Ac/dc power plug replacement for a dell XPS m1530 laptop

Will do! You really did help but I'm sure I will be contacting you to explain in more detail the soldering and removal of the old soldering Will do! You really did help but I'm sure I will be contacting you to explain in more detail the soldering and removal of the old soldering

'Mr.Windy' here.
Just in case I don't receive a further comment from you because of unforeseen circumstances.

1) Solder Iron
I recommend a solder iron, and not a soldering gun. More precise IMHO for electronics, more heat control with the tip.
(50 Watts or less. Not the boo-boo I made above. "50 Watt of less soldering iron")

Make sure the tip is clean, and tinned. Use sandpaper to clean until it's shiny copper. Apply the solder in a thin coat, then allow the tip to cool. (ROSIN CORE solder for electronics)

Clean the tip often by rubbing all sides of the tip on a damp sponge. Damp should really stated be as almost wet. Sometimes you may find that cleaning it on the sponge, then applying a little solder to the tip, may help when soldering.

Have a fan running over your shoulder. You don't want the fumes up your nose. Cold air or not, (Don't know your location), you may also want to have a window open.

2) You DON'T want to overheat the area where the solder joint is located. (Circuit Trace. Also known as Signal Trace)
If you do;

A) You stand the chance of overheating the copper circuit trace, and preventing it from accepting solder. You won't be able to tin it. It will be burnt, and useless.

B) You stand the chance of lifting the circuit trace right off of the motherboard. Motherboard is ruined.

[ For ease of explanation; A motherboard consists of laminated layers. A copper thin film is applied to the top layer.

Different methods are used, but one method is to apply a masking agent to the areas of the copper sheet that are not to be removed.
Then an acid wash is used to remove the unmasked area.
This leaves small areas of copper, and thin circuit traces that connect to them.
You may think of a circuit trace as a very thin, flat copper wire.

{Often a copper layer is applied in-between the laminated layers which make up the motherboard.
The connection for the hardware component might not connect to the top copper layer, and may be connected to one of the midstrate copper layers in-between.
Therefore if a circuit trace area is burnt, you may not always be able to solder a jumper wire from circuit trace to circuit trace ]



3) Solder Wick is a woven braid of thin copper wires. (Hence also known as Desoldering Braid)
Unroll it from the spool, flatten about 1 inch of it.
Lay the wick on the solder joint you wish to remove solder from.

Solder iron tip clean, and pre-tinned lay the iron's tip on top of the solder wick, right above the solder to be removed.
As soon as the solder melts remove the solder wick.

Most generally you can use the same area of solder wick again, one more time. When the braid is too full to accept solder, use a pair of diagonal cutters, and remove that area.
Start again.

You won't be able to remove all of the solder around the solder joint. It's okay.
What will be left looks like the area is just tinned.
Do this for all of the leads protruding down from the DC Power Jack.

Holding the small circuit board upside down, grab the DC Power Jack in-between your fingers, and thumb.
You are going to use the balls of your fingers, and thumb as a fulcrum, applying pressure against the circuit board, and the DC Power Jack.

You'll essentially be pulling on the DC Power Jack.
Now heat one lead at a time.
You'll find the lead will only come down so far, because the other leads are holding it.
It's okay, go to a nearby lead next to it.
Heat this lead, pull down.

Keep going around, and around until the leads start coming out of the circuit board.
You may have to pause, and let the circuit board cool down in-between removal of the leads.
Too hot for your finger/thumb tips, and you don't want to burn the board.

DC Power Jack removed, prep the area for the new one.

Clean the area, tin where needed. The last link above outlined this pretty well, I feel.

If your soldering skills are rusty, may I suggest you practice on soldering a couple of copper wires together first?
Practice tinning them, then soldering them together, Not twisted together.

You may find these vids useful also.

A) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIDydYIVT...

B) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NU2ruzy...

C) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcbezX8Tr...


'Mr.Windy' here.
Just in case I don't receive a further comment from you because of unforeseen circumstances.

1) Solder Iron
I recommend a solder iron, and not a soldering gun. More precise IMHO for electronics, more heat control with the tip.
(50 Watts or less. Not the boo-boo I made above. "50 Watt of less soldering iron")

Make sure the tip is clean, and tinned. Use sandpaper to clean until it's shiny copper. Apply the solder in a thin coat, then allow the tip to cool. (ROSIN CORE solder for electronics)

Clean the tip often by rubbing all sides of the tip on a damp sponge. Damp should really stated be as almost wet. Sometimes you may find that cleaning it on the sponge, then applying a little solder to the tip, may help when soldering.

Have a fan running over your shoulder. You don't want the fumes up your nose. Cold air or not, (Don't know your location), you may also want to have a window open.

2) You DON'T want to overheat the area where the solder joint is located. (Circuit Trace. Also known as Signal Trace)
If you do;

A) You stand the chance of overheating the copper circuit trace, and preventing it from accepting solder. You won't be able to tin it. It will be burnt, and useless.

B) You stand the chance of lifting the circuit trace right off of the motherboard. Motherboard is ruined.

[ For ease of explanation; A motherboard consists of laminated layers. A copper thin film is applied to the top layer.

Different methods are used, but one method is to apply a masking agent to the areas of the copper sheet that are not to be removed.
Then an acid wash is used to remove the unmasked area.
This leaves small areas of copper, and thin circuit traces that connect to them.
You may think of a circuit trace as a very thin, flat copper wire.

{Often a copper layer is applied in-between the laminated layers which make up the motherboard.
The connection for the hardware component might not connect to the top copper layer, and may be connected to one of the midstrate copper layers in-between.
Therefore if a circuit trace area is burnt, you may not always be able to solder a jumper wire from circuit trace to circuit trace ]



3) Solder Wick is a woven braid of thin copper wires. (Hence also known as Desoldering Braid)
Unroll it from the spool, flatten about 1 inch of it.
Lay the wick on the solder joint you wish to remove solder from.

Solder iron tip clean, and pre-tinned lay the iron's tip on top of the solder wick, right above the solder to be removed.
As soon as the solder melts remove the solder wick.

Most generally you can use the same area of solder wick again, one more time. When the braid is too full to accept solder, use a pair of diagonal cutters, and remove that area.
Start again.

You won't be able to remove all of the solder around the solder joint. It's okay.
What will be left looks like the area is just tinned.
Do this for all of the leads protruding down from the DC Power Jack.

Holding the small circuit board upside down, grab the DC Power Jack in-between your fingers, and thumb.
You are going to use the balls of your fingers, and thumb as a fulcrum, applying pressure against the circuit board, and the DC Power Jack.

You'll essentially be pulling on the DC Power Jack.
Now heat one lead at a time.
You'll find the lead will only come down so far, because the other leads are holding it.
It's okay, go to a nearby lead next to it.
Heat this lead, pull down.

Keep going around, and around until the leads start coming out of the circuit board.
You may have to pause, and let the circuit board cool down in-between removal of the leads.
Too hot for your finger/thumb tips, and you don't want to burn the board.

DC Power Jack removed, prep the area for the new one.

Clean the area, tin where needed. The last link above outlined this pretty well, I feel.

If your soldering skills are rusty, may I suggest you practice on soldering a couple of copper wires together first?
Practice tinning them, then soldering them together, Not twisted together.

You may find these vids useful also.

A) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIDydYIVTqU

B) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NU2ruzyc4&feature=related

C) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcbezX8TrOU&feature=related