[HCARC] Soldering Station

[Gary J - N5BAA]

Thanks Dale for the response.  My brother just rogered up that he has a 
Weller D-550 Dual heat gun somewhere in his stack of stuff that does 240W 
and 325W.  It's too heavy duty for his requirements and I can have it cheap. 
One of the things I planned on doing when I run my 12 volt rotor line to my 
tower is to include in the conduit a run of 10/2 with ground, direct burial 
coax and install a water proof GFCI socket on the tower end and a plug on 
the shack end.  That way when I need a/c power I can have it safely and I 
can have it without any RF interference because I can plug it in and 
energize it only when needed.  One of the advantages of going slowly is the 
ability to think out as many of the "Nice to Haves" as possible before I dig 
in the ground.

Speaking of doing things smart - I DIDN'T LAST NIGHT.  My electric fence 
around my goats is energized (it will energize up to 50 miles of fence) 
keeping one of my dogs in and the goats off of the fence.  I was in a hurry 
to get the dogs fed so I didn't unplug the electric BEFORE reaching through 
the fence to set the dog's food down.  When I leaned through the fence it 
caught my hat and knocked it off and the top of my head hit the fence wire. 
Seconds later I was picking myself off of the ground with a bleeding tongue. 
WOW does that hot fence hurt.  Lots of voltage with very low amperage but 
still - IT WAS A VERY STRONG REMINDER THAT ELECTRICITY CAN KILL.  Don't be 
stupid and end up dead - be sure of turning off the electricity before 
working around live power!!!!!

Gary J
N5BAA
HCARC Secretary 2013/14

-----Original Message----- 
From: Dale Gaudier
Sent: Sunday, February 9, 2014 9:22 PM
To: hcarc at mailman.qth.net ; 'Gary J - N5BAA'
Subject: RE: [HCARC] Soldering Station

I have an old Weller 200 watt soldering gun for the "big jobs" - e.g. 
soldering PL259s.

I have a Hakko FX-888 controlled temperature soldering station (see QST 
September 2011, p.58, for a review) for general soldering. It uses ceramic 
tip elements that are available in different sizes ranging from very small 
for fine soldering to XXL for big jobs up to PL259s. The controlled 
temperature feature is nice - as you apply heat to a junction, the unit 
senses the temperature of the tip and applies more current, if needed, to 
keep the tip at the desired temperature.

I also have a butane powered soldering iron for use at sites, like my tower, 
where I don't have AC. It gets hot enough to solder PL259s if you're 
patient.

73,

Dale - K4DG


-----Original Message-----
From: hcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:hcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] 
On Behalf Of Harvey N. Vordenbaum
Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2014 8:20 PM
To: 'Gary J - N5BAA'; hcarc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [HCARC] Soldering Station

There are several types of soldering you may need in electronics.
Coaxial connectors, small connectors inside equipment, circuit boards, etc.
For small connectors and circuit boards use a soldering station with 
temperature controlled elements and various sized tips, and a sponge to wipe 
the tip on.
For coaxial connectors, PL-259's etc. you need a fairly high powered 
soldering iron with an iron plated diamond shaped tip.  100 - 300 Watts. 
Along with this you need an autotransformer so you can control the 
temperature.  When the melted solder turns blue it is too hot.  A plain 
copper tip will get eroded by the solder after a while.  You also need a 
small wet sponge to wipe the tip clean periodically.  Some people use a 
micro flame torch for soldering connectors and other larger items.  This 
would take a lot of practice.
A soldering gun is okay if used on the right stuff.  It has the advantage of 
quick heating and little or no hot element lying around when you get 
through.
Hv


-----Original Message-----
From: hcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:hcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] 
On Behalf Of Gary J - N5BAA
Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2014 6:24 PM
To: hcarc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [HCARC] Soldering Station

As many of you know, my brother and an associate buy storage lockers and at 
auctions in the San Diego area for resale at local flea markets.  He comes 
up with some amazing radio related stuff.  As my shack and my remodeled shop 
come together I will be trying to set up a central place to do all of my 
soldering, electrical work.  I have an old soldering gun, but was thinking 
of having him be on the lookout for one of the soldering stations.  My gun 
is a Weller, but I haven’t an idea of their quality.  Who makes good 
soldering stations and what sort of wattage should I be asking him to watch 
out for me??

Gary J
N5BAA
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