Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: cavers

Message Display

Just caught the tail end of this thread but I have some suggestions:

The secrets to a good solder joint is cleanliness, the proper solder,
temperature, and tip configuration and wattage. The terminals should be
cleaned of any oxide and grease which may have formed or deposited
respectively. The solder should be a general purpose rosin core solder
(small diameter - not the large acid core stuff for plumbing). The wire to
be soldered should first be fluxed using an electrical grade flux and then
tinned, cooled and refluxed (the flux cleans the joint area. The terminal
should be fluxed. Most general purpose solders flow well around 700F and
that is a sufficient temperature to solder at. Smaller irons are OK if the
tip is in good shape, and properly tinned. Higher tin or silver
concentrations in the solder will also demand higher temperatures, but
these are not recommended. 

Place the tinned and fluxed wire on the cleaned and fluxed terminal. Lay
the tinned solder tip next to the connection (depends on the shape of the
tip) and flow solder from the roll (remember small diameter rosin core
solder) briefly to the joint. It only should take about a second to make
the joint. Allow the joint to cool normally in air (do not cover with a wet
cloth), otherwise the joint may be "cold." A good solder joint will have a
bright shiny appearance; a cold one will be dull. Cold joints have higher
resistance (additional current draw - can be significant), and are not
mechanically sound (may fall off because there is insufficinet adhesion in
the joint). Mil-Spec soldering procedures do not normally allow reheating a
solder joint if it is bad; it requires removal, cleaning and re-soldering.
However I think most people gent into trouble here as they try to reheat
the terminals and end up damaging the battery with excessive heat. However
if you must reheat the joint, apply flux to the joint to help remove the
impurities.

Just my two cents worth.

Take care,
Doug

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]