My trusty Weller soldering gun, acquired more than 40 years ago so I
could assemble a Heathkit DX-35, has survived many insults. But recently
it was subjected to one from which there's no practical recovery -- it
tumbled out of a tool bag attached to the side of a bosun's chair some
20 feet up the mast of a sailboat, and subsequently sank in murky lake
water.
I'm about to embark on an antenna project, so I'm going to buy a new
soldering gun. Unfortunately, like so many circumstances in these
complicated modern times, I'm faced with more choices than I was back in
the late 1950s.
My old Weller was dual-wattage (100 and 140), and such a model still is
available. But Weller also makes a 200/260-watt model, and a 75-watt
model, too.
I have yearned for a bit more sizzle when soldering connectors outdoors
on a windy day. So I'm tempted to go for the 200/260-watt model
(realizing, of course, that I would have to be careful with it because
too much heat will damage coax).
But then a few minutes ago I happened to be browsing through the
Amateur Electronic Supply catalog and stumbled across some Weller stuff.
AES carries only the 75-watt gun, which they assure is sufficient for
soldering coax connectors.
So, what do you guys suggest?
At the moment, I'm leaning toward getting the same (100/140-watt) size
that served me well for all those years...
Mike, KØMYW
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