[TowerTalk] Slobering Irons

[Jeff DePolo]

> TBQH the weller stations are crap.  I had one and loved it, 
> until I was
> introduced to a Metcal soldering station.

I don't know if I'd say that all Wellers are crap.  Some of them are, some
of them are quite usable.  Are they in the same class as Metcal?  Definately
not.  One of the most-used tools in the toolbag in my truck is a Weller
PyroPen.  Certainly it's not a lab-grade tool, but for quick and dirty field
work, I've come to love it.  I usually get about 4 or 5 years of life out of
them before something breaks, usually due to being dropped or other trauma.

One of my elmers told me something that I've passed along to other new hams
over the years: "get yourself a Bird, a Fluke, and a Weller and you'll be
starting off in ham radio on the right foot".

> I've soldered copper shields with more mass than a PL259 with 
> it, and it's had
> more than enough power to handle it.

It's amazing how much heat a small Metcal tip will generate.  Along those
lines, I've found that a DIP-package tip works great for de-soldering J101
metal-clad mica caps.
 
> I have a magnetic holder that the iron rests in, the magnetic 
> field de-tunes
> the tip so it cools down to 300f from 700f, prolonging the 
> tip life.  

Is that standard on all of the stands?  I have the bases for both the pencil
and the desoldering gun, never noticed if they have a magnet inside that
does what you're describing, will check it out.  

> I bought a refurb unit from a well known seller at Dayton a 
> couple years back

If it's who I'm thinking of, it's Advanced Assembly Electronics (or
something like that), they've been at Dayton for a number of consecutive
years now.  Don't know if they have a web site.  Good outfit.

				--- Jeff WN3A


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