Help with soldering

Thanks- is the purpose of the solder just to make the connection sure then ?
I had assumed you would get a rubbish signal if not soldered
Cheers
 
The solder has to flow freely over the two parts being joined. It has to be seen to wet the surfaces. That means the two parts being joined have to reach the melting temperature of the solder. Use "resin cored" solder, rather than solder and flux; it's far easier. Practice soldering copper wires or connectors together until you're confident you understand, rather than using an actual job to learn soldering. It isn't difficult, it just requires an understanding of what's being done, and a lot of practice.
 
Crinan12 said:
Hi Vyv it says 10g lead free solder
Its rothenberger branded - which is the same as the iron itself
Thanks
Click to expand...

How many watts is the iron?
Is it temperature controlled at all?

Outdoors I would expect to need at least a 50W iron with lead free.
I'd probably use my 'solder gun' which heats up very quickly.
 
It's a gas fired iron?
Should be OK.
As Elton says, practise on a few easy wire joints first.

The tip of the iron needs to be clean shiny liquid metal, or the heat won't get to the joint.
 
Make sure you have a little molten solder on the tip of the iron before touching it to the joint. This solder is not that which is to actually fill the joint, but is there to help give good heat conduction from the iron tip to the joint.
 
You will need to stop the wind as it will cool the iron too much, I do this with a blanket over and a head torch.
 
A few weeks back I was assembling an antenna analyzer from parts and decided I should learn proper soldering technique beforehand. The videos from PACE are among the best I've found, even though they were made around 40 years ago. Their "Basic Soldering Lessons" videos are well worth watching. The first in the series explains the fundamentals (wetting, tinning, what makes an acceptable joint, etc.) whilst the remainder cover specific types of solder joints.

As others here mentioned, heat transfer is critical; that means an iron of sufficient wattage, properly tinned tips, and so forth. The connector will act as a heat sink, and a cheap butane torch just might not have the power to deliver heat fast enough to make the joint in good time.
 
We do this for a living. :(
Those hateful "N" plugs are a pain for even professionals.
Your chances of success get worse everytime you have to have another go at soldering a particular plug.
You need instant heat, 50W and a £250 Weller soldering station on your bench help, outside and any breeze does not.
The quality and assembly simplicity varies wildly on "N" connectors, cheap usually means difficult to assemble and solder.
However do not pay chandlery prices.Could not believe my eyes, local outfit charges £ 8.50 for a PL259,we pay about 50p.As for those daft gold plated ones,how do you charge £13.50, for something thats cost 80p from the wholesaler.
Please do not bother to answer that...............
 
elton said:
The solder has to flow freely over the two parts being joined. It has to be seen to wet the surfaces. That means the two parts being joined have to reach the melting temperature of the solder. Use "resin cored" solder, rather than solder and flux; it's far easier. Practice soldering copper wires or connectors together until you're confident you understand, rather than using an actual job to learn soldering. It isn't difficult, it just requires an understanding of what's being done, and a lot of practice.
Click to expand...

My experience differs from yours in that I always use a tub of proper waxy flux even when using resin/flux cored solder as, after coating all components with flux, the solder seems to flow along the metal parts much quicker if the flux is already there and bubbling away nicely.

Richard
 
Thanks all
I am planning on replacing the vhf cable and Aerial this winter with one of the metz ones and the advice I got was to make the connection below deck with pl259's so I'll be doing away with the n connector anyway
I'm still not entirely sure what the purpose of the solder is anyway. If it doesn't improve the strength of the signal whay bother doing it ?
Cheers
 
Crinan12 said:
Thanks all

I'm still not entirely sure what the purpose of the solder is anyway. If it doesn't improve the strength of the signal whay bother doing it ?
Cheers
Click to expand...
it is to secure the wire in the connector and make a good low resistance and lasting electrical connection
 
Crinan12 said:
I'm still not entirely sure what the purpose of the solder is anyway. If it doesn't improve the strength of the signal whay bother doing it ?
Cheers
Click to expand...

To expand on David's answer, not soldering means that over time you risk signal strength being degraded. Mechanical stress and vibration can loosen connections, and oxidation can form on the metal surfaces. The "wetting" others have referred to is not simply having the solder in liquid form, but to the solvent action that results in a copper-solder alloy where the two materials meet. Flux, whether in the solder or manually applied, has a role as well: it acts to remove the thin oxide layer that would otherwise prevent a good bond.

This is also why I suggest the PACE videos, particularly the first one, as otherwise a beginner may think the process is little more than simply melting solder over the joint.
(link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIT4ra6Mo0s&list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837&index=1 )
 
Last edited:
I have been soldering all my life. A few years back I was induced to buy a roll of lead free solder. I have never managed to succeed with lead free. Perhaps it needs a higher temperature. Lead free seems to be used commercially on production I often detect it when modifying existing solder from a factory. It seems to me that OH and S is the only reason for lead free and I have doubts about harm from lead solder anyway. If the wire end is clean and tins easily (cut off the tinned bit to get it in the pin) then it should solder reasonably easily heating the pin with the iron and feeding fine wire solder into the hole. ol'will
 
William_H said:
I have been soldering all my life. A few years back I was induced to buy a roll of lead free solder. I have never managed to succeed with lead free. Perhaps it needs a higher temperature. Lead free seems to be used commercially on production I often detect it when modifying existing solder from a factory. It seems to me that OH and S is the only reason for lead free and I have doubts about harm from lead solder anyway. If the wire end is clean and tins easily (cut off the tinned bit to get it in the pin) then it should solder reasonably easily heating the pin with the iron and feeding fine wire solder into the hole. ol'will
Click to expand...

I suspect it's environmental legislation as well as H&S.
 
ProDave said:
My top tip. Seek out a roll of old fashioned 60/40 tin/lead solder. It solders SO much easier.
Click to expand...

I agree. The lead free solder that Crinan12 is using makes achieving a good joint much harder, especially for beginners.

However, rather than the older 60/40 solder compounds the newer 63/37 mix is better especially soldering on a boat where it is often hard to keep things steady. 63/37 is a Eutectic mix which speeds the transition between liquid and solid reducing the chances of dry joints. The difference compared to 60/40 is not profound, but if purchasing new solder, especially for the boat, it is the best choice.

Lead solder, both 60/40 and 63/37 is readily available. 63/37 is more expensive, but in boat dollars the difference is tiny.
 
Ohh, and for the "shelter it from a breeze" comments... The gas iron I had was a tiny bit within mm of the heater. It could do at least 60W. The only time it wasnt up to the job was at Middlesbrough footie club, outside with the sleet coming down horizontally.
 
On N types you normally solder the centre pin to the centre conductor .. and thats all. The braid is normally just fanned out onto the ferrule, and held in place with the rubber compression ring.

Made up hundreds over the years (was an electronics engineer with the BBC etc) and never seen an N type that reuired you to solder the braid .

A the N types is a vastly superior connector to the PL259.
 
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