xbox 360 controller led mod... gone wrong

stephen0205 · Post by **stephen0205** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:08 pm

ok i went to practice soldering today, well for the first time ever actually, so i thougt ok simple led mod to an xbox 360 controller

got the shell off easily

then after a while i got one led off, after reading and watching videos, copied the guys every move, tok a lot longer, guess my soldering iron wasnt the same tempritue

so i got one off ok, done 1 just to make sure. rather than rip all leds off and screw it more.

and i tried, hence the word tried, ok it wouldnt stay on, i tried to do blobs of solder, one at each end as it said, mine just would not do it, i touched the iron against the solder, went all wet metally, and touched the led sides, and nuthin showed up on them, seemed as if it melted and stuck to the iron

the board

well i dont think its salvagble, so guess ill use it, but no led

i think i may have wrecked the first tip but i have a spare, any ways to salvage this.

Rekarp · Post by **Rekarp** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:42 pm

How did you place that much pressure on the soldering iron tip to bend it like that? You can defiantly fix it but you have to redo the traces with thin wire.

ghosstt · Post by **ghosstt** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:45 pm

Thats.. ugh.. Quiet extreme.

Try putting the iron on the contact, then placing the solder near the tip where it touches the contact. It should just melt on.

Diminuendo · Post by **Diminuendo** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 10:27 pm

by any chance are you looking to sell the controller (trying a wii60 mod)

Post by **benheck** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:45 pm

The best way to remove surface mount LED's like this is to blob some fresh solder on either side, keeping it hot, then slide the LED loose sideways using the iron.

As a rule of thumb, ALWAYS re-tin modern parts when working with them, it makes it much easier, screw RoHS!

-Ben

Rekarp · Post by **Rekarp** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:49 pm

I like to place a small dot of solder on each pad and the lay the component on top. Then heat each leg to solder. If the part is large enough pre tin each leg.

Website · Post by **Life of Brian** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 1:52 pm

benheck wrote:As a rule of thumb, ALWAYS re-tin modern parts when working with them, it makes it much easier, screw RoHS!

I actually had a conversation about this very subject today with a friend. We said pretty much the same thing.