[HCARC] Soldering Station

Mon Feb 10 20:02:24 EST 2014

Gary,

Don't know if this will make you feel any better...  My neighbor told me about a friend of his who mistakenly took a wiz near a charged fence. Guess what he got???  Ouch!

Hope you're feeling better soon.

Gerry
KF5SPT

> On Feb 10, 2014, at 1:04 PM, "Gary J - N5BAA" <qltfnish at omniglobal.net> wrote:
> 
> 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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