What do I need as a beginner to start soldering?

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parcou

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Arrma RC's
  1. BigRock
  2. Felony
  3. Fireteam
  4. Granite
  5. Infraction
  6. Kraton EXB
  7. Talion EXB
  8. Typhon TLR
  9. Vorteks
With the Infraction v1 and Felony, I see people adding lights, etc. I also read that people change their own battery connectors...I have all EC5 batteries but RCs come with deans, T-connects, etc. I would like to convert over instead of using adapters.

So, what do I need...what tools does a beginner need to begin soldering?
Thoughts, videos, advice?

I would image...not sure:
-stand to hold wires so I can solder
-solder device of course
-solder material
-wire to shrink over the finished solder
-heating source....unless a heat gun will work I do have one

Any advice fam...I really want to start with lights and maybe battery connects down the road....maybe in time, I will be ready for ESC, motor connections in the future :)
 
@parcou without a doubt I would HIGHLY recommend you take the time and read How to Solder Correctly in great detail. There are tons of great information on how to solder.

In addition, I would also suggest reading Best RC LiPo battery connector types: Choosing and Soldering as it covers several of the more common battery connectors and has a couple of very useful videos on how to solder those connectors. Especially the larger bullet style connectors which can be a real pain using a soldering iron (depending on which one you own).
 
I also highly recommend the Hakko (FX888D) and doing lots of research on the our forums/watch YouTube videos. Practice... practice... practice??
 
Practice. It isnt the most difficult thing to do, but it requires practice.
My suggestion is to not dive straight in and start soldering on connectors to batts. Instead, buy a ton of spares and practice on them first.
The key to soldering is heat. Everything from maintaining the soldering tip to quality of the soldering iron is about being able to transfer heat effectively.
Its a skill worth learning especially for this hobby
 
The most important thing you will need is solder flux. Trying to solder without it is an exercise in frustration.

Learn to tin your pieces. Tin them before soldering them together. Makes life a lot easier.

Use a very slightly damp sponge to keep your soldering iron tip clean. Clean before every single soldering task. Just wipe the tip across the sponge.

Apply a little bit of flux. Next apply a little bit of solder onto the tip. Hold the tip under the wires you want soldered, and touch more solder to the parts as they get hot. Bullet connectors require a different technique, however. Look for videos on YT.

Use a fan if you have one, to blow the fumes away from you when soldering.

I have three soldering stations. Weller, Hakko, and Circuit Specialist. The one I currently use the most is this one:

https://www.circuitspecialists.com/csi-premier-75w-Soldering-Station.html
 
Apart from the right gear (wattage of iron and good solder / flux), I reckon the next best thing is to find someone to teach you (another RCer or hobbyist).
a good hr or so of someone showing you and then watching you will make the world of difference. Then sit down with some connectors and practice soldering /desoldering.
 
Thx for the post Fam...

I purchased a Duratrax Trakpower TK955 and took the time to learn how to keep my tip tin and the correct way to solder, etc all tips you all posted....just need to keep practicing but so far good. I am just doing simple stuff like soldering led lights wiring and connections to power them....very small wiring and nothing difficult...good starter.

My question is this solder machine jumps up to 750 deg on power up.... It seems too hot for what I am doing. So my question what are some guides to temps for soldering various materials. For example on the simple wires for the led lights, would 550, 500, 450 be a better temp does it need to be so hot at 750 deg?

Thx
 
When soldering, it is best to get it done as quickly as you can. That prevents the component you are soldering, from getting overheated. So at a higher temperature the job can get done quickly.

But some things you just do not need a 750° temp for. Like 24 ga. wires, etc. Solder melts at around 450° I think. So you can solder at a lower temp. However, the item you are attempting to fuse with the solder, may not heat up as quickly. So, you risk applying the soldering iron tip to the part for a longer time, which then heats up the component too much. It's a bit of a balancing act.

You can use heatsinks to keep the component cooler while soldering. A good idea if the component is heat sensitive.

I personally never set my soldering station to less than 600°. And I mostly do all my electronics soldering at the 750° setting. I pre-tin and flux, and get in and out very quickly. If I am soldering some brass parts together I set mine to the 850° setting.
 
With the Infraction v1 and Felony, I see people adding lights, etc. I also read that people change their own battery connectors...I have all EC5 batteries but RCs come with deans, T-connects, etc. I would like to convert over instead of using adapters.

So, what do I need...what tools does a beginner need to begin soldering?
Thoughts, videos, advice?

I would image...not sure:
-stand to hold wires so I can solder
-solder device of course
-solder material
-wire to shrink over the finished solder
-heating source....unless a heat gun will work I do have one

Any advice fam...I really want to start with lights and maybe battery connects down the road....maybe in time, I will be ready for ESC, motor connections in the future :)
A very good soldering iron like the TS 100. It gets very hot quickly and it's digital. It can be used with a lipo battery or power adapter. $65 on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184262012385
 
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