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Ngen Wideband Noise Generator Mini Module Kit Problem

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Scott-2

Ngen Wideband Noise Generator Mini Module Kit Problem

Arrgh. Where to begin. All was going well until "installing" U1 MAR-1
MMIC.

Initial inventory of said kit was missing U1 MAR-1 MMIC. FWIW, there
are no part numbers and no pictures in the pdf manual. So I emailed
parts@elecraft and they sent me E600080 MAR-1 MMIC in a plastic bag.
Upon inspection of this part during the build 2 weeks later it did not
look like a solderable part, there were no leads for the thru holes. It
appeared to be just plastic with a raised "+" on one side and two holes
on one end. So I emailed parts@elecraft and said there has to be a
mistake/problem and could they please check again and send the correct
part that was solderable. I received the second E600080 MAR-1 MMIC.
Meet the new boss same as the old boss... the parts were identical.
Upon closer inspection under magnification there is a "part" located
inside the "+". So cut it out and it is a very small black cylinder
with 4 "arms" 90deg apart. If this is the correct part then I'll send
back the first one they sent me.

But here is the problem. The Ngen PCB Rev B (which is the PCB that I
have) has 4 "thru holes" for installing U1 MAR1 MMIC and there are no
leads from E600080 to solder it to the PCB. There are 4 "arms" but it
is unclear to me how these "arms" are to be soldered to the board.
Unless I solder wires in the 4 thru holes in the PCB and thence to the
"arms" of E600080 I have no idea how to solder this part to the PCB.
The pdf manual does not say anything about soldering wires into the thru
holes and thence to the "arms".
http://www.elecraft.com/manual/E740057_N-Gen_Manual_Rev_D.pdf

I'm hoping someone else has built this module kit lately and figured it
out or Elecraft is going to have to give me some guidance on how to
solder this part to the board because it sure is not obvious to me.

Scott
AD5HS

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Don Wilhelm

Re: Ngen Wideband Noise Generator Mini Module Kit Problem

Scott,

Those 4 "ARMS" of the MMIC are the leads. Do NOT break the body of the
MMIC, you will destroy it.
Find the one lead that is cut at an angle (that is the input) and orient
it toward the center of the board. If you cannot see the angled end, it
is the lead closest to the dot on the body. If there is a hole in the
board, the body of the MMIC goes into that hole.
If there is no hole, orient the MMIC so the angled lead (or dot) is
toward the center of the board.
Solder those "ARMS" to the 4 solder pads below. If there is no hole for
the body you have to press the leads down with a screwdriver to make
contact with the solder pads, then do it.

No wires are necessary - just fill the holes on the solder pads with
solder and solder the leads flat onto the board.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/28/2018 8:26 PM, Scott wrote:

> Arrgh. Where to begin. All was going well until "installing" U1 MAR-1
> MMIC.
>
> Initial inventory of said kit was missing U1 MAR-1 MMIC. FWIW, there
> are no part numbers and no pictures in the pdf manual. So I emailed
> parts@elecraft and they sent me E600080 MAR-1 MMIC in a plastic bag.
> Upon inspection of this part during the build 2 weeks later it did not
> look like a solderable part, there were no leads for the thru holes. It
> appeared to be just plastic with a raised "+" on one side and two holes
> on one end. So I emailed parts@elecraft and said there has to be a
> mistake/problem and could they please check again and send the correct
> part that was solderable. I received the second E600080 MAR-1 MMIC.
> Meet the new boss same as the old boss... the parts were identical. Upon
> closer inspection under magnification there is a "part" located inside
> the "+". So cut it out and it is a very small black cylinder with 4
> "arms" 90deg apart. If this is the correct part then I'll send back the
> first one they sent me.
>
> But here is the problem. The Ngen PCB Rev B (which is the PCB that I
> have) has 4 "thru holes" for installing U1 MAR1 MMIC and there are no
> leads from E600080 to solder it to the PCB. There are 4 "arms" but it
> is unclear to me how these "arms" are to be soldered to the board.
> Unless I solder wires in the 4 thru holes in the PCB and thence to the
> "arms" of E600080 I have no idea how to solder this part to the PCB. The
> pdf manual does not say anything about soldering wires into the thru
> holes and thence to the "arms".
> http://www.elecraft.com/manual/E740057_N-Gen_Manual_Rev_D.pdf
>
> I'm hoping someone else has built this module kit lately and figured it
> out or Elecraft is going to have to give me some guidance on how to
> solder this part to the board because it sure is not obvious to me.
>
> Scott
> AD5HS
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

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briancom

Re: Ngen Wideband Noise Generator Mini Module Kit Problem

In reply to this post by Scott-2

Scott,
https://www.minicircuits.com/pdfs/MAR-1+.pdf
gives a part layout.

My recollection is to just lay the arms down on the pads and solder them
like a SMT part. Caution: Part is static sensitive.

73 de Brian/K3KO

On 7/29/2018 0:26 AM, Scott wrote:

Scott-2

Re: Ngen Wideband Noise Generator Mini Module Kit Problem

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm

Don, (and everyone else who responded)

Thanks to everyone for the quick response. For the record I read the
manual pdf several times and had figured out the orientation of the
MAR-1, it's just the soldering instructions that did not compute,
"solder to the pads below"... the pads below did not look like pads but
mere silk screen.

After I saw a picture of it soldered (thanks Chuck), I reexamined the
PCB. What looked like silk screen for the MAR-1 the 20+ times that I
looked at the PCB before now looked like metal pads. The minimal
difference in the color of the silkscreen and the metal pad was my
confusion. I guess my color vision is starting to go.

At any rate, it is now clear how to solder it to the board. Thanks
again to everyone.

Now to solder it and get the spare back to Elecraft.

Scott
AD5HS

On 7/28/2018 11:03 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Scott,
>
> Those 4 "ARMS" of the MMIC are the leads. Do NOT break the body of the
> MMIC, you will destroy it.
> Find the one lead that is cut at an angle (that is the input) and orient
> it toward the center of the board. If you cannot see the angled end, it
> is the lead closest to the dot on the body. If there is a hole in the
> board, the body of the MMIC goes into that hole.
> If there is no hole, orient the MMIC so the angled lead (or dot) is
> toward the center of the board.
> Solder those "ARMS" to the 4 solder pads below. If there is no hole for
> the body you have to press the leads down with a screwdriver to make
> contact with the solder pads, then do it.
>
> No wires are necessary - just fill the holes on the solder pads with
> solder and solder the leads flat onto the board.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
>
>
> On 7/28/2018 8:26 PM, Scott wrote:
>> Arrgh. Where to begin. All was going well until "installing" U1
>> MAR-1 MMIC.
>>
>> Initial inventory of said kit was missing U1 MAR-1 MMIC. FWIW, there
>> are no part numbers and no pictures in the pdf manual. So I emailed
>> parts@elecraft and they sent me E600080 MAR-1 MMIC in a plastic bag.
>> Upon inspection of this part during the build 2 weeks later it did not
>> look like a solderable part, there were no leads for the thru holes.
>> It appeared to be just plastic with a raised "+" on one side and two
>> holes on one end. So I emailed parts@elecraft and said there has to
>> be a mistake/problem and could they please check again and send the
>> correct part that was solderable. I received the second E600080 MAR-1
>> MMIC. Meet the new boss same as the old boss... the parts were
>> identical. Upon closer inspection under magnification there is a
>> "part" located inside the "+". So cut it out and it is a very small
>> black cylinder with 4 "arms" 90deg apart. If this is the correct part
>> then I'll send back the first one they sent me.
>>
>> But here is the problem. The Ngen PCB Rev B (which is the PCB that I
>> have) has 4 "thru holes" for installing U1 MAR1 MMIC and there are no
>> leads from E600080 to solder it to the PCB. There are 4 "arms" but it
>> is unclear to me how these "arms" are to be soldered to the board.
>> Unless I solder wires in the 4 thru holes in the PCB and thence to the
>> "arms" of E600080 I have no idea how to solder this part to the PCB.
>> The pdf manual does not say anything about soldering wires into the
>> thru holes and thence to the "arms".
>> http://www.elecraft.com/manual/E740057_N-Gen_Manual_Rev_D.pdf
>>
>> I'm hoping someone else has built this module kit lately and figured
>> it out or Elecraft is going to have to give me some guidance on how to
>> solder this part to the board because it sure is not obvious to me.
>>
>> Scott
>> AD5HS
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>>