A few months ago, I posted a note asking for leads on obtaining a husky
soldering iron for PL259 work. I had a variety of responses ... it seems
there are many differing opinions ... low wattage vs high wattage, butane
soldering tools, guns, etc. However, what I had seen used on a previous
antenna job, and what I really wanted to find, was an old fashion soldering
iron with a really big (high mass) tip.
My search finally paid dividends last week when I obtained a Weller SP-175.
This model is 175 watts, a 5/8" tip and 500 deg C maximum tip temperature.
Early experiments with applying PL259's on various types of cable
dielectrics appear favorable. Soldering additional radials to my 80M
vertical (#12g copper wire to 3/4" copper tubing ring) was a breeze.
Oddly enough, it's really tough locating suppliers of soldering irons.
Someone very helpful in my search was John Kozlowski at Genesse Industrial
Electronics, Buffalo NY. His number is 716-873-9661. Cost was <$50. If
you're in the market, you might give John, or your local Weller dealer, a call.
Usual disclaimers (not associated with Weller, Genessee, etc) apply.
Dennis, K7FL
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Dennis Ashworth, K7FL
Oregon City, OR USA
ashworth@hevanet.com
http://www.hevanet.com/ashworth
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