W8JX
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« Reply #15 on: March 21, 2013, 12:01:55 PM » |
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No matter how many watts the iron is rated, you need a tip large enough to transfer those watts (heat) to the PL259. When my 40 year old iron finally burned out last year, I bought a 250 watt soldering iron with the proper tip slightly used off ebay for $8.00. I see them listed there all the time with few bidders. Apparently very few people want them.
Dick AD4U
That's because they are meant for soldering cooper flashing and gutters and cooper prices has greatly reduced demand for them. They are over kill for any PL 259 I disagree. When soldering the coax shield to a PL259 through the 4 holes in the connector you need to transfer a lot of heat quickly to melt the solder but not melt the plastic insulation between the center conductor and the shield. Granted someone with almost 50 years experience can do it with a 100 watt Weller soldering gun, but people without that experience cannot. Since becoming a HAM in 1965 I have successfully soldered more PL259's than I can count by using a large iron with a big tip. Dick AD4U Still too much potenial heat stress on cable unless it is actually temp controlled. A 75 watt iron with good thermal mass in tip will do better that a 100 watt with low mass. Myself I use a 125/250 watt gun. I know I have done 1000's of TNC,BNC,N and many 259's over the years. Most of TNC, BNC and N were solderless back shell most N's had a soldered on center pin and 50/50 with TNC and BNC. There is to classic mistakes that hams make doing 259's. One is not enough heat and the other too much. The later is more destructive by far. This is not to say you cannot safely use a 250 watt iron but rather it leaves little room for error and not for beginners. |
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AA4PB
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« Reply #16 on: March 21, 2013, 12:31:51 PM » |
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I use a 250W gun as well. With RG213 I tin the braid first then cut off the excess with a tubing cutter. The tinned braid is much easier to solder through the holes in the PL259.
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G3RZP
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« Reply #17 on: March 21, 2013, 03:33:29 PM » |
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The hot air gun heats the body quickly. The 40 watt Weller is enough to keep it hot.
I've put on many PL259s very successfully that way. No molten inners.
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W6UV
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« Reply #18 on: March 21, 2013, 04:54:53 PM » |
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KE4DRN
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« Reply #19 on: March 21, 2013, 05:29:03 PM » |
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hi
often you can find used Weller 100-120W irons on ebay,
they use them for constructing stain glass windows and other fixtures.
A Weller SP-120 is the difference between a heat source and a heat sink.
I also use a drop or two of liquid flux and that helps a lot.
73 james
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K1PJR
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« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2013, 11:16:51 AM » |
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I use e Weller 100/140 gun. I would agree the irons work faster but I'v enever had a problem with the gun. I do hav a 200w American Beauty but its just way to big and cumbersome. I think I'll pick up an iron with a good size tip. Would heat up the area faster than the gun.
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W8JX
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« Reply #21 on: March 22, 2013, 12:05:07 PM » |
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I once had a 375 watt weller gun, it would melt solder in under 3 seconds from a cold start. I was a beast.
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WX2S
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« Reply #22 on: March 22, 2013, 12:13:34 PM » |
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W6EM
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« Reply #25 on: March 23, 2013, 05:45:30 PM » |
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I've used a 250W Weller gun for years. And, it gets the barrel hot very quickly. Just as quickly, after I'm done, I clamp on my big vice grips on the barrel in order to conduct away the heat. Works like a champ. No distorted polyethylene insulation and you can touch the connector after about 10 seconds in the "grip."
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K3GM
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« Reply #26 on: March 23, 2013, 06:08:04 PM » |
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An American Beauty with the proper width tip that fits in the groove of the PL-259 body is hard to beat.
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VK5CQ
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« Reply #27 on: March 23, 2013, 06:19:51 PM » |
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There was a "deal" posting recently on OzBargain.com.au showing a temperature-controlled soldering iron station for under Au$ 20, incl shipping (at least to AU).
(Ordering several brought the per-unit cost down to around Au$ 17.)
You can guess where these were made... & how long they might last... :-/
PS Only one (1) soldering tip was included, so I hope anyone who bought can source compatible tips at reasonable cost...
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SWMAN
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« Reply #29 on: March 24, 2013, 04:02:10 AM » |
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I have a Weller 8200 iron that my uncle bought me in 1967. It works just right for PL259's. It is 100/140 watts.
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