[Elecraft] soldering stations

[David J Windisch]

Hi, all concerned:

A thread a few months ago mentioned a solder station from

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7307

and I bought it and a companion desoldering station from CSI, despite the 
"blackened-tip problem" described in the thread.

It has taken me a while to get around to using it, and I blackened the first 
tip pronto.

CSI sent me 2 tips which they had tinned, and it finally occurred to me, 
while watching one of the new tips change colors as it was heating up, that 
I was running it too hot.

I cranked the knob back in steps to about 11 o'clock, which gave repeatable 
tinnings and wipings without color change.  Then I went back and reclaimed 
the first CSI tip I blackened, by repeatedly tinning it in rosin-cored 
solder and wiping it on the sponge.  It's fine now.

Hakko tips fit ok but need a sleeve of stainless tube to make them the same 
length as the CSI tips.  I used a Hakko fine tip to solder the AD9854 DDS 
chip onto the AA0ZZ/AMQRP DDS-VFO board.

CSI told me that the desoldering station tip is non-tinning by design, so 
solder doesn't stick to it.  Hakko desoldering tips do tin, but so far, so 
good with the non-tinning CSI tip.

As you were.

73, Dave, N3HE
Cincinnati OH