What’s the consensus on soldering onto turrets - through hole or wrap around?

[Governator]

Completed a 5e3 build last year with an eyelet fine board, am about to start a 50w 2204 build with a perf double turret board. I’ve read that wrapping wire and component legs around the turret 180 and soldered is best practice, but I see a lot of gut shots (nice builds) with the component legs poked into the top of the turret hole and soldered. What is the general standard?

[Phil_S]

I can't address best practice. Experience tells me, generally, I was sorry when I used the hole. It's easy to make a tidy solder in the hole, but difficult to undo.

[TUBEDUDE]

When I used turrett boards, both, depending on how many wires needed to meet at that point.

[Governator]

Found this also:

https://workmanship.nasa.gov/lib/insp/2 ... inals.html

[jabguit]

I can't address best practice. Experience tells me, generally, I was sorry when I used the hole. It's easy to make a tidy solder in the hole, but difficult to undo.

[ChopSauce]

Found this also:

https://workmanship.nasa.gov/lib/insp/2 ... inals.html

The picture shows connecting wires. That leaves the hole for components ... if that's what you prefer ...
(I know this doesn't really help)

Even though I often see connecting wires soldered through hole under the board, which looks very neat, I would be much more confident in soldering wires as in the NASA document.

[ViperDoc]

I've found using double turrets and wrapping makes an initially cleaner design that's easier to modify later if needed. I generally use the bottom for wire connections and the top for components.

[Governator]

I've found using double turrets and wrapping makes an initially cleaner design that's easier to modify later if needed. I generally use the bottom for wire connections and the top for components.

I’ve also seen where people have used perf boards they bring the underneath wire up through one of the board holes in front of the double turret then wrapped and soldered to the top part of the turret post. I might do this on my 2204 build, as I’m not too keen on wires soldered to the bottom, there’s a chance that when your soldering or replacing components on the post later if the post gets hot enough the under wire might come off and you can’t see it.

[sluckey]

I install component leads in the top of turret. I find it very easy to remove a component. Occasionally I have to wrap a component leads around the turret but I try to avoid that. I don't mind adding extra turrets to avoid wrapping.

I wrap board jumpers and interconnecting wires around the turret post. And when I have underboard jumpers I always run them up through the turret and bend them down over the top of the turret. Very secure. I add just enough solder to these underboard jumpers to hold them in place. They get a good soldering after all components are loaded.

These two pics of my AC-15 board show what I tried to describe above...

http://sluckeyamps.com/VAC15/big_guts.jpg

http://sluckeyamps.com/VAC15/underboard_jumper.jpg

[Governator]

Nice! Just a question - when you put the component legs into the top of the turret, how much length do you poke down inside? And if you only have 1 component to put in there, do you fold/bend the component leg in half so it makes a good/solid contact with the metal part of the turret post?

Edit: I’m an electrician/technician of over 20 years so I’m probably a bit OCD about these things LOL

[sluckey]

Nice! Just a question - when you put the component legs into the top of the turret, how much length do you poke down inside? And if you only have 1 component to put in there, do you fold/bend the component leg in half so it makes a good/solid contact with the metal part of the turret post?

3/16" to 1/4". I never let the lead poke out the bottom.

I never fold a lead to make good contact. Simply bending at a 79.3° angle works well. (I just guess at the angle )

[wpaulvogel]

I use split turrets. I just lay the components in the split with the legs hanging over. I lightly solder each turret then cut the excess length. After trimming, I lay a nice solder bead on top to hold everything nice. I use the bottom of the turret to wrap the wire. Here’s a picture of a 2204 I built. Zoom in to see the way I’ve been doing it.

[Governator]

I use split turrets. I just lay the components in the split with the legs hanging over. I lightly solder each turret then cut the excess length. After trimming, I lay a nice solder bead on top to hold everything nice. I use the bottom of the turret to wrap the wire. Here’s a picture of a 2204 I built. Zoom in to see the way I’ve been doing it.

Nice build! I’m collecting gut shots at the moment so I can reference to them for my build, I’ll add this one too.

[davidallenherrick]

Lots of good ideas here. I like to use the top hole. Especially for capacitors and diodes. I'm thinking easy fix if later I have to replace anything. I just did a complete disassembly of a 50 watt 2204 (1978) and holy crap trying to unwrap anything around those turrets wasn't easy. The ones going threw the top were easy long as you have a desoldering station or solder sucker. My problem is solder running down the inside of the turret and out the bottom. I wish they had a part in the middle. A turret drilled both ways top and bottom but only 1/4" leaving the center so the solder didn't run through. Wish there was something I could stuff in the hole to stop it. The only thing that I found that works for me is holding the board sideways and tilting it. Anyone have a better way?

[Raoul Duke]

I use split turrets. I just lay the components in the split with the legs hanging over. I lightly solder each turret then cut the excess length. After trimming, I lay a nice solder bead on top to hold everything nice. I use the bottom of the turret to wrap the wire. Here’s a picture of a 2204 I built. Zoom in to see the way I’ve been doing it.

Is that a Keystone part? I’d like to try your technique - looks tidy and uncomplicated.

Thanks!