Metcal soldering staion here. Like Kamis said, the future of soldering stations is RF heating. Did I pay close to a grand for a new one? Nope, I watched Ebay like a hawk for a few weeks and got a complete system, including the desoldering gun for less than 200 bucks. The soldering tips are the heater, they have the RF coil wrapped around the core, uses the currie effect to regulate. I see other manufactures are coming out with them now that the patent has expired. Kind of tells you something.
Picked up a second unit for field service work. There so cheap used and seem to last forever.
BillWojo
Picked up a second unit for field service work. There so cheap used and seem to last forever.
BillWojo
They run the unit's that I use at about 13.5Mhz, so no interference with the radio. They have been used in industry for years and RF technology is nothing new. Used in induction furnaces and for induction heattreating. I was in a customers shop once and on one of there processes they induction hardened a steel part on a very large run of parts. Set up with robotic loading and unloading I had to stop and watch as a good sized piece of steel was raised to a white hot heat in less than 2 seconds. Talk about power! Same part with a rosebud torch would take me about a minute to get that hot.
The thing I like about the Metcals is the tip stays the same temp using the currie effect to regulate the RF power. When laying into a good sized heat sucking joint, the RF unit just pours the power out, right to the tip. Plus the soldering handpiece is small, about 5/8 in diameter and the distance from your finger tips to the tip of the iron is roughly 1 and 1/2 inches. Offers much better control of the iron over a typical soldering iron.
I like mine but everybody has there favorite, that's why they make so many types. I do think that in the future any proffesional soldering station is going to be a RF unit now that the patent has run out. Isn't Hakko on the bandwagon now?
BillWojo
The thing I like about the Metcals is the tip stays the same temp using the currie effect to regulate the RF power. When laying into a good sized heat sucking joint, the RF unit just pours the power out, right to the tip. Plus the soldering handpiece is small, about 5/8 in diameter and the distance from your finger tips to the tip of the iron is roughly 1 and 1/2 inches. Offers much better control of the iron over a typical soldering iron.
I like mine but everybody has there favorite, that's why they make so many types. I do think that in the future any proffesional soldering station is going to be a RF unit now that the patent has run out. Isn't Hakko on the bandwagon now?
BillWojo
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