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Soldering Iron Recommendations?
I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is
disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson Each to their own, but the WLC100 is ok... |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson I have one, good for general stuff. Temperature control isn't really good, looks like just a triac control to the heating element. As a result its easy to burn thru tips. If I had to do it again I'd go with WES51 or the WESD51. Or a Hakko http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Soldering-Station-Safe-Digital/dp/B000AS3MMU Cheers |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:04:50 -0500, "Martin Riddle"
wrote: "Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson I have one, good for general stuff. Temperature control isn't really good, looks like just a triac control to the heating element. As a result its easy to burn thru tips. If I had to do it again I'd go with WES51 or the WESD51. Or a Hakko http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Soldering-Station-Safe-Digital/dp/B000AS3MMU Cheers WES51 looks AOK, ordered, Thanks! ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote:
I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson Fix it! That's what I did when mine fell apart, and I couldn't be happier. -- www.wescottdesign.com |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson
wrote: I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson I splurged on an Edsyn 951SX about ten years ago, and running it 8/5/365 I've gone through two tips in all that time. It is a real workhorse. Jim |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:34:53 -0700, "Paul Hovnanian P.E."
wrote: Tim Wescott wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote: I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson Fix it! That's what I did when mine fell apart, and I couldn't be happier. What kind of soldering station would you reccommend to do the repair work? It would cost more to re-cable, re-connector, replace the cracked base, than to buy new. I ordered the WES51. ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"RST Engineering" wrote in message ... On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote: I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson I splurged on an Edsyn 951SX about ten years ago, and running it 8/5/365 I've gone through two tips in all that time. It is a real workhorse. Jim Wow!!! Ten years ago, and they are still on the market. Not a bad price scale either. If I was looking, I'd buy one. Bill |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote: Jim Thompson wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:34:53 -0700, "Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote: Tim Wescott wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote: I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson Fix it! That's what I did when mine fell apart, and I couldn't be happier. What kind of soldering station would you reccommend to do the repair work? It would cost more to re-cable, re-connector, replace the cracked base, than to buy new. I ordered the WES51. I was just trying to solve the Zen puzzle of how one would fix a soldering station with itself. Zen can't solder worth a damn, no matter what he uses. ;-) -- Greed is the root of all eBay. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
Jim Thompson wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:34:53 -0700, "Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote: Tim Wescott wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote: I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson Fix it! That's what I did when mine fell apart, and I couldn't be happier. What kind of soldering station would you reccommend to do the repair work? It would cost more to re-cable, re-connector, replace the cracked base, than to buy new. Is the iron still good? I have a spare base (or more) but no irons left. A so called 'engineer' recently bragged about throwing away about 35 irons that were intermittent. He was happy that the other irons three worked. Sort of. Most of the time. :( -- Greed is the root of all eBay. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Since Weller became Cooper Tools, the bean counters took over the asylum - they cut corners on manufacturing and reliability went down the gurgler. When my last Weller fell to bits I bought an Antex 25W iron as a stop gap, and have been using Antex ever since. I did treat myself to a 50W Antex TC iron but TBH I don't see much advantage over the standard X25. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:48:12 -0000, "ian field"
wrote: "Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Since Weller became Cooper Tools, the bean counters took over the asylum - they cut corners on manufacturing and reliability went down the gurgler. When my last Weller fell to bits I bought an Antex 25W iron as a stop gap, and have been using Antex ever since. I did treat myself to a 50W Antex TC iron but TBH I don't see much advantage over the standard X25. The Metcals are the best irons. The SP200 system is about $290. They warm up in seconds and have impressive heat control. John |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson Hi Jim, I too, have an aged WTCP that has been repaired several times. The heater and thermal switch have both been changed over the years. Still use it for the heavy stuff with 600 to 800F tips. When we started to do some SMT work, I bought a cheapie (it was $100 at the time) JF96ESD through Ameritronics http://www.ameritronics.com/digital_...s_ESD_safe.htm Nice thing is that it is variable temperature. We were making the change from Tin/Lead solder to Lead Free and I wanted to be able to experiment with different working temperatures. Mostly this is used by itself but for larger work that involves ground planes, we have a zephytronics hot air fountain (130-150C) for pre-heating. Only problem I've had with the JF96 is that the cord between the base and handle developed an open circuit. Found where the open was and spliced it back together. Been working for about 3 years since without any further problems. Sort of funny working days with an esd safe SMT iron and at nights, doing artwork with an arc welder and OxAcet torch. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in message
... I was just trying to solve the Zen puzzle of how one would fix a soldering station with itself. Sort of like when your reading glasses break, how can you see to fix them... btw- on the topic of Zen- Q: What did the Zen master say to the hot dog vendor? A: "Make me one with everything" |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
Oppie wrote:
"Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in message ... I was just trying to solve the Zen puzzle of how one would fix a soldering station with itself. Sort of like when your reading glasses break, how can you see to fix them... Some people have backup glasses (I do). Some people have backup soldering irons (I have a $3 non-temperature controlled piece that I'm quite skilled with). |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"John Larkin" wrote in message ... On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:48:12 -0000, "ian field" wrote: "Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Since Weller became Cooper Tools, the bean counters took over the asylum - they cut corners on manufacturing and reliability went down the gurgler. When my last Weller fell to bits I bought an Antex 25W iron as a stop gap, and have been using Antex ever since. I did treat myself to a 50W Antex TC iron but TBH I don't see much advantage over the standard X25. The Metcals are the best irons. The SP200 system is about $290. They warm up in seconds and have impressive heat control. John He said "cheapy replacement", the Antex irons are cheap as chips and last for years. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:34:33 +0530, "pimpom"
wrote: Oppie wrote: "Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in message ... I was just trying to solve the Zen puzzle of how one would fix a soldering station with itself. Sort of like when your reading glasses break, how can you see to fix them... Some people have backup glasses (I do). Those of us who are myopic just get closer (though there are limits, especially when cutting, grinding, soldering etc.) Some people have backup soldering irons (I have a $3 non-temperature controlled piece that I'm quite skilled with). I could even dig up an old, essentially unused, Weller soldering gun if I had to. Or a fairly decent butane powered soldering iron. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"ian field" wrote in message ... "Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Since Weller became Cooper Tools, the bean counters took over the asylum - they cut corners on manufacturing and reliability went down the gurgler. When my last Weller fell to bits I bought an Antex 25W iron as a stop gap, and have been using Antex ever since. I did treat myself to a 50W Antex TC iron but TBH I don't see much advantage over the standard X25. Interesting - Antex used to be rubbish many years ago, Wellers were far better. Ian |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:18:49 -0000, "ian field"
wrote: "John Larkin" wrote in message .. . On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:48:12 -0000, "ian field" wrote: "Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Since Weller became Cooper Tools, the bean counters took over the asylum - they cut corners on manufacturing and reliability went down the gurgler. When my last Weller fell to bits I bought an Antex 25W iron as a stop gap, and have been using Antex ever since. I did treat myself to a 50W Antex TC iron but TBH I don't see much advantage over the standard X25. The Metcals are the best irons. The SP200 system is about $290. They warm up in seconds and have impressive heat control. John He said "cheapy replacement", the Antex irons are cheap as chips and last for years. Sorry, I don't do cheapy. Some of us can afford ten cents a day to have the best soldering gear. John |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:52:22 -0800, John Larkin
wrote: On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:18:49 -0000, "ian field" wrote: "John Larkin" wrote in message . .. On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:48:12 -0000, "ian field" wrote: "Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Since Weller became Cooper Tools, the bean counters took over the asylum - they cut corners on manufacturing and reliability went down the gurgler. When my last Weller fell to bits I bought an Antex 25W iron as a stop gap, and have been using Antex ever since. I did treat myself to a 50W Antex TC iron but TBH I don't see much advantage over the standard X25. The Metcals are the best irons. The SP200 system is about $290. They warm up in seconds and have impressive heat control. John He said "cheapy replacement", the Antex irons are cheap as chips and last for years. Sorry, I don't do cheapy. Some of us can afford ten cents a day to have the best soldering gear. John When I got out the Weller, it was the first time in more than a year ;-) ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:34:33 +0530, "pimpom" wrote: Oppie wrote: Sort of like when your reading glasses break, how can you see to fix them... Some people have backup glasses (I do). Those of us who are myopic just get closer (though there are limits, especially when cutting, grinding, soldering etc.) I didn't know how lucky I was until I began to grow longsighted in my late 40s. Before that, I could focus from infinity down to perhaps 3 inches. I could count individual dots on a glossy magazine cover without any difficulty and also read typewritten text from 15 ft across a dimly lit room. Now I can read a newspaper without glasses by holding it at least 10 inches away, but can only do it comfortably in good light. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"pimpom" wrote in message
... I didn't know how lucky I was until I began to grow longsighted in my late 40s. Before that, I could focus from infinity down to perhaps 3 inches. I could count individual dots on a glossy magazine cover without any difficulty and also read typewritten text from 15 ft across a dimly lit room. Now I can read a newspaper without glasses by holding it at least 10 inches away, but can only do it comfortably in good light. Ain't it great aging gracefully ;) |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"Spehro Pefhany" wrote in message ... On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:34:33 +0530, "pimpom" wrote: Oppie wrote: "Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in message ... I was just trying to solve the Zen puzzle of how one would fix a soldering station with itself. Sort of like when your reading glasses break, how can you see to fix them... Some people have backup glasses (I do). Those of us who are myopic just get closer (though there are limits, especially when cutting, grinding, soldering etc.) Some people have backup soldering irons (I have a $3 non-temperature controlled piece that I'm quite skilled with). I could even dig up an old, essentially unused, Weller soldering gun if I had to. Or a fairly decent butane powered soldering iron. Years ago I bought a cheap soldering gun (god only knows why!), a few weeks later someone donated a nearly new genuine Weller - I can't recall ever having used either! |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"Ian" wrote in message ... "ian field" wrote in message ... "Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Since Weller became Cooper Tools, the bean counters took over the asylum - they cut corners on manufacturing and reliability went down the gurgler. When my last Weller fell to bits I bought an Antex 25W iron as a stop gap, and have been using Antex ever since. I did treat myself to a 50W Antex TC iron but TBH I don't see much advantage over the standard X25. Interesting - Antex used to be rubbish many years ago, Wellers were far better. Yes I remember when Weller irons were worth having (a very long time ago). A company I worked for bought out a competitor and dumped all the stuff they didn't want in a spare loading bay with a sign; "help yourself". - I grabbed a large box of Weller irons that had been taken apart and not put back together. That collection lasted me many years, but as the spares got older and scruffier it got harder to maintain a reliable iron - so I bought a brand new one. By this time Weller had become Cooper Tools and quality had gone down the gurgler. In the new iron, the thermostat went S/C in less than 2 weeks - Cooper Tools sent me a replacement FOC - which lasted almost a month before going S/C and burning out the element. After buying a new element, I decided not to let that happen again, so I modified an old stat with an opto-interrupter to detect the position of the curie-magnet pushrod. With suitable circuitry to control a triac in the base unit I got a few more years out of it before the cheaper plating on the tip caused a tip to burst with copper oxide inside the element tube - making it impossible to remove without destroying the element. The only problems I've had with Antex irons is the very fine element wire can be susceptible if your local supply has bad spikes - but it wasn't just irons suffering damage until I installed spike suppressors. 110V versions would probably be much more robust in this regard. The other problem is they can snap if dropped, but the only time I've had that happen, the lead was coiled up around the handle. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:13:08 -0000, "ian field"
wrote: "Spehro Pefhany" wrote in message .. . On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:34:33 +0530, "pimpom" wrote: Oppie wrote: "Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in message ... I was just trying to solve the Zen puzzle of how one would fix a soldering station with itself. Sort of like when your reading glasses break, how can you see to fix them... Some people have backup glasses (I do). Those of us who are myopic just get closer (though there are limits, especially when cutting, grinding, soldering etc.) Some people have backup soldering irons (I have a $3 non-temperature controlled piece that I'm quite skilled with). I could even dig up an old, essentially unused, Weller soldering gun if I had to. Or a fairly decent butane powered soldering iron. Years ago I bought a cheap soldering gun (god only knows why!), a few weeks later someone donated a nearly new genuine Weller - I can't recall ever having used either! They are not bad for checking EMI immunity. ;-) |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
ian field wrote: Years ago I bought a cheap soldering gun (god only knows why!), a few weeks later someone donated a nearly new genuine Weller - I can't recall ever having used either! I used Weller guns for decades, back in the tube days. I bought the first in '66 and still have a couple. I put a 12 foot coiled AC cord on one of them that was kept at the bench. They were used on service calls where you didn't have time to wait for a soldering iron to heat up, then cool down. I also have a Wen soldering gun like this: http://bmwdean.home.att.net/soldergun.htm -- Greed is the root of all eBay. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
"Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote: Oppie wrote: "Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in message ... I was just trying to solve the Zen puzzle of how one would fix a soldering station with itself. Sort of like when your reading glasses break, how can you see to fix them... If the first attempt at making a drawing board had been a failure, what would they go back to? Jim's stone tablets and chisels, of course! ;-) -- Greed is the root of all eBay. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On a sunny day (Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:36:53 -0500) it happened Spehro Pefhany
wrote in : On Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:13:08 -0000, "ian field" wrote: "Spehro Pefhany" wrote in message . .. On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:34:33 +0530, "pimpom" wrote: Oppie wrote: "Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in message ... I was just trying to solve the Zen puzzle of how one would fix a soldering station with itself. Sort of like when your reading glasses break, how can you see to fix them... Some people have backup glasses (I do). Those of us who are myopic just get closer (though there are limits, especially when cutting, grinding, soldering etc.) Some people have backup soldering irons (I have a $3 non-temperature controlled piece that I'm quite skilled with). I could even dig up an old, essentially unused, Weller soldering gun if I had to. Or a fairly decent butane powered soldering iron. Years ago I bought a cheap soldering gun (god only knows why!), a few weeks later someone donated a nearly new genuine Weller - I can't recall ever having used either! They are not bad for checking EMI immunity. ;-) I did that by switching the Weller on/off, one could make a PC crash with it. (back EMF transformer). I have a much better one now: http://www.testberichte.de/test/prod..._p59 358.html Just got some new tips. Temperature control is excellent too. Auto switch off if you forget it. Been in use now for many years! And was a fraction of teh price of a Weller. The old Weller element broke down (really Weller is a piece of **** if you look at the construction) and the only part left is that transformer with the big back EMF. Soldering guns should be outlawed in electronics :-) The other thing is I used Weller tips at 370°C, but now I solder 60/40 with 320°C, tips live longer. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
In article , John Larkin wrote:
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:48:12 -0000, "ian field" wrote: "Jim Thompson" wrote in message ... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Since Weller became Cooper Tools, the bean counters took over the asylum - they cut corners on manufacturing and reliability went down the gurgler. When my last Weller fell to bits I bought an Antex 25W iron as a stop gap, and have been using Antex ever since. I did treat myself to a 50W Antex TC iron but TBH I don't see much advantage over the standard X25. The Metcals are the best irons. The SP200 system is about $290. They warm up in seconds and have impressive heat control. For the price it sounds good. Looks like it has a small handle, but my Weller may be smaller, and its 80 WATTS. greg |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:23:48 -0700, Jim Thompson
wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:34:53 -0700, "Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote: Tim Wescott wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote: I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson Fix it! That's what I did when mine fell apart, and I couldn't be happier. What kind of soldering station would you reccommend to do the repair work? It would cost more to re-cable, re-connector, replace the cracked base, than to buy new. I ordered the WES51. ...Jim Thompson I have never before owned a soldering station with a temperature control. What's the best setting (60%Sn/40%Pb)? ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:27:51 -0700, Jim Thompson
wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:23:48 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:34:53 -0700, "Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote: Tim Wescott wrote: On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote: I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson Fix it! That's what I did when mine fell apart, and I couldn't be happier. What kind of soldering station would you reccommend to do the repair work? It would cost more to re-cable, re-connector, replace the cracked base, than to buy new. I ordered the WES51. ...Jim Thompson I have never before owned a soldering station with a temperature control. What's the best setting (60%Sn/40%Pb)? ...Jim Thompson Better to use 63Sn 37Pb (eutectic) rather than 60/40-- it doesn't go through 'mushy' on the way from liquid to solid. I generally use around 600°F. The WES51 auto-shutoff is a nice feature compared to the older WTCPN- it detects inactivity and shuts down after a delay. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
Jim Thompson wrote:
I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson My all-time favorite is a Weller EC1302B iron, next choice is the EC1201 for the larger stuff. There are several stations that will run these irons. You can still get cord sets, temp sensors and heating elements as replaceable parts for the irons. The tips are ingeniously simple and quite durable. I don't like their platings as much for lead-free, they need a lot of re-tinning. But, these are getting quite obsolete, too, so I am moving over to the Weller WSL box and the WMP micro pencil. The tips are reasonable, the heat flow is pretty awesome, I go from 0.4 mm lead pitch micro soldering to fooling with wide ground planes and such with the same iron. I demand a digital temp readout, so cheapy stations are not useful to me. You can get good stuff on eBay with a little patience. Jon |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
Jim Thompson wrote:
I have never before owned a soldering station with a temperature control. What's the best setting (60%Sn/40%Pb)? Whew, glad you are coming in from the dark ages! I generally use 650 F for general work, but in cases of really fragile boards or parts, will turn it down to 600 F. 63/37 solder melts at 424 F, but you need to account for thermal resistance in the tip and heat sink effects at the joint. Also, it is often better to run the iron a bit hotter and get the soldering work done quickly than run the iron at the bare minimum temp and have to heat the joint for a LONG time to get the solder to melt. For lead-free work, I have to run the iron at about 700 F for light stuff, and 750 where heavy traces and power components sink the heat away. Jon |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:22:47 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote: Jim Thompson wrote: I have never before owned a soldering station with a temperature control. What's the best setting (60%Sn/40%Pb)? Whew, glad you are coming in from the dark ages! From the mid '60's onward I always had a technician, so I did very little soldering, except maybe patching a breadboard. So my own tools see rare use only for my "G-job" projects. Not that I've lost the skills... I hung out in my Dad's TV repair shop from around age 12, and I tech'd in MIT's Building 20 MHD Lab for 4 years for income needs not covered by my scholarship. I generally use 650 F for general work, but in cases of really fragile boards or parts, will turn it down to 600 F. 63/37 solder melts at 424 F, but you need to account for thermal resistance in the tip and heat sink effects at the joint. Also, it is often better to run the iron a bit hotter and get the soldering work done quickly than run the iron at the bare minimum temp and have to heat the joint for a LONG time to get the solder to melt. For lead-free work, I have to run the iron at about 700 F for light stuff, and 750 where heavy traces and power components sink the heat away. Jon I have several BIG spools of 60/40 dating from late '80's ;-) ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
In article , To-Email-Use-
says... I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... Weller WLC100 Soldering Station ...Jim Thompson http://tinyurl.com/yz8clzm I've got the 15845 TL and love it. Even got to crank it up to max to solder two heat sink posts to a board today. |
Soldering Iron Recommendations?
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:34:41 -0700, Jim Thompson
wrote: :I have an absolutely ancient Weller WTCPN soldering station that is :disintegrating... it's probably at least 33 years old. : :I don't have any need for surface mount sophistication. : :What are people's thoughts on a cheapy replacement such as... : : Weller WLC100 Soldering Station : : ...Jim Thompson Since the WTCPT has served so well for so long, why change? When my 30 yr old WTCPT faded and died a couple of years back I just went out and bought a new one. Value for money is still quite good imo. Failing that, I would recommend Hakko. |
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