Driverj30t9
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Does anyone use a 240V outlet or transformer for radio/electronics applications? I read that somtimes you need to use a high heat wattage soldering iron. 120Vs won't cover it for one of those??
240V transformer
- Thread starter Driverj30t9
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Good heaven! What sort of industrial soldering are you doing on a 240V outlet? Since this is posted in the Amateur Radio Equipment forum, I will assume you already know that many RF linear power amplifiers require 240V outlets? Just like your electric dryer. Or is that not a valid assumption?
AC9BX
Member
Are you suggesting using a 120V iron on 240V to make it hotter?
DON'T DO THAT. If you need more heat get a bigger iron or gun.
DON'T DO THAT. If you need more heat get a bigger iron or gun.
wtp
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two in series, with a friend ?
<---- Welding pro here BTW
Learned in Job Corp.
Learned in Job Corp.
Driverj30t9
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Haha. Thought maybe some amps might use them. I was thinking of building a simple dual band antenna but read that the S0-239s go on better with higher heat. They're the kind with a flat metal back to go on radios and stuff, not coaxial.
Yep, thought I saw one that was 240V on amazon and didn't see any above 30 or 40 watts. I'll take a look for that Weller D550 now though.
Noted. Thanks.
Doubt it.
Stick welder?
Maybe that's what I was looking at. Good to have skills. Maybe you could use welding for ground radials for an antenna. Never put one up so don't know.
slicerwizard
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Yeah, much of the world uses 240 volt outlets. Trying to sell them a 120 volt appliance would be futile. It has nothing to do with wattage / heat levels.
AC9BX
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I have the Weller WES50 (similar to the 51), it's 50Watts, does just about everything. Their WLC100 is 40Watts and a favorite of many. Pencil types range from 10 to 100Watts, gun types are generally larger. Hakko (perhaps the best), Lenk, Stahl, Solomon, and others are out there in numerous sizes. I too have a Weller D550, very good for larger things. Note, the 550 was produced with at least 3 different tip attachment methods. They are incompatible with one another. The earliest versions are still useful and tips available. Of course the latest are as well. The middle models however use an 'acorn' nut, a long hex nut with a hole through it goes through the tubes of the iron and an acorn nut tightens. These are no longer made and did not work very well. The metal got very soft and you couldn't tighten the tip. So if you buy used be aware of this. The newer ones have a collar that threads on, screw from side to tighten, they can be replaced. The oldest ones have a nut threading into the end of the tube. The only odd thing about the 550 is the trigger for the dual range, 260 or 200 Watts, the first position is high and the second is low. If you use one of these and it doesn't seem to be getting sufficiently hot your tip is too loose. You have to keep them very tight. It will get blazing hot in a few seconds.
You need to use the model intended for the voltage.
Brass welding rods make nice antenna elements.
You need to use the model intended for the voltage.
Brass welding rods make nice antenna elements.
Oxyacetylene, stick, wire fed, I can do it. I tried my hand at TIG but I kept contaminating the tip. Though, I wasn't into it that much. I can also cut steel with laser precision. Everyone wanted me to cut their steel since it required very little grinding.
Driverj30t9
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Hmmm.
Looks like I'm gonna have more stuff to add to my shopping list. Those Hakkos do look nice.
Alright.
I'll take a look for them.
Driverj30t9
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Then again I guess the 240V maybe doesn't have to do with power output with amps either, like SlicerWizard was saying.
slicerwizard
Member
A 120V appliance can generate up to 1800 watts of heat. I don't think you have any radio/electronics stuff that would survive that. So no need for a 240V device unless you live in a part of the world that runs off 240V.
If you want lots of watts, here you go:
Just don't expect to use it on actual electronics, like circuit boards.
If you want lots of watts, here you go:
Hakko 200-Watt Matchless 557 Soldering Iron with Tip 557V-V12/P - The Home Depot
Visit the Home Depot website to buy 200-Watt Matchless 557 Soldering Iron with Tip Model# 557V-V12/P
www.homedepot.com
Just don't expect to use it on actual electronics, like circuit boards.
A 120V appliance can generate up to 1800 watts of heat. I don't think you have any radio/electronics stuff that would survive that. So no need for a 240V device unless you live in a part of the world that runs off 240V.
If you want lots of watts, here you go:
Hakko 200-Watt Matchless 557 Soldering Iron with Tip 557V-V12/P - The Home Depot
Visit the Home Depot website to buy 200-Watt Matchless 557 Soldering Iron with Tip Model# 557V-V12/Pwww.homedepot.com
Just don't expect to use it on actual electronics, like circuit boards.
I've got something like that sitting in one of the drawers of my tool chest. Although it has a wooden handle and something akin to a cloth covered cord. I don't think I've used it in 30 years. It looks like an electric version of an iron I used in metal shop as a kid. Just not much of a use for them. Maybe for an old school roofer doing copper gutter work?
slicerwizard
Member
I doubt 200 watts would be enough for gutter work. I'd use a torch for that. Hit the copper with the flame and feed in the solder. Similar to soldering copper pipes.
You're probably right. I just can't think of much of a use for one of those. I'm with you on the use of torches. I even use them when soldering RF connectors to coax. (I'll probably get flamed for admitting it). It's taken a bit of practice to learn to do it successfully but over the years, I've found that I get the connectors soldered faster and with less likelihood of failure than with an iron.
Driverj30t9
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What's the highest temp then I can use on circuit boards without damaging stuff? What would I need for soldering/welding radials for an antenna?? I'm a driver and I've seen loads locks laying around that drivers have left or forgot and I've thought about using them as ground radials for a vertical, but it might be better to connect them all with solder or whatever you use with welding. Don't know a thing about it.
The maximum temp on PC boards actually depends upon the board and components used. Assuming you aren't looking at extreme cases, I can tell you that one of my thermostatically controlled soldering irons uses 700 and 800 degree F tips. I used this iron for small to medium jobs on components such as 1/4 watt transistors, caps, etc. Keep in mind this soldering iron is designed to heat up just a small component lead, pad or similar. Trying to solder a large fitting, you'd still what to reach a given temperature (e.g 700 degrees) but a larger fitting will require a more powerful iron because a larger fitting will likely dissipate heat more than a small component will.
When soldering, you want to get your target heated up quickly, the target soldered and the heat removed as quickly as the joint can be properly soldered. Using an under-powered soldering gun or iron can cause the joint to take too long to come to temperature and as such, the component to which the lead is attached can be overheated and damaged.
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