Just wanted to pop in and say hello. Got into this hobby about 2 months ago. Reddit led me here. And now I’m want to try and build my first mule. So I guess you can say things have escalated quickly.
Anyways, any pointers would be appreciated. This is a mountain of information to learn and get my head around.
Welcome! I already replied to your other thread with some suggestions.
Enjoy your time here, there are some very knowledgeable members.
Generic Pointers:
Thank you very much! I will keep that in mind. I am yet to purchase any equipment.
Go watch a ton of youtube videos on soldering techniques and tips. One of the tips that has improved my soldering was a forehead moment…“bring both materials to soldering temperature before attempting to apply solder. It will help the solder flow and stick.” It takes some practice to get the feel for it, but once you do, it’ll be hard to forget.
**that, and be liberal with flux, flux helps to promote a good bond by removing/sealing against oxidation, similar to the inert gas in welding.
For an inexpensive iron, it’s hard to ignore the Pine64 Pinecil V2 (plus an appropriate 65W USB C adapter from a reliable source).
I find the UI a bit annoying and have to power cycle it if I get lost in the settings, but it’s good value for money.
Don’t buy solder from AliExpress or random brands from Amazon… I’ve had awful experience with stuff labelled 60/40, it didn’t wet out and was prone to making dry joints.
I don’t actually have good solder reccomendations anymore as leaded is almost impossible to buy for individuals in the UK in reasonable quantities due to EU laws on lead. The last stuff I bought was expensive audiophile silver solder- it was actually nice to work with but the cost is hard to ignore.
