Help please. how lomg does it take to remove a bad cap?

[linuxguru]

Re: Help please. how lomg does it take to remove a bad cap?

Taiyo ceramic tips last forever, as long as you don't abuse it by scratching, grinding or filing it. Any metal tip will eventually get pitted and dissolved by solder. BTW, the tips on the entry-level Chinese green-handled Hakkos are pretty good, although they're not ceramic.

[jpdoe]

Re: Help please. how lomg does it take to remove a bad cap?

Thanks, linuxguru.
What about heat transfer/reservoir characteristics? Would a ceramic tip help when working on PSUs ground planes or near output cables? Or is it all about tip shape and iron wattage?

[gonzo0815]

Re: Help please. how lomg does it take to remove a bad cap?

What is referred as an ceramic tip is probably an iron coated tip with an ceramic heating element.

Usually those tips last very long and are in most cases from better quality, e.g. they have better transfer capability if made with the needed precision.

That said, you can have fun with a low wattage & thin tip from good quality. Nevertheless, you need a pretty amount of power for those heavy ground planes.

I would suggest either an cheap 80w unit, or one of those better ones already mentioned in the range between 60w to 80w.

[Krankshaft]

Re: Help please. how lomg does it take to remove a bad cap?

I have a blue handled 25W Hakko iron and my first tip seemed to last a good long time. They are great irons much better than the crap at Ratshack.

Plus all the parts on them are fully replaceable and available the heating element, cord, tip retainer, etc.

Unlike that digital temperature controlled Ratshack iron where they don't even sell replacement tips .

A temperature regulated iron is on my to do list after my 10 amp regulated digital readout bench supply of course .

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Help please. how lomg does it take to remove a bad cap?

Also, I would appreciate if someone would explain the meaning of the image Fizzicapola posted regarding the correct / incorrect way to position the tip of the soldering iron. It would seem this picture indicates that the tip shoudn't contact the capacitor leg, but only the copper on the PCB. That would contradict most soldering guides I saw, since they say that the iron tip should contact both objects going to be soldered, so that both are hot when applying the solder to them. Otherwise, you get a dry joint.

PS: Oh... Disregard this post. I only now realize the blue line in this image isn't the capacitor leg, but the solder being applied.

Well, actually only meant to show you not to solely heat the component legs. As nothing much happens apart from damaging the component and a wonderant expression why the part isn't loosening.

[jpdoe]

Re: Help please. how lomg does it take to remove a bad cap?

Thanks for the explanation, Fizzicapola. What you've described is just the way I tried to work with a 20/60 watts soldering iron about 10 years. Not suprisingly, I only succeded in killing the soldering iron.