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Jarsofclay
1
Jun 10, 2016
Hi guys, Kind of just started soldering. Was wondering what's a relative good soldering station you guys recommend. Also what temperature and how do most of you guys deal with flux residue in terms of preventing and removing? Thanks!
Arch-TK
42
Jun 10, 2016
JarsofclayI have a Hakko FX-888D but before that I had a cheaper temperature controlled soldering station which did an alright job.
Whatever you buy, make sure the tips are compatible with a good brand like Hakko because most of the quality you need is in just the tip.
I have no experience with the SEED portable soldering irons, but I feel that for that price, it's easier to just get a proper station.
In terms of temperature: If you're using regular 60/40 solder, 350 degrees is a good temperature, if you're using lead free, you might want a higher temperature.
Most importantly, you want the entire pad and the area of the component that you will be soldering to to be hot enough in one to three seconds before applying the solder. Any longer, and you risk melting plastics and damaging the components.
I feel matt3o has some good guidelines for this, but as I've mentioned in the comments and on here, you want to apply the heat before the solder, not the other way around.
For removing flux, you can't go wrong with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton pad. When wiping, twist the cotton bud/pad/earbud instead of swiping it because it leaves fewer strands of cotton all over the place.
teainhaler77
99
Jun 10, 2016
JarsofclayAs arch-tk mentioned you can't go wrong with the Hakko. I used a chinese clone from ebay which works well enough and includes a hot air rework station.
I use 99% isopropanol from the drugstore to remove leftover flux in generous quantities and wiping with kimwipes or a microfiber cloth . A lot of people leave the flux when using no clean solder, because its not as corrosive.
My temps are a bit lower, I use 310 degC for leaded and 325 degC for non-leaded. My favorite solder is 0.020" Kester SN62/PB36/AG02 as the joints are shinier and it's pretty easy to work with.
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