Boogie
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Figured I would start off this new section talking about soldering irons and how important it is to have a good one. You don't have to spend a fortune on one, but I believe our particular hobby requires more than just a little pencil type iron. Reason being, you need an iron that will get HOT so you can touch and go without having to hold the iron on the piece forever to get it hot enough to melt the solder. As many of you have probably figured out, the heat spreads quickly, especially when you're holding a wire with your hand. 
(I don't advocate holding items with your hand...be smart and use pliers).
You can take care of this issue by using a more powerful iron that will melt the solder quicker to have you in and out before the heat has a chance to spread to your fingers or any delicate electronics. It's especially important for people building battery packs (not as prevalent now with the new lipo packs out that replace NiMh) as the heat spreads very quickly and can damage a battery in just a few seconds. I've never gotten a board or battery hot enough to damage anything, but I've known people who have and they've had to replace an entire esc because they got it too hot when soldering on motor leads.
My personal iron is a Hakko 936, pretty much the industry standard for most people in R/C. I got mine through the local hobby shop (Coyote) here in Kentucky and it came with an upgrade rc vinyl wrap, which adds to the looks of the iron. They usually retail around $80-90, but I've seen them used for as little as $50.
Mine is the green flames, but you can get them in other colors like red, orange, and blue. Here's what the description says at amainhobbies.com ...
The Hakko 936 is an inexpensive, fully temperature adjustable soldering station that is great for R/C use and can solder anything you would ever need to solder, and comes up to temperature in 30 seconds! It is perfect for soldering Sub-C car battery packs, speed control connections, motor connections, receiver packs or even fine electronics repair work. This is the version that comes with the large Hakko 908 soldering iron.
NOTE: The skin comes as stickers with the soldering iron and is NOT applied as shown in the pictures. You will have to apply the skin yourself.
Features:
Includes Large #908 soldering iron - perfect for R/C hobbies!
Adjustable temperature control with lock/set screw
Temperature range 392°-896°F (200°- 480°C)
Maintains idle temperature within 1.8°F (1°C)
Ceramic heating element and senor insures rapid heat-up temperature (30 seconds) and lightning-fast thermal recovery
Celsius or Fahrenheit temperature setting
Temperature adjusted by simply turning the dial
Slender iron handles are insulated and ergonomic-designed for ease and comfort
Accommodates large, medium or small irons
Wide selection of tips available
Power Consumption 100/110 VAC, 60 Watts
Another option is the Team Checkpoint TC-950, which IMO is a relabeled Hakko 936 (all the exact same specs), and it comes in around $80.
FEATURES: Heavy-duty 60 watt design for years of reliable performance
Heats quickly to selected temperature within a range of 392°-896°F
and holds setting within 1.8°F when idle
Slender insulated handle for comfortable grip
5-year warranty on unit, 1 year warranty on iron handle's electronics
INCLUDES: Soldering iron with stand, sponge, temperature control unit, chisel
point tip, pencil tip, instruction manual and decals
A pricier option, albeit extremely nice, is the new LRP Soldering Station. It comes in around $200-220 at most places.
FEATURES: Microprocessor controlled, fully digital for fast response
temperature and power control
90W power rating and 400kHz electromagnetic heating element for
perfect solder joints on batteries, motors, speed controls and
more.
Magnetic AutoSleep/AutoWakeUp function for increased tip life
Painted metal base with integrated storage for replacement tips
Handle with foam rubber grip
5mm and 1.2mm tips, tips can be replaced in seconds without tools
Large multifunction display with blue backlight
Worldwide operation, 100-240VAC input range with input cords for
Europe and US/Japan electrical outlets
Ninety day limited waranty (non-European countries only)
INCLUDES: LRP High Power Soldering Station with two power cords, two tips, iron
with rubber grip and power lead, metal base, sponge and instruction
manual
Any of these models will get you a good end result, just the LRP you can see the temp on the display and it has a sleep function, neither of which I deem extremely important. I usually set the temp on my Hakko somewhere around 850-860 degrees, and it works perfectly. I hope this helps, any questions just ask.
(I don't advocate holding items with your hand...be smart and use pliers).You can take care of this issue by using a more powerful iron that will melt the solder quicker to have you in and out before the heat has a chance to spread to your fingers or any delicate electronics. It's especially important for people building battery packs (not as prevalent now with the new lipo packs out that replace NiMh) as the heat spreads very quickly and can damage a battery in just a few seconds. I've never gotten a board or battery hot enough to damage anything, but I've known people who have and they've had to replace an entire esc because they got it too hot when soldering on motor leads.
My personal iron is a Hakko 936, pretty much the industry standard for most people in R/C. I got mine through the local hobby shop (Coyote) here in Kentucky and it came with an upgrade rc vinyl wrap, which adds to the looks of the iron. They usually retail around $80-90, but I've seen them used for as little as $50.
Mine is the green flames, but you can get them in other colors like red, orange, and blue. Here's what the description says at amainhobbies.com ...
The Hakko 936 is an inexpensive, fully temperature adjustable soldering station that is great for R/C use and can solder anything you would ever need to solder, and comes up to temperature in 30 seconds! It is perfect for soldering Sub-C car battery packs, speed control connections, motor connections, receiver packs or even fine electronics repair work. This is the version that comes with the large Hakko 908 soldering iron.
NOTE: The skin comes as stickers with the soldering iron and is NOT applied as shown in the pictures. You will have to apply the skin yourself.
Features:
Includes Large #908 soldering iron - perfect for R/C hobbies!
Adjustable temperature control with lock/set screw
Temperature range 392°-896°F (200°- 480°C)
Maintains idle temperature within 1.8°F (1°C)
Ceramic heating element and senor insures rapid heat-up temperature (30 seconds) and lightning-fast thermal recovery
Celsius or Fahrenheit temperature setting
Temperature adjusted by simply turning the dial
Slender iron handles are insulated and ergonomic-designed for ease and comfort
Accommodates large, medium or small irons
Wide selection of tips available
Power Consumption 100/110 VAC, 60 Watts
Another option is the Team Checkpoint TC-950, which IMO is a relabeled Hakko 936 (all the exact same specs), and it comes in around $80.
FEATURES: Heavy-duty 60 watt design for years of reliable performance
Heats quickly to selected temperature within a range of 392°-896°F
and holds setting within 1.8°F when idle
Slender insulated handle for comfortable grip
5-year warranty on unit, 1 year warranty on iron handle's electronics
INCLUDES: Soldering iron with stand, sponge, temperature control unit, chisel
point tip, pencil tip, instruction manual and decals
A pricier option, albeit extremely nice, is the new LRP Soldering Station. It comes in around $200-220 at most places.
FEATURES: Microprocessor controlled, fully digital for fast response
temperature and power control
90W power rating and 400kHz electromagnetic heating element for
perfect solder joints on batteries, motors, speed controls and
more.
Magnetic AutoSleep/AutoWakeUp function for increased tip life
Painted metal base with integrated storage for replacement tips
Handle with foam rubber grip
5mm and 1.2mm tips, tips can be replaced in seconds without tools
Large multifunction display with blue backlight
Worldwide operation, 100-240VAC input range with input cords for
Europe and US/Japan electrical outlets
Ninety day limited waranty (non-European countries only)
INCLUDES: LRP High Power Soldering Station with two power cords, two tips, iron
with rubber grip and power lead, metal base, sponge and instruction
manual
Any of these models will get you a good end result, just the LRP you can see the temp on the display and it has a sleep function, neither of which I deem extremely important. I usually set the temp on my Hakko somewhere around 850-860 degrees, and it works perfectly. I hope this helps, any questions just ask.
