Soldering iron

Phase noise on the Rb is worse than the OCXO in the Thunderbolt, especially if you get one with the Trimbel OCXO.

Stability is mostly moot for what many of us do.

tm

I don't know--the Rb is about -130 dBc at 10 Hz, which is good enough that it's hard to measure, and is certainly better than the divider chains of the synthesizers it's controlling. It also has the great advantage that it's sitting on my shelf already.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Snipage

But you need a spare so you will not know what one is correct :).

tm

Do rubidiums have low phase noise? I'd suspect that the low-end ones wouldn't. The xo discipline loop is very slow, so the phase noise mostly depends on how good an xo they used.

Here's the manual from my ebay unit:

It does have an ovenized xo.

Talking to the local Meinberg rep, DGPSO wins over Rb for phase noise. DGPSOs are quite cheap on the used market, but you do need to set up an antenna. The advantage to Rb is if GPS lock is lost, it will be on frequency much better than a crystal.

Most of these DGPSOs have a similar command set. You don't need the manufacturer's software. Just run Lady Heather.

Yep. It seems like an overkill method to generate heat. But like I said, Metcal has its fans.

I see busted Metcals in the surplus shops often. If you are in the valley, there is a guy who sells repaired Metcals at the DeAnza swap meet. Harold (blank). He comes up from Santa Barbara, so you can imagine he does a decent business selling repaired irons.

The big advantage to Hakko or Weller is I can just go to Frys and buy the tips.

When I am soldering, I leave the iron on. I don't get the heat up contest.

One commonly needs to change tips, e.g. to desolder some SMT, or to replace a chisel point with a hoof for doing some TSSOP or something horrible like that. With Metcals, you use the plastic pad, hoick out the old tip, cram in the new one, and you're soldering again in a few seconds.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

gregz wrote in news:2073192732354337688.866827zekor- snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:

I like my Antex 15W iron. I even made an adapter to accept 10ga. copper wire for a tip. I wish I had a lathe.

That's the charcoal-fuelled one, right? ;)

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

I just order the tips from Farnell. Next day delivery.

Same with Ersa. The tip is held in place with a spring-hook contraption. Replacing the tip is a matter of seconds. I often change tips when working on a project. There simply is no way you can use one tip for all soldering jobs.

I agree on tip changing, but I don't change tips between every joint.

I'd like to see the official failure rate on the metcals. I find so many busted ones that it can't be good.

I've had three over 20 years or so. One died right after the warranty expired, one was still working after about 15 years when I left IBM, and my current eBay one has been fine for three years or so.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

But the current generation is made in China IIRC. I'll make it a point to get the model numbers the next time I see a pile of busted metcals. Busted Metcals don't last long on the surplus shelf since there is a small fraternity of people that know how to repair them and then put them on ebay.

Thew key to longevity for both tips and the driver unit is to turn the thing off between sessions. It only takes 5 seconds to heat from ambient and even less when it is already warm. Leaving them on all day cycles the drive constantly, and burns up the tip itself too.

Turning off the power keeps a 5 year old tip as new looking as a tip only a month old by some dope who is casual about it.

You're a total retard, and about as green as used coffee ground fungus. Just about that 'smart' too.

I'll add that many of the Metcals out there -- even ones well past a decade old now -- have the option to shut themselves off after something like half-an-hour if they haven't been used.

Ours in the lab does. I tie-wrapped a twist timer to the side.

That was my conclusion too? just bought one on aliexpress.com, $74 and abt $40 freight to Australia. Plenty of spares available locally (the station itsef costs much more locally though)

Clifford Heath