New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

[redwire]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

The magnets are at the far corners, on the feet. They don't get as hot. Not ferrite, it's some el-cheapo rare earth that are like candy over there. Many are good to >200°C so who knows.

The heater resistance went back down to 220Ω when it cooled down BUT this morning it was 42kΩ
If I push down on the plate it drops to a few hundred Ω, depending on where I push. So I thought it must be cracked... but plugged it in anyway. It's still working fine.
So the PTC is non-linear it acts like a MOV it needs higher voltage to fully conduct. Good to know, it's not a resistive thing I would have been fooled by the ohmmeter reading. PTC must be made of zinc oxide granules.
Either that or my plate is busted.

[stj]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

dont use the magnets - when you heat a magnet the field drops

[redwire]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

My hotplate came in and it was only packed in a bag (no padding) so the wires got slashed. Sigh. It's the larger 12x7cm/4.72x2.75 inch one.
The standoffs have magnets in them which is nice, no label on the plate, the bag says 599235.02 400W led ptc BXBA-AX-BT but no voltage spec. anywhere.

The PTC heater is weird, I measure 220Ω cold but plugging it in 120VAC it started drawing over 5A which is 600W and kinda scared me, it blew my 2A fuse. No fuse, readings I got:
0 seconds, 0W, 220Ω, 25°C misleading PTC ohmmeter reading
10 seconds, 460W, 31.3Ω
30 seconds, 200W, 72.0Ω, 200°C
115 seconds, 108W, 133.3Ω, 225°C
125 seconds, 83W, 173.5Ω, 230°C

So it settles after about 2 minutes to around 230°C. I'll try some M-core LED's soldering/rework later.
I think the challenge is moving something hot off it, to a cool down area.

[redwire]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

I think it's not about being new- it's about not wrecking your LED project or the board you're repairing figuring it out as you go, kind or thing. Some people use scissor jacks to lift up the board, off the plate to cool it.

Link? Which one?

I ordered this one, who knows if it will come in with Christmas rush and shipping backlog. Notice- shipping has been jacked up a lot on all stores last week.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003391422040.html
This Aliexpress store has many possible sizes, voltages, temperatures.

[megaraider]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

Yes, mainly aluminium with the occasional fr4.
Whilst the OP and others might claim they are new, I've had mine since 2018, how long does it take you to find an optimal way of working with a tool ?

Agree, LED strips and tools to work with aren't new

[diif]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

[QUOTE=megaraider;1082744]Working with LED strips... not imo./QUOTE]

Yes, mainly aluminium with the occasional fr4.

Whilst the OP and others might claim they are new, I've had mine since 2018, how long does it take you to find an optimal way of working with a tool ?

[megaraider]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

Those gloves work great. I'm moving a hot pcb a few cm. I'm. Puzzled how you can tell me thy don't work when they work great?

Working with LED strips... not imo.
But if those gloves work great with pcb boards there's possible answer to your question @redwire

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

Yes, tested at 120v.

Thanks

[diif]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

Those gloves work great. I'm moving a hot pcb a few cm. I'm. Puzzled how you can tell me thy don't work when they work great?

[megaraider]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

How are people getting the hot pc board off the plate? My luck, I would bump it and have parts all over the place. There needs to be a lift or something?

I do strips, so there is extra support both sides of the plate and then I lift it with these. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003324153934.html

Those gloves don't provide any accuracy
Even an aluminium foil paper sheet would provide much better results.
Place the sheet over the heat plate, leave good margins, place the strip, do the work, lift the strip picking up the aluminium foil paper edges.

If quick cool down isn't needed then follow:

i have an inline switch on mine that was intended for a table lamp.
i just power it off and let it and the pcb cool together usually

[clearchris]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

How are people getting the hot pc board off the plate? My luck, I would bump it and have parts all over the place. There needs to be a lift or something?

clearchris, can you measure ohms cold and hot of the plate you have. I ordered one 100V for $9 and will compare when the slow boat comes in.

Link? Which one?

I can't measure right now, my meter is across the country. I may pick up a cheap meter in the meantime though.

[diif]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

I do strips, so there is extra support both sides of the plate and then I lift it with these. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003324153934.html

[stj]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

i have an inline switch on mine that was intended for a table lamp.
i just power it off and let it and the pcb cool together usually

[redwire]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

How are people getting the hot pc board off the plate? My luck, I would bump it and have parts all over the place. There needs to be a lift or something?

clearchris, can you measure ohms cold and hot of the plate you have. I ordered one 100V for $9 and will compare when the slow boat comes in.

[clearchris]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

pretty sure he used 120v, because at 240v they heat a lot faster than that!

Yes, tested at 120v.

[stj]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

pretty sure he used 120v, because at 240v they heat a lot faster than that!

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

Ok, did some testing. 3 minutes 30 seconds to 215C. Top temperature around 330C or so in another minute or so. It bounces aronud a bit between 225 and 235. I had one measurement around at 239C. I ran it on top of a marble slab, there were reviews that the feet get hot, and I believe them.

Hard to argue with the price on this one. I'll have to go through my projects and see if I need to reflow anything.

Were these test at 120 volts or 240 volts which version do you have that you did testing on

[diif]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

Mine rests on a silicone soldering mat. I have two large heatsinks that are the same height that sit either side to provide better support for strips. I have also got disc cut from the insulation for a log burner, good for over 1000c

[stj]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

i put mine on threaded standoff posts so it is a good inch from the table

[clearchris]

Re: New Cheap Chinese Soldering Plates

Ok, did some testing. 3 minutes 30 seconds to 215C. Top temperature around 330C or so in another minute or so. It bounces aronud a bit between 225 and 235. I had one measurement around at 239C. I ran it on top of a marble slab, there were reviews that the feet get hot, and I believe them.

Hard to argue with the price on this one. I'll have to go through my projects and see if I need to reflow anything.