Re: Recommendations for solder temps and workstation
You don't need to buy a new iron, though it would speed up your work a bit. The ideal soldering iron gets hot enough for the task at hand, and quickly reheats after soldering a joint; 60W lets you do that more quickly, and a low mass tip also helps with that speed.
The important feature to look for when you're buying a new soldering tool is closed loop temperature control. That means that the tip can come up to temperature quickly while not getting so hot that it will damage your components. It has become much more affordable than it once was. You can build QRP Labs equipment without it, but if you're buying something new it's the way to go.
The hot air part of those fancy soldering stations is for SMD work. It's a great thing to have for that, although some SMD work can be done with a normal iron. It's not very useful for work on through-hole parts, though it's sometimes useful for desoldering them.
Greetings,
I have a QMX kit on the way. I notice the recommended soldering iron is 60w and the one I have is 40w so I will have to buy something.
?
There seem to be hundreds listed on Amazon and most have controllable temperatures.?
?
From what I remember from my reading, some components need higher temperatures and others lower temperatures for soldering but I have not seen actual? temperature numbers.
?
Do you have any recommendations for temperature numbers either in C or F?
?
Some of the soldering stations listed in Amazon have a heat gun as well as a soldering iron. I already have a paint stripper heat gun I use for heat shrinking. Is the smaller unit on stations useful?
?
Do you have any specific stations listed in Amazon that you recommend?
?
Thanks so much for any suggestions you may have.
?
Back in my younger days, I built many Heathkits. This kit will be challenging because of its compact nature.
Jim
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Re: Poor Mans ESD Safe Work Surface
On Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 11:42 AM, Don VE3IDS wrote:
Are those cheap blue silicone soldering mats that are advertised as ESD protection really effective at protecting from ESD or are they just heat resistant??
?
?
Good mats will have a snap or banana jack connection for grounding; either the mat or the grounding means will include a 1Meg resistor in series.
Without a ground where will the charge go?
73, Don N2VGU
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On 25/02/2025 17:45, Daniel Walter via groups.io wrote: From cold start, it has taken up to 20 minutes for the GPS time (18 seconds 'fast') to be corrected to UTC time. Dan, The QLG2 does work like this. It has no compensation built-in. The correction is not applied until received. This can take up to 12.5 minutes of lock. The supercap will not normally help on a cold start but will give instant timing with a restart. Modification for a battery might be made. WSPR does need to be within a few seconds so will not provide spots from a cold start. 73 Alan G4ZFQ
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Re: Poor Mans ESD Safe Work Surface
On Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 08:42 AM, Don VE3IDS wrote:
Are those cheap blue silicone soldering mats that are advertised as ESD protection really effective at protecting from ESD or are they just heat resistant??
While I don't have the means to test it properly, the one I have linked above has the following description:
"Effective ESD Protection: This is a high-quality ESD Anti-Static mat, Surface resistivity of 10^6 - 10^8 ohms & Volume resistivity of 10^5 - 10^8 ohm"
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Just finished a U3S for a friend. Question is about timing. From cold start, it has taken up to 20 minutes for the GPS time (18 seconds 'fast') to be corrected to UTC time. Without the super capacitor, this happens every time power is interrupted. Hans stated in the manual that you really don't need the super capacitor for amateur use. However, that would mean that WSPR doesn't cate if you are 18 seconds fast. Is this correct? And if WSPR doesn't care, shouldn't the super capacitor be a necessary part of the QLG2?
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73, Dan? NM3A
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Re: Poor Mans ESD Safe Work Surface
Are those cheap blue silicone soldering mats that are advertised as ESD protection really effective at protecting from ESD or are they just heat resistant??
73 Don ve3ids?
On Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 05:17 AM, spaine wrote:
A good ESD work surface is conductive
The correct word here would be "dissipative" - something that quickly dissipates static charge, but has a very high resistance to normal electrical currents.??
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As Allison said, inexpensive ESD mats are safer, and they are easy to get and use.? And even the $20 ones on Amazon, complete with wrist strap, will last a very long time.? I encourage all assemblers of qrp-labs kits to get one and use it.
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Stan KC7XE?
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Re: Poor Mans ESD Safe Work Surface
On Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 05:17 AM, spaine wrote:
A good ESD work surface is conductive
The correct word here would be "dissipative" - something that quickly dissipates static charge, but has a very high resistance to normal electrical currents.??
?
As Allison said, inexpensive ESD mats are safer, and they are easy to get and use.? And even the $20 ones on Amazon, complete with wrist strap, will last a very long time.? I encourage all assemblers of qrp-labs kits to get one and use it.
?
Stan KC7XE?
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Recommendations for solder temps and workstation
Greetings,
I have a QMX kit on the way. I notice the recommended soldering iron is 60w and the one I have is 40w so I will have to buy something.
?
There seem to be hundreds listed on Amazon and most have controllable temperatures.?
?
From what I remember from my reading, some components need higher temperatures and others lower temperatures for soldering but I have not seen actual? temperature numbers.
?
Do you have any recommendations for temperature numbers either in C or F?
?
Some of the soldering stations listed in Amazon have a heat gun as well as a soldering iron. I already have a paint stripper heat gun I use for heat shrinking. Is the smaller unit on stations useful?
?
Do you have any specific stations listed in Amazon that you recommend?
?
Thanks so much for any suggestions you may have.
?
Back in my younger days, I built many Heathkits. This kit will be challenging because of its compact nature.
Jim
|
Re: Poor Mans ESD Safe Work Surface
I regard that as a potential deathtrap.
?
ESD mats are cheap and far safer and will not ground you?
if you playing with line voltages or higher (tube gear).
?
Also it has great potential to create a short on the
back or front of most circuit boards.
?
--
Allison
------------------
Post online only,?
direct email will go to a bit bucket.
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Re: Poor Mans ESD Safe Work Surface
A good ESD work surface is conductive, but not too conductive. ?That way it maintains equipotential between your work, your wrist strap, and your iron, but any inadvertent discharge that does occur is dissipated slowly and safely. ?I like these cheap conductive cardboard mats from Desco--they're intended to be disposable for industrial use, but last forever at home and take soldering heat well. ?The one in the photo was about $10 from Newark here in the US.
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Scott
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Re: US-China Tariffs - shipment issues?
U3s was here in 9 days and the enclosure from china went thru customs as usual and arrived on day 16. No tariff issue. Not bad.
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regards,
Bryan, N0LUF
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Re: QMX+ Military Version
That is an exceptional 3D printed enclosure. Would you mind describing your finishing and labeling procedures, as well as the type of filament used? ? Tnx & 73, -Lloyd (wa4efs) ?
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From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of W6MQI via groups.io
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2025 10:17 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [QRPLabs] QMX+ Military Version ? Okay, I went a little crazy being a military radio guy the standard QMX case just wasn't doing it for me.? So I decided to draw up a PRC-174/CMX+ clone using Fusion 360 CAD software and my 3D printer. The radio isn't fully functional yet like the 6 holes above the LCD are for an LED voltmeter using an Ardunio Nano, and the custom built battery which will reside in the back section. The CMX board is located in the front half of the case unfortunately I wasn't able to print the case in one piece since my printer bed wasn't large enough I think the case looks okay in two pieces. For those that don't know what a PRC-174 is check out N6CC.com or RadioNerds.com site under PRC-174.
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Re: QCX mini, Encoder and buttons stop working
Dan,
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did you find the issue to your culprit? Read Ronald Taylor’s recent thread about “QCX buttons stuck”. ?I replied to his thread too. ?I was having the same exact issue. ?It is indeed a firmware bug. ?
After selecting the keyer speed and then pressing the encoder button to exit the keyer speed menu that is when I was having that issue. ?The encoder button is not the correct button to exit that menu. I have to remind myself because I created a bad habit of using it since the encoder button allows me to exit that menu but then causing other issues.
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Before reading Ronald’s post I discovered the issue and I am glad he posted it because it confirmed my “discovery” and gave me hope that I can build another QRP lab rig.
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Re: QMX+ Military Version
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Re: QMX+ Military Version
Love it!
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73, Dan - W2DLC
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Perhaps posting a screenshot of the LPF scans and swr scans for 10m and 6m would give us some data to start with.?
Stan
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Chris, you may need to update Hamlib. I did. There is a button on version 2.7 to do so, but I had to first install OpenSSL on my Windows 10 in order to update Hamlib using the button. TS-480 worked for me.
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Hi Ron,
?
It is a relieve to read this post. ?The same exact thing is happening with my QCX mini 20m because I was not using the correct “exit button”. ?For some reason I would press the encoder to exit right after selecting the keyer speed. ?Indeed it is true that it is the operator error for not following the instructions but I thought that I had built this incorrectly for the past year and a half due to the buttons getting stuck.
Since I am such a new HAM operator with no soldering experience and you can name a long list of inexperienced things in this hobby I was at loss already. ?I wish it would not be possible to “exit” or “clear” the screen after selecting the keyer speed to avoid this issue that even though it is the operator’s negligence for not reading and following instructions but for noobs like me who keeps forgetting it would help. ?I guess I will learn the hard way like many things in life. ?
Thanks for sharing the post and giving me hope that I may be able to build another QRP rig. ??
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Lidiette?
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Re: QMX+ Military Version
KUDOS.? ?Looks like something I've seen ripped from an old jeep. I LIKE IT!
73, Paul KY4XJ
On Monday, February 24th, 2025 at 22:17, W6MQI via groups.io <w6mqi@...> wrote:
Okay, I went a little crazy being a military radio guy the standard QMX case just wasn't doing it for me.? So I decided to draw up a PRC-174/CMX+ clone using Fusion 360 CAD software and my 3D printer. The radio isn't fully functional yet like the 6 holes above the LCD are for an LED voltmeter using an Ardunio Nano, and the custom built battery which will reside in the back section. The CMX board is located in the front half of the case unfortunately I wasn't able to print the case in one piece since my printer bed wasn't large enough I think the case looks okay in two pieces. For those that don't know what a PRC-174 is check out N6CC.com or RadioNerds.com site under PRC-174.
?
73, Dave
W6MQI
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Shirley Dulcey KE1L
Donald S Brant Jr
Don VE3IDS
Lidiette Lacalle
Daniel Conklin