[Tomo]

Hey,

I just picked up a soldering station called:

Weller

TC202 Power Unite (60W 120V 60Hz)

with TC202 iron unit (24V)

I need specs for this iron.

Thanks,

T

 

[Ajit]

Tomo,

That is a Weller TC202 power unit with a TC201 Iron. Was that the one on Ebay a couple of days ago? I can send you a manual if you PM me with an address.

Ajit

 

[Tomo]

Hi,

I don't have a good address right now since I am mobile at this moment. I need to know few things:

Tip Temp
Parts # for the tip
ESD issues

I don't need the entire manual anyway.

T

 

[Ajit]

The temperature of the iron is controlled by the tip. There are numerous tips that fit the TC201 series iron. The standard tip temperatures are 600, 700, 800 or 900 degrees Fahrenheit. The last digit in the part number denotes the temperature the tip is designed to operate at. Thus a PTA tip ( a screwdriver tip, tip breadth 0.062 in., i.e. 1.57mm and reach of 0.62 in.) would be PTA6 for 600F, PTA7 for 700F or PTA8 for 800F. My personal favorite for general purpose use is the PTA7.

The tips range from PTA6 to PTZ7. Most are screwdriver tips. However, when the notation is PTAA7, that means it is a single flat, meaning it does not have two slanting sides on the tip, but only one. So also, the PTBB, PTCC, and PTDD tips. The PTP and PTT series tips are conical and the PTS and PTO series are long conical. The PTZ7 is Bent, Slotted.

The series is stamped on the side of the tip and the operating temperature on the bottom ( the end that is not the tip ) as a sigle digit. A 7 means it is a 700F tip, an 8 means it is a 800F tip, etc. NEVER USE A TIP THAT IS NOT PT* SERIES, AS THEY DO NOT HAVE THE FERROMAGNETIC SENSOR AND WILL RESULT IN HEATER DAMAGE. That could be expensive, as in 'ouch'.

How it works is very simple. When the tip is cold, a ferromagnetic temperature sensor attached to the bottom of the tip attracts a permanent magnet causing a shorting bar to make contact with a set of isolated electrical contacts, thereby supplying power to the heating element. When the tip reaches idling temperature, the sensor becomes non-magnetic and no longer attracts the magnet. Then a magnetic bushing attracts the magnet, causing the shorting bar to break the circuit. This keeps happening continuously to keep the tip at its designated idling temperature. You can hear the contacts turning on and off.

I see these tips often on Ebay being sold by Bluepennylady and Delkel. Most of the time they sell for $1.99. Most Weller dealers stock them and they sell for $4.99 to $5.99. All PT* series will fit the TC201 series irons.

The PSU is basically an isolation transformer. Most TC201s operate at 24V, 42W. The iron tip is grounded through a third conductor, so I presume it is ESD safe.

Check this link out..
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/catal...g/partscat.pdf


I hope this answers your queries..

Ajit

 

[Nisbeth]

Note that the temperature given is not the actual temperature of the soldering surface but the temperature at which the magnetic contact will "click". A "7" tip is good for allround use, but if you choose a very thin tip (meaning very much thinner/smaller than a std. tip), it might be necessary to use a code "8". Otherwise you'll not be able to heat the components enough to solder.


/U.

 

[rickcr42]

kinda off topic but

my youngest son just started high school this september and he decided on a technical school rather than a standard high school

he selected two technical courses that the school will decide which of he shows the aptitude for and that will be his four year technical course

well the little **** chose electronics (could have knocked me down with a feather since he never showed any interest in my nighmare creations) and electrician (pays pretty damn good after five years in the field or so)

so week one he has to wire some simple series and parallel light circuits with romex , all turns out fine

and last weeek was his first electronics course and they actually soldered circuit boards !

the board was about 3X5 and one half was an actual functional circuit the other area just pads to practice soldering parts (the boy need work on his resitorsb , looked like a buch of tortured caterpillers

)

well I flip the board over and DAMN !

friggin beeeutiful soldering !

no bridges , no cold joints and the damn circuit , an alternating led flasher worked !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I decided right there my soldering days may be over , my vision has been getting crapty for the last couple of years and the parts are getting smaller

I will just chain his butt to the bench and not feed him until he does what i want

PERFECT !

so the kickker is,he had bandaids on every damn finger , like he caught his hands in a damn blender or weedwhacker or something

me "Jeff ,what the hell did you do to your hands ?"
jeff "burnt them on the solderinbg iron dad "

hehe , maybe he is off the hook

 

[lini]

Rick: Nice story. Makes me think of the days, when I could solder a complete 8 bit audio digitizer in a dsub25 shell (that was for my old Amiga...) - and of the day, when I absent-mindedly scratched myself... with the soldering iron... somewhere between the eyebrows... caused some curious looks... well... uhm...

Grinnings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

P.S.: If you want to get a real soldering wizard, try smd stuff with an Ersa 30 and the screwdriver tip. I did, but it was a bit of a challenge...

P.P.S.: Correction: That wasn't the 8-bit-digitizer in the dsub25 shell, that was a midi interface - the digitizer was on a freely hand-painted pcb in a wooden cigar box.

 

[Tomo]

hey,

Thanks. I guess I hit the right junk for a change. ... the station was all free!

T

 

[eric343]

Rick - nice to hear that

...now you gotta show him Head-Fi!