Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
On Fri, Jul 27, 2018 at 10:03 PM, stefan_trethan <stefan_trethan@...> wrote: I see they still use the RF tips where you can't adjust the temperature.
That has always been a deal breaker for me (I adjust the temperature
quite a lot) but I think for desoldering it would be fine.
The tips come in different temperatures and lots of different shapes and sizes. You select the tip with the size and shape that matches the work and with the temperature you want. They have so much better heat conduction and temperature control than most irons that you don't need to jack up the temperature to solder big items. The tip delivers as much heat as needed to keep the temperature up. The temperature control is right at the tip rather than down the iron so it works pretty well. Try it if you get a chance and you probably will like it. Regards, Mark
|
Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I see they still use the RF tips where you can't adjust the temperature.
That has always been a deal breaker for me (I adjust the temperature
quite a lot) but I think for desoldering it would be fine.
The price is to be expected, it's actually cheaper than the other high
end desoldering stations, and it's someone else's money.
(For now, I might need one at home too if it is that great, you know
how it goes ;-)
I'm not keen on the bent solder tube that directs the solder downward.
I hope that doesn't plug up too much.
80W seems a bit on the low side.
It's nice that they employ a blind designer, it's always good to see a
company support the disabled.
(Seriously that thombstone power station with the 2x16 display is ugly
as f, but at this point I really don't care as long as it works).
ST
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 6:25 AM, Bruce Lane <kyrrin@...> wrote: On 27-Jul-18 20:41, stefan_trethan wrote:
I wasn't familiar with the Metcal MX-DS1 and it does look rather good, thanks!
Do either one of you, or maybe both, currently have that system?
If so, please tell me which model, especially also of the control station. <snippage>
I have the Metcal DS1, as well as two sizes of soldering pencil
(standard and micro-fine) and the hot tweezers. I use them with the
MX5000 power unit.
Honestly, I consider it the best soldering/desoldering tool investment
I ever made. The desolder gun beats the pants off the Pace unit I used
to use.
The only possible downside is you'll need a source of clean, dry
compressed air ('shop air') to make the Metcal unit do its thing. To
take care of this, I also bought a mini compressor from California Air
Tools (one of their ultra-quiet series).
Be prepared to spend between $750-$1100. Metcal makes some of the best
stuff around, but it doesn't come cheap.
Keep the peace(es).
--
---
Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR
kyrrin (at) bluefeathertech dot com
"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (Red Green)
|
Desoldering Iron, was Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
Yes Stefan, I have mine, still use it. I'm using a Metcal PS2E-01 power unit with mine. The power units can be had on eBay pretty cheap these days, and since this older unit produces the same 13MHz frequency as the newer ones a good Metcal iron will plug right in and work with the same power supply also. Happy to answer any questions that I can.
Regarding the air line length, I use mine straight from a homemade "silent" compressor with a 5 gallon tank next to my bench at the end of an air line that may be 6 feet long, so no issues of that sort for me. I also use the tip cleaners frequently and thus have not really had to battle many clogging issues.
--Eric
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original message --------From: stefan_trethan <stefan_trethan@...> Date: 7/27/18 10:41 PM (GMT-06:00) To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire I wasn't familiar with the Metcal MX-DS1 and it does look rather good, thanks! Do either one of you, or maybe both, currently have that system? If so, please tell me which model, especially also of the control station. I have to read up on it and if any questions remain I hope I can put them to you. Information from actual users is often much more valueable than from sales staff ;-). See, a rant sometimes isn't entirely futile. ST On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 1:50 AM, tom jobe <tomjobe@...> wrote: I have had that same Metcal MX desoldering system for years, and I found
that being connected with a fairly long air hose (25 feet?) limited the air
pressure available to the desoldering gun used to make its vacuum. An old
Freon tank of a few gallon capacity was turned into an air pressure
reservoir and installed between the Metcal desoldering gun and the air
pressure line. That improved things a lot as there was now full air pressure
available at the instant you pulled the trigger.
Keeping the nozzles clear of solder is the main problem, but frequent use of
the available Metcal tip cleaning rods can partially keep you on top of that
problem.
The Metcal cleaning rod set is just a customized version of the same tip
cleaners a welder uses to keep his gas welding tips clean, but the Metcal
set of cleaning tips are longer and sized to the standard Metcal tip
diameters.
The only other real issue is keeping the 'business end' of the desoldering
tips 'wetted' with fresh solder, and I never have solved that problem.
tom jobe...
On 7/27/2018 3:27 PM, EricJ via Groups.Io wrote:
Yes, the good venturi models have much better suction (high volume) and
it's instant. I've got a Metcal MX-DS1, it's awesome. Totally agree on the
rest of your points also. Clogged nozzles will make any desoldering gun work
like crap.
--Eric
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Harvey White
<madyn@...> Date: 7/27/18? 2:19 PM? (GMT-06:00) To:
[email protected] Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best
review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
On Fri, 27 Jul 2018 14:47:33 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:
I've used my Radio Shack solder sucker (not the bulb but the
spring-loaded cylinder version) with pretty good success but I have lifted a
couple of pads along the way.? I really, really need to get something like
the Hakko.? I watched a video this morning where it was used to desolder a
component board from another board that had around eight pins soldered with
through-holes to the larger board.? After the Hakko was finished (in less
than a minute total time), the secondary board practically fell out.
Impressive. Selecting the tip temperature is important (where this adjustment is
available).
Heating the joint all the way through is also critical.? Don't be
afraid to add solder so that no air gets sucked in.
The ones with the built in pumps are most convenient, but I wonder if
the ones that run off compressed air (bernouli principle) don't have a
sharper vacuum pulse.
The right tip diameter is also important.
Cleaning out the tips and filters is pretty critical, no suction, no
desoldering.
Harvey
Thanks,
Barry - N4BUQ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Burke" <burke.ray@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2018 9:10:46 AM
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re:
[TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
The Radio Shack Desoldering bulb is useless because you cant get the
tips any
more, no more Radio Shack.? I have used the Radio Shack Desoldering
bulb,
(have one).? Solder Wick, Solder Suckers and other tools, while they are
cheap, they do cause damage to the circuit boards with pulled pads,
through
holes, and other problems, ( I have used them and damaged my boards).
Don't
use any of the cheap alternatives, if you want to save the circuit
boards.
??? Use at least a good Desoldering gun or station.? Use at least a Hakko
FR-301 which I just bought, or a better Hakko Desoldering station, there
are
others that are more expensive like Pace, Metcal, which I used at work.
I
?? just used it to repair my wifes monitor that died with no power, and
opened
it up and found about three bulging capacitors, replaced all eight on
the
power supply, and fixed it.? After getting the caps at Fry's it only
took
??? me about 20 minutes to change all eight, love my new Desoldering gun,
NO
PULLED PADS.? One other thing is manufacture support, Hakko is the best.
I
got a desoldering station from my work, which they didn't want any more
and
Hakko had the tips for the thing.? Now you could get some cheap Chinese
knockoff but support may not be their in a few years, or at all.??? Buy
at
least a Hakko and you won't be disappointed. The other main desoldering
companies are more expensive.? You could check out the tear apart videos
of
the? www.EEVBlog with Dave Jones.
?????? On Thursday, July 26, 2018 11:36 PM, Michael A. Terrell
?????? <mike.terrell@...> wrote:
??? I started working in a TV shop at 13, in 1965. One older tech was a
fountain
??? of practical knowledge. I wasn't old enough to open an account at the
local
??? parts house, so he would buy things for me so Ii didn't have to go
through
??? our boss and pay his markup. He bought me my first desoldering iron
which
??? was a professional version of that Radio Shack version. It was made
by
??? Endevco, and it was almost $40 which was a lot for a kid making a
buck an
??? hour after school. He was also the one who got me started on Ersin
??? Multicore solder. I've never regretted paying a little extra for good
??? solder, because there was very little waste.
We handed the resale of a wave solder machine for Lockheed Martin around
1990, along with other process equipment after they shut down a
production
line in one of the Orlando plants.
Microdyne was still using the same grade of paste solder they tarted
with,
even though the SMD parts were a lot smaller than the first they used. I
had
to fight with Manufacturing engineering to buy a type with smaller
solder
balls and a RMA flux. The fine pitch ICs (IE: MC68340) came out of the
early
ovens with unmelted solder balls under the ICs, and the 0402 passives
were
tombstoning. They had spent a wad on that Heller oven, but the quality
hadn't changed. Once we had better solder, we could refine the reflow
profiles. That eliminated over 95% of the reflow problems within a few
months, as they continued to refine the profiles.
Did you build much equipment for your Amateur radio hobby? I went a
different
route, into broadcasting. Not many hams ever got to pump out 5MW EIRP of
RF
from a 1700 foot tower. :)
Michael A. Terrell
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Harris <cfharris@...>
Sent: Jul 26, 2018 11:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re:
[TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I have minimal experience with industrial soldering machines.? I
was a kid back in 1970, and a ham, and getting a job working for
DEI was like being let loose in a candy shop.? I did a ton of
odd jobs after the child labor bureau made me stop doing all of
their silver and gold plating.? I was a sponge, and soaked up every
process or technique I was exposed to.? Which was a lot.? I did
etching, plating, drilling, KPR, soldering, helped set up the
one-off machines that made standoffs and rivets... moved safes,
carried trash, pushed a broom... but I digress.
Nobody that I am aware of was using reflow ovens back in 1970.
Everything I saw was either through-hole, or was simple stuff
that was hand soldered on one of the teflon based pcb materials.
But I can only talk to what DEI, Nems-Clarke, and Vitro were did,
and also what a PCB manufacture/build/assemble house I worked at
later was doing.
I just did a search, and the only 80/20 alloy I could find was a
Pb80/Sn20, which has a solidus temperature of 183C and a liquidus
temperature of 280C.? That is as compared to 63/37 which is 183C.
Pb80/Sn20 would be wonderful for operations where you needed to
sculpt the solder, like a car fender, or the terminals on very high
voltage circuitry.? It would also be useful for soldering terminals
that might be later soldered with 63/37, such as the internal
connections
on a modular mixer.
-Chuck Harris
|
Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
On 27-Jul-18 20:41, stefan_trethan wrote: I wasn't familiar with the Metcal MX-DS1 and it does look rather good, thanks!
Do either one of you, or maybe both, currently have that system?
If so, please tell me which model, especially also of the control station. <snippage> I have the Metcal DS1, as well as two sizes of soldering pencil (standard and micro-fine) and the hot tweezers. I use them with the MX5000 power unit. Honestly, I consider it the best soldering/desoldering tool investment I ever made. The desolder gun beats the pants off the Pace unit I used to use. The only possible downside is you'll need a source of clean, dry compressed air ('shop air') to make the Metcal unit do its thing. To take care of this, I also bought a mini compressor from California Air Tools (one of their ultra-quiet series). Be prepared to spend between $750-$1100. Metcal makes some of the best stuff around, but it doesn't come cheap. Keep the peace(es). -- --- Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR kyrrin (at) bluefeathertech dot com "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (Red Green)
|
Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I have several Metcal products, the single iron and the hot tweezers and they are great. Unfortunately, I don't have the desoldering tool myself but agree it works well. The MX-500P control station is very attractive as it is available used for somewhat lower prices, and it has been reverse engineered so it can be repaired and calibrated. It will run two devices, one at a time. colinoflynn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MX-500P-11.pdf I would recommend finding it and the compatible irons. You will pay a few bucks but will be amazed at how much better these irons work for soldering and desoldering. Regards, Mark On Fri, Jul 27, 2018 at 8:41 PM, stefan_trethan <stefan_trethan@...> wrote: I wasn't familiar with the Metcal MX-DS1 and it does look rather good,
thanks!
Do either one of you, or maybe both, currently have that system?
If so, please tell me which model, especially also of the control station.
I have to read up on it and if any questions remain I hope I can put
them to you.
Information from actual users is often much more valueable than from
sales staff ;-).
See, a rant sometimes isn't entirely futile.
ST
On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 1:50 AM, tom jobe <tomjobe@...> wrote:
I have had that same Metcal MX desoldering system for years, and I found
that being connected with a fairly long air hose (25 feet?) limited the air
pressure available to the desoldering gun used to make its vacuum. An old
Freon tank of a few gallon capacity was turned into an air pressure
reservoir and installed between the Metcal desoldering gun and the air
pressure line. That improved things a lot as there was now full air pressure
available at the instant you pulled the trigger.
Keeping the nozzles clear of solder is the main problem, but frequent use of
the available Metcal tip cleaning rods can partially keep you on top of that
problem.
The Metcal cleaning rod set is just a customized version of the same tip
cleaners a welder uses to keep his gas welding tips clean, but the Metcal
set of cleaning tips are longer and sized to the standard Metcal tip
diameters.
The only other real issue is keeping the 'business end' of the desoldering
tips 'wetted' with fresh solder, and I never have solved that problem.
tom jobe...
On 7/27/2018 3:27 PM, EricJ via Groups.Io wrote:
Yes, the good venturi models have much better suction (high volume) and
it's instant. I've got a Metcal MX-DS1, it's awesome. Totally agree on
the
rest of your points also. Clogged nozzles will make any desoldering gun
work
like crap.
--Eric
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Harvey White
<madyn@...> Date: 7/27/18 2:19 PM (GMT-06:00) To:
[email protected] Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best
review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
On Fri, 27 Jul 2018 14:47:33 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:
I've used my Radio Shack solder sucker (not the bulb but the
spring-loaded cylinder version) with pretty good success but I have
lifted a
couple of pads along the way. I really, really need to get something
like
the Hakko. I watched a video this morning where it was used to
desolder a
component board from another board that had around eight pins soldered
with
through-holes to the larger board. After the Hakko was finished (in
less
than a minute total time), the secondary board practically fell out.
Impressive. Selecting the tip temperature is important (where this adjustment is
available).
Heating the joint all the way through is also critical. Don't be
afraid to add solder so that no air gets sucked in.
The ones with the built in pumps are most convenient, but I wonder if
the ones that run off compressed air (bernouli principle) don't have a
sharper vacuum pulse.
The right tip diameter is also important.
Cleaning out the tips and filters is pretty critical, no suction, no
desoldering.
Harvey
Thanks,
Barry - N4BUQ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Burke" <burke.ray@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2018 9:10:46 AM
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re:
[TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
The Radio Shack Desoldering bulb is useless because you cant get the
tips any
more, no more Radio Shack. I have used the Radio Shack Desoldering
bulb,
(have one). Solder Wick, Solder Suckers and other tools, while they
are
cheap, they do cause damage to the circuit boards with pulled pads,
through
holes, and other problems, ( I have used them and damaged my boards).
Don't
use any of the cheap alternatives, if you want to save the circuit
boards.
Use at least a good Desoldering gun or station. Use at least a
Hakko
FR-301 which I just bought, or a better Hakko Desoldering station,
there
are
others that are more expensive like Pace, Metcal, which I used at
work.
I
just used it to repair my wifes monitor that died with no power, and
opened
it up and found about three bulging capacitors, replaced all eight on
the
power supply, and fixed it. After getting the caps at Fry's it only
took
me about 20 minutes to change all eight, love my new Desoldering
gun,
NO
PULLED PADS. One other thing is manufacture support, Hakko is the
best.
I
got a desoldering station from my work, which they didn't want any
more
and
Hakko had the tips for the thing. Now you could get some cheap
Chinese
knockoff but support may not be their in a few years, or at all.
Buy
at
least a Hakko and you won't be disappointed. The other main
desoldering
companies are more expensive. You could check out the tear apart
videos
of
the www.EEVBlog with Dave Jones.
On Thursday, July 26, 2018 11:36 PM, Michael A. Terrell
<mike.terrell@...> wrote:
I started working in a TV shop at 13, in 1965. One older tech was a
fountain
of practical knowledge. I wasn't old enough to open an account at
the
local
parts house, so he would buy things for me so Ii didn't have to go
through
our boss and pay his markup. He bought me my first desoldering iron
which
was a professional version of that Radio Shack version. It was made
by
Endevco, and it was almost $40 which was a lot for a kid making a
buck an
hour after school. He was also the one who got me started on Ersin
Multicore solder. I've never regretted paying a little extra for
good
solder, because there was very little waste.
We handed the resale of a wave solder machine for Lockheed Martin
around
1990, along with other process equipment after they shut down a
production
line in one of the Orlando plants.
Microdyne was still using the same grade of paste solder they tarted
with,
even though the SMD parts were a lot smaller than the first they
used. I
had
to fight with Manufacturing engineering to buy a type with smaller
solder
balls and a RMA flux. The fine pitch ICs (IE: MC68340) came out of the
early
ovens with unmelted solder balls under the ICs, and the 0402 passives
were
tombstoning. They had spent a wad on that Heller oven, but the quality
hadn't changed. Once we had better solder, we could refine the reflow
profiles. That eliminated over 95% of the reflow problems within a few
months, as they continued to refine the profiles.
Did you build much equipment for your Amateur radio hobby? I went a
different
route, into broadcasting. Not many hams ever got to pump out 5MW EIRP
of
RF
from a 1700 foot tower. :)
Michael A. Terrell
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Harris <cfharris@...>
Sent: Jul 26, 2018 11:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re:
[TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I have minimal experience with industrial soldering machines. I
was a kid back in 1970, and a ham, and getting a job working for
DEI was like being let loose in a candy shop. I did a ton of
odd jobs after the child labor bureau made me stop doing all of
their silver and gold plating. I was a sponge, and soaked up every
process or technique I was exposed to. Which was a lot. I did
etching, plating, drilling, KPR, soldering, helped set up the
one-off machines that made standoffs and rivets... moved safes,
carried trash, pushed a broom... but I digress.
Nobody that I am aware of was using reflow ovens back in 1970.
Everything I saw was either through-hole, or was simple stuff
that was hand soldered on one of the teflon based pcb materials.
But I can only talk to what DEI, Nems-Clarke, and Vitro were did,
and also what a PCB manufacture/build/assemble house I worked at
later was doing.
I just did a search, and the only 80/20 alloy I could find was a
Pb80/Sn20, which has a solidus temperature of 183C and a liquidus
temperature of 280C. That is as compared to 63/37 which is 183C.
Pb80/Sn20 would be wonderful for operations where you needed to
sculpt the solder, like a car fender, or the terminals on very high
voltage circuitry. It would also be useful for soldering terminals
that might be later soldered with 63/37, such as the internal
connections
on a modular mixer.
-Chuck Harris
|
Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I wasn't familiar with the Metcal MX-DS1 and it does look rather good, thanks!
Do either one of you, or maybe both, currently have that system?
If so, please tell me which model, especially also of the control station.
I have to read up on it and if any questions remain I hope I can put
them to you.
Information from actual users is often much more valueable than from
sales staff ;-).
See, a rant sometimes isn't entirely futile.
ST
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 1:50 AM, tom jobe <tomjobe@...> wrote: I have had that same Metcal MX desoldering system for years, and I found
that being connected with a fairly long air hose (25 feet?) limited the air
pressure available to the desoldering gun used to make its vacuum. An old
Freon tank of a few gallon capacity was turned into an air pressure
reservoir and installed between the Metcal desoldering gun and the air
pressure line. That improved things a lot as there was now full air pressure
available at the instant you pulled the trigger.
Keeping the nozzles clear of solder is the main problem, but frequent use of
the available Metcal tip cleaning rods can partially keep you on top of that
problem.
The Metcal cleaning rod set is just a customized version of the same tip
cleaners a welder uses to keep his gas welding tips clean, but the Metcal
set of cleaning tips are longer and sized to the standard Metcal tip
diameters.
The only other real issue is keeping the 'business end' of the desoldering
tips 'wetted' with fresh solder, and I never have solved that problem.
tom jobe...
On 7/27/2018 3:27 PM, EricJ via Groups.Io wrote:
Yes, the good venturi models have much better suction (high volume) and
it's instant. I've got a Metcal MX-DS1, it's awesome. Totally agree on the
rest of your points also. Clogged nozzles will make any desoldering gun work
like crap.
--Eric
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Harvey White
<madyn@...> Date: 7/27/18 2:19 PM (GMT-06:00) To:
[email protected] Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best
review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
On Fri, 27 Jul 2018 14:47:33 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:
I've used my Radio Shack solder sucker (not the bulb but the
spring-loaded cylinder version) with pretty good success but I have lifted a
couple of pads along the way. I really, really need to get something like
the Hakko. I watched a video this morning where it was used to desolder a
component board from another board that had around eight pins soldered with
through-holes to the larger board. After the Hakko was finished (in less
than a minute total time), the secondary board practically fell out.
Impressive. Selecting the tip temperature is important (where this adjustment is
available).
Heating the joint all the way through is also critical. Don't be
afraid to add solder so that no air gets sucked in.
The ones with the built in pumps are most convenient, but I wonder if
the ones that run off compressed air (bernouli principle) don't have a
sharper vacuum pulse.
The right tip diameter is also important.
Cleaning out the tips and filters is pretty critical, no suction, no
desoldering.
Harvey
Thanks,
Barry - N4BUQ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Burke" <burke.ray@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2018 9:10:46 AM
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re:
[TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
The Radio Shack Desoldering bulb is useless because you cant get the
tips any
more, no more Radio Shack. I have used the Radio Shack Desoldering
bulb,
(have one). Solder Wick, Solder Suckers and other tools, while they are
cheap, they do cause damage to the circuit boards with pulled pads,
through
holes, and other problems, ( I have used them and damaged my boards).
Don't
use any of the cheap alternatives, if you want to save the circuit
boards.
Use at least a good Desoldering gun or station. Use at least a Hakko
FR-301 which I just bought, or a better Hakko Desoldering station, there
are
others that are more expensive like Pace, Metcal, which I used at work.
I
just used it to repair my wifes monitor that died with no power, and
opened
it up and found about three bulging capacitors, replaced all eight on
the
power supply, and fixed it. After getting the caps at Fry's it only
took
me about 20 minutes to change all eight, love my new Desoldering gun,
NO
PULLED PADS. One other thing is manufacture support, Hakko is the best.
I
got a desoldering station from my work, which they didn't want any more
and
Hakko had the tips for the thing. Now you could get some cheap Chinese
knockoff but support may not be their in a few years, or at all. Buy
at
least a Hakko and you won't be disappointed. The other main desoldering
companies are more expensive. You could check out the tear apart videos
of
the www.EEVBlog with Dave Jones.
On Thursday, July 26, 2018 11:36 PM, Michael A. Terrell
<mike.terrell@...> wrote:
I started working in a TV shop at 13, in 1965. One older tech was a
fountain
of practical knowledge. I wasn't old enough to open an account at the
local
parts house, so he would buy things for me so Ii didn't have to go
through
our boss and pay his markup. He bought me my first desoldering iron
which
was a professional version of that Radio Shack version. It was made
by
Endevco, and it was almost $40 which was a lot for a kid making a
buck an
hour after school. He was also the one who got me started on Ersin
Multicore solder. I've never regretted paying a little extra for good
solder, because there was very little waste.
We handed the resale of a wave solder machine for Lockheed Martin around
1990, along with other process equipment after they shut down a
production
line in one of the Orlando plants.
Microdyne was still using the same grade of paste solder they tarted
with,
even though the SMD parts were a lot smaller than the first they used. I
had
to fight with Manufacturing engineering to buy a type with smaller
solder
balls and a RMA flux. The fine pitch ICs (IE: MC68340) came out of the
early
ovens with unmelted solder balls under the ICs, and the 0402 passives
were
tombstoning. They had spent a wad on that Heller oven, but the quality
hadn't changed. Once we had better solder, we could refine the reflow
profiles. That eliminated over 95% of the reflow problems within a few
months, as they continued to refine the profiles.
Did you build much equipment for your Amateur radio hobby? I went a
different
route, into broadcasting. Not many hams ever got to pump out 5MW EIRP of
RF
from a 1700 foot tower. :)
Michael A. Terrell
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Harris <cfharris@...>
Sent: Jul 26, 2018 11:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re:
[TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I have minimal experience with industrial soldering machines. I
was a kid back in 1970, and a ham, and getting a job working for
DEI was like being let loose in a candy shop. I did a ton of
odd jobs after the child labor bureau made me stop doing all of
their silver and gold plating. I was a sponge, and soaked up every
process or technique I was exposed to. Which was a lot. I did
etching, plating, drilling, KPR, soldering, helped set up the
one-off machines that made standoffs and rivets... moved safes,
carried trash, pushed a broom... but I digress.
Nobody that I am aware of was using reflow ovens back in 1970.
Everything I saw was either through-hole, or was simple stuff
that was hand soldered on one of the teflon based pcb materials.
But I can only talk to what DEI, Nems-Clarke, and Vitro were did,
and also what a PCB manufacture/build/assemble house I worked at
later was doing.
I just did a search, and the only 80/20 alloy I could find was a
Pb80/Sn20, which has a solidus temperature of 183C and a liquidus
temperature of 280C. That is as compared to 63/37 which is 183C.
Pb80/Sn20 would be wonderful for operations where you needed to
sculpt the solder, like a car fender, or the terminals on very high
voltage circuitry. It would also be useful for soldering terminals
that might be later soldered with 63/37, such as the internal
connections
on a modular mixer.
-Chuck Harris
|
Re: recapping 2445A - this did not go well
No, we built it in about '76 (it had push button tuning!), so it was solid state except for a HV rectifier tube, which I eventually replaced with silicon.? I kept it running until about '87, when my Mom got tired of it's increasingly frequent breakdowns.? It was sad taking it to Goodwill.? I had a RS 101 kit earlier, but building the TV with my dad was my introduction to "real world electronics".? I picked up my first scope (a Tek 502) about four years later while playing with PET/CBM computers. -Dave From: Michael A. Terrell <mike.terrell@...> To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, July 27, 2018 6:54 PM Subject: Re: [TekScopes] recapping 2445A - this did not go well Was that a transformerless, tube TV? the 160uF, 250 VDC electrolytics often failed this way. They were the input electrolytic capacitor on the voltage doubler. Three years of heavy use was about a typical life for that circuit. Our service trucks carried multiples of each case style, in the '60s and '70s. Michael A. Terrell -----Original Message----- From: Dave Seiter <d.seiter@...>
Sent: Jul 27, 2018 9:38 PM
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [TekScopes] recapping 2445A - this did not go well
I don't do much cap-swapping, but when I do, I always check the orientation of the existing caps before removal.? The only time I've ever blown up a cap was in a college lab.? It was a small one, but still went off like a firecracker.? Right before it blew up, my lab partner said "hey, is that cap swelli..."? Boy, was my face red!? ?
Hmmm, there was another one. We had a Heathkit TV, and I don't know it I or my father installed it wrong, or if it was a bad cap, but after about 3 years it exploded; the inside of the cabinet had bits of paper all over it.
|
Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
Same. A dab every now and then and I have no issues. I find the MX-DS1 the best desoldering tool I've ever used. It fits most of the bill from the other message regarding improved features as well.
--Eric
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original message --------From: John Griessen <john@...> Date: 7/27/18 8:35 PM (GMT-06:00) To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire On 07/27/2018 06:50 PM, tom jobe wrote: The only other real issue is keeping the 'business end' of the desoldering tips 'wetted' with fresh solder, and I never have
solved that problem. I use tinning flux with zinc chloride in it for that.
|
Re: recapping 2445A - this did not go well
Was that a transformerless, tube TV? the 160uF, 250 VDC electrolytics often failed this way. They were the input electrolytic capacitor on the voltage doubler. Three years of heavy use was about a typical life for that circuit. Our service trucks carried multiples of each case style, in the '60s and '70s.
Michael A. Terrell
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: Dave Seiter <d.seiter@...>
Sent: Jul 27, 2018 9:38 PM
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [TekScopes] recapping 2445A - this did not go well
I don't do much cap-swapping, but when I do, I always check the orientation of the existing caps before removal.? The only time I've ever blown up a cap was in a college lab.? It was a small one, but still went off like a firecracker.? Right before it blew up, my lab partner said "hey, is that cap swelli..."? Boy, was my face red!? ?
Hmmm, there was another one. We had a Heathkit TV, and I don't know it I or my father installed it wrong, or if it was a bad cap, but after about 3 years it exploded; the inside of the cabinet had bits of paper all over it.
|
Re: recapping 2445A - this did not go well
I don't do much cap-swapping, but when I do, I always check the orientation of the existing caps before removal.? The only time I've ever blown up a cap was in a college lab.? It was a small one, but still went off like a firecracker.? Right before it blew up, my lab partner said "hey, is that cap swelli..."? Boy, was my face red!? ? Hmmm, there was another one. We had a Heathkit TV, and I don't know it I or my father installed it wrong, or if it was a bad cap, but after about 3 years it exploded; the inside of the cabinet had bits of paper all over it.?? -Dave From: Harvey White <madyn@...> To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, July 27, 2018 4:49 PM Subject: Re: [TekScopes] recapping 2445A - this did not go well On Fri, 27 Jul 2018 15:10:04 -0700, you wrote: I'd be inclined to go with what Barry said - it's fairly easy to inadvertently put a two-leaded cap in backwards, which would cause immediate failure on power-up. I'm sure it's happened to all of us here - even me, more times than I can remember, mostly due to being in a hurry. Don't rush things, and always thoroughly check the polarities during and after installation. Had one, not sure why, since it was a LONG time ago, explode. Seriously, two little wires and aluminum confetti all over the lab. Decided at that point to avoid selenium rectifier voltage supplies driven mostly by the AC line. Bad idea anyway, but then again, never did that and always used transfomers from then on.? (I know, switching supplies don't, and do, but then again, I didn't build or design them). Harvey
Besides backward installation, the only things that should cause immediate failure of a new, presumably good and properly rated cap, are polarity reversal or over-voltage due to another circuit failure. For example, a shorted rectifier can make it reverse, or a failed series dropping part upstream can allow excessive voltage.
Good luck.
Ed
|
Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
On 07/27/2018 06:50 PM, tom jobe wrote: The only other real issue is keeping the 'business end' of the desoldering tips 'wetted' with fresh solder, and I never have solved that problem. I use tinning flux with zinc chloride in it for that.
|
Re: recapping 2445A - this did not go well
Well yes I agree with Chuck only do a few at a time of the same microfarad rating then move onto the next. There is a good chance the PS is now burnt toast. This is difficult to troubleshoot unless you have a load on the PS. Might consider buying another working supply.
|
Re: recapping 2445A - this did not go well
Raymond,I have seen this happen several times, so many times I remember the number designations without looking them up.? But I make mistakes, so I look them up anyway.? I wish there was a way to put out a service bulletin and save all the newbies from this error.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On ?Friday?, ?July? ?27?, ?2018? ?06?:?21?:?27? ?PM? ?CDT, Raymond Domp Frank <hewpatek@...> wrote: On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 01:05 AM, machineguy59 wrote:
Its likely that you did nothing wrong and the fix is easy.? First, the
markings for C1115 and C1132 are mixed up in all Tektronix documentation.?
You almost certainly put C1115 (a 35 to 60 volts capacitor) in the spot for
C1132 (an 87 volt circuit) and it blew.
Hi Ron, Glad that you remembered and took the effort to describe the details. This time, I'll store them where I can find them... Raymond
|
Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I have had that same Metcal MX desoldering system for years, and I found that being connected with a fairly long air hose (25 feet?) limited the air pressure available to the desoldering gun used to make its vacuum. An old Freon tank of a few gallon capacity was turned into an air pressure reservoir and installed between the Metcal desoldering gun and the air pressure line. That improved things a lot as there was now full air pressure available at the instant you pulled the trigger.
Keeping the nozzles clear of solder is the main problem, but frequent use of the available Metcal tip cleaning rods can partially keep you on top of that problem.
The Metcal cleaning rod set is just a customized version of the same tip cleaners a welder uses to keep his gas welding tips clean, but the Metcal set of cleaning tips are longer and sized to the standard Metcal tip diameters.
The only other real issue is keeping the 'business end' of the desoldering tips 'wetted' with fresh solder, and I never have solved that problem.
tom jobe...
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 7/27/2018 3:27 PM, EricJ via Groups.Io wrote: Yes, the good venturi models have much better suction (high volume) and it's instant. I've got a Metcal MX-DS1, it's awesome. Totally agree on the rest of your points also. Clogged nozzles will make any desoldering gun work like crap.
--Eric
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Harvey White <madyn@...> Date: 7/27/18 2:19 PM (GMT-06:00) To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
On Fri, 27 Jul 2018 14:47:33 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:
I've used my Radio Shack solder sucker (not the bulb but the spring-loaded cylinder version) with pretty good success but I have lifted a couple of pads along the way.? I really, really need to get something like the Hakko.? I watched a video this morning where it was used to desolder a component board from another board that had around eight pins soldered with through-holes to the larger board.? After the Hakko was finished (in less than a minute total time), the secondary board practically fell out.? Impressive. Selecting the tip temperature is important (where this adjustment is
available).
Heating the joint all the way through is also critical.? Don't be
afraid to add solder so that no air gets sucked in.
The ones with the built in pumps are most convenient, but I wonder if
the ones that run off compressed air (bernouli principle) don't have a
sharper vacuum pulse.
The right tip diameter is also important.
Cleaning out the tips and filters is pretty critical, no suction, no
desoldering.
Harvey
Thanks,
Barry - N4BUQ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Burke" <burke.ray@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2018 9:10:46 AM
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
The Radio Shack Desoldering bulb is useless?because you cant get the tips any
more, no more Radio Shack.? I have used the?Radio Shack Desoldering bulb,
(have one).? Solder Wick, Solder Suckers?and other tools, while they are
cheap, they do cause damage to the circuit boards with pulled pads, through
holes, and other problems, ( I have used them and damaged my boards).? Don't
use any of the cheap alternatives, if you want to save the circuit boards.
? Use at least a good?Desoldering gun or station.? Use at least a Hakko
FR-301 which I just bought, or a better Hakko Desoldering station, there are
others that are more expensive like Pace, Metcal, which I used at work.? I
?just?used it to repair my wifes monitor?that died?with no power, and opened
it up and found?about three bulging capacitors, replaced all eight on the
power supply, and fixed it.? After getting the caps at Fry's it only took
? me about 20 minutes to change all eight, love my new Desoldering gun, NO
PULLED PADS.? One other thing is manufacture support, Hakko is the best.? I
got a desoldering station from my work, which they didn't want any more and
Hakko had?the tips for the thing.? Now you could?get some cheap Chinese
knockoff but support may not be their in a few years, or at all.? ??Buy at
least a Hakko?and you?won't be disappointed.?The other main desoldering
companies are more expensive.? You could check out the tear apart videos of
the ?www.EEVBlog with Dave Jones.
???? On Thursday, July 26, 2018 11:36 PM, Michael A. Terrell
???? <mike.terrell@...> wrote:
? I started working in a TV shop at 13, in 1965. One older tech was a fountain
? of practical knowledge. I wasn't old enough to open an account at the local
? parts house, so he would buy things for me so Ii didn't have to go through
? our boss and pay his markup. He bought me my first desoldering iron which
? was a professional version of that Radio Shack version. It was made by
? Endevco, and it was almost $40 which was a lot for a kid making a buck an
? hour after school. He was also the one who got me started on Ersin
? Multicore solder. I've never regretted paying a little extra for good
? solder, because there was very little waste.
We handed the resale of a wave solder machine for Lockheed Martin around
1990, along with other process equipment after they shut down a production
line in one of the Orlando plants.
Microdyne was still using the same grade of paste solder they tarted with,
even though the SMD parts were a lot smaller than the first they used. I had
to fight with Manufacturing engineering to buy a type with smaller solder
balls and a RMA flux. The fine pitch ICs (IE: MC68340) came out of the early
ovens with unmelted solder balls under the ICs, and the 0402 passives were
tombstoning. They had spent a wad on that Heller oven, but the quality
hadn't changed. Once we had better solder, we could refine the reflow
profiles. That eliminated over 95% of the reflow problems within a few
months, as they continued to refine the profiles.
Did you build much equipment for your Amateur radio hobby? I went a different
route, into broadcasting. Not many hams ever got to pump out 5MW EIRP of RF
from a 1700 foot tower. :)
Michael A. Terrell
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Harris <cfharris@...>
Sent: Jul 26, 2018 11:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re:
[TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I have minimal experience with industrial soldering machines.? I
was a kid back in 1970, and a ham, and getting a job working for
DEI was like being let loose in a candy shop.? I did a ton of
odd jobs after the child labor bureau made me stop doing all of
their silver and gold plating.? I was a sponge, and soaked up every
process or technique I was exposed to.? Which was a lot.? I did
etching, plating, drilling, KPR, soldering, helped set up the
one-off machines that made standoffs and rivets... moved safes,
carried trash, pushed a broom... but I digress.
Nobody that I am aware of was using reflow ovens back in 1970.
Everything I saw was either through-hole, or was simple stuff
that was hand soldered on one of the teflon based pcb materials.
But I can only talk to what DEI, Nems-Clarke, and Vitro were did,
and also what a PCB manufacture/build/assemble house I worked at
later was doing.
I just did a search, and the only 80/20 alloy I could find was a
Pb80/Sn20, which has a solidus temperature of 183C and a liquidus
temperature of 280C.? That is as compared to 63/37 which is 183C.
Pb80/Sn20 would be wonderful for operations where you needed to
sculpt the solder, like a car fender, or the terminals on very high
voltage circuitry.? It would also be useful for soldering terminals
that might be later soldered with 63/37, such as the internal connections
on a modular mixer.
-Chuck Harris
|
Re: recapping 2445A - this did not go well
On Fri, 27 Jul 2018 15:10:04 -0700, you wrote: I'd be inclined to go with what Barry said - it's fairly easy to inadvertently put a two-leaded cap in backwards, which would cause immediate failure on power-up. I'm sure it's happened to all of us here - even me, more times than I can remember, mostly due to being in a hurry. Don't rush things, and always thoroughly check the polarities during and after installation. Had one, not sure why, since it was a LONG time ago, explode. Seriously, two little wires and aluminum confetti all over the lab. Decided at that point to avoid selenium rectifier voltage supplies driven mostly by the AC line. Bad idea anyway, but then again, never did that and always used transfomers from then on. (I know, switching supplies don't, and do, but then again, I didn't build or design them). Harvey
Besides backward installation, the only things that should cause immediate failure of a new, presumably good and properly rated cap, are polarity reversal or over-voltage due to another circuit failure. For example, a shorted rectifier can make it reverse, or a failed series dropping part upstream can allow excessive voltage.
Good luck.
Ed
|
Re: recapping 2445A - this did not go well
On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 01:05 AM, machineguy59 wrote:
Its likely that you did nothing wrong and the fix is easy.? First, the
markings for C1115 and C1132 are mixed up in all Tektronix documentation.?
You almost certainly put C1115 (a 35 to 60 volts capacitor) in the spot for
C1132 (an 87 volt circuit) and it blew.
Hi Ron, Glad that you remembered and took the effort to describe the details. This time, I'll store them where I can find them... Raymond
|
Re: recapping 2445A - this did not go well
Its likely that you did nothing wrong and the fix is easy.? First, the markings for C1115 and C1132 are mixed up in all Tektronix documentation.? You almost certainly put C1115 (a 35 to 60 volts capacitor) in the spot for C1132 (an 87 volt circuit) and it blew.? You can verify this with your ohm meter.? C1115 positive terminal should connect to L1115.? So move what you think is C1132 to the spot where you put C1115 and put a new C1115 in the spot marked for C1132.? Again, check with your Ohm meter to be sure to get it right.
R1071 430R (not 403R) will get hot if the supply doesn't establish stable voltages soon after starting.? This is likely a side effect of your blown C1115 but it could be something worse.? Replace R1071 with a 430R while replacing C1115 and the supply should start up right away.? The purpose of R1071 is to give the supply inverter a working load immediately at startup.? This working load is necessary to establish other control voltages within the supply.? When the supply reaches a stable DC voltage on the transformer there will no longer be current through R1071 due to C1071 blocking DC current. ?
So my hope is that all will be well if you move C1132 and a new C1115 in the "right" place, then replace R1071.
Mac
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On ?Friday?, ?July? ?27?, ?2018? ?04?:?13?:?43? ?PM? ?CDT, marc.nijssen@... <marc.nijssen@...> wrote:
Hi group,
hope you don't mind a newbie question.
I took the plunge and decided to recap my 2445A power supply.
Ordered Rubycons but the first thing I noticed that the caps are all very much smaller then the caps I'm replacing - I hope this is OK.
And then things started to go wrong...
Immediately blew cap C1115 220?F/50V on power on.
How this is possible I do not understand - it is on the 15V unregulated supply.
Things got worse from there...
R1071 403R went up in smoke.
So I decided to stop and ask for some advice.
Have I done the right thing and ordered/used the Rubycon caps?
Should I have used special caps?
Your feedback is appreciated.
Marc
|
7L5 early version (SN below B069999) Mod FB for 7854 compatibility
|
Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
Yes, the good venturi models have much better suction (high volume) and it's instant. I've got a Metcal MX-DS1, it's awesome. Totally agree on the rest of your points also. Clogged nozzles will make any desoldering gun work like crap.
--Eric
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original message --------From: Harvey White <madyn@...> Date: 7/27/18 2:19 PM (GMT-06:00) To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire On Fri, 27 Jul 2018 14:47:33 -0400 (EDT), you wrote: I've used my Radio Shack solder sucker (not the bulb but the spring-loaded cylinder version) with pretty good success but I have lifted a couple of pads along the way.? I really, really need to get something like the Hakko.? I watched a video this morning where it was used to desolder a component board from another board that had around eight pins soldered with through-holes to the larger board.? After the Hakko was finished (in less than a minute total time), the secondary board practically fell out.? Impressive. Selecting the tip temperature is important (where this adjustment is available).? Heating the joint all the way through is also critical.? Don't be afraid to add solder so that no air gets sucked in. The ones with the built in pumps are most convenient, but I wonder if the ones that run off compressed air (bernouli principle) don't have a sharper vacuum pulse. The right tip diameter is also important. Cleaning out the tips and filters is pretty critical, no suction, no desoldering. Harvey
Thanks,
Barry - N4BUQ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Burke" <burke.ray@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2018 9:10:46 AM
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
The Radio Shack Desoldering bulb is useless?because you cant get the tips any
more, no more Radio Shack.? I have used the?Radio Shack Desoldering bulb,
(have one).? Solder Wick, Solder Suckers?and other tools, while they are
cheap, they do cause damage to the circuit boards with pulled pads, through
holes, and other problems, ( I have used them and damaged my boards).? Don't
use any of the cheap alternatives, if you want to save the circuit boards.
? Use at least a good?Desoldering gun or station.? Use at least a Hakko
FR-301 which I just bought, or a better Hakko Desoldering station, there are
others that are more expensive like Pace, Metcal, which I used at work.? I
?just?used it to repair my wifes monitor?that died?with no power, and opened
it up and found?about three bulging capacitors, replaced all eight on the
power supply, and fixed it.? After getting the caps at Fry's it only took
? me about 20 minutes to change all eight, love my new Desoldering gun, NO
PULLED PADS.? One other thing is manufacture support, Hakko is the best.? I
got a desoldering station from my work, which they didn't want any more and
Hakko had?the tips for the thing.? Now you could?get some cheap Chinese
knockoff but support may not be their in a few years, or at all.? ??Buy at
least a Hakko?and you?won't be disappointed.?The other main desoldering
companies are more expensive.? You could check out the tear apart videos of
the ?www.EEVBlog with Dave Jones.
???? On Thursday, July 26, 2018 11:36 PM, Michael A. Terrell
???? <mike.terrell@...> wrote:
? I started working in a TV shop at 13, in 1965. One older tech was a fountain
? of practical knowledge. I wasn't old enough to open an account at the local
? parts house, so he would buy things for me so Ii didn't have to go through
? our boss and pay his markup. He bought me my first desoldering iron which
? was a professional version of that Radio Shack version. It was made by
? Endevco, and it was almost $40 which was a lot for a kid making a buck an
? hour after school. He was also the one who got me started on Ersin
? Multicore solder. I've never regretted paying a little extra for good
? solder, because there was very little waste.
We handed the resale of a wave solder machine for Lockheed Martin around
1990, along with other process equipment after they shut down a production
line in one of the Orlando plants.
Microdyne was still using the same grade of paste solder they tarted with,
even though the SMD parts were a lot smaller than the first they used. I had
to fight with Manufacturing engineering to buy a type with smaller solder
balls and a RMA flux. The fine pitch ICs (IE: MC68340) came out of the early
ovens with unmelted solder balls under the ICs, and the 0402 passives were
tombstoning. They had spent a wad on that Heller oven, but the quality
hadn't changed. Once we had better solder, we could refine the reflow
profiles. That eliminated over 95% of the reflow problems within a few
months, as they continued to refine the profiles.
Did you build much equipment for your Amateur radio hobby? I went a different
route, into broadcasting. Not many hams ever got to pump out 5MW EIRP of RF
from a 1700 foot tower. :)
Michael A. Terrell
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Harris <cfharris@...>
Sent: Jul 26, 2018 11:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re:
[TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I have minimal experience with industrial soldering machines.? I
was a kid back in 1970, and a ham, and getting a job working for
DEI was like being let loose in a candy shop.? I did a ton of
odd jobs after the child labor bureau made me stop doing all of
their silver and gold plating.? I was a sponge, and soaked up every
process or technique I was exposed to.? Which was a lot.? I did
etching, plating, drilling, KPR, soldering, helped set up the
one-off machines that made standoffs and rivets... moved safes,
carried trash, pushed a broom... but I digress.
Nobody that I am aware of was using reflow ovens back in 1970.
Everything I saw was either through-hole, or was simple stuff
that was hand soldered on one of the teflon based pcb materials.
But I can only talk to what DEI, Nems-Clarke, and Vitro were did,
and also what a PCB manufacture/build/assemble house I worked at
later was doing.
I just did a search, and the only 80/20 alloy I could find was a
Pb80/Sn20, which has a solidus temperature of 183C and a liquidus
temperature of 280C.? That is as compared to 63/37 which is 183C.
Pb80/Sn20 would be wonderful for operations where you needed to
sculpt the solder, like a car fender, or the terminals on very high
voltage circuitry.? It would also be useful for soldering terminals
that might be later soldered with 63/37, such as the internal connections
on a modular mixer.
-Chuck Harris
|
Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
I couldn't get tips for soldering irons while stationed at a remote army base, so I asked the base engineers for some scrap brass welding rod pieces the right size. I borrowed a die, to thread the ends, then used a huge [pair of diagonal cutters to cut it into roughly the right shape. A quick hit with a file, and I had usable tips. I made three in 1974. I still have one left and the others were used until the heating elements in those Weller irons burnt out or the internal threads eroded. I had no problem conducting enough heat to solder with.
Michael A. Terrell
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: stefan_trethan <stefan_trethan@...>
Sent: Jul 27, 2018 2:48 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Wow Radio Shack desoldering Iron Best review ever, Re: [TekScopes] 466-464 stray wire
Brass has quite poor heat conductivity, less than a third that of
copper, not sure if that would still work.
I don't know how well it holds up, since I have never seen a soldering
tip made of brass, if it gets eaten like copper or no.
If you want decent life you want to have iron plating.
Some manufacturers (Plato, Ersa) even used to put little iron ferrules
into their desoldering tips.
I have cheap Chinese desoldering stations at home and at work (Zhongdi
ZD-915), but heavily modified.
With the one at work there is very little left of the original station.
They work so good now I was so far unable to find a better commercial
station, even the $1000 ones are not as good as the cheap $100 chinese
one, although they probably have well over $1000 in modification time
in them.
As soon as anyone demonstrates a better desoldering station he can
have the $1000 I've put on the budget for it, but I won't give the
money away for something that doesn't work as well as what I have come
up with myself.
I'd like to try the new ersa x-tool vario, it seems well thought out,
but it was unavailable last time I tried to get one.
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Bruce Lane
Michael A. Terrell
Craig Cramb
Raymond Domp Frank