Almost certainly; Aldi website and my browser don't play nicely.
The only downside is the iron stand is a separate unit to the power box. I suppose it minimises the risk of dropping solder on the LCD.
Owain
I had a look at that. The build quality seems very plasticy. Obviously I couldn't power it up in the shop to check operation.
What also worried me is the tips semm to have their own long screw thread to attach to the iron. I've not seen that arrangement before and I'd be concerned about availability of replacement tips. I see there are tips like the Weller MT2 that have roughly the same shape, but I don't know if the threads are compatible.
If it were me I'd look for a secondhand Weller or Metcal on ebay for serious work. The above might be fine to keep in the car/boat/caravan for a handful of joints a year, but I think it might not be so great to use on a regular basis.
Theo
Also (sorry if I'm boring anyone by returning to the subject) should the soldering iron be powered via an isolating transformer, or is it ok if it plugs straight into the mains?
On a sunny day (Sun, 1 Jul 2018 17:48:56 +0100) it happened Peter Percival wrote in :
For electronics use one with a transformer, good ones also have a ground connector one the iron side, not that I ever used that.
Use a wrist strap, grounded too, against static electricity. Not that I ever used that either. Use common sense, do not solder on live circuits, circuits that are 'on', NEVER.
All that said: I have a glass table covered with cardboard covered with paper for prototype building and testing.
YMMV All that super anti statics, walk a mile in my shoes, I can pull > 1 inch sparks in the supermarket towards the racks when walking around there. So, type of floor counts too. If your hair stands up you are probably charged, acryl clothing works great here too if it is dry.
And lightning:
There is a learning curve there I am sure.
Generally there's no reason to use an isolating transformer. If you're working on live equipment it might make sense to have both the equipment and iron on the isolation, but it is simpler just to unplug the equipment.
If your soldering iron has any mains leakage that an isolating transformer would protect you from, there's something seriously wrong with it.
Theo
My concern is protecting the devices I'm soldering!
If there's any leakage then there's a problem that an isolating transformer won't help with (or you have a solder gun in which case throw it away now), the bit should be grounded and that should be enough.
-- Steve O'Hara-Smith | Directable Mirror Arrays C:\>WIN | A better way to focus the sun The computer obeys and wins. | licences available see You lose and Bill collects. | http://www.sohara.org/
On a sunny day (Sun, 1 Jul 2018 22:26:34 +0100) it happened Peter Percival wrote in :
Some practical tips, well the procedure *I* always follow with any 'tronix: Say if you want to solder on a raspberry, and with a soldering station with isolation transformer:
1) disconnect ALL wires to the raspi, also to the USB power. the AC adaptor / wallwarts have small capacitors to both mains leads (required against interference by law) that put effectively half the mains voltage (so 120V in Europe) on the connector, it is extremely low current (Cs are about 1.5 nF or there about), but will kill sensitive components. 2) make sure you are free from earth 3) touch the metal of the analog video output on the raspi now you are both at the same potential. 4) get your soldering thing and make sure you touch it too (ground connector if it has one [1]). repeat 3 and 4 if think it is needed. 5) open the raspi 6) do the soldering thing with decent solder, no acid flux, 60/40 resin core works, or some other stuff silver based, USE THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE for the solder you use (requires adjustable soldering iron, a MUST).7) It may help to wear a tinfoil hat, but keep it cool.
FYI I have not blown up even the most sensitive MOSFETS ever.
And as an aside, (mostly for the continent) use grounded PCs, equipment, even my lab supply is grounded, IIRC the English have nice mains plugs with a huge ground pin, here on the continent, lots of 2 pin stuff. For reasons mentioned in (1) keep that half mains away from any connectors (PCs etc have the same decoupling caps, called mains filter. Taking these rules not seriously will get you into trouble. Best advice I can give.
[1] not the hot side, could not resist...To break the rules, my scope is not grounded, so I can single channel measure stuff that carriers some voltage.. Understand the circuits and things you work on, else do not touch it. Understand what electrons like to do. That is the gist of it. Start there.
I bought an Aldi iron a week or so ago, and remain very impressed. The build is indeed plastic, but it seems robust and well made. The downside for me is the bulky iron itself - I've become very used to slender Amtex ones. The tips on the Aldi have male M4 threads, so copper ones can be made easily. They heat up very quickly, and the display is very clear. A good buy...
-- Mark J From RISCOS 5.24 on a BeagleBoard-xM and Raspberry Pi2B - and Linux on a PandaBoard ES and Raspberry Pi3B
Gordon Henderson wrote on 26/06/2018 :
I think I have had the same one, in occasional use for around 12 years
- grey plastic, LCD actual temperature display + one for the required temperature, on/off switch and temperature up/down. The original element failed a few weeks after I bought it, so I bought a few spares and a few spare tips. Since when it has worked flawlessly on that second element and original tip. All it is missing is a run / standby switch to keep it warm ready to use, instead of dropping the temperature.
[Snip the rest of your posts] [Snip the previous posts]
Hi Mark, you'll notice we don't top post on this newsgroup. The reply goes underneath or interleaved with the trimmed down previous post.
---druck
Yes, Druck. Indeed, I am aware; but in the heat of the moment it is so easy to forget. My apologies for bring a humble sinner...
-- Mark J From RISCOS 5.24 on a BeagleBoard-xM and Raspberry Pi2B - and Linux on a PandaBoard ES and Raspberry Pi3B
Nonsense. Do you object when the same thing is top-posted, mid-posted and bottom-posted as is this?
Nonsense. Do you object when the same thing is top-posted, mid-posted and bottom-posted as is this?
Yes Top posting in a newsgroup makes it harder to follow the thread Interleaved posting is bet as this enable you to see exactly what is being replied to, for most short posts this effectively means bottom posting
-- The following statement is not true. The previous statement is true.
If you're following a thread, then most of the history of that thread is pollution when it is quoted over and over, and the style that now comes from email, that of top posting works extremely well.
In any case, what you call top posting is not, for the many lines of header precede it, and if you wish to trace the thread, then the trace info is in the header.
Top posting makes it harder to follow a thread? Pooh!
As this? ...
If you're following a thread, then most of the history of that thread is pollution when it is quoted over and over, and the style that now comes from email, that of top posting works extremely well.
In any case, what you call top posting is not, for the many lines of header precede it, and if youwish to trace the thread, then the trace info is in the header.
Top posting makes it harder to follow a thread? Pooh!
If you're following a thread, then most of the history of that thread is pollution when it is quoted over and over, and the style that now comes from email, that of top posting works extremely well.
In any case, what you call top posting is not, for the many lines of header precede it, and if you wish to trace the thread, then the trace info is in the header.
Top posting makes it harder to follow a thread? Pooh!
Must be hell-deep ;-)
[snip]to prevent pollution
You're right, posting thrice is harder!
Greetings, Kallu
-- Have a nice day <
So does an almost irrelevant comment at the foot of three pages of ad hominems.
-- "Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people's money. It's quite a characteristic of them" Margaret Thatcher
Yes!
Yes!
Yes!
Dave
Yes!
Please snip and interleave correctly. That gives us, the readers, the least difficulty in following the discussion.
Dave
O.k. you refuse to follow the accepted convention in this forum despite polite requests, that is up to you I now choose to ignore your future posts Hope you don't have any needs that I could assist with as if you do I wont be seeing them
-- The Gordian Maxim: If a string has one end, it has another.
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