Hacking Points on Wii board.

[arukado]

This is my first solder job so I'm practicing on an old radio board. My question is how are the wii points physicaly? On the radio board im practicing on they are, for lack of a better word, like little "nipples" with solder around them. Are points actually little metal points? And what do the pads look like under the solder? Flat? And by the same token are the wiikey points or pads, because they look flat to me. Pads i figure? I know this might be the stupidest question but I like to know every detail when doing something.

I'm using a 15 watt iron and it seems to take 3-4 seconds to melt the solder to connect things. I figure this is because I'm using a 15 watt as opposed to 30 watt. Just looking for confirmation that it takes longer like I describe. I appreciate any help and I've been reading the sticky and other posts, lots of great tips I just never read anyone describing the points. I always thought they where just little silver flat circles.

 

[Soybomb]

Tiny. Seriously. Look at the period on your keyboard and think somewhere between that big and twice as big as that. They are flat tinned copper pads.

Work to refine your technique, let your iron get hot before you use it. Solder should melt the second it touches the tip. Remember you aren't going to be feeding solder onto the tip and dribbling it onto the board. Tin your wire and the pad and touch the iron to the wire to make it join to the pad. If you hold your iron on your wii for 4 seconds you're taking a pad off.

 

[arukado]

Thanks for the info. That sounds pretty tiny. I guess a dab of flux will go a long way here, huh? And just to make absolutly sure, flux doesn't bridge right? Only solder and wire?

 

[plexo]

no need to use flux ive never used it in my life, theres enough flux within the solder

 

[arukado]

Well I've been pratcing, how this it look? I think the wii points are gonna be smaller, right?



Only the 3 blue wires are mine. The other white one was stuck on the pcb.