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[Martin_1962]

The £10 Antex at Maplins is great but I haven't found any spare bits yet.

However the bit isn't worn but I will treat myself to a really good one one day

[Kevin Wood]

I have a gas soldering iron and always get my Weller and an extension lead out if there's 240v (or 12v and an inverter) anywhere near where I'm working. That's how convenient they are.

Gas ones are great to have in the toolbox for an emergency but I wouldn't deliberately put myself in a position where I'm relying on one. Temperature control is just impossible.

That iron is probably going to be worth a punt for occasional use on light duties (building little kits from Maplins, making up audio cables, etc.). I like the built-in croc clips to hold the work.

It won't begin to look at anything that can soak up any heat because it's probably a pretty weedy heater (and not temperature controlled). On a decent iron you will have a 50-100 watt element with temperature control so if you are trying to solder something that is conducting heat away it can pump in a bit more heat and melt the solder. So, probably not great for most automotive tasks but for a fiver who cares if it ends up in the bin? As said, I have a coupe of old Wellers from junk sales, mainly. They just go on and on. Can't remember last time I even had to change a bit, and I do a lot of soldering.

Hot melt glue sticks look a bargain. Need some more of them. The "helping hands" also look good. They are always handy.

Kevin

[Vamps]

I have a gas soldering iron and always get my Weller and an extension lead out if there's 240v (or 12v and an inverter) anywhere near where I'm working. That's how convenient they are.

Gas ones are great to have in the toolbox for an emergency but I wouldn't deliberately put myself in a position where I'm relying on one. Temperature control is just impossible.

That iron is probably going to be worth a punt for occasional use on light duties (building little kits from Maplins, making up audio cables, etc.). I like the built-in croc clips to hold the work.

It won't begin to look at anything that can soak up any heat because it's probably a pretty weedy heater (and not temperature controlled). On a decent iron you will have a 50-100 watt element with temperature control so if you are trying to solder something that is conducting heat away it can pump in a bit more heat and melt the solder. So, probably not great for most automotive tasks but for a fiver who cares if it ends up in the bin? As said, I have a coupe of old Wellers from junk sales, mainly. They just go on and on. Can't remember last time I even had to change a bit, and I do a lot of soldering.

Hot melt glue sticks look a bargain. Need some more of them. The "helping hands" also look good. They are always handy.

Kevin

I was thinking that and the detail sanding sheets....

[feeutfo]

thanks guys i'll have a look in maplins as well, although that stand does look handy, didn't think the iron could be up to much at that price.

I've probably had need to solder 3 times in my life so cant see it getting much use tbh, although i may get a taste for it if i owned one.

I'm getting some interferance on the upstairs tv via rf and am concidering soldering the connecters to the copper core in an attempt to eliminate bad conections, might be a place to start/practice? there is plenty of slack in the cable so i can just cut off the cockups

[Ken T]

You might want to look at the aerial cable used. The standard brown cable doesn't have a very good screen; it was fine 15 years ago when there wasn't much stray RF about but now a days, its recommended to use stuff like RG6 or WF100, that have a complete metal screen.

Ken

[Kevin Wood]

.. and watch soldering the certre pin on TV coax connectors. It doesn't take much heat to melt the polythene insulation, and then the pin goes all over the show.

You can always pop over for some tuition if you like -  or buy one of those little kits from craplins to practice on.

Kevin

[feeutfo]

the cable is brown but it did specify suiitable for sky instalations, what ever that means...?

The interferance is odd, i've had need to unplugg the system for redecorating or new tv in the bedroom on 3 or 4 occasions and each time time on reconecting the interferance is gone, only to gradually return over a period of 2 weeks or so. But it needs to be disconected for a while...

Upstares tv to digi eye receiver to distribution amp with digi eye loop out in the loft to second rf output on sky hd box in the front room. Main tv is fine on hdmi, and pause the picture and the interferance continues to dance around so its post hd box issue i guess?

Its no biggy really as you can barely see the interferance when watching in bed from a normal distance. :-/

Kind offer Kev, will be in touch

[TheBoy]

Can't see the soldering iron, but if it's the same as the soldering iron offers before....it's not worth a wank.
The same applies to the crimp tool that I have seen, it's not worth shit.
If you want to use the generic crimp connectors, then get a crimp tool that uses the ratchet system and applies a pre-determined pressure (circa £30).

If it was an occasional use, for emergencys only, stuffed in a drawer, I'd probably go for a Craplins/Antex 25W one, can't be more than a tenner, maybe £15.  But I guess the Lidl one is cheaper, and if its purely for very occasionaly use, probably not worth spending an awful lot on it. And bits won't wear out - once it does, its obviously time to by a decent iron!