[Mldxcc] Solder tools

[Richard Hill]

Given some of the comments I've received on crimp tools, let me be specific
about what I'm using:

My solder station is a Hakko 936 ESD.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2871
I selected this station based on advice of several experienced kit builders,
the comments on eham, and the recommendation on the Elecraft web site.  I
have not tried this station with a chisel tip on coax connectors.  Perhaps I
should try that.

It is certainly better than the pencil irons I had been using, and with
replaceable tips, vastly superior to the Radio Shack solder station I now
only use for coarse jobs.  I used this iron on coax connectors.  I think the
tip was too small to transfer heat well and heating time was excessive, and
so insulation melted.

I also have Weller solder guns.  With the guns, I noted that the inner
insulation bubbles through the coax about the time that the solder begins to
melt.  I could not get solder to melt when I heated the connector with
pencil irons.  I believe that heating the braid and melting the solder on
the braid does not result in a good connection between the braid/solder and
the coax barrel.  Perhaps I have the wrong concept here.  I'm applying heat
to the connecter next to the solder hole and touching the solder to the
braid.

The butane iron is a Weller Portasol.  With it, and a chisel point, the
joint heats up and the solder flows with a minimum of insulation bubbling,
sometimes not a all.  This has become my preference.

I do not have a good method of testing the connection to understand whether
my method is affecting RF transmission or not.  If the insulation does not
bubble, I think I'm doing OK, but doubt that is the best measure.

Thanks for all the comments.  Most are recommending I stick with solder.

I think crimping is like soldering in that when you use cheap irons or cheap
crimp tools (or the wrong tool), you are likely to have trouble.

Rich
NU6T