Cheap soldering station and multimeter for begginers - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: mumia7575
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 20, 2016, 11:27:25 pm
content: Hi guys, I am a student beginning an electronics course and at the moment I really need an soldering station. Since I am a student and don't have a lot of money to waste in tools (something that will change when I get a job, I don't want to have cheap equipment in a professional career).So I have been doing research and I was thinking about a 936 clone for only get the job done, it's what I need, get the job done.I have seen this model aswell: Bakon BK950D (I know it's a cheap chinese station), it's any good compared to a 936 clone?Bakon BK950D:http://img.mysku-st.ru/uploads/images/original/02/00/16/2015/02/01/b6455b.jpg936 Clone (standard) internal:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/huakko-936c-soldering-station-(hakko-936-clone)/?action=dlattach;attach=20470;imageI would like any other suggestions.Edit: I will need to buy a cheap multimeter aswell, any suggestion for 20€/25$?

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 12:29:09 am
content: the bakon uses T12 tips - you would have to spend 0ver $200 to get anything better than T12 tips.btw, where have you seen it, and what price?because i'v seen it as low as this:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291859169457

author: mumia7575
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 07:18:02 pm
content: I have seen it here:http://www.gearbest.com/soldering-supplies/pp_363024.htmlfor 19.8€/22$.Sorry, but I didn't understand if the bakon is better than a 936 clone, is it?Any other suggestions are welcome.

author: MartinX
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 08:47:42 pm
content: I have a Bakon 950D but I never tried the 936 clone so I can't compare them. Anyway the 950D is small, light and compact if that is important to you, a 936 clone with its iron transformer is much bigger and heavier. I changed the electrolytic capacitors in my 950D to brand name types to enhance reliability, otherwise the switch mode power supply seems reasonably well constructed with adequate isolation clearances. The tip heats up reasonably fast and there is a calibration pot for the temperature. T-12 tips are plentiful on Ebay so there is no problem there.It is cheap and if it breaks there is no problem getting another station for the t-12 tips you have invested in, it's a low risk buy.

author: daybyter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 09:56:02 pm
content: I got me the hobbyking station as a backup to my weller and so far it works.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2016, 03:51:18 am
content: the T12 type irons are so much better than 900m type irons that it cant even be calculated.900m irons are crap thermally.936 uses 900m iron - dont buy it.

author: mumia7575
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 23, 2016, 12:36:09 am
content: Thanks for your advice. I will need to buy a cheap multimeter aswell, any suggestion for ~20€/25$? If possible something that I can buy in Europe or somewhere else that have free shipping.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2016, 04:24:51 am
content: You need to understand that a multimeter at $25 is not going to be a great long term purchase. IMHO you need to avoid Mastech. I have yet to see one that is worth throwing money away. I did a video on a Uni-T UT136B. I would consider this an OK buy bt not for use on anything other than bench electronics use.If you want to double your price, then you can get something worth keeping and safer. A Uni-T UT139C is a good example.

author: mumia7575
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 23, 2016, 10:47:42 am
content: As I said I won't keep this equipment for long. The innova 3320 is any good?

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2016, 03:29:23 pm
content: Quote from: mumia7575 on October 23, 2016, 10:47:42 amFrom what I can see online, it looks as good as any other cheap meter.

author: Mark
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2016, 06:39:39 pm
content: I fired up my brand new Bakon BK950D iron today and was surprised to find the tip glowing bright red when I took the iron out of the holder. The base unit then started flashing "H-E".Thankfully I didn't pay much for it, I let it cool down before binning it.

author: MaximRecoil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2016, 06:58:25 pm
content: Quote from: Mark on December 07, 2016, 06:39:39 pmDid you try it with a Hakko brand T12 tip cartridge? If not, I'd do that before throwing it away.

author: anman
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2016, 07:17:45 pm
content: You need to begin to determine the priority in your work with the soldering station. When it comes to surface mounting, it is best to start to take a cheap soldering fan.

author: Watth
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2016, 08:26:54 pm
content: A reasonnably priced DMM:http://pt.rs-online.com/web/p/multimetros-digitales/8937896/

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2016, 11:46:57 pm
content: Quote from: Mark on December 07, 2016, 06:39:39 pmyou should have contacted the seller for another one.then fixed the faulty one - you would have 2 instead of 0

author: Mark
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 09:03:16 am
content: Quote from: stj... but then I would have TWO things that could burn the house down.Sorry, but crap like this doesn't get a second chance.

author: MaximRecoil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 09:42:01 am
content: Quote from: Mark on December 08, 2016, 09:03:16 amThat's an unusual mindset for a member of this forum. My first thought would be to fix it. If it's overheating the tip, then obviously the temperature regulation mechanism is faulty. With stations that use the Hakko T12 tip cartridge, that mechanism seems to be in the tip cartridge, at least partially:

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2016, 09:58:06 am
content: a triac can short on any iron controller - not just chinese ones.it's even feasable that the tip wasnt seated properly in the handle causing the element to be powered via the ground connection.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2019, 02:17:56 pm
content: Well, I'm stumped.I got one of these to check out and found the tip temp was off by -40 C According to my Hakko FG-100.I attempted to follow the (seemingly) simple instructions for cal involving the buttons, and now it's zonked. It either sits at 100 C or tries to go into the red hot range. I tried another new tip and does the same thing.Any ideas or reset options?