<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"><div>IMHO a soldering station is nice but not necessary. A thermostatically controlled soldering iron is a very nice thing to have when working on modern PC boards where you need to be able to get in close and solder/unsolder delicate connections. <br><br>For discrete wiring and the older pc boards with through hole components, any decent soldering iron will do the job.<br><br>In any case, keeping the iron tip in good shape is essential.<br><br>I have both an old Weller soldering station (actually bought at Heathkit back in the late 1970's) and a Weller soldering gun (which I've owned from the 1950s) and use both as is appropriate. You should have a sponge (with water) readily available to wipe the tip on, keep the tip well bathed in solder and use a good solder sucker when removing parts (I like
the kind of solder solder that has a pressdown and latch type plunger).<br><br>If I was buying a 'solder system' to use, I would get:<br>* a thermostatically controlled soldering iron or solder station with several tips of different sizes<br>* a good old 100W soldering gun for those times you just need a lot of heat<br>* a tip cleaner<br>* a good solder sucker (plunger type with lock and trigger)<br><br>73<br>Bob Groh. WA2CKY<br><br><br><br></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><br><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> BRIAN CONRAD <beij1@msn.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> heath@puck.nether.net<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Sun, June 12, 2011 5:11:35 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight:
bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Heath] soldering stations & Alps switches<br></font><br>
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I still need help, everyone.<br>
Please let me know how You feel about full soldering stations - and which ones<br>
You recommend.<br>
Also, does anyone have a source for those long, slim circuit board design ALPS switches<br>
heath used in it's Pro-Audio series equipment?<br>
Please
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