Never saw this happen before...

I'm building a lightweight dummy-load so I can finish repairing a handheld
CB. Was soldering the last joint, linking the resistors to the SO-239
center connection, when the tip of the soldering iron FROZE TO THE PROJECT.
Had already had a hell of a time getting the center connector hot enough to
take solder, but this time it sucked all the heat away until the melted
solder froze, grabbing the stupid iron in the process. My old faithful
Unger iron went out a while back and I was using some stupid 25W piece of
crap I picked up at RS for emergencies. Works okay for joining small stuff,
but...

What size iron should I use for soldering to a PL-259 or SO-239 connector?
How many watts should I look for as a minimum? 35? 40?

Thanks,

Dave

 

| I'm building a lightweight dummy-load so I can finish repairing a handheld
| CB. Was soldering the last joint, linking the resistors to the SO-239
| center connection, when the tip of the soldering iron FROZE TO THE PROJECT.
| Had already had a hell of a time getting the center connector hot enough to
| take solder, but this time it sucked all the heat away until the melted
| solder froze, grabbing the stupid iron in the process. My old faithful
| Unger iron went out a while back and I was using some stupid 25W piece of
| crap I picked up at RS for emergencies. Works okay for joining small stuff,
| but...
|
| What size iron should I use for soldering to a PL-259 or SO-239 connector?
| How many watts should I look for as a minimum? 35? 40?

I've had troubles even with 75 watts, but never a freeze up like you had.

 

Go get yourself a solder gun.
Just wondering, what is the advantage of a soldering gun as opposed to an iron?
I have not used a gun since I was a kid, so I forget anything I had known
about them.

By a gun I mean a device that had a handle like a drill and a trigger you pull
to heat it. The heating element looks like a "bent wire" rather than a pointed
tip. Maybe there is another configuration of a gun that I am not aware of.

Pete

 

I used to use a 175 Watt Weller iron on large components.

--
We now return you to our normally scheduled programming.

Take a look at this little cutie! ;-)
http://home.earthlink.net/~mike.terrell/photos.html

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

There was a cheap soldering gun that used quick heating element with
a conventional tip, but I never liked them. I haven't seen one on about
30 years now. On the other hand, I still have a Weller 8200 series gun
with a formed copper tip.

--
We now return you to our normally scheduled programming.

Take a look at this little cutie! ;-)
http://home.earthlink.net/~mike.terrell/photos.html

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

Using a gun on electronics is like using a 20# sledge to open
walnuts. Soldering guns are useful tools, but they aren't
designed for (most [1]) electronics.

[1] Guns may be useful for some RF work (a.k.a. plumbing).

They (guns) heat quickly but are large, heavy, unwieldy, and
uncontrolled. Irons normally used for electronics are far
smaller, have a chisel tip (in various sizes, for different
uses), and are thermostatically controlled. The better ones have
a digital temperature reading and a programmable thermostat.

Forget a gun for electronics. A good iron (or perhaps multiple
irons) is what you want. Don't go cheap, if you're serious about
electronics. Having a variety of sizes and wattages is also
useful.