[time-nuts] How to open solder-sealed OCXOs?

Tom Knox actast at hotmail.com
Sun Feb 2 18:50:40 UTC 2014


It has been a long time since I opened one of these, but at the time I remember thinking it must be possible to open one of these without deforming it. Like anything correct technique must be the key. Companies like Wenzel do this on a daily basis and I would guess their technique would include a hotplate or hot air reflow.  I think it is possible open with minimal deforming of the metal case even with a regular solder station by wicking one side and and sliding paper or other thin material to keep the solder from re-tacking when you heat the next side.

Thomas Knox



> From: albertson.chris at gmail.com
> Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2014 09:28:28 -0800
> To: time-nuts at febo.com
> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] How to open solder-sealed OCXOs?
> 
> I've not opened on of these cans but I have opened some shield audio
> transmitters.  I just use my Hakko temperature controlled solder station at
> a high setting and work my way around the edge.  It can be done
> non-detructivly.  Solder wick helps a lot, use a bunch of it to get rid of
> the excess solder.      The tiny tip on a temperature controlled solder
> pencil does not look very powerful but the temperer controller will crank
> up the watts to whatever is required for the job.   I think mine limits out
> at 80W.  So just a normal solder station can work.   It works for both the
> muMetal cans and the steel cans
> 
> 
> On Sun, Feb 2, 2014 at 8:53 AM, <EWKehren at aol.com> wrote:
> 
> > Hi
> > I use wire cutters like on a Morion I find a small lip and start pealing it
> >  away. No trauma for the OCXO and simple.
> > Bert Kehren
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 2/2/2014 10:07:36 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> > lists at rtty.us writes:
> >
> > Hi
> >
> > If you are tossing the can, a mill is by far the best way  to open up an
> > OCXO. That of course assumes you have a mill...
> >
> > It's not a  chip intensive process. You can easily do it with an X/Y table
> > on a drill  press. Of course that assumes you have all of that  stuff....
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > On Feb 2, 2014, at 2:37 AM, Stewart Cobb  <stewart.cobb at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > What's the best way to open  an OCXO in the typical solder-sealed tinned
> > > steel can?  I don't  mind destroying the can itself, as long as the
> > innards
> > > are not harmed.  The goal is to run some experiments with thermal
> > impedance
> > > as  discussed here last week, and to ovenize parts of the EFC controller
> > for
> > > better stability.
> > >
> > > Cheers!
> > > --Stu
> > >  _______________________________________________
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> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Chris Albertson
> Redondo Beach, California
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