Howdy all,
I have only begun to peruse the site, for some reason this time of year is extremely busy at work.
That being said…
I am at the point where I will need some sound advice as to where to begin…as far as tools and supplies.
I have 3 diff soldering units ( and somewhere I have that cold fusion one from radio shack I haven’t seen it in some time).
I do not recall what solder type I have (acid-free or core…)
I have several different sets of smaller electrical work kits (dykes, pliers, needle nose- straight, 90° & 45°)
and multiple eye glass repair kit screwdrivers….
2 voltmeters/all in one combo units
Ideally, I would like to get a bench magnifier with light, and possibly a better solder.
That is for the tools I guess,
Now as far as components…
I honestly don’t know where to begin…I have followed several diff topics links to different distributor’s sites, but that was only for several UV LEDs.
I know there is more to learn and I am asking for guidance and recommendations.
Helping arms with clamps
Heat resistant anti slip surface to solder on
Small blowtorch (reflow and solder mcpcb to pill in seconds)
Hot air station
A headlamp (works way better than a stationary light)
Basic soldering tools: flux, copper braid, iron tip cleaner (very important), solder suction tool, low temp solder for SMD components removal (optional)
Hmm, can’t post a hyperlink…
ALL IN ONE” X-TRONIC - MODEL #5040-XTS HOT AIR REWORK SOLDERING IRON STATION & PREHEATING STATION - 4 Hot Air Nozzles - 10 Asst. Solder Tips - Pinpoint Tweezers - IC Popper, Gootwick - FREE 5X Mag Lamp - “THIS IS A USA EXCLUSIVE PRODUCT”! - USD$239.80…
Places to get DIY stuff:
Mtnelectronics, Richard member RMM has a thread here and is an excellent source.
Illumn is also good but a bit less geared towards DIY. Both are in the US.
Digikey and Mouser for US sourced electronics parts, or eBay.
International Outdoor store for a range of products. China, slow.
FastTech for a different selection. China, used to be faster but still better than many.
Banggood for yet more stuff. China, similar to FastTech in speed.
CNQG, slow, odd issues with ordering but stuff usually gets here eventually. China
Aliexpress, sort of a Chinese eBay without the oversight.
Kaidomain, cheap, slow, half their stuff isn’t available because they rarely if ever update the site.
Deal extreme, similar to kaidomain.
Gearbest, eventually if you buy stuff in the mail you will have problems. They have a less than stellar record both in frequency and in dealing with such issues when they arise. They have a CS rep that is present here but definitely CYA with any purchases from them.
My soldering iron is a $4 unit from Harbor Freight. My DMM is an older Sperry, about 20 years old.
Harbor Freight is a good place to start, a lot of my tool kit comes from there. I’m copying this from another thread on the same subject so prices and links may not be accurate:
I also like this heatsink paste; similar to the fujik, it comes in smaller tubes. You can buy several of the same price and keep them sealed. When one tube solidifies, throw it out and grab the next.
As far as component to keep on hand; those will come with time and necessity. Always have a couple of Nanjg 101AK and Qlite drivers on hand. Also, a few XP-G2/XM-L2/XP-L emitters and 16/20mm PCBs are nice.