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    #1

    Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

    Hello all!

    I posted this recent thread to fix the monitor that would otherwise have been thrown out at work!

    I don't have a multimeter or a soldering iron currently. Back in H/S my dad had both, so for the little bit of hobby work I did, I used his.

    I've convinced my wife that this is a good deal for us, but I need to justify spending $$$ on an iron and multimeter for "hobby" work. I want something that will last, but that I won't use terribly often. Both are handy to have around, but I doubt I'll be doing much work on anything but my own electronics. Let's hope that's infrequent!!

    I understand that a 40W iron is a bare minimum, and that a station is preferable to a stand-alone iron. However, I can't spend a lot of money on both >$100. The soldering iron is a necessity, the multimeter would be nice to have.

    Any suggestions?
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

    Where are you located?

    I have suggestions for both, but it depends on the country.
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    Comment

      #3
      Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

      Awesome!! I'd love your suggestions.

      I live in the US, east coast. I certainly don't mind ordering on-line, though.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

        1) If the soldering iron is a necessity and you want something that will last, the Hakko 936 or a Weller soldering station seems like a good bet for under $100.

        One person reports that he got the Hakko 936 for $60 at Frys. See

        https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12089

        Obviously, shop around locally and online to get the price and service.

        2) If you manage to save some money on the iron and have about $25 to $30 left in your $100 budget, there are a lot of good new and used multimeters on ebay USA. Over the last month, I have seen bids for many good quality used Flukes in the $25 range.

        Here is a good guide for buying Fluke meters.

        http://reviews.ebay.com/Fluke-Meters...00000007478323

        For $25, expect something in the "70 type (includes most 20-something models as well.)" series as per guide.

        3) Fluke commands a premium, but other brand names like Amprobe/Wavetek/Meterman (owned by Fluke now), Greenlee, and others are in the $10 to $20 range. In this price range, you can often get a "new in the box" model. If you search "listings ended", you will see many good meters sold a discount prices. Of course, it requires some patience and bidding discipline to get these deals.

        4) All the feedback is from a frugal guy that spent $4 on his "sort by cheap price + shipping" on ebay for a 40W soldering iron. The iron, however, has helped me fix about 15 lcds.

        I also buy used working multimeters from ebay. I got my used Meterman 15XP (MRSP $50) for 99 cents on ebay. I also got a used Fluke 75 locally for $20 CDN. Both work fine.

        This would be one auction that I would bid on if I needed another meter. My max bid would be $5.15. MSRP is $50.

        http://cgi.ebay.com/Amprobe-Compact-...item2eb2adc477

        5) Stay away from the 830 style multimeters from far east sellers. They are often on ebay for 99 cents. These things are unreliable and cheaply made. I have first hand knowledge. See

        https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showpo...4&postcount=25

        Some people, however, love the cheap Cen-tech $2.99 multimeters at Harbour Freight.

        6) I'm sure others will have their own opinions and share their experiences.

        Anyway, keep an eye on ebay for auctions as sometimes you can get better price deals.
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        Comment

          #5
          Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

          Spending around $150 you could get

          http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7789

          and they will give you a DMM as a free gift.

          the DMM I got free was

          http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/8883

          but they now give this one as a free gift

          http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/4003

          I have had both over a year and they work great.

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

            Dude,
            Fixing monitors is not an easy business. High voltage is not something I suggest for a first project.

            Did it for a while back when CRT units were worth fixing.

            Bet the guys who work on today's 'flat screen' units will agree with me.
            Just owning the tools is no indicator of ability. It just helps.

            It takes a more than a few items of test gear and some luck to fix most of them.

            So to set up a shop from point zero to the point where work on monitors will produce results will take a bit of doing.

            I always used an isolation transformer.
            When in doubt I teamed it with a variac.
            This will keep you a bit safer.
            It never hurt to make a current limiter.
            I used a standard light bulb, so that if I did turn on power to something shorted, the bulb would light up as a warning.

            One of my best tools was a home made transistor curve tracer.
            If there is a request I will make up a drawing and post some photos of the results.
            Making sense of the readings comes with experience.

            The tester is a simple circuit used in conjunction with a cheap dual channel scope.
            With it I was able to test most semiconductors, low value resistors, coils, and other items w/o removing them from the circuit.
            I can run through a radio's (two way toys is my other thing.) semi's and see very quickly what needs to be looked at in detail.

            One great tool has been the ESR meter.
            There are plenty of guys here that can point you in the right direction.
            Made a lot of money with mine.
            Even ordered a second one when I was in Kuwait to fix military toys.

            You can buy all this stuff over the counter and pay dearly.

            Or you can get some of it for free.

            Join a ham radio club.
            Very often there are guys un loading old test gear on the cheap.
            We have flea markets for just this kind of stuff.

            If your in the N. Virginia area I can point out a few to you..

            Hope all is well.
            Mike Chisena KA2ZEV
            aka
            Jack Crow
            "You are, what you do, when it counts"
            The Masso

            "Gravity, the quickest way down"
            Mayor John Almafi

            "You ever drop an egg, and on the floor you see it break?
            You go and get a mop so you can clean up your mistake.
            But did you ever stop to ponder why we know it's true?
            If you drop a broken egg you will not get an egg that's new?"

            MC Hawking

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

              Originally posted by Jack Crow View Post
              Dude,
              Fixing monitors is not an easy business. High voltage is not something I suggest for a first project.

              Did it for a while back when CRT units were worth fixing.

              Bet the guys who work on today's 'flat screen' units will agree with me.
              Just owning the tools is no indicator of ability. It just helps.

              It takes a more than a few items of test gear and some luck to fix most of them.

              So to set up a shop from point zero to the point where work on monitors will produce results will take a bit of doing.

              I always used an isolation transformer.
              When in doubt I teamed it with a variac.
              This will keep you a bit safer.
              It never hurt to make a current limiter.
              I used a standard light bulb, so that if I did turn on power to something shorted, the bulb would light up as a warning.

              One of my best tools was a home made transistor curve tracer.
              If there is a request I will make up a drawing and post some photos of the results.
              Making sense of the readings comes with experience.

              The tester is a simple circuit used in conjunction with a cheap dual channel scope.
              With it I was able to test most semiconductors, low value resistors, coils, and other items w/o removing them from the circuit.
              I can run through a radio's (two way toys is my other thing.) semi's and see very quickly what needs to be looked at in detail.

              One great tool has been the ESR meter.
              There are plenty of guys here that can point you in the right direction.
              Made a lot of money with mine.
              Even ordered a second one when I was in Kuwait to fix military toys.

              You can buy all this stuff over the counter and pay dearly.

              Or you can get some of it for free.

              Join a ham radio club.
              Very often there are guys un loading old test gear on the cheap.
              We have flea markets for just this kind of stuff.

              If your in the N. Virginia area I can point out a few to you..

              Hope all is well.
              Mike Chisena KA2ZEV
              aka
              Jack Crow
              Thanks for the advice!! However, I certainly am not well versed in electronics repair, but I understand the basics and I know how to solder reasonably well. If I end up screwing it up, at least I have the experience and a soldering iron and DMM to use. It's a free monitor, otherwise! I'll take precautions making sure the capacitors aren't charged...wearing a static wrist band...making sure to ventilate the fumes from the flux...etc.

              I'm not a huge electronics enthusiast, otherwise I would love to join a ham radio club. I'm preparing to enter medical school this fall, so I won't have time to do much else other than study. I really do appreciate the sincere advice!

              I enjoy troubleshooting, and fixing things, and I have a high school/college level understanding of electronics, but I don't think I'll make it a frequent hobby or service. Hence, my interest in more entry level, but quality tools.

              I certainly will defer to you or others like you if you don't think I should do it (given your extensive experience), but I think I'd like to give it a shot. My father was in avionics in the air force, and has taught me a bunch too so I'll definitely keep him on speed dial!

              I'll check out those links on e-bay and try to find a 40w iron there, possibly. I'd like to stay away from spending near $100 on my first hobby iron if I can help it!

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                Originally posted by obscurehero View Post
                I'll check out those links on e-bay and try to find a 40w iron there, possibly. I'd like to stay away from spending near $100 on my first hobby iron if I can help it!
                If you don't require the solder station (I don't have one), then get the Weller SP40L. It should be less than $20 USD with shipping.

                Or get the 40W no name brand from the far east for less than $4 USD (like I have).
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                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                  How is that Weller opposed to the WLC100 station? It looks to be ~$10 more. Is there that big of an advantage to using a station as opposed to a stand alone iron?

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                    The WLC100 is around $50 USD on amazon.com where as the solder iron listed above is $20 USD.

                    The station is nice for safety reasons.
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                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                      I'll probably go with the SP40L for now, as weller seems like a good company. If I end up doing more, I think a station would be a good buy...but as of now, I think that's an excellent suggestion!

                      I get free shipping at Amazon with Prime, so how does this: http://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP40LK-.../dp/B000HE5BZS compare to getting something like this: http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2062738

                      I'm assuming I should go with the weller, hands down?

                      Thanks!
                      Last edited by obscurehero; 01-24-2011, 12:23 PM.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                        Originally posted by obscurehero View Post
                        I'm assuming I should go with the weller, hands down?
                        I would probably go for the weller kit. You get some extra tips, the little stand, and the tool. Tips for weller are easy to find as well.

                        Don't forget to buy a solder pump. I just bought the cheapest one off ebay and it works great. I see solder pumps are now in the $2 USD range.
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                          #13
                          Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                          I was debating between using a pump, a bulb, or just solder wick (braid). Any preference? Someone said somewhere (I forget), that sometimes the pumps can damage the board or traces?

                          Is there a type of pump that's better than others?

                          Whatever I'll do, I have an old IPS board that I replaced from another monitor that I'll practice on a bit first.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                            Originally posted by obscurehero View Post
                            I was debating between using a pump, a bulb, or just solder wick (braid).

                            Is there a type of pump that's better than others?
                            I started with using a solder wick, but hated it. It could be that I had cheap wick, but I find the solder pump works best.

                            I don't know that much about the different types of pumps, but my $3 ebay cheapie has lasted about 14 lcd repairs and I have no problems with any damage.
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                              #15
                              Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                              Originally posted by obscurehero View Post
                              Hello all!

                              I posted this recent thread to fix the monitor that would otherwise have been thrown out at work!

                              I don't have a multimeter or a soldering iron currently. Back in H/S my dad had both, so for the little bit of hobby work I did, I used his.

                              I've convinced my wife that this is a good deal for us, but I need to justify spending $$$ on an iron and multimeter for "hobby" work. I want something that will last, but that I won't use terribly often. Both are handy to have around, but I doubt I'll be doing much work on anything but my own electronics. Let's hope that's infrequent!!

                              I understand that a 40W iron is a bare minimum, and that a station is preferable to a stand-alone iron. However, I can't spend a lot of money on both >$100. The soldering iron is a necessity, the multimeter would be nice to have.

                              Any suggestions?
                              The Weller iron mentioned by retiredcaps is a good investment. Readily available replacement tips is a major consideration. Get iron plated tips, they last much longer. I've got a 30 year old Ungar that is still going strong, if the tip goes I'll have to get a new iron; Ungar is out of business. I have a 60 watt NTE iron for heavy work; plated tips aren't available for it, it eats them like crazy.

                              Harbor Freight's #37772 DMM is a good deal for the hobbiest. It's currently on sale for $20. I would go with something better if I were doing repairs full time.

                              Solder pump, solder sucker, solder wick are all options. I dislike the solder pumps - they tend to spray solder dust around. My suggestion is a little more radical - get a dissecting pick. Or make one yourself by pushing a needle into a dowel. When replacing caps I heat up the legs, rock the capacitor out, then while the solder is still molten, use the dissecting pick to force the solder out of the holes.

                              A good pair of diagonal cutters is mandatory. If you are going to replace SMD devices, invest in a Chip-Quik kit and some solder wick.

                              PlainBill
                              For a number of reasons, both health and personal, I will no longer be active on this board. Any PMs asking for assistance will be ignored.

                              Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

                              Comment

                                #16
                                Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                                Thanks Bill.

                                I do have some cutters already that I think should do the job well. Supposedly the Weller iron has a 'pick' of sorts in the kit, so maybe that will help. I did end up getting wick and a pump as both were quite inexpensive. I'll practice on another bad IPS board and see which one I'm better with. I already bid on the wavetek meterman 15xp on ebay for $0.99 (w/o shipping). It seems to be a decent DMM, but the one you suggested looks a bit nicer. We'll see what happens with the auction.

                                Why do I need the Chip-Quick kit? the de-soldering alloy? It says it also includes no-clean flux in a syringe? what is that for? The kit doesn't seem too expensive, however.
                                Last edited by obscurehero; 01-25-2011, 04:02 PM.

                                Comment

                                  #17
                                  Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                                  Curious Inventor makes excellent soldering videos. See his SMD/Chip-quik video at

                                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NN7UGWYmBY
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                                    #18
                                    Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                                    oooh that's helpful to see! Thanks.

                                    I think I'll forgo the chip-quik kit for now. Once I practice, I'll try to see if I need to get the kit. I'd like to avoid spending another $20, if I can. My wife is already looking at me quizzically for taking this on and spending $50 to fix a $100 monitor. Obviously, this project requires some set-up costs, so the next time I need to fix something, it should be a lot cheaper.

                                    Comment

                                      #19
                                      Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                                      Originally posted by obscurehero View Post
                                      I'd like to avoid spending another $20, if I can. My wife is already looking at me quizzically for taking this on and spending $50 to fix a $100 monitor.
                                      You don't need Chip-Quik unless you are going to do SMD work.

                                      If your work is just tossing out non working lcds, just keep an eye out for them. Or get friendly with the IT people. I have repaired about 14 of them so far.

                                      The knowledge you gain is worth quite a bit too. Good troubleshooting techniques are a valuable life skill. Especially when it comes to the wives!
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                                        #20
                                        Re: Entry level Equipment Recommendations!

                                        Originally posted by Jack Crow View Post
                                        One of my best tools was a home made transistor curve tracer.
                                        If there is a request I will make up a drawing and post some photos of the results.
                                        Making sense of the readings comes with experience.

                                        The tester is a simple circuit used in conjunction with a cheap dual channel scope.
                                        With it I was able to test most semiconductors, low value resistors, coils, and other items w/o removing them from the circuit.
                                        I can run through a radio's (two way toys is my other thing.) semi's and see very quickly what needs to be looked at in detail.
                                        Hi Jack, can i have the drawing of your homemade curve tracer, and a picture of it?

                                        Thanks

                                        Comment

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