[TowerTalk] Soldering Iron

[Patrick Greenlee]

Wattage is not the only figure of merit of import to soldering. Also of 
interest is the heat capacity of the heated mass and the thermal 
resistance of the path for heat flow to the tip.

A high wattage iron with only a small heat storage capacity and a high 
thermal resistance path to the tip will get very hot but when in contact 
with a substantial thermal mass will rapidly cool, perhaps so much to 
not allow making a proper joint. This situation would  make soldering 
the braid of the coax to the PL-259 very difficult and likely result in 
a cold joint and melted dielectric.  A tip with more thermal mass can 
source more heat per unit time and make a joint before cooling below the 
temperature of good usability.

Small tips such as for soldering component leads on a printed circuit 
board are a bad choice for soldering large heat conductive items. Even 
though they may get very hot they will cool rapidly when in contact with 
a substantial thermal mass with good thermal conductivity.

When soldering the shield to a PL-259 a sufficiently large tip will 
quickly transfer sufficient heat to do the job before cooling too much.  
It will heat the region of contact sufficiently to make the joint before 
excessive heat has flowed away from the contact area where it melts the 
dielectric.

Patrick        NJ5G


On 5/10/2016 1:00 PM, Jerry Gardner wrote:
> On Tue, May 10, 2016 at 10:25 AM, Ken Eigsti <diverkene at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Several of you mentioned the American Beauty soldering iron. Just curious,
>> what wattage is preferable for PL 259s?
>
> For me a 25 watt iron works fine because I only solder the center
> conductor. I crimp the braid.
>
> 73,
> Jerry
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