jim rozen wrote:
In article , Boris Mohar says...


Yes. Weller tips cycle the mechanical switch in the handle. Metcal tips use
curie point to continuously affect the amount of absorbed RF energy.


The weller tips also use the curie point, but as you say to
affect the switch in the handle.

I work with a *lot* of MOS and otherwise static sensitive devices,
and I've never had one of the weller irons like that cause a problem.
In fact they're my preferred iron, the variable temp weller ones
just don't last more than a year, and I don't like the 'feel'
of the metcal ones.

The handle's just not 'right.'

Jim



My curie point mechanically switched Weller (now proably 25 years olde.)
uses a third conductor in the cord which grounds the barrel and tip. I'd
imagine the newer ones also have that.

I'm wondering if that switching transient NASA worried about was a very
narrow one, standing on the inductance of the cord leads?

Jeff (Who remembers when most soldering irons were called "soldering
coppers", and heated over gasoline blowtorches.)
--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."