Granada Television Brochure, 1970s
Long Gone UK TV Shops
Memories of a Derwent Field Service Engineer
PYE Australia Circa 1971
Radios-TV VRAT
Fabulous Fablon
Thorn TX10 Chassis
Crusty-TV Museum, Analogue TV Network
Philips N1500 Warning!
Rumbelows
Thorn EMI Advertising
Thorn’s Guide to Servicing a VCR
Ferguson 3V24 De-Robed
Want to tell us a story?
Video Circuits V15 – Tripler Tester
Thorn Chassis Guide
Remove Teletext Lines & VCR Problems
Ceefax (Teletext)
Suggestions
Website Refresh
Colour TV Brochures
1970s Lounge Recreation
CrustyTV Vintage Television Museum
Linda Lovelace Experience
Humbars on a Sony KV2702
1972 Ultra 6713
D|E|R Service “The Best”
The one that got away
Technical information
The Line Output Stage
The map
Tales of a newly qualified young engineer.
Tales of a Radio Rentals Van Boy
Sanyo SMD
Disastrous Company Rebranding
1969 Philips G22K511
Memories Of The TV Trade
Crazy house
Dirty TV screens
Dual Standard and Single Standard CTV’s
Radios-TV on YouTube
The Winter of 62/63
A domestic audio installation
1979 Ferguson Videostar Deluxe 3V16
Music centre modifications
Unusual record player modification
B&K 467 Adapters
Mishaps In The Trade
1971 Beovision 3200
1971 Bush CTV1120
Granada Television Brochure, 1970s
Long Gone UK TV Shops
Memories of a Derwent Field Service Engineer
PYE Australia Circa 1971
Radios-TV VRAT
Fabulous Fablon
Thorn TX10 Chassis
Crusty-TV Museum, Analogue TV Network
Philips N1500 Warning!
Rumbelows
Thorn EMI Advertising
Thorn’s Guide to Servicing a VCR
Ferguson 3V24 De-Robed
Want to tell us a story?
Video Circuits V15 – Tripler Tester
Thorn Chassis Guide
Remove Teletext Lines & VCR Problems
Ceefax (Teletext)
Suggestions
Website Refresh
Colour TV Brochures
1970s Lounge Recreation
CrustyTV Vintage Television Museum
Linda Lovelace Experience
Humbars on a Sony KV2702
1972 Ultra 6713
D|E|R Service “The Best”
The one that got away
Technical information
The Line Output Stage
The map
Tales of a newly qualified young engineer.
Tales of a Radio Rentals Van Boy
Sanyo SMD
Disastrous Company Rebranding
1969 Philips G22K511
Memories Of The TV Trade
Crazy house
Dirty TV screens
Dual Standard and Single Standard CTV’s
Radios-TV on YouTube
The Winter of 62/63
A domestic audio installation
1979 Ferguson Videostar Deluxe 3V16
Music centre modifications
Unusual record player modification
B&K 467 Adapters
Mishaps In The Trade
1971 Beovision 3200
1971 Bush CTV1120
Weller Soldering Station
Despite being such a critical tool, I've managed at home for the last 32 years with my Antex mains powered iron and a more recent Maplin temperature controlled unit. However since that died and the Antex is too powerful for modern PCBs, I decided to buy my self a Weller iron, I've been using Weller irons at various places of work for about the same time.
Checking RS, Farnell, Rapid etc. The price of these stations seemed a bit too high for my requirements (>£250++) but on further investigation, I found Amazon had various Weller stations from the US at a much reduced cost. In fact I found a WES51D unit on Ebay US for less than $100 including postage, there is import duty on this type of equipment of about $20 also.
I was very pleased to find my WES51D station, of course it is 110V, but it could be powered from a 110V site transformer if you have one. I chose a low cost (£15 inc post) Chinese autotransformer from Ebay, I'm quite suspicious of cheap ebay equipment that is mains connected, but I opened this unit and found it was of reasonably good construction and suitable for use in a workshop environment.
So overall I have a Weller Soldering station coming in at just under £100, in my opinion worth the wait and inconvenience of an autotransformer.
Seems very good value for money to me.
I've always been a fan of Weller irons but the Antex irons are pretty good too for the price.
Marc
BVWS member
RSGB call sign 2E0VTN
I was considering a Weller station until a Maplins clearance deal offered their one for less than £30.
I too have managed most of my life with Antex, Adcola and Litesold etc irons. I decided that it was time to treat myself to a bit of new tech when my favourite and faithful Adcola failed, I can't find a new element for it.
I am pleased with the Maplins so far. It needs a heat protecting collar to keep my fingers off the element retaining ring and as insurance I bought spare bits and an element. I have found that if I have the spares to hand, things don't go wrong!
I also have a cheap Chinese desoldering iron with built in pump, its a bit under powered but handy. And a monster 100W Henley Solon.
Boater Sam
Antex, Adcola, Litesold and not forgetting the Henley Solon.
All irons I have used, some I still have, I have a cheap temp controlled iron somewhere, not used.
My dad never owned an electric iron, always managed with the old fashioned one on the gas ring, mind it was all chassis radios no PCB’s.
Frank
I have worked with Weller irons all my life, until I discovered Metcal. I wouldn't use anything else now. Damned expensive, but a superb system which uses 18MHz induction heating to heat the tip.
I've now got a desoldering station as well as an SMD rework station, including tweezers.
It's not all been plain sailing, however...
http://andydoz.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/metcal-mx-ps5000-repair.html
Posted by: Doz[...] but a superb system which uses 18MHz induction heating to heat the tip.
It's not 18MHz, it's 13.56Mhz ... oops.
- 33 Forums
- 7,927 Topics
- 116.2 K Posts
- 4 Online
- 510 Members