A couple more "toys" to work on my Marantz : desoldering station and oscilloscope !

[Bert 1100]

Here is the desoldering station, "No Name" model ZD-915. It was a christmas present from my lovely wife (with my help ).
The pump is in the main block, 80w heating power. It works really well, I did my 2220 resto with it, no problems whatsoever until now. What temperature do you guys usually work with ?





The second "toy" came in the mail today and was mine for the equivalent of 50 usd including shipping, It's a Leader LBO-522 20MHz 'scope, 2 channel. A sticker on the back says it was bought in august 1987
It seems to work like a charm, here showing a theoretically square 1kHz wave from a tone generator on my iPhone....

 

[ConradH]

Don't know anything about solder suckers. We used to use Leader scopes at work and they did a nice job. I always liked those over the similar non-Tek competitors. It should serve you nicely.

 

[Bert 1100]

The desoldering gun is nice, you can use the gun one handed, melt the solder, then press the trigger to start the vacuum, and with the other hand I wiggle the component from the other side while the solder is liquid so it does not become soldered back with the tiny amount of solder that's left.
That way I do a board in the following way : desolder the target components but leave them in place (thats with the "bent legs" boards), then replace the components with the new (one old component out, one new in, checking polarity always and not relying on the silk screen), then solder the new components on with the normal iron.

 

[Steven Tate]

The desoldering gun is pretty much essential for me since I started out using one. In my case, I know it would take me four times longer to complete a restoration without it. I'm sure the guys with decades of experience can pop those components out in seconds. I occasionally have to use braid and flux to remove a component, and because of my inexperience, it takes much longer than the gun. With that gun and the scope, you will be seriously truckin'.

 

[restorer-john]

That's a lovely classic scope for a few dollars- well done!

 

[I LIKE MUSIC]

You are off to a good start!

 

[raidermc]

Solder/ desoldering station is a must for me. I dealt with a manual solder sucker for years, slow and a PITA. Also an o scope is near the top of the list of necessary equipment. Looks good!!! Have fun

 

[bryans12v]

Nice setup! I see a cleaner square wave generator in your near future.

Gotta love those squiggly cell phone squares.

 

[rBuckner]

Hmm, Bert may be in the running for Marantz Rookie of the Year 2017 if this keeps up!

I'm one of those "old" techs that's quite happy with his manual solder sucker. The blue/yellow "Soldapullt" types although they don't go by that name anymore. Seriously easy to pop open and clean. At your unit's setting of 325C (617F), it should work fine on small pads on the single sided boards I'd guess. Anything larger or a larger component I'd turn it up some, especially if it seems slow to flow the solder. Never be afraid to actually add a bit of solder to get things flowing - the extra flux and solder mass helps transfer heat.

 

[KutzlerTrans]

I'll second that! MrB
Good job Bert.
I ran out of braid and think im going to go this route.
Where did you buy it, and how much?
The ebay jobs are $80 but i am unsure of the quality.

 

[KutzlerTrans]

Ok Bert, i did it.
Since i neede a soldering iron after burning out the heater on my station, i hit the buy it now button on a Aoyue 701a..
Thanks also to SteveT for giving his for how well these suckers help the job flow better.

 

[gslikker]

nice to see a review of this elcheapo solder sucker. First I will do a refurbish attempt on my Weller (I think the pump is dirty or something, since it does not suck enough......) and if it does not work out I may go for a reasonably priced new one. According the internet this zd915 comes with some spare nozzles and it is possible to buy a new set of nozzles for 10 euros.

 

[Bert 1100]

The model I got came from our Swiss auction site, cost including shipping was about a 100 usd, so it definitely is the same Elcheapo unit as seen on eBay. And yes it comes with three different size nozzles and a couple of spare filter.
GSlikker : if you are able to get your weller running well it will probably last longer (that's a guess )

 

[Bert 1100]

KuzlerTrans (Sorry forgot your name...) that Aoyue looks interesting....combined with a soldering station....nice !

 

[Steven Tate]

Since there is interest in these solder suckers, I thought I would post the link to my short video showing how I use mine. Excuse the Texas twang, but I think it shows pretty well how these work.
Steve

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/use-of-hakko-fr300-desoldering-gun-video.741463/

 

[ton4eff]

My Chinese ZD-985 is very similar, works just fine for the last 3 years at about 270-300deg Celsius...

I like the old scopes, I have an old 4ch Hitachi... I don't know for modern digital stuff, but the old ones have Z axis input at the back and you can make sweeps with markers applied, if you have appropriate generator...

 

[Overundr1]

Suggest you order a few spare tips, they don't last long if you use any station hard. I go through a Hakko tip about every 3 months but then again that is after a thousand or more solder point cleanings. If not get a small container of tip cleaner and clean the end before powering the unit down after use.

 

[KutzlerTrans]

I figured to add this here because its funny

I get my new soldersucker and set it up and fire it up
The thing was louder than my 5hp 80 gallon antique champion trans shop compressor
So im cussing it out and having little luck getting it to suck the solder out.
Meanwhile its scaring the crap out of the dogs and jennies got the door shut and is running the vacumn cleaner in the other room because its quieter on her ears.
So after that, i go search the web, to see if these units have issues with noise.

The instruction manual popped up, you know, the one i didn't read.
#1 unscrew the vacumn pump shipping lock down screw from the bottom of the unit with the red dot before using.

This thing beats the snot out of solder braid. Its so easy and quick and clean.
Best of all, there is no rolling the soldering iron on the braid and waiting for the solder to be absorbed while the heat is ruining the tracks.
This is one of them tools that i wonder how i ever lived without for so many years. It leaves a nice clean hole without the residue like the braid does.

Thanks Bert and Steve.

 

[Steven Tate]

Welcome to the solder sucker club. I don't want to work without one.

 

[thxdave]

GMTA.....I ordered a Hakko today so I guess we're all suckers in this thread!

Great Minds Think Alike!