Blown capacitors - can it be caused by a bad power supply?

[pandy]

ebay is a quite OK (maybe not for caps - caps better is to buy from rather reliable suplier like Mouser, Digikey, Farnell etc - just search in google or similar for electronic component distributor) http://www.digikey.ca/

Tools - my advice is : brand is important but don't buy high end tools - Weller is one of well known brands on soldering tools but there is lot of very good ones like Xytronic, Metcal, Pace - good replacement for soldering iron tips (you need a few different and they wear with time) are made by Plato - http://search.digikey.com/ca/en/cat/soldering-desoldering-rework-products/stations/1310841

But IMHO for hobby use even this one http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AOYUE-3210-70-Watt-Digital-Soldering-Station-/120757392157?pt=B...item1c1db3931d is more than enough, with http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AT8586-Hot-Air-Gun-2-1-REWORK-STATION-Soldering-IRON-/220777485...item33675d15b5 even difficult PCB can be repaired.

But tools can only help, so You must learn how to use them - practice on old PC motherboards - they are very god to start learning how to unsolder/solder .

[tigerb]

ebay is a quite OK (maybe not for caps - caps better is to buy from rather reliable suplier like Mouser, Digikey, Farnell etc - just search in google or similar for electronic component distributor) http://www.digikey.ca/

Tools - my advice is : brand is important but don't buy high end tools - Weller is one of well known brands on soldering tools but there is lot of very good ones like Xytronic, Metcal, Pace - good replacement for soldering iron tips (you need a few different and they wear with time) are made by Plato - http://search.digikey.com/ca/en/cat/soldering-desoldering-rework-products/stations/1310841

But IMHO for hobby use even this one http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AOYUE-3210-70-Watt-Digital-Soldering-Station-/120757392157?pt=B...item1c1db3931d is more than enough, with http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AT8586-Hot-Air-Gun-2-1-REWORK-STATION-Soldering-IRON-/220777485...item33675d15b5 even difficult PCB can be repaired.

But tools can only help, so You must learn how to use them - practice on old PC motherboards - they are very god to start learning how to unsolder/solder .

Thanks pandy, much appreciated!

[lacywest]

I watched the videos and this seems like something fun to do/learn...can you guys recommend a place where I can buy all the tools as shown in the video?

Thanks.

I second the motion ... temperature controlled soldering iron ... sounds good but I'm in a economic meltdown ... would like to know where to do some window shopping tho.

I've got 3 other MSI mobos ... K9N6PGM2 - V2 ... brand new ... not used. At least 2 more Abit AN-M2 mobos ... and some MSI mobos for 939s ... so I'm good for awhile.

And I have some Firewire pci cards incase I need that feature ... but lack of enuff pci slots restricts me from using a Firewire card. But I'm also noticing ... I'm not using Firewire ... for anything ... I did have two Maxtor/Seagate 500GB USB external harddrives with USB and Firewire ... but they are old and starting to give me problems so they've been shelved.

I use a Striker Omega Sound Card for digital audio to my Pioneer Receiver ... so there is where pci slot goes off too.

Very good article we've been addressing here.

As I did say in a post up above ... I have 3 mobos from Acer Towers ... and supposely they dont boot up ... and the capacitor in them is the same one ... been thinking about pulling them out and seeing if I could fix it.

I will need to put some thought into this project ... my two soldering irons are normal and are cheap and the tips are kind of ugly to look at. I can use some sand paper and tin them and etc etc.

I will just put this mobo in a box and store it away and wait until next spring when the weather is warm.

All the ideas mentioned here will be used ... especially some good solder braid wick.