Video of the channel “reviews of packages and homemade products from jakson” about useful tools for a radio amateur. They can greatly simplify and improve your hobby. You can buy all this in this Chinese store.
Convenient tool for soldering.
They can easily remove melted solder. A radio amateur will need this to solder parts even with multiple outputs, like microcircuits.
Side cutter.
Wire cutting tool. The main difference from simple wire cutters is a more convenient form for biting off even hard-to-reach leads.
Vise for printed circuit boards.
This is a good alternative for securing boards more tightly. Their cost is cheaper than a third party.
When working with small parts, it is convenient to use tweezers. Soviet tweezers are better than most modern ones. If this is not possible, you can purchase a good option with ceramic tips in China. The latter are insulators.
Magnetized tray.
When disassembling or repairing any equipment, we often come across a bunch of various small parts. For convenient storage of bolts and other small things, there is a special magnetized tray. Thanks to him, the radio amateur is unlikely to lose small parts.
Multimeter.
It is unlikely that any radio amateur can do without a multimeter. Probably any radio amateur knows about its purpose and multifunctionality. The selection of multimeters in Chinese stores is wider than in the market in your city. The price is more reasonable, however, if you are willing to wait a little for delivery.
Insulation stripping tool - stripper.
Perhaps this tool is for the lazy and not at all mandatory. Why use it if you can easily remove the insulation the old fashioned way with your teeth. Well, seriously, you already know what it’s for.
Copper braid.
Another useful tool for removing solder. It is more efficient than a desoldering pump. The principle of its operation is very simple. Copper braiding, impregnated with flux or rosin, absorbs all the molten solder. But there is one significant drawback. Sooner or later it ends. This is what distinguishes the almost endless tin pump from it.
Scalpel.
Another useful tool. It is an alternative to a stationery knife. It's inexpensive. The kit includes an additional blade that can be easily changed.
Due to its compact size, it is more convenient to work with. Unlike most other cutting tools.
Hot glue gun.
When assembling homemade products, you often have to fasten parts together. One durable and practical method is to use hot melt glue. The sticks for this gun are cheaper than most other types of glue. However, they do not have an expiration date. This tool is easy to use. Order quality options that cost a little more. The cheapest glue guns quickly break down. Moreover, they pose a fire hazard.
Source: youtu.be/nRNoUpIZIhY
1. Soldering iron – 306 rubles.
This is one of the most popular soldering irons on Ali Express with a power of 60 watts. It has a regulator for this power from 200 to 450 degrees Celsius. Judging by the reviews, you can safely add plus 100 degrees to these indicators. The soldering iron comes with a stand. The soldering iron has protection against bending of the wire, which is 1.5 meters in length. The rubber band does not heat up and the soldering iron is comfortable to hold. The soldering iron tip is made of nickel-plated copper. This tip is durable and does not oxidize, as it is copper. The stings are not magnetic. The heart of this soldering iron is the ceramic heating element. The soldering iron heats up quite quickly. This model costs about 370 rubles. Ceramic analogues in Russia can be bought twice as expensive. It is worth noting that the ceramic element in these soldering irons is designed not for 220 Volts, but for 110, so in order for this soldering iron to serve for a long time, it is best to keep its power regulator at a minimum, that is, at 200 degrees. You can turn it on and warm it up at maximum, but as soon as it reaches operating temperature, you should turn the regulator to minimum. The operating temperature will be about 300 degrees. In general, for household needs, taking into account the price, the soldering iron is really good.
2. Desalter pump – 224 rubles.
This device is called a tin pump. This thing is quite inexpensive, but very effective for soldering radioelements, especially centipedes. It works on the principle of a pump, only in the opposite direction. In theory, its white nose should be able to withstand high temperatures. Testing has shown that the spout actually does not melt. Overall, this is a very useful thing that works as expected. It has a metal body and high suction power. The tool is quickly and easily disassembled for cleaning. An internal piston automatically cleans the solder with every use.
3. Antistatic tweezers – 447 rubles.
These are special antistatic tweezers. According to the seller, the tweezers are made of stainless steel. At first glance, the tweezers are really good. It has high strength, high hardness and wear resistance. It closes very accurately and is also not magnetic. The set includes 8 pieces of different lengths.
4. Solder - 81 rubles.
This solder is of quite decent quality. Solder 63 by 37, diameter 0.8 mm with two percent flux. Judging by the reviews, they can be used for soldering. Keep in mind that it is refractory. It is stated that its weight is 50 grams. If you unwind it and weigh it separately, the weight of the solder will be 30 grams, and the weight of the coil will be 20 grams. At first glance, it seems that there is a lot of solder here, but the coil has a double bottom. This was done not to deceive the buyer, but so that buyers could hide something here, for example, some radio parts. In fact, there are only two layers of solder wound here.
5. Flux RMA-223 – 138 rubles.
Flux RMA-223 is designed for desoldering, not soldering. The set includes 5 pieces. Sold in a 10 ml tube. Provides a smooth weld surface and good insulation. Non-toxic and of good workmanship.
6. Flux NC-559 – 242 rubles.
This flux is needed for soldering. Reviews about it are good. The flux is in special tubes for better preservation. A special pistol is sold for it, which is quite expensive. There is an option to use a ten cc syringe.
7. Braid – 83 rubles.
On Ali Express you can order such a copper braid to collect excess solder from printed circuit boards. It costs about one and a half dollars. The length is approximately one and a half meters and the width is 3 mm.
8. Third hand – 597 rubles.
This assistant was called “Third Hand” for its functionality and usefulness in use. Such a device costs about 600 rubles. This thing has a magnifying glass. The structure itself is hinged. The device has a weighty stand, which contains three little batteries (not included) so that you can turn on the backlight. The body also contains two LEDs for use in dark rooms. The thing is very convenient and greatly facilitates the process of soldering and desoldering. There is an adjustable alligator clip. This is an ideal tool when a third hand is needed for work.
9. Heat-shrinkable tubes – 35 rubles.
You can order these heat-shrinkable tubes on the website. They are supplied in bags of 2 and 3 mm. This is a very convenient thing for insulating wires. The original diameter is approximately halved.
10. USB soldering iron – 275 rubles.
This is a five-volt portable soldering iron that can be powered by anything that has a USB connector. Works great, has a touch switch. Its trick is that it heats up very quickly, turns itself off and can be powered by a Power Bank or a cigarette lighter in a car. Of course, it cannot be considered as a main soldering iron, but as a soldering iron in a situation where there is no outlet, this is just the thing. Fast heating and cooling means you can work with it quickly and efficiently. Material of manufacture: plastic and metal. The total length of the soldering iron is 16 cm, the length of the handle is 11.5 cm. Presented in black. The kit includes a special protective cap. This is a good option for beginners and amateurs.
How to choose a soldering iron for radio making
A soldering iron is one of the main tools in everyday life when you need to connect wires or re-solder a radio component. First of all, you should start choosing based on such a parameter as power. The lowest-power soldering irons with a power of up to 10 watts are used in professional work and, as a rule, are used exclusively with microcircuits or overlay elements on the board. In general, a hairdryer is used to solder processors at home, but that’s a different story. In our case, the recommendation is to take a soldering iron with a power in the range of 25-60 watts. For soldering elements on a board, it is better to use a 25-watt one, for soldering wires with a cross-section of 1.5-4 mm2, it is more convenient to use a 60-watt one, it warms up the wire better, and therefore the soldering is more reliable.
The next thing you should pay attention to is the material from which the sting is made.
Here we can distinguish: a copper tip and a tip with a nickel coating (multi-alloy tips).
Copper tips have good thermal conductivity, which can be convenient for quick heating, but in certain situations it can lead to overheating of the part itself. At the initial stage, we carefully recommend using a copper tip. There are a lot of nuances that are easier to manage with a copper tip. In fact, when choosing a tip, you need to understand that what is important first of all is the shape and size of the tip. Copper can be easily cleaned without fear of damaging the coating. The main disadvantage of copper is, of course, wear and susceptibility to corrosion, but timely tinning and proper care extend the service life.
The next very important element is the handle. The main choice is between a plastic and wooden handle. For children, and even beginners at the first stage, we would recommend a wooden handle.
Very often the weight of the handle is important, or rather the soldering iron, when placed on the surface, should remain on the handle, and in no case fall over the tip (this applies to novice solders with low-power soldering irons, it is better not to take a powerful soldering iron yet), You yourself understand that this is fraught fire if you don't watch it in time.
If you have an idea in your head to take a soldering station with the ability to adjust power and temperature, then this is an excellent option, especially if you plan to regularly do soldering in the future. The question arises of price and regular maintenance of the soldering iron.
Of course, after purchasing a soldering iron, take the necessary accompanying materials: solder, a soldering iron stand, the surface on which to solder (you can just use a board, it’s convenient to use a 200x200 mm mica plate), FLUX for soldering copper, technical ammonia for cleaning.
After everything is prepared, it is necessary to proceed with the first heating and preparation of the soldering iron, but it is better to consider this separately. The operation and maintenance of a soldering iron is a separate topic and will be discussed later.
If you don’t know where to start, take an inexpensive low-power soldering iron, try soldering with it in different conditions (on the street, at a height, in a car, soldering large wires, soldering small wires, microcircuits, different metals) and you will understand that It is important for you first of all, after that you will go shopping more consciously.
Seal
It is sometimes difficult for a novice radio amateur to decide what tool do you need to have? to repair household electronic equipment. Therefore this article is for
You are aspiring TV masters.
So, the necessary equipment and tools without which there is no way:
- Multimeter. It is the main device in the hands of a TV technician. A multimeter is a combined electrical measuring instrument that combines several functions. In the simplest version, this is a voltmeter, ammeter and ohmmeter. Well, in addition to the usual functions for a multimeter (measuring voltage, resistance and current),
It could measure capacitance, test transistors, have a built-in oscillator and measure frequency. In addition, the multimeter must have good protection, because if you don’t try, you will still fit into the wrong modes and in the wrong place. Which one to choose? You shouldn’t start with the cheapest multimeters D830-838; it’s better to buy something like DT9205. Inexpensive and quite decent.
- Soldering iron. To perform standard work, a soldering iron with a power of 25-40 W will be sufficient,
What matters here is what he is like. I can say right away - don’t buy cheap Chinese ones, it’s a complete disappointment. The choice among soldering irons is huge, simple Russian ones like EPSN xx W,
Soldering iron EPSN
soldering irons with ceramic heater, nichrome heater, hair dryers, soldering stations. We do not consider hair dryers and soldering stations; these are for mass work. But to begin with, it’s still better to focus on our native EPSN or soldering irons with a ceramic heater
Soldering iron 220V 25 W REXANT
(fortunately there are inexpensive copies now). And it is advisable to buy a soldering iron so that it has a replaceable tip - when the old one wears out, it can be replaced.
- Soldering iron stand. Some soldering irons (average in price) are sold together with a stand. However, you can make it yourself or buy it in a store.
Soldering iron holder
The question is not fundamental, the main thing is that the soldering iron does not burn holes where you put it and does not start a fire, and does not roll off the table.
- Solder. POS-61 – tin-lead solder, 61 percent tin content. Universal and perhaps
Solder POS61
The most common. Available in spools of wire of various diameters. The most suitable diameter is 0.8-1.0 mm.
- Flux. It would be better if it did not contain acid. The solder already contains rosin, so in the first stages you will not need flux.
- Suction. Necessary for careful soldering of radioelements. Gone are the days when ordinary syringe needles were in use; now it is not a problem to buy this tool in a store. Here we can advise you to pay attention to simple spring suctions
Solder suction
and a suction soldering iron.
Soldering iron with suction
Prices here are also very scattered. For cleaner removal of solder residues, special tinned braid is sold.
- Magnifying glass. After soldering a connection, it is always a good idea to ensure its quality by checking its shape and cleanliness, and that the tin is not touching adjacent chip pins or traces.
- Screwdrivers. As a rule, several screwdrivers are needed for work. A couple of shaped (cross) blades with a diameter of 4 mm for unscrewing small parts and a diameter of 6 mm with a long tip for disassembling a TV. The same criteria apply to regular screwdrivers. In general, it’s not a bad idea to immediately buy a set of screwdrivers, for all occasions.
In this article we will talk about a complete set of tools and accessories for soldering.
Basic list of necessary tools and materials for soldering
1.
Soldering iron - optimal for 220 Volts 40 - 60 Watts;
2.
Soldering iron stand;
3.
Carrying for a soldering iron and other electrical appliances;
4.
Desk lamp;
5.
Solder (any);
6.
Pine rosin – as one of the types of flux;
7.
Tweezers, or better yet two tweezers;
8.
Ethyl alcohol (jokes aside);
9.
Manicure tongs;
10.
Electrician's knife;
Soldering iron– the tool is individual, and even more so the shape of the soldering iron tip. An important role is played by preparing the soldering iron and its tips for work. For me, a straight sting with a wedge-shaped tip in the shape of a splitting ax is convenient. During soldering, the tip burns, so it is periodically cleaned with a file. In order for the tip to burn less, it is forged with a hammer, giving it the required shape, and then processed with a file.
The end of the soldering iron tip should be tinned. Since the tip is copper, and copper quickly oxidizes at high temperatures, the tip is usually tinned with a soldering iron that is underheated (when it has difficulty melting the solder). Having previously touched the rosin with the sting, rub it over the melting solder.
Desk lamp will help you avoid developing myopia. When working with small radio components, you have to strain your eyesight, and the brighter the lighting, the less strain your eyes will have. The optimal lamp is not with point light, but with distributed light. For example, a fluorescent lamp.
Solder- an alloy of tin and lead, the material is not fancy, whatever you buy will be the same. The only thing you need to know is that solders differ in melting point, and when you become a “gourmet” among “solders”, then this fact will become important to you, but for now, don’t worry.
Flux– this is a tumor (inflammation) of the gums next to the diseased tooth, and it is also a material that provides high-quality soldering of metals. Fluxes include: pine rosin, various soldering acids, soldering fat (oil), and other active chemical solutions.
The best flux is a solution of rosin in alcohol. How to cook it? Take a bottle of medicine, crumble rosin into it, add ethyl alcohol in a one-to-one ratio with rosin. Close the bottle, shake, and let the bottle sit. When the rosin is all dissolved, the flux is ready. To prevent the alcohol from evaporating, the vial must be sealed tightly. Soldering with this flux is a pleasure. Using a toothpick (match), apply a drop of this flux to the cleaned surface to be soldered, and take a drop of solder onto the soldering iron tip. When you touch the solder tip of the soldering iron to the soldered part, you will hear the hissing of alcohol, and the solder will spread in an even layer over the soldered surface. Tinning the ends of installation wires is also a pleasure. To do this, dip the end of the wire, stripped of insulation, into alcohol flux, and then use a soldering iron with a drop of solder on the tip.
Soldering acid - a combination of active chemicals, is an excellent flux for soldering everything except electronic circuits. This is due to the fact that soldering acids, for which there are many recipes, are electrically conductive. When soldering, evaporating from the temperature of the soldering iron, the acid enters various crevices and micropores of electronic boards. Therefore, even after cleaning the board, a short circuit may occur when testing it under current.
Remember one important rule: Any flux is a chemically active substance , therefore, after soldering, wipe the soldering areas with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol; this will not stop the acid, but it will prevent surface oxidation of conductors and elements.
Manicure tongs are used to bite off wires and shorten the excess length of leads of radio components.
Tools for installation (dismantling) work
In addition to working with a soldering iron, radio amateurs are often faced with installation work, which includes assembling (disassembling) radio devices. In this regard, any master must have tools for installation work.
1. Flat screwdrivers. The need may arise for screwdrivers of different sizes, of which the most common are those with tip widths of 1-2 mm (hourly), 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm;
2. Phillips screwdrivers. More often, the need arises for screwdrivers of two sizes with tip widths of 3 mm and 5 mm;
3. Pliers– with insulated handles;
4. Round nose pliers– rarely used, but if the need arises, you will regret not buying it earlier;
5. Narrow-nose pliers. Not all places can be reached with pliers;
6. Side cutters- take a bite whatever and wherever;
7. Small core- used to mark future holes;
8. Hammer. No comments;
9. Open-end wrenches, different and small in size - not everything can be unscrewed with pliers;
10. Cutter, made from a hacksaw blade for metal. Necessary for smooth cutting of textolite and getinaks boards, plastics, and other materials, for mechanical cleaning of solder joints. The cutter is made as follows: 1. The end of the blade breaks off at a slight angle; 2. A deep notch is made on the emery machine (sharpening machine) from the side of the obtuse angle of the blade fragment; 3. The end of the cutter is brought to an acute angle using a block; 4. A cambric is put on the canvas as a handle, or insulating tape is wound; The cutter is ready.
11. Various needle files– round, flat, with an acute angle (side);
12. Files– round, flat;
13. Diamond sanding plate(fine grinding stone) for sharpening small drills, sharpening a cutter (item 10) and other works;
14. Drill, better manual electric. Please note that the force of pressing the button changes the rotation speed (the button has a built-in thyristor controller);
15. Drills– with a diameter of 0.5...2 mm – for drilling holes in radio boards, with a diameter of 1.5...5 mm – for drilling holes in “various” places;
16. Metal ruler about 20 cm long;
17. Square with protractor- "just".
Other necessary materials and tools
1. Hacksaw for metal;
2. Bench vice;
3. Thermally conductive paste– to ensure good thermal contact of radio element housings on cooling radiators;
4. Varnish, maybe for nails– for drawing radio boards (during their manufacturing process);
5. Ferric chloride– for etching radio boards (during their manufacture);
6. Insulating tape;
7. Various adhesives: Moment glue, Epoxy glue, Dichloroethane - glue for plastic.
When making their designs, radio amateurs use different tools. In addition to electrical installation, plumbing, carpentry, etc. are required. A good set of tools is a source of special pride for a master.
Usually it all starts with a pair of three screwdrivers and a hammer, and then, as needed, other tools are purchased. Some very convenient “devices” can be made on your own, and they will successfully complement even a “branded” set.
Homemade tools
Utility knife. Everyone has a hacksaw for metal. Hacksaw blades are quite fragile, and over time a lot of debris accumulates and lies unattended. But these are valuable semi-finished products from which you can “build” many useful devices. For example, turn it into a universal knife with replaceable blades, which is a whole set of tools, and even with a pencil case for storing spare blades (Fig. 1).
To make a pencil case pen, take a blank (a tube with a diameter of 20...25 mm from any non-ferrous metal) and grind one side with a file until a longitudinal groove is formed. Then this end needs to be flattened by placing a plate slightly thicker and wider than the hacksaw blade into it. Everything else is clear from the picture. The cutters can be made in a variety of different ways, depending on your imagination.
Ballerina cutter. When making acoustic systems, you have to cut round holes of large diameter for the dynamic heads. Of course, you can use a jigsaw, but it is difficult for them to cut straight holes. Therefore, you cannot do without the ballerina shown in Fig. 2. Holder 2 is machined from a 32x42 mm hexagon. The shank and guide part are machined to a diameter of 8... 10 mm. The length of the cylindrical part of the guide should be within 25...30 mm, the length of the shank 50...60mm. Rod 3 is a segment of a hexagon.
It is fixed in the holder with bolt 1 mounted on a bronze bushing. Alfa-Union sells inexpensive rolled metal products in St. Petersburg. We sell rolled metal products and offer high-quality products. In our offer, customers will find bronze bushings, channels, fittings, hexagons and other metal products. Cutter 4 is inserted into the hole of the rod and clamped with bolt 5. Cutters can be made from fragments of drills, taps, etc. tool.
It is necessary to work with such a ballerina on a drilling machine at the minimum possible rotation speed of the chuck; the lower part of the cutter must be at least 5 mm higher than the cylindrical part of the guide. The workpiece must be taken with a certain margin so that there is a reliable support in the machine bed. The hole is drilled halfway on one side, then the workpiece is turned over and finished on the other.
Micro drilling machine. The most labor-intensive procedure in amateur radio is the production of printed circuit boards. They have to drill a huge number of small holes (0.8...1.2 mm in diameter). Drills of this diameter are difficult to clamp into the drill chuck, and they break with any careless movement. In this case, a simple micro-machine will help out (Fig. 3). The design of the machine is clear from the figure. Missing dimensions can be taken arbitrarily, depending on the available materials.
Before attaching the motor casing 2 to the rod 1 (steel strip 20x4 mm), the engine itself is removed from the casing, and the casing is welded to the rod or secured with countersunk screws. In case of fastening with screws, mark the mounting holes and drill them with a drill with a diameter of 3 mm. Holes with a diameter of 8 mm are drilled on the opposite side.
As a chuck for drill 3, two pulleys from a tape recorder were used, soldered together on a steel axis (drill) with a diameter of 2 mm. Drills for CNC machines, regardless of their diameter, have a shank diameter of 2 mm. When drilling holes, the board is placed on table 4 and moved towards the drill using lever 5. The bed and table are secured to a fairly massive base 6.
To help a screwdriver. Often you have to screw in a screw or screw in a hard-to-reach place. In this case, the screw (screw) can be secured to the blade of the screwdriver using a lump of plasticine. If you don’t have plasticine on hand, a narrow strip of thin fabric will do. A hole is pierced in the middle of the strip for the screw and used to tighten the screw to the screwdriver. After the screw is screwed in, the fabric is torn off. You can use a collet pencil to tighten small screws.
Soldering iron for aluminum. When soldering aluminum, cable workers use special soldering oil. Instead, you can use a modernized soldering iron. Only its copper rod is subject to modification, the working part of which must be dulled with a file until a platform about 4 mm wide is formed.
A cut with a depth of 7...8 mm is made in the area using a hacksaw. A 12-millimeter piece is cut out of a hacksaw blade “tempered” over a fire and treated with a mixture of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids (20%) to remove scale from the surface. Then this piece of blade is inserted into the cut of the tip (notch outward) and fixed in a vice. The manufactured tip serves as a scraper for removing the oxide film from the surface to be tinned.
Another method for soldering aluminum is to apply a thin film of copper over the soldering area. The soldering area is cleaned and 2-3 drops of a saturated solution of copper sulfate are carefully applied. Then the part is connected to a direct current source, and to its “+” is a piece of copper wire 2...3 mm thick. The wire is inserted into the drop so that it does not touch the surface of the part. As a result of electrolysis, a layer of red copper is deposited at the soldering site, which is then tinned with an ordinary soldering iron. You can use a flashlight battery as a power source.
