Stuart Brorson wrote:
Please remember that this is my understanding of what's going on in a
Metcal gained by lab heresay; I might always be confused about some
detail or another . . . .
The techical details sound right... or maybe someone gave the same sales pitch at my lab :-)
On the other hand, Weller and Hakko soldering irons are more than sufficient for occasional soldering if you're the type of person who spent under $500 for their stereo system, and can't hear the difference between it and your neighbor's $50,000 system.
That's not to say I wouldn't trade up if I had the choice.
A Metcal will give you the same amount of heat whether you are heating a QFP lead or a wad of 12 gauge wires (unless you reach the wattage limit for that particular tip). With a slightly less sophisticated temperature-controlled iron, you may have to boost the temperature setting slightly if there is a lot of thermal mass to whatever you are soldering.
-- Charles Lepple [EMAIL PROTECTED]
