Replacing 30-Pin SIMM Sockets on Atari Mega STE

[MacTech05]

I need to replace one broken SIMM Socket on my Mega STE. I thought, since it is 30 years old, I may as well replace all 4 sockets.

Does any have any advice/precautions that may be helpful? I have searched everywhere, but I can not find an instructional video on YouTube or anywhere else, not even a written guide or anything.

I can do the job, I was just hoping someone with experience replace SIMM Sockets in the Mega STE might be able to assist me by way of a guide or advice.

Thank you!

Randy

[Steve]

I replaced 4x simm sockets on a regular STe recently, it is extremely difficult to do with regular de-soldering because there are so many connections and the solder points are very small, unlike regular components. I personally used hot-air from underneath to remove the socket, then cleaned up the holes with wire-wick. You gotta be careful not to burn the board though, gotta have good flux that withstands temps for a decent amount of time.

Another way of doing it... perhaps it might be easier. Destroy the sim socket plastic with pliars/snippers, remove the plastic. Then remove each connection point with soldering iron & clean up with wire wick.

[alexh]

If it is just the clips, why not glue the SIMM in place? That is what I have done. I had two SIMM sockets with broken clips and I just superglued the SIMMs in place.

Not like I am ever going to want to remove those 2*1MB SIMMs.

[Steve]

If it is just the clips, why not glue the SIMM in place? That is what I have done. I had two SIMM sockets with broken clips and I just superglued the SIMMs in place.

Not like I am ever going to want to remove those 2*1MB SIMMs.

^^ yes this... It's best to just do something like this. It is very easy to fail the replacement sockets and break your machine.

[Maximilian]

Would'n hot glue be a better alternative, it would be less destructive than superglue, and you could replace the simms if needed.

[Steve]

Would'n hot glue be a better alternative, it would be less destructive than superglue, and you could replace the simms if needed.

Hot glue becomes brittle and just breaks off over time. I'd use an epoxy, because with an epoxy it can still be broken off with some force if required.

[MacTech05]

Thank you to everyone for your advice. I think I will go with the desoldering and removal of the old SIMM sockets and soldering the new sockets. This is the general procedure I know best and am most familiar with. Hopefully, all will go well. I have all of the materials and parts to do the job, so it is time for me to get to it!

Again, thank you!

Randy
(C.R. Hayes)

[Roberto]

I noticed this post is quite old, but I just wanted to give a tip to anyone who might end up here reading all the various suggestions on how to remove sockets from the motherboard of a Mega STE.
When dealing with components that have many pins, and you want to avoid damaging the component itself while desoldering it from the board, the best solution is to use a piece of wire (steel or copper from a cable) that you can lay along the row of pins.
In the case of an IC, you can bend the wire into a U shape so that it rests along both rows of pins, making direct contact with them.
Then, using a soldering iron, apply a bit of solder across all the pins so that it merges with the wire. The goal here is to equalize the temperature across all pins, making it easier for the solder to melt evenly. The component will then drop out from the other side, or you can simply help it out with tweezers.

[rubber_jonnie]

From a personal perspective, and with the tools I have I would look at several possible approaches.

Firstly I'd start with my desoldering gun and clear as much solder as I could, followed by using hot air to heat the area until the SIMM socket dropped free.

There are difficulties associated with this because incorrect use of hot air can easily damage the PCB by either burning or popcorning (Where air trapped internally in the PCB layers expands). This means unless you have experience of using hot air and know what you're doing, it is a bit risky. You can also add low melt solder to the pins and this may mean you lower the risk when using hot air. The main point is to heat evenly over a wider area rather than trying to point heat.

Also, do not use paint stripper heat guns, they are not designed for the task and are more akin to a machete than the scalpel that is a decent hot air station.

Another, slightly more destructive option is to carefully and slowly cut away the SIMM socket plastic with snips and remove each pin individually. This will take longer and requires care to not damage the PCB, but it does work.

If you have good ventilation then you can melt the SIMM socket plastic with a soldering iron and remove the pins individually from the top of the board as you go. Also requires care, and as I said good ventilation.

Of course you could also use low melt solder and solder wick, but the pins are very fine on SIMM sockets so actually properly clearing the holes may be troublesome and still require hot air to finish.

As mentioned in another post, you can use a piece of wire to transmit heat along the pins, however I think that SIMM sockets are a bit too long for that to work effectively.

In short none of these methods are without risk, as you can just as easily damage the board with any of them. It is going to be down to your own skills with the tools at hand.