Experienced hams will tell you that soldering can be a frustrating pursuit if you don’t have quality tools and accessories handy to get the job done right. If you have a “swear jar” devoted exclusively to soldering-induced expletives, save yourself the money and headaches by looking into upgrading your tool box with these offerings available at DX Engineering.
ECG Soldering Stations
ECG digital and analog soldering stations feature electronically pulse-powered temperature-controlled low wattage irons that give hams the capability of doing professional-level work. Ideal for general electronic soldering and repair, connector and cable terminations, kit building and more, they come in 50 and 75 watt standard control versions or the digital 75 watt model. For premium performance, choose the digital J-SSD-2 and J-SSD-3 versions with programmable temperature storage, upgraded intelligent temperature control, and automatic shutdown.
American Beauty Heavy-Duty Soldering Irons
These irons are built to handle constant use. They feature an innovative compression-wound heating element that can maintain a constant temperature. Choose from 100, 150, 175, 200, 250, and 300 watt models. Also available are 30 and 60 watt pencil-style soldering irons priced for the hobbyist. You’ll also find American Beauty soldering stations, lead-free tips, tip cleaners, iron cradles, and more at DXEngineering.com.
ISO-TIP Rechargeable Soldering Irons
The 7700 model is a well-rounded option for shop and shack use. It can be completely recharged in 3-4 hours and will solder up to 125 joints on a single charge. The iron comes with a handy charging stand and a pair of interchangeable tips (fine and heavy-duty). The ISO-TIP-8000 lets you solder up to 150 joints per charge during continuous use. The kit comes with iron, recharging stand, LiFePO4 battery, high-efficiency fine tip and chisel tip, and a one-year limited warranty. Iron fully charges in 3-3.5 hours.
What do hams say?
Five Stars: “This (ISO-TIP-7700) is a great tool to carry with you if you do onsite repairs. It heats up in less than 30 seconds, gets hot enough to solder older point-to-point connections and cools down fast so you don’t need to wait long to put it in your tool kit. It has a comfortable grip, the light shines where you are soldering, and it holds a charge for a long time.”
Five Stars: “The 7700 is my main iron. It is very handy to use and with the two sizes of tips it can solder about anything. After a couple of seconds it’s ready to use. The light bulb is an added feature. I’m very happy with this purchase!”
Eclipse Tools
Eclipse has a range of equipment to make soldering a breeze, including its analog and digital temperature-controlled soldering stations, featuring stable power and fast thermal recovery; the compact and portable USB soldering iron that heats up in 15 seconds and cools down in 30 seconds; de-soldering pumps; the wireless power soldering iron that runs on a provided rechargeable 2200 mAh Li-Ion battery; the fully adjustable workbench inspection lamp; round lighted 4X magnifier for closeup soldering; and heat guns.
ECG De-Soldering Iron
Here’s an easy way to remove solder from a PCB without damage. It’s essentially a soldering iron with a de-soldering bulb connected via a specially designed tip. Use it once and you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it.
This heavily weighted mini work station features a universal joint for positioning your work, and an arm with two strong alligator clips to hold the parts in place. For tiny projects, the stand includes a magnifier that makes minuscule parts look big.
Five Stars: “Great product! Used this Helping Hand Work Holder for my solar-powered project and it worked great. No complaints.”
Also visit DXEngineering.com for Kester Solder, CAIG Solder Flux and Tinners, ECG Butane Soldering Kits, ECG Soldering Guns, American Beauty Flux Pens and Dri-Wick De-soldering Braids, ECG Soldering Tip Cleaner, ISO-TIP Butane Torches and Silver Bearing Solder Paste, and more.
