soldering iron

[reconrider8]

Not sure if this is the right place but how is this kit for a starter kit for an iron item number SS1013. Im looking for a good starter kit to learn on

 

[ermin]

Not sure if this is the right place but how is this kit for a starter kit for an iron item number SS1013. Im looking for a good starter kit to learn on

Hello

Not sure what that number is but what kind of soldering are you interested in? Get one of the small Ramseys kits and check what wattage iron they suggest. You cannot go wrong with a weller (not sure of spelling) iron. I have one from early 60's that I still use.

73

Ermin

 

[reconrider8]

I'm not looking at putting in so much in an iron right now as I don't do a lot of work and I don't have a shop/room to have a setup right off so I was just looking at a starter kit so that I can learn how to do it and then maybe drop some serious money on a pro grade iron but thanks for that advice

 

[popnokick]

Since this is in the "Build Your Own Antenna Forum" I'm going to suggest the following: Be careful buying a "pro" soldering station or low-wattage pencil-type iron if you're going to do work like soldering antenna parts or soldering coax connectors onto heavy coax like LMR400, etc. Most of them do not have enough wattage to heat up anything except very small parts on circuit boards in any reasonable amount of time. And with some smaller irons, they don't get hot enough to do coax connectors at all... you end up with a cold solder joint which is a very bad thing with coax. So buy enough soldering gun. What's enough? Probably something at least more than 75 watts... 100 or more preferable. I've had one of these Weller guns since the 60s... it's 100/140 watts selectable on the trigger switch:
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-8200PK...330578&sr=8-10&keywords=weller+soldering+iron

 

[rfradioconsult]

A soldering gun such as a Weller is ideal for antenna work, they heat quickly and are fairly easy to master. You may want to prowl Pawn shops that carry used tools you can find them there, Radio Shack carries the replacement tips just be sure to get the correct size. Once you have mastered a gun then think about a solder station style unit.

You will be amazed that the number of hobbyists that shy away from learning to solder, then there are those among us that started at a very young age.

 

[reconrider8]

That ain't bad but I know I need a good cleaner for the tip and that soldier removel tool. I have a set of speakers that someone gave me and one of the connections broke on the terminal at the speaker and I was looking at fixing that joint

 

[mikewazowski]

Thread moved to the Electronics forum.

 

[DisasterGuy]

This really boils down to picking the right tool for the job. A 100/300 watt soldering gun is great for where you need it (pipe and very large components). A 15 watt pencil is great for where you need it (PCB work). For a starter I would recommend a simple adjustable iron such as the WLC100: http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/weller/solder/wlc100.htm


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[reconrider8]

ah ok ill have to look around and see what kind i need now... how do you determine how much heat you need

 

[gtriever]

It's hard to beat a Weller 8200 for the big stuff, and a Weller WLC100 for the small stuff. As far as solder removal, Chemwick Desolder Braid works for me.

 

[reconrider8]

i had saw a video on youtube that it was a pen style to remove solder from used joints and he went over about like a brillo pad type thing for cleaning over a wet sponge

 

[DisasterGuy]

Learning how much heat to use is part of the "art" of soldering. You need to use just enough to heat both components of the joint so it is those components (not the iron) that melt the solder. At the same time you need to make sure that you are controlling the heat to not heat up unrelated area that could be damaged (insulation, PCB, components, etc).


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[moonbounce]

I use a Weller BP645 6 watt 4.5 volts, great for light stuff like circuit boards. For heavier stuff I use an Archer 130 volt 45 watt iron, good for anything. The Weller uses 4 aa batteries and they are good for many solder jobs. Now solder is another point, I like to use the thinnest I can get for a quick melt and and solid solder job.

Moonbounce

 

[reconrider8]

OK that was my next question which solder to use loli know to use a lead solder because of the lower melting point and not to breathe the smoke