18 Mar
2003
18 Mar
'03
8:59 a.m.
--- Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
The hobbyist-grade irons are not useable. They will do
a lot of damage to
PCBs!
No kidding. My Cosmac Elf and my TVT-6 look like hell because a) I was
just a kid when I assembled them, and b) all I had was a Rat-Shack
cheap-ass soldering iron.
Once I got a job at a place that did manufacture/rework, I upgraded to
a Weller (the very same ones I have now ;-) I've replaced one heating
element and one thermistor (different innards, or I might have combined
the two into one). Got a problem now where I have to make sure that
the iron really is plugged into the base - the plastic ring is so worn
that it doesn't hold the cable tightly.
I used Metcals at Lucent. Verrrry Nice. I would love to find one with
a box of SMT tips for less than a housepayment.
-ethan