Congratulations on buying our DIY kits, or considering to do so. Before you start, please take the time to read this page carefully. All kits work with voltages, some high, and thus are potential dangerous to persons or animals, but merely to other equipment. Always be carefull when working with these voltages!

Please do not get scared off by all this information. Read it and try to use it, it will keep you sharp, and this will result in better projects. Sometimes things seem much more difficult than they really are, you only just need to get the hang of it. When you follow the instructions and take care all the time, DIY kits are a save way to get high quality equipment at low prices.

Disclaimer and copyright

Descriptions and manuals of our DIY kits try to help you avoid all possible problems during the building of the kit. Circuits of the DIY kits are all tested before they are published. It is however possible that unforseen problems occur after or during building of them. Also we cannot test the final product a builder or user has made. For all kits we assume that the builder or user knows what he/she is doing. For the above reasons we can not be held responsible under any circumstances for any direct or indirect damage to goods, animals or persons caused during building, or by using our DIY kits. When you use our kits you automatically accept these terms.

Copyright applies to all circuits and information printed on the DIY kit pages of Machmat. It is forbidded copying any circuit or information from our site, and use it for any purpose other than building one of the DIY kits for personal use, unless written permission has been given by Machmat.

If you have questions about the manual, about the kit, about your configuration, or anything else, please do not hesetate to ask us. We will do all we can to help you getting the best out or our DIY kit.

About soldering DIY kits

Good soldering is important for the working of the circuit, sound and durability. Below are some advises which can improve the final result of your work.

Tools recommended to build our DIY kits: Soldering iron, 15-30W, preferable temperature regulated (250-270 degrees C, 480-520 degrees Fahrenheit). Cored lead/tin solder, cutting tool, flat head (normal) screwdriver, cross head screwdriver and multi- or volt meter.

Soldering tips:

• If you never have soldered before, you might want to try some things out on a old piece of PCB which often are lying around (old computer parts, old TV's or other equipment, etc). You can get some parts off and solder them back again. This way you get some experience and solder the good parts on the DIY kit PCB's all right the first time.
• Especially most good parts are NOS, and have little corrosion on their pins. They are lying around for over 20 years or longer... This is no problem, if you take good care and prepare them before you solder them. When parts are corroded (old caps mostly, Allen Bradley always solder well and do not need this extra treatment) get the soldering lead/tin on the leads on the place you use them before you solder them on the PCB (see picture). This way you burn the corrosion off and make a good connection. If you cannot make a good shiny lead, use some sand paper or your hand tool to get blank copper, and solder it immediately after that.
• When the part has been soldered, the lead should be covered fluidly completely into the lead/tin. Take a look at these picture 1, picture 2, picture 3 for good and bad solder joints.
• For all parts counts that you should not bent them when they are hot. This can damage the internal connections, causing a lot of problems. Bend and cut them like to want to use them, and then solder them on the PCB. If they need bending afterwards, wait until the are cooled down.
• To get the tension off parts and wire. Solder on one side, then the other, en then the first side again. You will see the part relax. This way there is no tension on the part and it will not break loose after a long time of usage.
• Try to limit the time soldering to the parts, the shorter, the better. If it is not good the first time, solder first some other parts and than try again, so it can cool down a bit.