11 Mar
2010
11 Mar
'10
10:16 a.m.
Tony Duell wrote:
It's normally 30AWG, I think. I find it's
useful for making links on
stripboard too, it's thin enough to run round the IC sockets neatly, you
can put 2 wires in one hole (or a wire and an IC socket pin in one hole)
if you're short of space, and it solders well.
... and it's good for "green-wire" fixes on PCBs. Especially when some
idiot brings you something to fix that originally just needed a power
switch, but now he's mangled it with a 100W soldering gun, now needs a
switch *and* half a dozen tracks rebuilding.....
It's a pity Maplin no longer sell it. It was
useful just being able to
pop into the shop and buy a couple of reels.
Maplin stopped carrying useful items years ago... They're the Tandys of
the 21st century. I remember when you could go in there and buy
electronics kits (I've got the UA3730 Electronic Lock kit and the
PIC16C84 Programmer), but now you're lucky to get soldering iron bits
(thankfully Antex keep stock of nearly all the bits, spare elements and
so on).
Speaking of Antex, they do have this infuriating habit of making kit
that *just* *won't* *die*... Ten years and counting on my 660TC
soldering station, all it's had is one new element and some screws
tightened (a few of the transformer laminations have apparently worked
loose). Pretty good for ?70 on a Maplins "discontinued stock" deal...
I do wonder if my Aoyue (read: Hakko knock-off) hot-air station will
last as long, though I seriously doubt it. Sure it weighs as much as a
breezeblock, but I bet there's a lead fishing weight or ten glued into
the bottom of it... :)
--
Phil.
classiccmp at philpem.me.uk
http://www.philpem.me.uk/