Hi Jay,all,


>so santa claus also brought to me a maplin digital temperature controlled soldering iron. <

Nice!

>how much heat can the tiny solder pads on the decoders take?

should i purchase the lowest temperature-melting solder i can find?

the soldering iron controller goes from 150c to 400c.

I'm afraid to damage the decoder with heat from the iron so what would be all your advices in your experiences?<


As someone who has built Z-scale signal kits,maybe I can offer some tips-
1) place the decoder(circuit board) on folded over[two ends] piece of painters tape(blue color in the US, a less sticky form of plain masking tape),on your work area.Secure the decoder on this for a stable base.
2) Tin the wires,that is flux then add solder to the wires.
3) Add a wee bit of flux to the soldering pads.
4) Add more solder to the iron's tip.
make sure you have the highest temp. possible on the iron and it is hot!Quick soldering is the way to protect the decoder/board!
5) Hold the wire in position(or use the tape to help) and hit it with the iron.You can blow on it to help cool the solder.Wait and then -test- the joint.
6) repeat


>tomorrow i will go to the maplin store to try to get the smallest soldering tip available for my iron.<

Good idea!


Dr D

Hi Jay,all,

>dr d - many thanks for this info!<

Your welcome!

>i will add flux to my shopping list as i dont have any - its like a creamy compound isnt it - lightly apply to all surfaces to be soldered?<

Correct, a chemical cleaning agent, flowing agent, or purifying agent.

>should i also buy the lowest temperature melting solder that i can find too?<

Special solders,such as Tix can be used but they are for the metal(s) to-be-soldered,....a good rosin core solder will work just fine.

>thankyou for the technique though, i will follow this carefully.<

See above,I posted a photo of the tiny Z-scale signal circuit boards I did,the entry signals had 7 wires!

>actually what i do want to do is to fit a plug / socket arangement to the decoder and power 1 module so i can disconnect them if necessary for any reason in the future.<

Good thinking!

>thankyou once again for your help here. <

I think that's what we are all here for!


Merry Christmas Laddie!

Dr Dirt.

Make sure you have some experience in soldering first before you try and solder to a decoder. There is a bit of an art to soldering properly. A good way to learn is to get some old electrical wire and practice soldering that together.

There are diffrent kinds of flux available, and is inmportant you use flux intended for electrical soldering. Flux intended for non-electrical jobs can be very agressive and will harm your decoder.

Something that would be useful for these kinds of jobs is soldering paste, which is available from electronics stores.

Low temperature solder is available, but if you can use normal electronics solder it is probably better in terms of properties. Many people prefer the "old" solder containing lead opposed to the lead free solder. In terms of health, I highly doubt use of lead solder for a hobby will have health effects.

Feel free to ask more questions, that's what this forum is for

Cheers,
Rick

Another thing with the small tip is to use a small dia. solder. Something like .032 inch. (If you ever need to thicken it you
can always twist 2 or 3 pieces together.) You might also want to get a dry tip cleaner, looks like a bunch of brass curls,
and midsize copper braid for desoldering any mistakes. A clean tip and a clean components are absolutely necessary for a good job.
There are also you tube videos to watch how it's done properly.