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Amiga computer related discussion => General chat about Amiga topics => Topic started by: David Wright on October 05, 2017, 08:16:22 PM
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Any recommendations on a start up set for a newbie?
Soldering, desoldering pump, basic components, meters?
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Solder advice including what iron to get avoid, solder to get avoid, I found EEVBlog helpful https://www.youtube.com/user/EEVblog (https://www.youtube.com/user/EEVblog) also good for meters and lots more.
Check out this desolding pump https://youtu.be/wvb0BOwH4DU (https://youtu.be/wvb0BOwH4DU)
EDIT
Some things to look at (UK Amazon but im sure you can find on US)
Soldering Station: http://amzn.eu/cmM5wge (http://amzn.eu/cmM5wge)
Meter: http://amzn.eu/9sBXyYd (http://amzn.eu/9sBXyYd)
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Any recommendations on a start up set for a newbie?
Soldering, desoldering pump, basic components, meters?
Good quality stuff? If you avoid the a questionable quality Chinese crap on eBay, you can still find basic Weller soldering stations fairly cheap.
Remember you don't really want to pump at lot of heat into what you are working on, so you don't need too much wattage (although what is right is a matter of taste).
I like adjustable soldering iron, since all the old high lead solders melt really easy, while the newer stuff is a bitch.
And I'm not sure I've ever been satisfied with the desoldering pumps I've bought.
Anyone want to weigh in on that? I'd like a recommendation myself.
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Have a look at Hakko. They have some nice units. I bought an FX-888D for basic all around work instead of a Weller and it has performed flawlessly for over a year. All I did was replace the default tip with a smaller diameter one for what I am doing. I don't use a pump, only braid, but only occasionally.
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I was going to say Hakko 888 also. Wellers used to be good quality but it appears when they were bought out a few years back they quit making the tips in the US and outsourced them so they have dropped in quality.
I spent a little more for the Hakko 951
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Wow, where to start?
Heat adjustable iron - the low-end Hakko is pretty competent.
Desoldering braid/wick.
Liquid or gel flux.
Good quality solder, both leaded and lead-free.
Panavise or other work-holding jig.
Bench lighting.
Optivisor magnifiers.
Clip style heat-sinks - great for keeping wires from melting...
Good multimeter - find a re-calibrated, used Fluke if you can. an 87 V is truly an amazing meter and endlessly useful.
Cheapo rework station - look for the X-Tronics 4000 series on eBay. Surprisingly good quality and endlessly useful.
That's just off the top of my head. What are you working on?
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Thanks for all the tips, I am moving forward guided by recommendations here.
The fear here is that I may be quite dangerous especially to Amigas.
I want to start simple, a power light on my 1200 doesn't work except when applying some pressure. Seems even to me a simple resolder.
The others, not sure. I have three Amiga monitors 1084 and 1942. Two have off colored displays which goes away when pushing on cable in back.
Seems like another resolder doesn't it? of course I know there are dangers with opening these without discharging. I need to learn and not the hard way.
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I have this soldering station, works very well:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Latest-2in1-SMD-Soldering-Rework-Station-Hot-Air-Iron-852D-5Tips-OK-/272873200372?hash=item3f88829af4:g:AEEAAOSwM7JZ1ES2
To desolder the through components I'm using Radio Shack 60-2060B tool.
https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-45-watt-desoldering-iron
This thing is great! Try to find similar tool, because you probably can not find this one anymore.
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You won't need lead free solder for Amiga stuff. And it doesn't work well mixed so if your going to do lead free you need to buy the solder and a second set of tips and cleaner to go with it. don't make that investment up front, wait until you have something leadfree to work on.
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The others, not sure. I have three Amiga monitors 1084 and 1942. Two have off colored displays which goes away when pushing on cable in back.
Seems like another resolder doesn't it? of course I know there are dangers with opening these without discharging. I need to learn and not the hard way.
True story. I was modifying a 1084 back in the day when they were new - I was putting a touch-screen overlay on it. It involved some internal surgery, mostly to put a secondary power supply inside for the overlay.
So, I'm sitting at my kitchen table, and I reach over the open monitor to grab a tool. And my bare arm touches the tops of some of the big cap cans.
The jolt caused my arm to swing back so violently that it lifted me out of the chair and back. I woke up looking up at the ceiling, and counted myself very, very lucky.
So yes, learn from my experience.
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True story. I was modifying a 1084 back in the day when they were new - I was putting a touch-screen overlay on it. It involved some internal surgery, mostly to put a secondary power supply inside for the overlay.
So, I'm sitting at my kitchen table, and I reach over the open monitor to grab a tool. And my bare arm touches the tops of some of the big cap cans.
The jolt caused my arm to swing back so violently that it lifted me out of the chair and back. I woke up looking up at the ceiling, and counted myself very, very lucky.
So yes, learn from my experience.
I was thinking stamp collecting is a nice hobby.
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I use a soldering station from ERSA. They provide good quality for still reasonable price.
Probably not so common in the US as it is in Germany.
For soldering tin I have good experince with products from Stannol, both with lead and lead free.
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True story. I was modifying a 1084 back in the day when they were new - I was putting a touch-screen overlay on it. It involved some internal surgery, mostly to put a secondary power supply inside for the overlay.
So, I'm sitting at my kitchen table, and I reach over the open monitor to grab a tool. And my bare arm touches the tops of some of the big cap cans.
The jolt caused my arm to swing back so violently that it lifted me out of the chair and back. I woke up looking up at the ceiling, and counted myself very, very lucky.
So yes, learn from my experience.
Hmm, I had something similar happen once with the starter capacitor of a florescent light ballast. Sucks doesn't it? Hard to believe that crap holds a charge that long.
Stings a mite. I understand under the wrong circumstances it can kill you.
Laid me out and left my arm tingling, and I've been able to pull active Taser leads out of my chest without dropping.
So, word of warning, be careful even if it's unplugged.
Oh, and on mixing solders, it's funny, that is how I've made it easier to remove some lead free mounted components in the past.
Now that I need a new iron, I'll have to look at the items you guys mentioned.
And I like solder braid too (except when it sticks to something,and it's a PITA to use it on through holes).
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Any recommendations on a start up set for a newbie?
Soldering, desoldering pump, basic components, meters?
I use a Weller soldering station.. I only use Weller and have been using them for 20+ years with out fail.
Model # is WES51
https://youtu.be/idqV8RmiPQc
That is me
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I use a Weller soldering station.. I only use Weller and have been using them for 20+ years with out fail.
Model # is WES51
https://youtu.be/idqV8RmiPQc
That is me
That was my recommendation too, but then I haven't had to replace it for years so I don't know if what these guys are saying about declining quality is true or not.
Then again, there something to be said for the longevity I have gotten out of past equipment.
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I still use an older Weller station, but if I were buying a new station today, I would buy a Hakko. I usually prefer a wick to a sucker, but it depends on the individual problem.
Here's a link to ideas for surface mount soldering:
http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Soldering/Tools
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I still use an older Weller station, but if I were buying a new station today, I would buy a Hakko. I usually prefer a wick to a sucker, but it depends on the individual problem.
Here's a link to ideas for surface mount soldering:
http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Soldering/Tools
Suckers and braid...both have their uses, so get both
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I have seen that there are advanced suckers around, like soldering irons with tubed tip, that both melts the solder and sucks it up. Whenver I struggle with desoldering components, I wish I had one :)
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I have seen that there are advanced suckers around, like soldering irons with tubed tip, that both melts the solder and sucks it up. Whenver I struggle with desoldering components, I wish I had one :)
I still haven't figured out how you are supposed to operate the bulb part, but then I always wish I had an extra arm or two to work with stuff anyway. Gator clips and other devices only go so far.
And on that whole smt thing, I thought Majista was a magician with that flux it up, apply a crap load of solder, then reheat it all to tap off the excess method.
But I had a friend who works on the Coco3 fpga project solder a Yamaha V9990 VDP to an adapter board so that I could experiment with it, and that is how he did it (the leads are too fine on many smt parts to do it any other way).
BTW - You guys DO realize less and less people do the kind of sh*t we're talking about, don't you?
Solder components to boards when you can buy boards already populated? :laugh1:
Ah heck, we're still having fun a couple of decades or more into this, who are we harming, eh?
Beside, I HAD to build my first computer's, there WEREN'T any common commercially available systems at first.
I wish I'd kept more of those systems.
Who would ever have thought that a SWTPC system or the MP/M system I was given would be worth several thousand?
Makes Amiga 1200 and 4000 model's current going prices look reasonable.
And Jen's new A1200 boards could be a good investment for my retirement.
'Say dude, whatcha take for ALL of those?'
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Any recommendations on a start up set for a newbie?
Soldering, desoldering pump, basic components, meters?
If you can wait .. I’ll take a few pics of my stuff at work on Monday... iron, solder, solder sucker, braid, meter, vise etc. If you are interested.
RH
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Posted a few images of my set-up but they came out like crap..so will have to figure something out ..before I repost them.
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Any recommendations on a start up set for a newbie?
Soldering, desoldering pump, basic components, meters?
Sorry for the late images..