[Elecraft] Hakko T/C Stn on sale at KIESUB.COM

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I use the Hakko 936-12 myself, and I paid more than 84.95 for it. That's =
a
great price.

Among the features I like are the robust, cast aluminum stand, the high
output heating element and the simple 'turn the knob' temperature =
control.=20

There's been a lot of discussion on the reflector from time to time =
about
ways to clean the tip without robbing heat from the iron.=20

The Hakko goes from room temperature to full heat in about 30 seconds. =
Any
losses caused by wiping the tip on a sponge are recovered long before my
hand can move the iron from the sponge to the joint to be soldered.=20

I'll second Tom's comments about the tip size. I use the 1.6 mm chisel =
tip
on mine and it's fine for the Elecraft kits - even the small traces on =
the
KX1 - but I'd not go ANY wider for this use. Indeed, the 1.2 mm chisel =
tip
might be a better choice.=20

That said, when I needed a long thin iron to reach into tight quarters =
and
heat up a gigantic blob of solder on a 1/4-inch wide terminal wire "tie
point" in a 1950's vintage tube-type radio I was restoring recently, the
Hakko fit where my Weller soldering gun couldn't reach. And the Hakko =
and
melted more solder on one joint that I've put in all of my Elecraft =
rigs,
using the little 1.6 mm tip!=20

And while you're there, protect your Elecraft kits from yourself with a
grounded wrist strap. Those darn things are like seat belts to some =
people -
they seem to think it's a sign of weakness to use them. And, like seat
belts, they are invaluable when they are needed. I see they have some =
fairly
cheap ones such as the 23312 - Wescorp Wrist Strap Kit $6.40. I don't =
have
that one, but I do have an inexpensive one that's lasted me a long time.
It's nice not to have to constantly reach for a grounded surface to =
touch
while working (just squirming around on your seat at the bench can =
produce a
nasty static charge) and I never have to wonder if I remembered to =
ground
myself before picking up that MOSFET I just installed.=20

Ron AC7AC