[TowerTalk] Butane soldering iron recommendations? (Mike Smith VE9AA)

[Drew Vonada-Smith]

Hi Mike,

I absolutely love my butane Iroda SolderPro 180.  Perfect combination of power and size.  It can handle small wires, but has enough power for PL259 shells outside in the wind. About $120 on Amazon.  Easy to use up the tower also.

73,
Drew K3PA

________________________________

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2023 17:40:38 -0300
From: "Mike Smith VE9AA" <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Butane soldering iron recommendations?
Message-ID: <003301d9ec02$b7041c90$250c55b0$@nbnet.nb.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"

Hi All,



Long time since I've posted, but read most of your emails at least weekly,
if not daily.



Trying to solder up some wires out in the field here before contest season
and even during nice warm T-shirt weather, with any kind of a breeze my
cheapie $40 butane soldering iron sometimes won't get hot enough to patch
(solder) a stranded #12AWG wire back together.  What do I need?



I've soldered with a small el-cheapo butane (raw) torch (not ideal)

I've soldered with a small butane powered soldering iron.works "OK" if it's
warm outside (5 months of the year) and there is no breeze. (almost never
here on the Ridge)



What are you guys using for your field repairs?  Something by Weller? How
many Watt equivalent?



I don't want a $25 Amazon cheapie.  Already been down that road.  But also
probably don't need a $500 unit for those few times a year I am too far from
the house not to use a variety of my electric irons.



Thanks and keep on towertalkin'



Mike VE9Antenna Antenna



Keswick Ridge, NB