For the electronicsisti with a small 2-stroke.

The Oct 2010 issue of Everyday Practical Electronics has a project to build
a replacement CDI for small engines with a high voltage winding on the
generator.

There is no built in advance/retard, the design relies on the engine having
a stepped pole face pickup coil.

 

is that still going?

FFS.

I had a circuit diagram/project description published in the earlier
"EE" incarnation in about 1983 or so.

 

is that still going?

 

I remember Everyday Electronics and Practical Electronics. I didn't realise
there was a bastard offspring. I used to read Electronics Today
International.

--
Malc

Rusted and ropy.
Dog-eared old copy.
Vintage and classic,
or just plain Jurassic:
all words to describe me.

 

EPE bought up ETI and quietly smothered it.

 

I still have a yen to build their class A amp. IIRC it was about 75W per
channel RMS. That would have kept the house warm.

--
Malc

Rusted and ropy.
Dog-eared old copy.
Vintage and classic,
or just plain Jurassic:
all words to describe me.

 

Excellent, electronicisti.

Say somebody (me) needed to replace some soldered parts on a printed
circuit board, what would he need? I have a Clarke soldering kit, which
has done for some repairs in the past, but feels bulky for smaller
stuff.

It's not an option to leave it looking like I've jizzed over the pcb
with solder, as the pcbs are no longer available, so mistakes aren't an
option.

If somebody could offer a service for repairing/replacing particular
parts that would be great - I know what the faulty bit is, I have a
spare, I just don't have the skills to de-solder the plug from the pcb
and replace.

 

geoff is in Watford - he does it for a job
http://www.cetltd.com/

 

Where are you? I'm in Bradford. Happy to show you how with
my kit, less happy to do it myself.

Ian

http://twitter.com/ianiveson

cut wrist to mail

 

A quick google got me a picture of an instant heat soldering gun - not the
best choice for PCB work and the tip acts like a 50Hz radiating antenna
which can induce destructive currents in wound components and low impedance
circuits.

Rwlatively cheap irons have served me well - like the Antex XS-25 or their
more expensive 50W temp controlled one.

About £15 - ish for the XS-25, about £45 for the temp controlled.

The easy options for desoldering are the solder sucker (pretty sure maplin
do one) or desoldering braid - just a reel of coppr wire braid treated with
flux, you can get much the same effect with a tub of fluc from the hardware
store and a stripped length of stranded wire.