This is a really goofy answer, but I bought a great soldering iron at Hobby
Lobby about a year ago. It won't solder a PL259 in mid-winter when you are
up on top of a tower but for just about everything else it is super.
I don't recall the wattage.
You can use a variety of tips.
It was on sale for about $15 and there was a tag that said 50% off. So I
picked it up and went to the counter and pulled out my cell phone and
checked the Hobby Lobby website and got another 50% off coupon.
Needless to say, it was a bargain.
-------------------
Wes Attaway (N5WA)
(318) 393-3289 - Shreveport, LA
Computer/Cellphone Forensics
AttawayForensics.com
-------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim
Thomson
Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2015 8:43 PM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Slobering Irons
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 16:39:23 -0700
From: "Don W7WLL" <w7wll@arrl.net>
To: "Towertalk" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Slobering Irons
My almost 60 year old trusty soldering iron which I used to solder the hole
and pin of the UHF connectors went belly up. There is no information on it
re brand or wattage but I could change tips.
I?m going to have to shop for a new one and that means buying on line since
we are a long ways from anyplace that carries electronic stuff.
Please, no ?go to crimping? suggestions. I agree it?s a great method but at
my age I?m not probably going to be doing many more, and I know the process
for soldered UHF connectors.
Would just like some recommendations on soldering irons currently being used
by some of you for UHF connector soldering that would be available on the
market. I?ve a couple of Weller guns and an old low wattage soldering
station, but neither will work well for doing the UHF barrels.
Suggestions welcome,
Don T W7WLL
## I use a 100w american beauty soldering iron....with the .375 inch diam
tips. The tips taper down a bit in width. That iron was the standard used
by all telcos, back when everything was soldered on the frame,
before the quick connect frames were used. You can also get 150w ele for
them. The ele are field replaceable. I have never had to replace an ele.
We used to leave em on for 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, all
year round. They also made a 500 watt version, with a .50 tip, that
plumbers used instead of a torch. The secret is the big tips retain a lot
of heat vs the small 40 watt tips used on pc boards etc. Just about
every telco
will have half a dozen of the american beauty irons laying about in a
bottom shelf some where..never to be used again.
Jim VE7RF
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