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In Reply to: RE: DIY phono stage, wire gauge question posted by flood2 on February 12, 2017 at 16:44:51
I certainly don't doubt your superior knowledge of solder and flux, but I've been soldering for years. I was an electronics technician before becoming a mechanical engineer and I have never been able to solder successfully with a 600-degree tip. I've always found 700-degree tips to be optimal for my soldering technique. Also, I don't apply solder with the soldering iron. I use the soldering iron to heat the joint and I apply solder directly to the joint. Furthermore, I never leave solder on the tip. I clean it with a wet sponge before every solder joint. That's why modern soldering irons come with a tip-cleaning sponge.
My technique is to clean the soldering iron with a wet sponge and then apply a small amount of solder to the tip to allow better heat transfer to the joint. Then I touch the solder directly to the joint and remove the soldering iron and solder immediately when the solder flows into the joint. This technique works well for me.
Best regards,
John Elison
Follow Ups:
Your technique is absolutely beyond reproach and is the same as I was taught - "heat the part not the solder" as well as not reworking joints solely for the purpose of improving aesthetics. I absolutely wasn't suggesting you didn't have the right technique, I was only trying to highlight some cautionary points for the less inexperienced hobbyists who will be following your phono stage project with interest (as have I). The preferred temperature obviously depends on the solder composition and choice of flux - FWIW I also use 700F for my 60/40 leaded solder (for home jobs I still use leaded solder). However, high silver content solder is often promoted for use with audio and this requires a bit more care in adjusting the time of contact before applying solder. Anyone unused to the challenges of high silver content solder will generally wind up the temperature to achieve the same heating time for solder flow that they are used to. The main issue is around the long term reliability of joints and the higher temperatures used in this manner will be a greater risk for weld integrity.
Your project has certainly piqued my interest to experimenting with a tube stage! Thanks for sharing it :)
Regards Anthony
"Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty.." Keats
Hi Anthony,
I thoroughly enjoyed assembling the two VTA kits. It had been years since I assembled such elaborate components. You should try it. I don't think you'll find a less expensive way to obtain high-end tube components.
If you find any other kit manufacturers, let me know. I still might build a pair of tube monoblock power amplifiers.
Best regards,
John Elison
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