[Elecraft] Good deals on vacuum desoldering equipment?

[Steve.Lawrence@ITWFEG.COM]

Scott,
While expensive, I've never regretted the purchase of my Hakko 808 vacuum 
desoldering tool.  I purchased my through:
        http://www.tequipment.net/Hakko808.html
about a year ago, and paid about $175.  At the time, this was the best 
deal I could find.  From the picture, this is a gun-like tool.  The tip 
heats, apply it to the joint, press the trigger, and the solder is whisked 
away instantly.

It also works great to tin toroid leads!  Heat a blob of solder on the tip 
of the Hakko, and pass the lead to be tinned into the hollow tip through 
the solder.  Wait a second or so.  Squeeze the trigger.  The solder is 
whisked away, along with the insulation.  Withdraw the lead, and it's 
bright and shiny, perfectly tinned!

GL,
Steve
aa8af






Scott T Emery <emery@nas.nasa.gov>
Sent by: elecraft-admin@mailman.qth.net
05/10/2003 02:07 PM
 
        To:     elecraft@mailman.qth.net
        cc: 
        Subject:        [Elecraft] Good deals on vacuum desoldering 
equipment?



                 Desoldering is a fact of life for me. I am happy to say 
that when
I initially built the kit I had maybe a dozen desoldering jobs in the 
process,
either to correct errors or just following instructions. As I add things 
to
my K2, especially when I upgrade it from A to B (budget constraints and 
priorities have delayed that inevitability), I will do a considerable 
amount
of desoldering.

                 Soldering is a dangerous activity. Health aside, one is 
applying
heat to a valuable PC board and valuable chips and introducing the 
possibility
of damage from Electrostatic Discharge.  Desoldering brings up all of the
same issues, and may add some mechanical stress at these elevated 
temperatures.

                 I have a vacuum desoldering station which is basically a 
little
glass tube with a teflon tip attached to a vacuum pump which was given
to me.  It is the neatest thing since sliced bread, even if it does 
require
frequent cleaning.  Since I have had the chance to use one of these things
in addition to some of the other desoldering systems out there, I always
recommend it highly.   But I imagine that it is a relatively expensive
piece of gear (relative to a good soldering iron, solder, nips, etc.).

                 I have seen earlier discussions of "all in one" 
desoldering stations,
where the soldering iron and the vaccum pump are an integrated unit. The
trade-off between convenience and complication seems to favor 
complication.

                 There are some excellent resources for the K2 builder on 
the
elecraft web site. Questions about soldering stations, solder, tools and
specific useful techniques are answered there. I don't see a discussion
of desoldering at various price points.


1) What is the current thought on the best desoldering practice. (i.e. am 
I
                 way off in my vacuum desoldering craze)

2) What is the best value in a vacuum style desoldering station if one
                 insists on getting one (mine will break down eventually).

Scott Emery
AD6RY