Soldering a pl259

[Crinan12]

Does anyone else have trouble soldering a pl259 for their vhf?
I cannot seem to get the solder to go into the end of the pl259 where the inner wire comes out. And I can't get it in the 4 small holes that are supposed to be filled with solder.
The solder just burns on the end of the soldering iron and I'm just making a mess.

Any tips?

Doing my head in !
Thanks

 

[bedouin]

For a solder joint to work the surfaces need to be clean and hot. That looks to me as if it hasn't been hot enough and so the solder hasn't flowed. Perhaps try a bigger or hotter soldering iron

 

[Maatsuyker]

Try using zinc chloride as a flux. Paint it on with a child's paintbrush. Fluxcore solder is not good enough

 

[Crinan12]

Thanks. I have lead free solder that came with the soldering iron. I've watched quite a few you tube videos and they make it look easy. But when I do it I just burn loads of solder and it doesn't go where I want it to go.

 

[Maatsuyker]

Also use the flux to tin the tip of the soldering iron. Pour a little bit in a container, heat the iron and dip the tip in the liquid. Comes out nice and shiny. When you are trying to make the connection put the flux on first, place the tip of the soldering iron where you want the solder joint to be, let the iron heat up the metal and then apply a small amount of solder to the tip. The solder will flow off the iron tip and stick onto all the fluxed surfaces. Wipe off excess flux with a damp rag

 

[Crinan12]

Also use the flux to tin the tip of the soldering iron. Pour a little bit in a container, heat the iron and dip the tip in the liquid. Comes out nice and shiny. When you are trying to make the connection put the flux on first, place the tip of the soldering iron where you want the solder joint to be, let the iron heat up the metal and then apply a small amount of solder to the tip. The solder will flow off the iron tip and stick onto all the fluxed surfaces. Wipe off excess flux with a damp rag

Will try that. I must admit I've not actually been using any flux. I don't have any, I'll get some and give it a go.
Thanks

 

[Maatsuyker]

Best solder for a small electric soldering iron is50/50 tin and lead with a resin flux core. Bakers Solution is the best zinc chloride flux

 

[kwb78]

Two things likely - you probably aren’t getting the plug hot enough for the solder to flow, and as mentioned above use flux, which cleans the surfaces and allows good contact.

You need quite a powerful iron with a tip large enough to quickly transfer heat. A lower powered one or tip with small contact area will heat it only gradually which will either take a long time or not get up to temperature at all. If there’s any air movement where you are soldering that will make things worse.

Lead free solder also has a higher melting temperature than leaded solder which will exacerbate the above. I still use leaded solder for most things because it’s easier to work with. Lead free is necessary for plumbing and desirable in large scale manufacturing, but for the odd job leaded is fine.

 

[Maatsuyker]

Bakers Solution is used as flux for copper, brass, tinplate.
Hydrochloric acid for galvanised surfaces.
Stainless steel mix both fluxes 50/50

 

[Crinan12]

Two things likely - you probably aren’t getting the plug hot enough for the solder to flow, and as mentioned above use flux, which cleans the surfaces and allows good contact.

You need quite a powerful iron with a tip large enough to quickly transfer heat. A lower powered one or tip with small contact area will heat it only gradually which will either take a long time or not get up to temperature at all. If there’s any air movement where you are soldering that will make things worse.

Lead free solder also has a higher melting temperature than leaded solder which will exacerbate the above. I still use leaded solder for most things because it’s easier to work with. Lead free is necessary for plumbing and desirable in large scale manufacturing, but for the odd job leaded is fine.

It's a battery one I'm using
Seems to get very hot -I burnt my fingers anyway
Am I aiming to get the pl259 very hot as well? I.e. rest the iron on it so it gets very got before applying the solder to the tip of the iron?
Thanks

 

[Martin_J]

Most definitely heat the larger part first I.e. the part of the plug instead of the wire.

Also scrape the plating from the sides of the holes before you do any soldering, to leave a clean fresh surface in the holes..

 

[Martin_J]

Try and apply solder then between the hot iron and the hot plug surface.. don't leave solder bubbling away on the iron if the plug part is not hot enough. If that happens, clean the iron tip and start again with fresh solder/flux.

 

[bedouin]

It's a battery one I'm using
Seems to get very hot -I burnt my fingers anyway
Am I aiming to get the pl259 very hot as well? I.e. rest the iron on it so it gets very got before applying the solder to the tip of the iron?
Thanks

You may struggle with a battery one - does it have a power rating (Watts)?

You need both surfaces hot when the solder is applied -so that when applied it runs freely and immediately. A good solder joint is smooth and shiny - a bad one lumpy/round and dull grey

 

[Crinan12]

90 watt apparently. It is 12 volt.
Thanks

 

[ProDave]

I am old school. I have enough old 60/40 lead solder to last me out. I hate the lead free stuff.

I also gave up trying to solder the braid a long time ago. You need a VERY large hot soldering iron for that to work and there are plenty of ways it can go wrong.

Instead I fold back the braid over the outer core and screw it in, a bit like you do on a satellite F plug. Or, if using a reducer for small coax into a large PL259 I solder the braid back to the reducer and then screw that in.

If you really want an easy job buy proper silver plated plugs, a doddle to solder. Most of the cheaper ones are some form of nickle coating a lot harder to solder to.

 

[VicS]

Best solder for a small electric soldering iron is50/50 tin and lead with a resin flux core. Bakers Solution is the best zinc chloride flux

Bakers Solution is used as flux for copper, brass, tinplate.
Hydrochloric acid for galvanised surfaces.
Stainless steel mix both fluxes 50/50

Use a non corrosive rosin based flux suitable for electronic circuit soldering.

Bakers fluid leaves a corrosive residue which must be washed off

 

[VicS]

90 watt apparently. It is 12 volt.
Thanks

90 watts ought to be more than adequate provided it is heavy enough and has a large enough bit to hold plenty of heat.

The mains powered one I would use is only 25watts .
On the boat I use one I heat on the gas stove!

 

[Refueler]

I have a standard 40W iron - but a nice spade tip .... takes a while to heat up - but it makes up for the lower wattage iron.

I only use rosin core lead based solder and never needed flux ... I have a tin of it ... but rarely needed.

Confession time : I only solder the centre core wire - I never solder the outer ... I just make sure I uncover enough to be a really tight fit into the plug shell ...

 

[ctva]

Lead solder, good flux and a decent iron. Remember also a small tipped iron will lose heat very quickly to a surface it it trying to also heat up. I have this on the boat Amazon.co.uk

Where are you wintering?

 

[habeer]

I use a 100 watt soldering gun. The PL259 has a lot of mass to heat up, and irons with a small tip (less than 3/16") won't get it done.
+1 on the silver plated connectors. I've been soldering for fifty years or so, and the leaded solder is much easier to use. Previous employer had a zealous chemical and biological health department, and we had to keep the leaded solder in a tightly sealed metal box. Lead-free for plumbing, of course.