First soldering station!! X-Tronic 3090 Pro X 🔥

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Senton_Prime

Senton_Prime

Very Active Member
Build Thread Contributor
Messages
5,364
Reaction score
8,339
Arrma RC's
  1. Felony
  2. Kraton EXB
  3. Senton 3s
So I finally pulled the trigger on a soldering kit, thought this would be a good deal and it's made in the "USA"!! 🫡

So just looking for pointers, how too's, and tips to being a soldering soldier of hobbyfare!! I have never soldered anything prior to the hobby so this will be a big learning curve for me!! 🥴

I have watched a few videos on the old tubey and I must say it seems pretty straight forward and simple.. so hopefully it's as easy as it looks!! 🤣

One question I was hoping you pro guys might know, will this solder that came with the kit be fine to use, I'm not really sure what's bad solder or better solder.. let me know bro's!! 💯

IMG_20230804_152036780_HDR.jpg


IMG_20230804_152049928_HDR.jpg
 
Senton_Prime said:
So I finally pulled the trigger on a soldering kit, thought this would be a good deal and it's made in the "USA"!! 🫡

So just looking for pointers, how too's, and tips to being a soldering soldier of hobbyfare!! I have never soldered anything prior to the hobby so this will be a big learning curve for me!! 🥴

I have watched a few videos on the old tubey and I must say it seems pretty straight forward and simple.. so hopefully it's as easy as it looks!! 🤣

One question I was hoping you pro guys might know, will this solder that came with the kit be fine to use, I'm not really sure what's bad solder or better solder.. let me know bro's!! 💯

View attachment 315301

View attachment 315302
Click to expand...
Your solder appears to be standard 60/40 lead type. Perfect. Leaded is best for what little soldering you will do. What I prefer. A lower melting point. For quicker soldering.
The Green guys will say otherwise, feeling Lead-Free is safest. Not true. Just as bad with other chemicals ( Flux etc) Only for mass production factory use, Iead-free is generally mandated.
Use the larger blunt tip for connector/ large 8-12 guage work. Small pencil tip for 18-22 guage wires.
I like 750F ish temp settings. Get a Third hand to hold your work as you solder.
Preparation is key. The actual soldering is done quickly. Shiny joints are good ones. Tug on your joints well to verify. Dull joints are "Cold joints". Not what you want. They can come apart easily leading to dead shorts etc. After soldering a good joint, wipe the joint with a solvent or alcohol to remove any excess Flux that remains. Or it can potentially leave acid on the joint and it corrodes the wires over time. Make sure to "Pre-tin" your New never used soldering tips. Important. Many videos in regards. Use a water moistened sponge and/or a brass wool cup to clean and wipe the tip between each and every solder application.
Soldering is almost like a hobby unto itself. Make sure ventilation is good. A fan sucking smoke away from the work table and you as you solder is important. Keep children far away. This a given.
I learned soldering best through this RC hobby. It is a hobby within my RC hobby. At least for me.
Watch many videos. Some appear different than others. After a while you will see the main theme of how it is done right. I watched a very old vintage videos about Soldering. A 101 class vocational video. I found it corny, however very simple to understand. And the same theory holds true today.
Practice soldering on scrap wires and connectors if you have them around. Takes a bit getting comfortable with it. It is rewarding however. You learn by doing it more and more. And burning your fingers less.:LOL:

Nice soldering station there.
Good luck with your new Toy.(y):cool:

 
Last edited:
If you use EC3/EC5 connectors (I think XT60 & XT90 are similar), get a 1x1 piece of wood and drill holes deep enough to push the connector in while you work. A little clamp to hold the wire is good to avoid burning your hands.
20230804_132428.jpg

20230804_132942.jpg


Connectors and wire is cheap, its worth practicing before you try it on a battery or esc.
Won't be long until you are a pro!
Tools Soldering GIF by HakkoUSA
 
So yep, this thing seems like it's very nice quality!?

I mean I have no clue but judging by the material of everything I would say so.. all the flex arms screw in with a bolt and they even have little plastic collars to sort of lockdown each one, the light is fairly decent with 12 LED's.. magnifying glass is a little blurry for me but I have 20-15 and it appears to be like every other magnifying glass I've ever looked through 🤣.. heats up really fast and even the clips are nice!!

It also has a 3 year warranty and in the manual it has instructions and a diagram on how to swap out the heating element, cool!! 💯

IMG_20230804_162041154_HDR.jpg


IMG_20230804_162219871_HDR.jpg
 
Last edited:
Nice looking station! 👍

I have a Weller that has done fine for the little bit of soldering I do, but when it bites the dust I'm replacing it with an X-tronic.
 
ZooKeeper said:
Get yourself some good solder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0149K4JTY
Some good Flux: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DXIKMI
(i used to use the paste flux, but i've since switched to the liquid stuff)
Some Helping hands: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GIKVP5K

Maybe you've seen this before in your YouTube University Training, if not, it's a good watch:
Click to expand...
Dang that's more than I paid for the station!! 🤯
CrashBoom said:
That solder should be fine, but when it's time for more you might want to go with 63/37 as it can be a little easier to work with.

Get some extra flux too, even if the solder has flux.
Click to expand...
Yes it says 1.8% flux
sumguy75 said:
If you use EC3/EC5 connectors (I think XT60 & XT90 are similar), get a 1x1 piece of wood and drill holes deep enough to push the connector in while you work. A little clamp to hold the wire is good to avoid burning your hands.
View attachment 315310
View attachment 315311

Connectors and wire is cheap, its worth practicing before you try it on a battery or esc.
Won't be long until you are a pro!
Tools Soldering GIF by HakkoUSA
Click to expand...
You seen the price of IC5's lately!! 🫣
I got those 4 clips?
 
Last edited:
IC5's are pricey but only needed if you are using the Spektrum "smart" batteries/esc.

EC5's plug right in to IC5's with no issue. I get the EC5's from Amazon cheap, about $12 for 10 pair. The IC5's are $12 for 1 pair lol.
 
I still want the 3020 XTS from them. IIRC they are assembled in the US but the parts are still made in China.
 
Senton_Prime said:
Can you guys rate my first solder and tell me how it looks, see any issues or problems!? Thanks guys.. signal wire was a PITA!! 🫣

View attachment 315744

View attachment 315745
Click to expand...

Did you do the signal wire first?

The power cables looks good for the first try.
Next time , go easy on the solder. No need to glob them up like that.

Also, I'd suggest you get a piece of glass plate to use as a working surface when soldering... Just in case you drop the iron down on the table.
Cause that rubberized mat you are working on will get scarred or catch fire if you place that soldering iron on it by mistake.

NOTE:
Do NOT use a metal plate as a "surface protector"... Or you risk shorting out electronics or Lipo battery!

Ask me how I know.
 
Last edited:
Tex Koder said:
Did you do the signal wire first?

The power cables looks good for the first try.
Next time , go easy on the solder. No need to glob them up like that.
Click to expand...
I did, and yea I was trying to keep it at a minimum but was fighting it a little 😳

FWIW Spektrum has them globbed up too!!

And yea I did it at my bench but had the little rubber mat down under the connecter while it was clipped!

Also I was very surprised at how quick the wire started to get warm, even a few inches away it began to heat up!!
 
Last edited:
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 90 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

Similar threads

kaladeth
InstaCrate 20.8" x 14.25" x 11.75"
Replies
3
Views
612
Jerold
Jerold
Deceased
Is this the right soldering iron to use in this hobby?
Replies
2
Views
511
Greengaunja
Greengaunja
GeneralTyphon
Soldering Irons
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
RCSteve
RCSteve
Warby
Which iron do I need?
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
Otp3
Otp3
Hector_Fisher
What soldering gear do i need?
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
LibertyMKiii
LibertyMKiii
Back
Top