Success!!!!!!
I followed all the advise here and soldered the deans right up! Flux and the right solder made all the difference.
Even switched to my el-chepo iron (25watt pen type) instead of my 40/100watt gun.
http://www.rctech.net/forum/members/...urecomment3329

The gun seems to only be heating if pressure is applied to the tip which i noticed after I tinned the first wire. Any ideas what could cause this?

Yeah plumber flux is more acidic... It can work, but is not ideal.

As was said, some combinations are not very compatible.

And it is always good to pass along what you learn.


Your soldering iron woes may be due to a faulty heating element, or the tip is bad. A new iron may be needed.

Keep up the practice, you are doing good, and practice will make you better.

I always use a flux dispensing pen, bit like a Sharpie, to apply flux;

http://uk.farnell.com/productimages/...9956805-40.jpg

Always gives excellent results, and is also great for cleaning up PCB's that have a lot of grime etc on them.
Then when cleaning up, if you want to remove any I use one of these;
http://uk.farnell.com/productimages/...9957605-40.jpg

Thanks for putting this up and keeping with it Marine6680. I just recently found it and after reading about the difference in 63/37 solder decided to pick some up. Hard to believe that slight shift in the mix makes such a big difference in the connections but I checked some that I did just a few days before I got the 63/37 to one I did after and it does look different and feels different.

Oh and really long time lurker and this got me to do my first post here.

Those Flux pens can work pretty good. Definitely less mess when using them. I find them less helpful on old dirty connections as they do not deposit enough Flux to break through a lot of corrosion/oxides.

How many years has them been going now? A long time...

I am just glad I can help people.

My ESC has pre-tinned wire, as does the bullet connector I'm going to solder on. Should I just overlay one on the other and heat them up? I know usually it's recommended that you wrap the two ends together but I can't in this case.

Without seeing the components, I can not tell you much.

If the connector is designed for a lap solder joint, then align the wire as appropriate, heat the connection and add a little solder.

FYI, it looks like the LRP HighPower (RRP of £180.99 here in the UK) is a rebranded Quick202D (which can be found for £98).

The included tip might be a good deal smaller, though, but even counting the price of an additional tip, still a good deal!

Always good to pass on good deals. Thanks

is it hard to learn to solder
 

Want to know if it's hard to learn to solder or is it relatively easy? Going with the track power setup

It's not too hard. Just follow the rules and tips and practice on scrap wire.

Just getting back to rc and tried soldering before reading this. I probably made enuff bb's to fill Ralphies Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. Haha.

So I went to Frys and got rosin flux, tinner/cleaner and 63/37 wire. Made it so much easier. A little more practice and Ill be ok. Thanks for this.

Happy to help.

solder
 

hello

does solder go bad eventually if i switch between motors and unsolder motor nr1 and solder on motor nr2 frequently..?

removing old solder from the solder tabs on the motor is easy enough..

thinking more about the solder on the esc wires.. i cant cut the wires much because the wires are at a optimal distance.

i am using 63/37 solder and flux.

Solder itself does not go bad from use. As solder ages, it can tarnish and lose conductivity, but a little flux, and rework of the connection fixes that.

The biggest problem with constant reworking of a solder connection (like repeated motor swaps between chassis) can cause component damage. You can degrade the motor or ESC from repeated high heat exposure.

So be careful when soldering not to let heat spread far.

Or try to route wires in a way that allows you to remove the motor and ESC without needing to disconnect the wires.

Thank you for info:)

I bought some 3.5mm orca motor bullets for that exact reason but i think motor bullets give more resistance maybe?

I use hakko 888d 70w (with 5mm tip) and i can remove the connection pretty fast so i dont think there is much heat that goes to the motor...I also always let things cool off before i desolder the next wire. The esc is safe as i hold the wires with my fingers when i remove the wires from the motor..not hot enough to burn my fingers..
Great solder iron!:)

A good connector, that is able to handle the power load, should be just fine. You probably wouldn't notice any difference in performance. It's likely that even a pro wouldn't know.

While a connector can add a little resistance over bare wire... Solder does as well.

When people complain that these small changes in resistance are what cost them the race, it is just something to scapegoat. People that say they will never use connectors, it's all perception and that desire to try for that extra little edge.

So use a good quality connector and you will be fine.

What a difference the irons make. I was struggling big time with a cheap $5 department store iron. I decided to spend a little more ($60) and got a cheap station off eBay. I can actually solder effectively now. Changed over all my battery, ESC and charge leads today. Something I would have never attempted before.

Just like anything, you may not need the best equipment, but you do need good equipment. Good tools make for easier work.

Thank you Marine
 

Hello Marine, I want to thank you for your very educative script. I never really solder before and after one season of e-buggy, I realized I can't live without doing it.
Before I start to solder around I went checking for instructions on the internet, I found your post, i bought the equipment, I followed the instructions and I practiced on scrap wires.
First thing: yes, using flux made my life easier. I'm a total newbie but the help of flux is unquestionable. Tinning 10awg wires is faster and nicer with flux.
I want to share my first solder job. I changed motor on my xray and I took the occasion to change wires too.
The stock wires removal from the HW 150A esc was I nightmare. I totally broke the 6 sec rule. I broke it again to fit the new wires on the post. Dunno why I went for huge 10awg cables again... Came out a bit ugly but looks sound and it works.
Connection on the motor went smooth instead. I would like your opinion:
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...psjlxlyexh.jpg
Thank you again Marine!

Its always hard to tell with a picture. More so when using oversized wires... Or wires that are very close to the same width as the solder pads.

But it doesn't look bad for a first go. Its not perfect. but you will get better in time.

It looks better than many people's solder even after they have been doing it awhile.

Thank you Marine, your comment is most comforting!
Should have used more solder on the tabs?

No it doesn't look like it needs more.

But as I said, it can be hard to tell from a picture... So long as you have a noticeable even flow of solder between the wire and tab, you should be good.

@marine6680, thanks for sharing such a useful information with us. It will help me to learn the soldering in a better way.
I want to know how i could solder the SMD? What precautions should i use to solder SMDs?
And also tell the heat and wattage required to solder SMDs.

I use 600*F for soldering on boards. Any good iron that can control the temp of the tip should work.

Tip selection becomes more important, as the components are getting smaller.


Soldering on boards means you need to follow the temp and time rules more closely.

any updated deals on soldering irons at 50 dollars?

I haven't looked into soldering irons for a while.

Great thread Marine, and way to stick with it for 6 years!

One good resource you might add to the front page is the NASA soldering guide NASA-STD-8379.3. You can find it with a Google search. It was their official criteria for soldering and inspection for space harnesses. It covers everything.

The custom built audio-philes are really into high quality soldering, wires and supplies. I found some great solder made by Cardas, which they call "Quad-Eutectic." It is an alloy of 4 metals, including silver and nickel, which gives it incredible wetting on silver and nickel plated wires.

Not a bad idea.

I never knew.
 

Marine6680,
I've soldered since childhood, built many Heathkits, etc.
Have always enjoyed soldering, and have had acceptable results.
Struggling lately with larger work, combining multiple ESC leads and soldering battery connectors. Just can't get it quite right.
Was still using a cheap iron and 60/40, never using flux.
Tried silver solder, but my joints were no better and the tip eroded badly.
I NEVER KNEW how much I didn't know.
I'm snipping off a bunch of stuff, re-tooling and looking forward to having some really nicely soldered connections.
Thanks for your generosity, and ongoing efforts. The videos are great.
And thank's to all the guys for the great questions/answers, very happy to have stumbled upon this resource!

Soldering for the First Time
 

As I constantly look at new brushless RC's and try to choose one to buy , I was given (for free !) an old sort of beat up RC8e. It does not run currently but it's not what you think. I was given it so that it may be my test subject as I learn how to solder. I'm being told that learning to solder is a must if I have any intention of sticking with this hobby for any length of time. So I'm doing it.

Anyway , does anyone have any advice as to which soldering station I should be looking at and where to buy ? Also , any tips about soldering would be greatly appreciated as well. I'll be looking on YT and Google for "how to" vids today.

The first post in this thread has a wealth of information.

Agreed but the tinning of wire leads is a bit vague if at all addressed and explained and this is written for those with at least some experience with soldering in some capacity.

The best way to tin wires (NASA guru's take notice - LOL) is to have the wire held static (soldering stations or anything that can hold a wire steady is a must for serious soldering) and place the iron's tip onto the wire and feed solder directly into the wire so it absorbs it. Too often I see people place solder onto the tip and then introduce it onto the wire, and while it appears to be tinned, the solder is merely encasing the leads on the outside, leaving the center bare. A good way to get wire to absorb solder is to dip your solder into paste flux, thereby coating it PERFECTLY without any excess. Then place the tip on the exposed lead and FEED the solder INTO THE WIRE SPARINGLY. Once you see the wire get coated STOP and then flip the lead over to see if it's coated on the other side, if not, do the same on this side and you should have a perfectly tinned lead. From there you tin the contact points so there's just enough solder to seep into the wire, but allow it to cool so you can place a small dollop of flux onto it. Then place your lead onto the contact point and heat the joint so they melt together. Remove the iron and hold steady and you should have a perfectly shiny, factory-like solder joint. I usually rewire my ESC's and people ask me how I got it to look like it came from the factory. Thankfully I was taught by a master welder who used to race with us when I was in my teens and have never had an issue with anything I've soldered.

QUICK TIP: For those whom don't have experience It's a great idea to use insulated alligator clips to hold your wires as they can get quite hot in no time, causing you to adjust your grip on them resulting in poorer joints.

I've used these for ages:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/09...g?v=1446835581

Thanks for the replies.

I will look over the write up section on tinning and see if it can be worded better.

I've been meaning to do a video series on soldering for some time but with 3 kids Mountain Biking, Painting lids and work & freelance… it's tough.

Awesome guide!

Do any of you have experience with the Circuit Specialists or BlackJack Solderwerks soldering stations seen on Circuit Specialists' website?

My new Circuit Specialists 75wt soldering station was delivered at 7:30. I have some soldering to do I'm three cars tomorrow so I will let you kn my new soldering station was delivered at 7:30. I have some soldering to do I'm three cars tomorrow so I will post up a review.

FYI, the irons they sell are the very ones RC Brands sell for a hell of a lot more. My recent experience with my buddy's 60wt Hakko wasn't at all impressive so I went with the 75wt model.

Here it is...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psukorlz4f.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psmmanjhtg.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psybz06sny.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psdx4kujjr.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psxgols1ur.jpg

Look familiar to anyone?

Can you say, with proof, that Circuit Specialists is the OEM for TrakPower or other RC brand stations?

Will the Hakko irons work with your new station?