Correct, yes - but teaching yourself how to solder using a temp controlled iron is like learning to drive in an automatic and then having to drive a manual.
That's a terrible analogy, and makes no sense in this context!
Learn how to solder properly and you won't actually need a temp controlled iron for 99% of jobs.
And that is like saying, "learn how to do open heart surgery with a penknife and you won't actually need to use a proper scalpel for 99% of your other life saving operations."
Heat damages components, an iron which is not temperature controlled can be too hot and damage sensitive pieces.
Likewise, an iron which is too cold, or loses heat too quickly (a good temp controlled iron will try to maintain the tip temp) will result in spending too long heating the joint you are soldering/desoldering, again potentially damaging components, even ones not directly by the tip.
I think it might depend what you want to do. I'm not going to spend ?50 or more on a soldering iron just to replace some capacitors or add a resistor to the 12V line of my +2A to get the SCART to work. What I think this is really about is chip safety, and I know I simply haven't the soldering skills to go messing about trying to de-solder some centipedal CPU. If I'm building a circuit that needs some logicky things in it then I'm happy to pay a few more pence to get sockets for everything and pop the chips in later when it's all cooled down.
! Standby alert !
“There are four lights!”
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb!
Looking forward to summer in Somerset later in the year :)
Heat damages components, an iron which is not temperature controlled can be too hot and damage sensitive pieces.
Likewise, an iron which is too cold, or loses heat too quickly (a good temp controlled iron will try to maintain the tip temp) will result in spending too long heating the joint you are soldering/desoldering, again potentially damaging components, even ones not directly by the tip.
With respect, thats why we have irons with various wattages and different sized tips (for greater thermal mass etc). Course, learn how to use a fixed temp iron and you'd know about such things.
Yes, either get a good iron or a good soldering station. A decent quality fixed temp mains iron will be better than a cheap and shoddy soldering station.
Please though for the love of sanity, if you just get an iron, buy a cheap spring stand for it too!
Whenever I see someone lay their iron down on the bench near a pile of datasheets and plastic bags etc, then absent mindedly reach out to pick it up again... I don't want to even think about it can't handle that kind of stress :)
As for temp control, I kind of see this as something similar to a cycle with stabilisers, and given I'm a noob at this, any assistance is nice!
Every electronics engineer I've known (and I've known a few!) and every EE who has a vblog on youtube all say get a temp controlled iron. I'm not sure being or not being a noob comes into it. :)
Revisiting this thread because I just got a Hakko FG-100 tip temp meter, well actually it's probably a fake one, but still I'm not sure ?100+ on a genuine one would be value for money for my uses.
My Duratool ZD-915 desoldering station (which works really really well) reads out at 350C, this FG-100 measures it at about 340C, and it might only be off by 10C because of the fact the tip has a hole in the middle. I think that's pretty close, this iron works really well on everything I've tried it on so far.
Now for the Atten AT938D, which exists in many re-badged forms, and which I've moaned about not being properly temp controlled and found it unable to de-solder anything remotely near a heatsink, or challenging. Basically it's going to get replaced at some point by something decent, and I consider the ?50 I spent on it money mis-spent.
Set to its maximum temp of 450C, it reads... 360C. If it's temperature controlled, then it's measuring the temp of someone elses iron, it's not measuring the temp of mine. :/
That Duratool looks like a new version of my trusty (and excellent) soldering station. If it is like mine, it won't let you down - at least mine has seen some pretty heavy use now and works perfectly still.
As for solder, lead-free, good quality solder is the way to go. Nice and easy to use (with flux and silver and stuff) and never had any reliability problems - and doesn't contain lead so doesn't kill you or cute fluffy animals if the board gets chucked away later. There's just no need for lead in it any more (sorry, Balford :) )
As for using a cheap soldering iron - I speak from experience here - yes, you can get I done... but the wrong temperature and the large spade tip will mean that if you make the slightest mistake you can gouge a hole through the PCB tracks. On a Spectrum you really need a fine-tipped, temperature controlled iron.
There's just no need for lead in it any more (sorry, Balford :smile: )
Fair enough for soldering new boards, but I understand that it's not a great idea to mix leaded and lead-free solder, so given that every Speccy will have been assembled using leaded solder, that's what I use :)
Is there a calibration control inside the base unit?
No, just opened it up to make sure, there is nothing that remotely looks like a pot.
It has an internal fuse though, on the live wire, and looks well earthed. Safety wise it's fine as far as I can tell.
It's just not temperature controlled, it only has three wires to the iron connector, and one of those is earth. Whatever it reads on the screen is just rubbish.
Comments
That's a terrible analogy, and makes no sense in this context!
And that is like saying, "learn how to do open heart surgery with a penknife and you won't actually need to use a proper scalpel for 99% of your other life saving operations."
Seriously though, I stand by what I've said.
Anything constructive to add?
Heat damages components, an iron which is not temperature controlled can be too hot and damage sensitive pieces.
Likewise, an iron which is too cold, or loses heat too quickly (a good temp controlled iron will try to maintain the tip temp) will result in spending too long heating the joint you are soldering/desoldering, again potentially damaging components, even ones not directly by the tip.
- IONIAN-GAMES.com -
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-50w-solder-station-n78ar
Mark
Repair Guides. Spanish Hardware site.
WoS - can't download? Info here...
former Meulie Spectrum Archive but no longer available :-(
Spectranet: the TNFS directory thread
! Standby alert !
“There are four lights!”
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb!
Looking forward to summer in Somerset later in the year :)
With respect, thats why we have irons with various wattages and different sized tips (for greater thermal mass etc). Course, learn how to use a fixed temp iron and you'd know about such things.
- IONIAN-GAMES.com -
Please though for the love of sanity, if you just get an iron, buy a cheap spring stand for it too!
Whenever I see someone lay their iron down on the bench near a pile of datasheets and plastic bags etc, then absent mindedly reach out to pick it up again... I don't want to even think about it can't handle that kind of stress :)
:grin:
I went for the Duratool 929C in the end, it came in black so matches the Spectrums :)
As for temp control, I kind of see this as something similar to a cycle with stabilisers, and given I'm a noob at this, any assistance is nice!
Every electronics engineer I've known (and I've known a few!) and every EE who has a vblog on youtube all say get a temp controlled iron. I'm not sure being or not being a noob comes into it. :)
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00BSW69LI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
My Duratool ZD-915 desoldering station (which works really really well) reads out at 350C, this FG-100 measures it at about 340C, and it might only be off by 10C because of the fact the tip has a hole in the middle. I think that's pretty close, this iron works really well on everything I've tried it on so far.
Now for the Atten AT938D, which exists in many re-badged forms, and which I've moaned about not being properly temp controlled and found it unable to de-solder anything remotely near a heatsink, or challenging. Basically it's going to get replaced at some point by something decent, and I consider the ?50 I spent on it money mis-spent.
Set to its maximum temp of 450C, it reads... 360C. If it's temperature controlled, then it's measuring the temp of someone elses iron, it's not measuring the temp of mine. :/
As for solder, lead-free, good quality solder is the way to go. Nice and easy to use (with flux and silver and stuff) and never had any reliability problems - and doesn't contain lead so doesn't kill you or cute fluffy animals if the board gets chucked away later. There's just no need for lead in it any more (sorry, Balford :) )
As for using a cheap soldering iron - I speak from experience here - yes, you can get I done... but the wrong temperature and the large spade tip will mean that if you make the slightest mistake you can gouge a hole through the PCB tracks. On a Spectrum you really need a fine-tipped, temperature controlled iron.
Edit: this is mine: http://cpc.farnell.com/1/1/49439-soldering-station-bs-plug-zd-929b89-2922-duratool.html
?40 including VAT - bargain!
Fair enough for soldering new boards, but I understand that it's not a great idea to mix leaded and lead-free solder, so given that every Speccy will have been assembled using leaded solder, that's what I use :)
B
zx-diagnostics - Fixing ZX Spectrums in the 21st Century (wiki)
Sinclair FAQ Wiki
No, just opened it up to make sure, there is nothing that remotely looks like a pot.
It has an internal fuse though, on the live wire, and looks well earthed. Safety wise it's fine as far as I can tell.
It's just not temperature controlled, it only has three wires to the iron connector, and one of those is earth. Whatever it reads on the screen is just rubbish.
Interesting! Does it show when its up to temp, and does it have changeable tips?
TIA.