cd-rom led mod question

[newbie1]

how do you know which way the led goes in the PCB? i don't want to de-solder it again once i find out i put it on the wrong way

i can't really look inside of the old led, to tell which side is positive/negative, because the led color is dark green so i can't tell.


what kind of solder is good for this project? i have "silver bearing solder" and "rosin core solder".

[Easto]

You can tell by the length of the leads. The longer of the 2 is positive.

In case the leads are the same you can look at the lens of the led. One side of it should be flat (not rounded). This is the negative side.

[newbie1]

which solder should i use?


i can't see through the lens of the "old" led, neither can i tell which wire is longer/shorter, in other words how can i tell how the "old" led was placed on the pcb?

can i

stick the "new" led on the back of the pcb, and connect it to the "old" led wires that are allready soldered in, and see if a light comes up?

[poptom]

Originally posted by newbie1
which solder should i use?

Always use rosin core for electrical connections. Get the real thin stuff for small work like this.