[SEDXC] Solder Gun for PL 259

[Robert Carroll]

During the N4N Field Day, we had an urgent need to change an antenna setup
late Saturday night.  One very talented slingshotter sailed weights over two
trees in total darkness and somehow the crew found the weights, worked past
limb tangles by flashlight and got the wire up.  They had to put a 259 on
coax to finish the job.  I thought I had used every type of iron, gun, and
torch to install 259's, and I have had to cut off and reinstall more than my
share of failed attempts. Recently I have oscillated between a 300W Weller
gun and a 100W Weller, but I'm not totally happy with either.  One of the
N4N crew put soldered the "midnight" 259 with a 230/150 watt Radio Shack
gun.  This gun heats the connector shell within seconds to the point where
solder flows easily onto it and can easily be coaxed into the solder weep
holes.  The arms of the soldering tip actually glow a dull red, but the tip
does not.  The gun expert said he had settled on this gun because of its
speed of heating.  He thinks you are there and done before the heat has time
to damage the coax itself.  I have never seen a PL259 go on quicker or
easier. The RS part number for the gun is 64-2187.  It costs $29.95 which is
roughly 1/3 of what I paid for my big Weller.  Interestingly, RS has bright
copper 100W and 300W tips for Weller guns in their stores, but no
replacements for this gun.  You can get the replacement tips by special
order from RS.  For any of you who tend towards the big gun approach to a
259, this unit may be worth looking at.

 

73

Bob W2WG