric soldering iron with stand

The stand can be made from a wooden board and two metal holders placed on the board on the sides. Holders need to be bent in the form of a letter M, and at the ends provide for fastening with small nails or screws. Holders can be made of copper, aluminum wire of large cross section.

So, first you need to buy or find a regular 40W electric soldering iron. For soldering small radio components, it makes sense to buy a low-power 25 W soldering iron with a thin copper tip.

Soldering irons are commercially available. fireproof sting. The rod of such soldering irons is not made of copper; solder does not adhere well to it. During installation, such a soldering iron is not very convenient. Such soldering irons are mainly used in the repair of electronics and dismantling radio components. Their tips have a special coating, such as nickel, iridium or some alloy (it all depends on the manufacturer). Such stings can't be sharpened! If this is done, then there will be no sense in such a sting and it will have to be thrown away. The coating is very thin, especially for low-quality rods.

For starters, it's best to use classic soldering iron with a copper tip. The advantage of a soldering iron with a copper tip is that the copper rod is easy to work with. It can be given the necessary form, depending on the work performed.

Copper stings of various shapes

It is easy to sharpen a copper tip with an ordinary file, make the tip narrower or thinner, give the desired shape, depending on the need for soldering a particular radio component. Solder is easily held on the prepared copper tip, which allows it to be delivered to the place of soldering in the right amount.

Naturally, when connecting a microsoldering iron to a power source, one should take into account power consumption. Microsoldering irons are sold, usually without a power supply. Therefore, you should first select the necessary microsoldering iron and clarify its parameters - power and supply voltage. When connecting the microsoldering iron to a power source, observe polarity.

You should also prepare a minimum soldering kit, consisting of rosin (or flux), wire or lump solder.

When installing various low-output radio components, wire conductors, wire cutters or side cutters are required. Using them, you can shorten the leads of radioelements and copper conductors. Purchase if possible miniature wire cutters, since basically when installing electronic devices you will have to deal with rather miniature parts.

Nippers and side cutters

In the radio laboratory of any novice electronics enthusiast, there should be tweezers maybe not even one. Electronic technology is constantly striving for miniaturization and sometimes you have to deal with tiny details, which, of course, are more convenient to manipulate with tweezers. If you are going to assemble devices using surface mount (SMD), then you will definitely need SMD - tweezers. It serves to capture miniature SMD resistors and other parts during installation and dismantling. By itself, tweezers in a radio amateur's workshop are quite a running tool, its presence is very desirable.

Currently, you can find on sale a huge number of all kinds of tweezers, both conventional and for surface SMD - mounting. The cost of SMD tweezers is usually higher than conventional ones.

Also in the “chest” of a beginner radio amateur there should be narrow nose pliers, thin noses, or round nose pliers. Narrow-nose pliers are the same pliers, but with elongated fixing noses. Thin-nosed and narrow-nose pliers are necessary when forming the leads of radio components. The elongated shape allows you to perform all kinds of operations when installing radio components, without touching the surrounding elements. It is inconvenient to perform such installation operations with ordinary pliers.

Round-nose pliers, unlike thin noses, have rounded elongated noses and are intended mainly for molding the leads of radioelements. Naturally, it is better to choose thinner noses, since you will have to deal with small-sized parts.

An integral part of the workshop can also be considered all kinds of screwdrivers . In the workshop of a novice radio amateur, there must certainly be both Phillips screwdrivers (also called “plus”), and flat ones (called “minus”).

When assembling and disassembling radio equipment, there is a constant need to open the case. Usually fastening is carried out using screws and bolts. It will be useful to have a long Phillips screwdriver in the workshop. Such a screwdriver is convenient when disassembling modern TVs, since the screws are hidden in deep grooves, and it is unlikely that such screws can be unscrewed with a short screwdriver. It will not be superfluous to have on hand a miniature flat screwdriver with a working edge width of 4-6 mm. Such a screwdriver is useful when adjusting various trimming resistors, inductors, and disassembling compact equipment.

To open all kinds of compact devices, such as cell phones, MP-3 players, car radio panels, you need a universal screwdriver with interchangeable tips for different slot shapes. In miniature electronics, all kinds of screws, bolts and screws with different shapes of slots are used. Therefore, a universal miniature screwdriver is necessary.

Miniature universal screwdriver

One of the most sought-after tools in a radio amateur's workshop is the usual "pencil", jackknife . Using a folding knife, you can strip the wire insulation, clean the wire from insulating varnish, treat the surfaces to be soldered from oxides and contaminants. This is one of the most needed tools in the workshop. Folding knife has small dimensions - it is easy to store and transport.

Mounting knife

In addition to the main basic tools , the ham radio workshop will also require specialized tools and fixtures, but you will learn about them from another article.

When making their designs, radio amateurs use different tools. In addition to electrical installation, plumbing, carpentry, etc. are needed. A good set of tools is a special pride of the master.

Usually, everything starts with a couple of three screwdrivers and a hammer, and then, as needed, other tools are acquired. Some very convenient "adapters" can be made on your own, and they will successfully complement even the "firm" set.

Homemade tools

utility knife. Everyone has a hacksaw for metal. Hacksaw blades are quite fragile, and over time, a lot of debris accumulates, which roll around unattended. But these are valuable semi-finished products, from which many useful devices can be “built”. For example, turn it into a universal knife with replaceable blades, which is a whole set of tools, and even with a case for storing spare blades (Fig. 1).

To make a pencil case, a workpiece is taken (a tube with a diameter of 20.. .25 mm from any non-ferrous metal) and one side is filed down with a file until a longitudinal groove is formed. Then this end needs to be flattened by laying a plate in it a little thicker and wider than the hacksaw blade. Everything else is clear from the picture. The incisors can be made very different, as long as your imagination is enough.

Cutter-ballerina. In the manufacture of acoustic systems, it is necessary to cut large diameter round holes for dynamic drivers. Of course, you can use a jigsaw, but it is difficult for them to cut even holes. Therefore, one cannot do without a ballerina shown in Fig. 2. The holder 2 is machined from a hexagon 32 × 42 mm. The shank and the guide part are machined to a diameter of 8 ... 10 mm. The length of the cylindrical part of the guide should be within 25 ... 30 mm, the shank 50 ..60mm. Rod 3 is a segment of a hexagon.

It is fixed in the holder with a bolt 1 dressed on a bronze bushing. Alfa-Soyuz sells inexpensive rolled metal products in St. Petersburg. We sell metal products and offer quality products. In our offer, buyers will find bronze bushings, channels, fittings, hexagons and other metal products. Cutter 4 is inserted into the hole of the rod and clamped with bolt 5. Cutter can be made from fragments of drills, taps, etc. tool.

It is necessary to work with such a ballerina on a drilling machine with the minimum possible rotation speed of the cartridge, the lower part of the cutter must be at least 5 mm higher than the cylindrical part of the guide. The workpiece must be taken with a certain margin so that there is a reliable stop in the machine bed. The hole is drilled halfway on one side, then the workpiece is turned over and finished on the second.

Drilling micro machine. The most time-consuming procedure in amateur radio creativity is the manufacture of printed circuit boards. They have to drill a huge number of small holes (0.8 ... 1.2 mm in diameter). Drills of this diameter are difficult to clamp into a drill chuck, and they break with any careless movement. In this case, a simple micro-machine will help out (Fig. 3). The design of the machine is clear from the figure. The missing dimensions can be taken arbitrarily, depending on the available materials.

Before attaching the engine casing 2 to the rod 1 (steel strip 20×4 mm), the engine itself is removed from the casing, and the casing is welded to the rod or fixed with countersunk screws. In the case of fastening with screws, mark the mounting holes and drill them with a drill with a diameter of 3 mm. On the opposite side, holes with a diameter of 8 mm are drilled.

As a chuck for drill 3, two pulleys from a tape recorder tape recorder soldered together on a steel axis (drill) with a diameter of 2 mm were used. Drills for CNC machines, regardless of their diameter, have a shank diameter of 2 mm. When drilling holes, the board is placed on table 4 and moved towards the drill with lever 5. The bed and table are fixed on a fairly massive base 6.

Help with a screwdriver. Often you have to screw a screw or screw in a hard-to-reach place. In this case, the screw (screw) can be fixed on the screwdriver blade with a lump of plasticine. If there is no plasticine at hand, a narrow strip of thin fabric will do. In the middle of the strip, a hole is pierced for the screw and with its help, the screw is attracted to the screwdriver. After screwing in the screw, the fabric is cut off. To screw in small screws, you can use a collet pencil.

Soldering iron for aluminum. When soldering aluminum, cable makers use a special soldering grease. Instead, you can use a modernized soldering iron. Only its copper rod is subjected to refinement, the working part of which must be blunted with a file until a platform with a width of about 4 mm is formed.

In the platform with a hacksaw, a cut is made with a depth of 7 ... 8 mm. A 12 mm piece is cut out of a hacksaw blade “released” on fire and treated with a mixture of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids (20%) to remove scale from the surface. Then this segment of the canvas is inserted into the cut of the sting (notched outward) and fixed in a vice. The manufactured tip serves as a scraper for removing the oxide film from the tinned surface.

Another way to braze aluminum is to apply a thin film of copper to the place to be soldered. The place of soldering is cleaned and 2-3 drops of a saturated solution of copper sulfate are carefully applied. Then the part is connected to a direct current source, and a piece of copper wire 2 ... 3 mm thick is connected to its “+”. The wire is introduced into the drop in such a way that it does not touch the surface of the part. As a result of electrolysis, a layer of red copper is deposited at the place of soldering, which is then tinned with an ordinary soldering iron. As a power source, you can use a battery from a flashlight.

Tools and materials for the manufacture of amateur radio structures

Good day dear radio amateurs!
I welcome you to the site ""

Today at novice radio amateur school, we will consider the necessary minimum of tools and materials that a radio amateur needs to have for the manufacture of amateur radio structures.
I want to warn you right away that it is not necessary to chase well-known brands and buy expensive things, you can always get by with what you already have at home or, if you need to buy something, find an acceptable quality product at an affordable price. For example, a drill with a diameter of 1 mm in Chip and Dip stores costs 50 rubles per pair, and in an ordinary department store with an economic department I buy these drills at a price of 7.5 rubles per piece - almost 3 times the benefit. Another example: a cordless screwdriver-screwdriver (you will see it in the picture below), which I use instead of a set of different screwdrivers, costs more than one thousand rubles in the same store, but in Kopeyka stores it was somehow sold at a price of about 300 rubles.

So, what is the minimum tool a radio amateur needs for normal operation:

First of all naturally needed soldering iron. If you have the funds, then of course you can purchase a soldering station, but for normal operation, any soldering iron with a power of 40-60 W will fit and preferably with the ability to replace the nozzle. Such soldering irons are sold in stores at a price of 120-160 rubles. It is also desirable to have a stand for a soldering iron, it will guarantee you that you will not burn anything extra and do not drop it on your lap.

The second is a must multimeter(or as they say - tester). This device is necessary for measuring the resistance of resistors, current strength and the value of direct or alternating voltage. Multimeters are digital (shown in the photo) and analog (in which instead of a digital scale there is an arrow measuring head). It is difficult to find an analog device now, and it usually costs several times more than a digital one, so we will opt for a digital device. Digital multimeters costing 400-600 rubles allow you to make all the necessary measurements with sufficient accuracy, and in addition, almost all of them have a few more additional functions - measuring capacitance, checking diodes (transistors) and measuring the gain of bipolar transistors. In order for the device to serve for a long time, you must carefully handle it, follow some rules of operation - first set the switch to the desired position (choose what you need to measure - resistance, AC or DC current, AC or DC voltage value and expected results), check whether there whether the cords are plugged in (usually one common connector - COM (ground), two connectors for measuring current strength in milliamps and amperes, and one common connector for measuring voltage and resistance), and only after that proceed with the measurement process.

Third, from a conventional mechanical tool, I would advise you to have small side cutters (for biting off the leads of parts on the board, wires, stripping wires from insulation), pliers and round nose pliers (useful for forming part leads and for other purposes). You also need to have a pair of screwdrivers - Phillips and flat.

Fourth, since in the manufacture of printed circuit boards it is necessary to make many holes (usually from 0.7 mm to 1.5 mm in diameter), it is necessary mini drill. You can buy a minidrill ready-made in stores (prices average from 500 rubles to infinity) or make it yourself with the help of familiar turners.

The tool seems to be sorted out. What else do we need? See photo below:

We still need crafting materials printed circuit boards, printed circuit boards and materials for soldering. We will mainly produce printed circuit boards based on one-sided foil fiberglass with a thickness of 1.5 mm. To draw tracks on a printed circuit board, we will use: for simple boards - waterproof markers, for complex LUT - the so-called laser-ironing technique (you can find it in the "Technologies" section). Boards can be etched in three accessible and simple ways - with a solution of ferric chloride, a solution of ammonium persulfate, or a solution of a mixture of copper sulphate and salt. To solder parts to the board, in principle, it is enough to have solder and rosin.

The procedure for preparing a solution of copper sulfate and salt:
- in 500 ml (0.5 liters) of hot water (about 80 degrees), we dissolve four tablespoons of table salt and 2 tablespoons of copper sulfate crushed into powder. The solution will take on a dark green color. It should be enough to remove 200 cm2 of foil. If the solution is kept for 2-3 weeks before use, its effectiveness will increase significantly. The board etching time is 3 hours or more. At a solution temperature of about 50 degrees, the etching intensity will increase (the solution can be heated only if the printed circuit board pattern is made with a heat-resistant varnish).

Well, that seems to be all that a radio amateur needs to have at the initial stage. In the future, you yourself will acquire the tool that you consider necessary in the work, and various other materials.

If you have questions, or something is not clear and needs clarification - write in the comments, or even better on the forum in the appropriate section.

Let's start with who the radio amateurs are. Amateur radio, as a mass phenomenon, arose along with the appearance of the first radio receivers in everyday life in the twenties of the last century: many were interested in what was inside and how it worked. In fact, a radio amateur is an engineer without a diploma.

By the way, a few words about this grease: if you had to solder old antenna connectors with a dull gray coating, then it is very difficult to solder it with rosin. This is not forgotten. But with neutral fat it’s very simple and fast, what is called one touch!!! The main thing here is not to confuse - instead of neutral fat, do not use acid fat.

As in the case of soldering irons, sooner or later you will have to purchase other solders and other fluxes. It all depends on the size of the electronic components and the design of their cases.

How to store radio components

Of course, you can dump everything in a big pile, and look for the right part from it. Such an occupation will take a lot of time and get bored very soon, and in the end, it will destroy all enthusiasm, and amateur radio will end there. Although, most likely, it will simply make you look for other storage methods.

Modern details are small-sized, but not so many of them can be with a home craftsman. For these purposes, special boxes with cells are sold in stores and radio markets. It is better to put the parts in a cell in a small plastic bag. If you can’t buy such a box, then you can simply glue a few matchboxes together. Also good boxes with sections for threads and needles sold in fabric stores.

Rice. 2. Cassette holder for storing radio components

Measuring instruments in a radio amateur's workshop

Autometers and multimeters

Designing or repairing electronic devices is completely impossible without measuring instruments, because electricity has no taste, no color, no smell (until nothing burns). If you recall Ohm's law, then you have to measure current, voltage and resistance in electrical circuits. But it is not at all necessary to have three separate instruments: an ammeter, a voltmeter and an ohmmeter. It is enough to purchase a combined instrument Ampere Volt Ohmmeter or just an avometer. Another such universal device is often called a tester.

Such names are most often applied to the good old pointer devices. A good pointer tester is one with an input impedance in the DC voltage measurement mode of at least 20 kOhm / V. Such a device will not "plant" the measurement result even in high-resistance sections of the electrical circuit, for example, on the bases of transistors.

Currently more popular . The result of the measurement is shown in the form of numbers, which does not force the mind to recalculate the readings, as in the case of using a pointer device. The input impedance of multimeters is much higher than that of pointer multimeters and is 1 MΩ at all limits. In addition to voltage and resistance, almost all multimeter models can measure the gain of transistors. Additional functions include measuring the capacitance of capacitors, frequency, and temperature. Some models have an audio frequency square wave generator.

This article is purely for informational purposes, here I will share my experience of using a tool called "Insulation Stripper", one of my first tools, although Chinese, never ceases to amaze with its reliability, but not everything is so simple, you can use it with success and not on purpose, but first things first.
Here is the state of the device after almost five years of intensive use:

It works like this: first you need to put a reason to a gap in the cutter that is suitable for the diameter of the core, then pull the handles, while at first the bent wire holders will securely fix it, after which the upper cutter will drop to the lower one, separating part of the insulation. But the vein remains untouched, since the latter will be in the hole, resulting from two gaps on the cutters, there are several of them, on my tool there are four, for different diameters of the veins. After that, the halves of the tool move apart, and pull off the cut off piece of insulation, if it is on the edge, as it usually happens, then the piece of insulation simply flies off to the side. At the same time, reaching the maximum consumption angle of the halves, to speed up the process, they quickly converge, and at the same time, if the length of the stripped wire is too small, the second half of the tool can bend it, but this is not critical.

But this is a standard application, due to the design features, I came up with a number of useful additional works. It happens that you need to quickly tin the wire, but it falls, tosses and turns constantly, you can, of course, with a crocodile, clamps ... but then I cleaned it and held it. And it happens that you need to keep a small fee, but there is no third hand, or you are too lazy to go, or maybe there is no way ...

But it will work even without a log, or it may be necessary to tin small things, but it is in all directions, but there is no third hand, or is not available