#157

[@BrianLough]

I really really recommend the ts100 soldering iron, can be bought even from Amazon for about £60 including a PSU. It's small, heats up super fast and has auto shut-off features too. Best upgrade I ever did! I've soldered literally soldered 1000s of joints with it and I'm still on the first tip!

[@bollie9752]

And what would you advice as first heat gun (to replace some chips or smd’s.) PS: I use a EUR 6 iron and EUR 37 crimping tool. So, my search is within the “start”/“first time” range but I am willing to spend more for quality. A EUR 10 chinese heat gun seems risky (safety wise), but what are alternatives?

[@RalphBacon]

I looked long and hard at the TS100, Brian. It was on my shortlist. Eventually, though, I bought the Atten as you saw, it's all a bit flip-a-coin at the end of the day! So much choice!

[@Alacritous]

For soldering iron tip cleaner pad, I use copper scrub pads I buy at the local dollar store for 3 for $1 It's literally the same thing.

[@GnuReligion]

I like brass wire bristle brushes ... the semi-disposable types from the hardware store.

[@noggin73]

I use the same. Mine are silver but work just as good.

[@oncledan282]

You want to be careful with cleaning material, cause most good quality tips are now iron clad. Rub too hard and you'll damage the clad coating and crap your tip. Brushes are sometimes too harsh.

[@JerryEricsson]

@@oncledan282 I used to just take my pocket knife and clean the tip but at long last I ordered the deal he has on his desk. I like it and since 99% of my soldering now takes place while I am reclining in my power recliner (thanks workers comp!) it is super handy and a wonderful place to get rid of blobs of solder when removing old wires during repairs.

[@RalphBacon]

I once inadvertently filed the iron cladding off a soldering iron tip (probably an Antex) and within a few days it was absolutely useless as a soldering iron tip. At the time (I was even younger than I am now) I didn't realise they had this cladding. Once bitten, twice shy, now I treat them with respect!

[@zaprodk]

The "temperature controlled" iron at 07:30 is not temperature controlled. It's a triac control (light dimmer) in front of a bog standard mains soldering iron. There is a good reason why no temperature scale is printed on it.

[@RalphBacon]

Thank goodness I don't use it for real soldering then. It just heats up without regard for the actual temperature then, the same as the Antex? How disappointing.

[@zaprodk]

@@RalphBacon Exactly. Try opening the base. You will find that there isn't much in there.

[@RalphBacon]

I know I will be disappointed. I'll harbour a secret belief that you're telling me porky pies rather than have my illusions shattered by actually proving it! But I now know the truth in my heart. You'll be telling me the Easter Bunny is a myth next.

[@Conservator.]

Ralph S Bacon I saw the Easter bunny just the other day, it was discussing this video with a unicorn.

[@jparky1972]

@@RalphBacon Santa is a dud too Ralph. 😔

[@maxximumb]

Great tips for starting out.

[@RalphBacon]

That's exactly who this video was aimed at, Lee - plus a bit of a view as to what you can upgrade to, for the rest of us! Sometimes it's cheaper than you think, unless you demand a Fluke multimeter and a Weller soldering iron!

[@pileofstuff]

The good old analog meter still have applications. If you are measuring a varying voltage such as when you are tuning something to find a peak, an analog meter can be your best friend. But, yeah, that's not a beginner application.

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, there's always a place for "speciality tools" - I have lots of DIY tools that I might only use a couple of times a year. But when I need to use them I NEED those tools to make the job easier. So, always keep the old ones nearby, you never know when they will be useful! Thanks for posting, good to hear from you.

[@oncledan282]

Good day, Ralph. Thank you for sharing this fine video with us all. Well said about the soldering iron.. Personally, I have a temperature controlled one that allows digital adjustment from 150°C to 480°C. More that adequate for most jobs. One thing I found very useful when working with digital signals, is a small DSO (Digital Signal Oscilloscope) and they sell cheap too. you can get one from 50 CAD$. It's a 'nice-to-have' but surely not 'essential'. Ok .. Back to work now! (for me). Have a nice day, my Friend ! See you next time !

[@RalphBacon]

You haven't got time to watch this, Daniel, you have to complete that multilingual weather station! Ha Ha! But I wouldn't class you as someone needing beginner tools anyway, but at least you now know some of the ones I have. I do have a 2-ch scope from Rigol (the ubiquitous DS1052E, modified to allow 100 MHz bandwidth) but it cost more than $50! Buy cheap, buy twice. Or, in my case, buy expensive, regret it for about 6 months before realising what a great scope it is and how useful it is, and fall in love with it.

[@oncledan282]

@@RalphBacon Hahaha ! Good evening, Ralph ! Well, I'm done with the separate Data Logger feature. All I have to add, is the °C/°F option .. along with modifying its graph. The mere conversion is not what worries me as much as its graphic representation. Humidity level stays the same and pressure level (now in hPa), can be easily be converted to kPa (divide by 10). Once this finished, I'll probably add the mmHg and inHg option, if I have enough room on the 3,5in. TFT touchscreen. But every time I reconfigure the screen, I have to change all the sensing area's coordinates to reflect the new configuration. It's very time consuming .. I have to pin ahead. But, like your 'Home Alone' project, it's FUN .. and it keeps us out of trouble and off the streets !! LOLOL. Lets keep in touch, my Friend. Have a great evening and .. take care !

[@SpeccyMan]

My first multimeter was also an analogue one I bought from Tandy, remember them? It was actually a very good and accurate meter and I wish I still owned it. I have two bench power supplies, my favourite being my 75W linear (30V 2.5A) sporting a pair of nice panel meters. It is heavy but it is reliable and (of course) properly isolated from the mains. It also has fixed 5V and 12V supplies at 500mA in addition to the variable output. The other is a switched mode 100W (20V 5A) affair, sporting 2 digital displays that are twitchy as hell and I rarely ever use it. Buying my 48W temperature controlled soldering station (from Maplin) was the best thing I ever did. Although I still have my old 15W iron I don't think I've used it in over 5 years. I have 4 (or it may even be 5) digital multimeters, one of which is a clamp meter, simply because 1 is never enough. That's really all you need to get started but there is one thing I feel is vitally important if you are serious about taking up electronics as a hobby and that is a well lit, stable and spacious place in which to work. A good workbench is essential to doing a good job. Naturally, after 40 years of tinkering I've acquired a lot of other tools and assorted electronic doodads but I often ask myself if I actually need any of them. My scope, definitely, my signal generator, possibly, my MikroElektronika EasyPIC 7, hmmmm. Actually that last one is a very nice bit of kit and I am glad I bought it, I just need to use it a bit more often (or maybe I should've bought the EasyAVR 7 instead as I spend more time with AVR than PIC these days?)

[@RalphBacon]

I remember (and visited) Tandy, although they were the _expensive_ version of Maplin (and that's saying something). I bought some components and stuff from them when it was on the discontinued table, it was normal price then! Yes, I have another, linear bench power supply, with fixed 12v and 5v (and I use that sometimes) but the control of the voltage or current is quite difficult with the pots and it's too easier to miss the voltage you want. But I had that for 5 years or more and it did well. It's amazing how many people still use the kitchen table to build stuff. But not everyone can afford a shed/man cave/workshop, or have the room so needs must. Eventually, if they are serious enough about the hobby, they will do something about it! Ironic that I've left the PIC world behind me now, and move to the Arduino, STM and Espressif chips. Perhaps things have moved on in the PIC world - can you get 20Kb SRAM, 500Kb EEPROM, 72MHz in a PIC these days, Nick?

[@SpeccyMan]

@@RalphBacon You probably could but its RAM will have to be accessed with that infernal bank switching malarky. AVR is just a nicer architecture and if you do want to program one in assembler you don't need a degree in gobbledegook to understand the mnemonics. Now, to be fair, Great Cow BASIC has made writing code for the PIC (or even AVR) a lot easier so I do still occasionally tinker with them.

[@theonlymudgel]

Another great video. I finally feel like I’m past the absolute beginner stage. Yay!

[@RalphBacon]

So you've graduated from beginners status, Michael, glad to hear it! It's amazing how much experience we can acquire in a relatively short period of time. Thanks for posting, always nice to hear from you.

[@theonlymudgel]

Ralph S Bacon I’ve still got this list of all your vids. Now 157. The file is now a word.docx with links to each vid. So it’s just like your PDF without the thumbnails. The way it’s structured it’s searchable which is what helps me. You suggested an email address in your About page but I couldn’t find it there. Here’s a link to a PDF version of the file. 1drv.ms/b/s!Ahg7GEVUP0HfgtNPl6rIevzFqH9SGQ

[@RalphBacon]

Wow! I have been busy! Excellent work, Michael. Are you going to keep it there (and updated)? I can link to it in my video descriptions if so. Just ensure it is read only!

[@theonlymudgel]

Ralph S Bacon Yep. It only takes a moment to update. If it works the way I have it setup now, then I’ll just update it after you post a new video.

[@RalphBacon]

Got it, delete away!

[@borayurt66]

Very similar history here... (We are about the same age, I think) My first iron was a very cheap, copper tipped, wooden handled piece of junk. When I very quickly got tired of changing the melted tips and burning PCB traces, I got a 25W Weller with a coated tip. I still have it with the very same tip, still works perfectly. And of course, now I have the TS-100 and it is fantastic. Multimeters... My first one was an analogue meter too (no laughing matter), worked fine but for obvious reasons I needed a digital one too. Back in the day, there was no such thing as a "reasonably priced" DMM. I was a first year collage student and I had to beg my dad for months before I managed to persuade him to get me my Beckman Industrial DM-27. oh, what a fantastic piece of equipment it was for those years. Still got it and still works very well. Then came the indestructible Fluke 87-V (my own money this time) I Also have an Aneng 8008 as a carry around in my nerd backpack. (Came up in your search too) Actually I like it so much that I bought another one to keep on the bench after a few months of using it. I highly recommend it as a first, (or starter) DMM, and as a back-up or carry around. Well worth its price, even exceeds it. Did a comparison with 87-V and it is bang on in all ranges. I don't have my first analogue meter anymore but I have a Sanwa (or a clone) just for rare cases where an analogue meter works better than a DMM. I still don't have a bench DMM, haven't found one that is worth its price... Power supplies... My first was a locally made linear 0-30V 5A CC/CV lab type supply. I still have it. Is is always good to keep an all linear supply on the bench. I don't know how many times I replaced its 2N3055 output transistors but I kept it alive. Nowadays, I have the buck converter PS kit from the nice Chinese chap Rui Deng, the DSP5015, with a chunky 380W, 36V (AC) toroidal transformer that I found two of, brand new in the box, in a junkyard. With a little work, I enclosed everything in DIY casings. I made two of these and very very happy with them. I totally agree with you on "unleaded" solder tried it once out of curiosity and it quickly went into the trash bin. And a quick note on those metal wool soldering iron tip cleaners; they need to be solid brass or copper to work properly. Unfortunately most of them that sell on Chinese markets are made of iron or aluminum, coated in brass or copper. To test them you need two things, a magnet will attract them if they are iron, and a small blow torch will burn them to a crisp if they are aluminum. Great video as always, I hope my two cents worth of commentary can help your viewers too.

[@RalphBacon]

Apart from the fact we're both 29 then (cough, cough) you made me test my "brass" shavings, Bora, and found it was very attracted to a magnet. Sigh. so another fake. Well, not strictly true, it does actually state "steel" on Banggood's website and mine has worked very, very well over the last couple of years. Sooo much better than the yellow sponge! It was interesting to read about your other stuff, and I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking that unleaded solder is rubbish! Thanks for posting, good to hear from you.

[@borayurt66]

@@RalphBacon 29...Yes, why not? 😃 Just to make myself clearer, brass coated iron shawings work almost as good as solid brass or copper ones. But iron is a lot harder metal and in the long run, I think it will be abrasive to the coating on the soldering iron tip. Aluminum is softer but tends to pack up quickly and become less efficient.

[@lezbriddon]

Dont disrespect the yellow sponge!!! That stuff has earned its dues before all this fake gold plated pan scrubber malarky! I have both, I like both, but one has heritage! bet that new stuff turns your fingers green faster than a cheap engagement ring Going to have to go google that double solder spool holder now, and maybe some more leaded solder

[@RalphBacon]

Would you believe my new iron also came with a yellow sponge? I gave it away, ironically to my electronics engineer friend who also uses them! No accounting for taste! That double spool holder is not cheap (about $16 from Bangood, but it is _very_ useful (but not _essential_, it must be said, which is why it was not on my list). Here's an affiliate link to it if you want to use it: www.banggood.com/High-Strength-Tin-Solder-Frame-Soldering-Tin-Holder-Metal-Tin-Wire-Frame-Stand-2-Levles-p-1156335.html?p=FQ040729393382015118&

[@Roy_Tellason]

@@RalphBacon I have one but it's made out of wood, cobbled together by My Lady, out of some convenient scraps and a little bit of hardware. Cheap as you can get-- free! :-)

[@MrBobWareham]

Yep I still use mine and it works I keep an old water bottle on the bench for top up

[@pekkagronfors7304]

I am currently restoring a Korg Poly-61 and I realise that I need a new soldering station. I might go for the Atten ST-100, seems very nice.

[@theonlymudgel]

Can I send you my Korg DS-8 for repair. Just kidding.

[@RalphBacon]

It is very nice, Pekka. And it uses those Weller tips, or cheap Banggood ones. I just hope it lasts and lasts and lasts...

[@tomgeorge3726]

Hi Ralph, at 2:00 you didn't point out that the Antex was Made In England!!!! Any iron with removable bits is essential. The soldering iron going into low temp standby means the tips last a lot longer. Defpom had the same problem with RS and leaded solder. A good informative video for beginners mate.👍

[@RalphBacon]

Funnily enough, Tom, I saw that the Made in England was very visible in the video but thought perhaps they might not do so any longer (after 30 years) so kept stumm. I wonder if it's true today? I bet they would have sold me leaded solder though!

[@pfeerick]

@@RalphBacon RS must be a bit more lax in the land down under... or I was just lucky... I bought four rolls a year ago of bog standard RS branded 60/40 solder and they shipped it without a hiccup... and I don't have a business account or nuttin'! I'd had enough of the Chinese 60/40 which was clearly not 60/40... the RS stuff was spot on though.

[@RalphBacon]

Lucky you, Peter! But I did get some from another source, and _very_ nice it is too.

[@iandawkins2182]

Absolutely brilliant, as a new subscriber and new to Arduino and basic electronics this introduction to the essential's was outstanding. So understandable for a newbie like me, we all have to start somewhere, thank you.

[@RalphBacon]

I'm very glad you posted here, Ian, as you are the type of viewer you needs a bit of guidance to essential tools, just as I did when I started out (and still do, for upgrades). Thanks for posting, good to hear from you.

[@IanSlothieRolfe]

I alos have a Brymen 257 which is fast, accurate and has really nice probes. I also have an EEVBLOG multimeter which I beleive is a Brymen under the hood) which is excellent. I would avoid Uni-T ones as I have had 2 both of which have failed and give erroneous readings when the battery is low. The £5 multimeters you can pick upon eBay are OK for beginners, as long as your only dealing with batteries and not mains powered equipment and useful if you need to take 3-4 readings simultaneously. A tip about solder braid - I have bought several reels of solder braid from china and they dont seem to have much flux on them. I have a small pot of resin fllux paster which you can wipe over the braid iand it magically works like the best! The rosin solder past also can be used to restore a solder tim if ist encrusted with flux residue. I have restored bits that refused to whet at all to almost-as-new condition.

[@RalphBacon]

The EEVBLog is indeed a Brymen but a model 235, I believe (not much in it, frankly). Thanks for the other tips, very useful for everyone. Interesting way to turn rubbish Chinese flux into stuff that works! Thanks for posting, Ian, good to hear from you.

[@maxstripeGaming]

most meters will give bad readings when the batteries are low simply because the electronics dont have enough juice to function properly

[@Equiluxe1]

The Aneng 8008 digital meters are surprisingly accurate. I have tested them with my standard voltage and resistance inductance and capacitance units and they agree with all my other meters including a fluke, so they are great as a starter meter or just as an additional meter. I carry one in the car as it is quite small and come with a whole set of test leads all in a carry bag so it can sit in the glove box neat and tidy.

[@RalphBacon]

I believe EEVblog gave a thumbs up to these and they were on my shortlist for a new meter. Glad you can corroborate the findings, thanks for posting.

[@birnodin]

The title was "Top 5 Essential ARDUINO Workshop Tools". For a beginner, I would not recommend to start soldering. The main problem I see ever and ever again: People stay forever in a situation that I would call the "Arduino code copier". They copy some code from other people together and think that that would create a working program for their problem. As we all know, that does not work. So the three best "tools" I think are: 1. Someone that has some experience in electronics or programming (or both!) that you can ask (even stupid!) questions. 2. Two good books, one "basic electronics" and one "basic programming". Basic, ok? Not the "Horowitz, Hill: The Art of electronics" or "Stroustrup: Programming in C++". What is a good book? A book that you like to read! 3. Patience, Patience, Patience. No master has fallen from the sky yet! And then comes number 4: Watch Ralphs videos! ;-)

[@LimbaZero]

I think addition for real beginner. I recommend solderless breadboard and some component starter kit that meant for arduino (compatible for 5V microcontrollers). Check how to use npn or fet as switch for loads (top and buttom side). After you have working circuit in solderless breadboard then you start to do it in protoboard with soldering or design real pcb.

[@RalphBacon]

@LimbaZero If you only knew how many companies want me to do a video on beginners kits of 300+ items! It would take a really dedicated hobbyists more than a year to work his/her way through them all. Never mind understand it all. @der Birmoden I'm always amazed at what a simple flashing LED can do for the beginner. Apart from the fact they actually go it to work at all, being able to modify the code to make it flash faster is just eye-opening to them. Next they want a permanent version of it to show (and impress) their friends and family. That why I chose soldering on stripboard as the next step. It doesn't all go from breadboard to stripboard by any means. But having that ability and skill can start them down the µContoller electronics path (ideally in their teens), learning about transistor linear regions as they go. That's how it happened to me! PS I'm so glad you included watching my videos as step #4!

[@LimbaZero]

@@RalphBacon Usually these 300+ are too big sets. just few sizes of resistors and few types of transistors and some leds + buttons should be enough. Maybe "part 2" will tell essential shelf components what you should have available :) I think I have overkill shelf of component for starting hobbyist. Usually when I get idea I already have all components available.

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, I agree. A simple kit that will either fire the imagination and make them hooked for life or they will get bored easily, not want to change the example code, understand why the transistor turns on and off... then you know this hobby is not for them.

[@jparky1972]

I'm surprised no one has said TS-80 or TS-100 soldering iron. Also.. Solder sucker. I personally prefer these to the solder wick.

[@RalphBacon]

Someone did mention the TS-80/100 somewhere, and it was on my shortlist. And it seems solder wick/solder suckers are the Marmite of the soldering world. Waste 1 min 41 seconds of your life *but watch this ad* : kzbin.info/www/bejne/lX7Jh2OvdpyVmc0

[@Conservator.]

Jason Park I think the TS-80 is terrific. If your power adapter isn’t already you can pair it up with a power bank and it’s isolated too.

[@jparky1972]

@@RalphBacon I did have a look through the comments but didn't see it. Granted. A TS-100 is about £10 more expensive than the Antex. I too use an Antex simply because I've not sorted a decent power supply for my TS-100 yet. But if you are getting a bench PSU.. It's probably worth it if you add a silicone lead for it. As for Marmite. Sorry. Horrid stuff.

[@theonlymudgel]

Jason Park I have both TS-80 and TS-100. I use the TS-80 with a power bank and it’s just amazing how much heat it can output. I’m not always mobile so I can set up a tray on my lap with the ‘80 and things I need and get a little work done on small projects.

[@bepstein111]

@@jparky1972 Got a 6S LiPo for mine, works perfectly and lasts forever. I use the DC cable it came with at the desk, the battery when I'm out and about or at work.

[@tubical71]

Sorry...i never ever use desoldering wick again, i tried it once and the IC i was trying to desolder finally came out of the PCB but also half of the solder-pads and traces as well....i usually go for a desoldering gun...followed by a desoldering station when the chinesium stuff was available which i bought around millenium for 50 bucks instead of 300...;)

[@RalphBacon]

I think it would be quite hard to desolder a chip using solder wick. That why I have a hot air gun. But to desolder a through-hole chip could still present a challenge. If I were replacing it I would snip the legs off at the black resin and desolder each pin, one by one. It's what I did to that pin header, you might have noticed. Not so good if you want to keep the chip though.

[@UpcycleElectronics]

I'm jealous of that 100w iron. That looks nice. I second your advice to buy a decent bench power supply. I have built several and am in the middle of building 2 more now. It would have been much cheaper to just buy something decent, but learning by building is fun-strating. Lastly, a hand held multimeter is far more handy than a bench DMM most of the time, but when anyone is ready to get a bench DMM, the best advice I was given is the Keithley 197. That's a butt ugly, baby poo brown 5.5 digit (200,000 count) meter that can be found on eBay for around $100. People don't like the ancient look, and most people want at least the 197a model. The "a" just adds an LCD backlight and removable power cord connector. That's the best bang for your buck, at least that I've found. Thanks for the upload. -Jake

[@RalphBacon]

You can learn a lot by building stuff, but it should be cheaper to do it that way not more expensive, Jake!

[@UpcycleElectronics]

@@RalphBacon It can be cheaper to build something yourself, but building several is not. I've built a box with several SMPS supplies all connected to mains switches and broken out on banana jacks, a couple modified power bricks to make them adjustable, a LM317 supply, a dual LM317/LM337 version, a LM358 based dual tracking supply, and both common cheap Chinese PSU kits. I'm working on modifying the Chinese kits with enclosures now. I've also prototyped a few LM723 supplys like the one featured in "The Art of Electronics," and IIRC I did a layout for that one in KiCAD but haven't etched it yet. I built a LM494, an UC3842 design, and a few MC34063 supplies. I have also been exploring transformer switching networks, auto ranging circuits, been winding/rewinding my own transformer secondaries, and exploring higher resolution DACs and ADCs with Arduino. So my interest is the power supply design more than the actual bench tool. My point in my previous comment is that it would have been cheaper and less frustrating to buy a fully functional unit to take with me down this rabbit hole instead of discovering what I need and why, then trying to build it. My original reasoning years ago was, "everything in electronics requires a power supply, so what better place to start exploring in depth." I've learned lot's of stuff, from Kirchhoff, to Ohms law, to Maxwell's equations, KiCAD and etching, to arduino, and basic analogue circuits along the way, but it all pivots around learning power supplies. I imagine most people have a single underlying curiosity or motivator behind their interest in electronics. Beyond power supplies, I was going to try to put a megasquirt DIY fuel injection system on my Camaro after finishing a motor build with a B&M roots style supercharger. I was in the middle of that project when I broke my neck riding a bike to work. I figured I'd get a head start on the gritty details of the EFI mumbo jumbo while recovering. But I never recovered, had to give up my cars/painting/hotrodding stuff and jump into electronics with both feet. What's under the hood on your end? What got you motivated to play around with this stuff? -Jake

[@jjab99]

Hi Ralph, just a quick pointer for the other UK based viewers.... Can you please remind them about the fact that anything over £15.00 being imported can get held up by customs and then you may have to pay VAT and also an £8.00 Post Office Handling Charge. This can make a bargain from overseas suddenly a lot more expensive. I got caught recently and paid the price with an order of PCBs from JLCPCB being a lot more expensive than I was expecting. It used to be £18.00 limit, but dropped earlier this year to £15.00. Many people make the mistake of thinking that the VAT will be calculated only on the cost of the goods but this is wrong; VAT is calculated based upon the TOTAL cost of shipping the goods to the UK and is usually made up of the cost of the goods from the supplier together with the cost of shipping. You are paying VAT on the total cost accrued when bringing the goods to the UK. Have a great weekend and please keep making these videos, Joe PS I have just used my $5.00 JLCPCB discount code that you sent me and have more boards on the way. Many thanks Buddy.

[@RalphBacon]

Glad you used that voucher, Joe, and let's hope you don't get caught by customs again. I *got caught* on my last PCB order, DHL requested £4.11 before they even picked it up from the Chinese factory!!! And this was a promotional PCB too! Yes, the import duties plus VAT can really make a dent in larger items. A $50 multimeter, with free shipping, is worth £40 so you might end up paying £8 VAT, plus a fee to the courier of £8 just for the privilege, thus costing you £56. I wonder what will happen to all this post Brexit?

[@jjab99]

@@RalphBacon Interesting times ahead that's for sure. Fingers crossed!!! Have a great weekend.

[@OtusAsio]

My equipement is so very basic that many could say " how can you do things with that ? "... I have a multimeter bought as a teenager ( 41 years ago in a Radio Shack) that is still usefull for rapid mesurements(but a good one for more precise mesurements). And many of the rest are DIY, like the power supply. So for me, what I can do with it is more important than having expansive gears, as long as it gives a good reading. I like your videos, and when I see one of yours in my list (youtube), I keep that one for the last... like a candy.

[@RalphBacon]

Thanks for you kind words about my videos, candy, how nice! I had a DIY power supply until it blew up (the transformer did) so I hope my newer one is more robust. I've had it about two years now and it's so far, so good! Good to hear from you Pierre, thanks for posting.

[@tubical71]

We need these kind of videos i get so many questions (mainly via instagram) regarding what to buy as a beginner but i don´t have the time anymore to do videos here, so i´m glad you did one of these...:)

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, I get them often too, via email or just in comments on older videos. I could have done a couple of hours on this topic alone but managed to edit a lot out that was not "essential" to a beginner. An oscilloscope, for example, whilst very, very useful when you have a need is hardly an "essential" tool. I'm glad you liked the video, I just hope beginners to the Arduino world find it amongst the gazillion other videos on KZbin!

[@neilbarnett3046]

Genuine Antex bits always had the "funny little clip", I used to sell them in my first job. I've never had a problem soldering anything with my 18W iron, even 5000 uF capacitors and 1/4" tags. For really big tags and things, I have a 50W copper loop type iron, forgotten the correct name for them.

[@RalphBacon]

Is that a technical term, Neil, "funny little clip"? Ha ha! It certainly has worked well for me over the years, it's only in the last year that they changed the design of the tip but have improved it, thank goodness. I know the loop iron you mean, I have a 100W one but the tip bends so easily I have to be really careful with it! Thanks for posting!

[@ollieb9875]

I really like my silicone soldering mat.. there's holes around it to put little parts and the iron doesn't burn it, I've tried. My long suffering cutting mat can attest to that!

[@RalphBacon]

I nearly bought one of those but I let the colour (ultramarine blue?) put me off! If it had been an ESD mat at the same time I might have been tempted. I'm still looking... Thanks for posting Ollie, nice to hear from you.

[@ollieb9875]

@@RalphBacon it is rather garish 😁 though the colour had calmed down a little over time. My main reason to have it was I found my cutting mat didn't like the hot air for smd or desoldering 🔥☺️ cheers Ralph!

[@davadoff]

Those silicone mats are not ESD safe and can build up large static charge on it.

[@bollie9752]

As power supply I really enjoy the B3603, less than EUR/USD/GBP 10, and enough to power a MCU, some leds and more.

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, indeed, for about £10 it's a nice DIY-style device and good enough for what you describe, Bollie.

[@andyleather3014]

when i did my appreticeship at British Aerospace in the early eighties we had to use a contact pyrometer to check our Weller soldering irons every morning.

[@RalphBacon]

Professional establishments have procedures and standards (possibly to retain their ISO rating). The first we makers know anything is wrong with our PSUs, soldering irons or multimeters is when the magic smoke escapes. Effective though.

[@tubical71]

The first thing i always wanted, since i tried out a WELLER soldering iron, as....yep...a Weller soldering iron....that days had been the mid 80s and i was about 14 years old....for one year i saved up every penny (along with the things teens do..cut the lawn, paperboying, car wash, and the like) until i was able to buy the Weller WECP...and that was the about best investment ever..as it never let me down...i still have it and use it almost daily with still its first iron, first heater element...but i replaced these tips many times, i also got a spare LR21 along with a separate heater element replacement...but these are still in their original box NOS...i bought it when weller did the WECP follow-up, the WS-series... Next big thing was my first scope back in mid 90s, a used east-German (former GDR) but made in the former soviet junion, 20MHz, two beam, analog storage(!!) CRT scope...wheights about 50kg (100lbs) 60cm whide, 30cm tall and whooping 50cm depth...but worked great....until i bought a DSO. Also when all the ProGuys changed from the trad.analog metering i was happy to buy my first top shelf grade analog meter a UNIGOR 3 series, i still have it, among many others over the years...

[@RalphBacon]

So according to your experience, it's true that Weller make really good soldering irons then, anyway! And a Russian-made scope too. I guess they were built to last, probably (ex-)military grade. But 50kg is a bit much for me, I can barely lift half that these days. What on earth is inside it to make it that heavy? Anti-theft concrete blocks, maybe?

[@DavidUnderhill]

I have the same soldering iron as your 50W unit, the crappy plastic shaft control pot died 3 weeks after I bought it ( power led never worked). So I fitted a much more robust traditional style 3/8inch shaft pot and at same time fitted old school 240v neon power light. stock standard triac control circuit, no temp control feedback at all. works OK, but not as good as real temp controlled iron.

[@RalphBacon]

Someone else mentioned that the 50W iron is just controlled via a dimmer switch! I never knew, David. But for what I use it for it's fine. Who knows, I might not use it ever again now.

[@johnstephenson2891]

So is Precision Gold an ex Maplin product range? If so my favourite iron is my A55KJ!

[@RalphBacon]

Precision Gold was certainly a Maplin (used) name, John; whether it was exclusive to Maplin I don't know. But your iron looks uncannily similar to my new Atten; some minor differences in the base units button positions but the user guide indicates it works very similar to mine. Who knew?

[@seahawk_dk]

25:07 just remember to put a +100K resistor in series to prevent that you are being electrocuted, in case of an error, and also a resistor for the ESD-mat you forgot :-) The voltage will go the essayist way, the resistor prevents the current to go back, in case of the arm wrest, trough your arm. Greetings from an electrocuted and permanently injured electrician

[@mrroobarb]

The wrist strap should have a 1M resistor "built in" - simple enough to check with the trusty multimeter :-)

[@RalphBacon]

Ouch. Sorry hear that, MIchel. At least you're still here to tell the cautionary tale. My ESD strap has a 1Mohm resistor in the lead. Many have mentioned the ESD mat, and I have looked now and again but I like the mat I have (that is not ESD, it's a very large green cutting mat). I shall just have to have another look, see what I can find. Thanks for posting, good to hear from you.

[@seahawk_dk]

I did a test on my ESD strap, and it was without the resistor - Well when I can´t use my right arm to lift more then a half cup of coffee without pain, then I'm studying to become a Software engineer with embedded electronic as my field, it is nice to have a hobby to fall back on :-)

[@RalphBacon]

You'll be able to use that software knowledge to good effect with this hobby. What language(s) are you using? C++, Python (I guess not, for embedded stuff)?

[@seahawk_dk]

C++ and Java for now, Python is coming later, I have been using C++ for embedded stuff

[@avejst]

Thanks for sharing about the ESD, then it would be a good thing to have a ESD-mat as well, and then ALL OF THE THINGS YOU touch, should be grounded :-) When in ESD land, the operator is the reason for the fault ;-)

[@RalphBacon]

I often looked at ESD mats, both for the workbench and what I walk on. That's as far as it got, maybe I need to look again. Thanks for raising this important (and overlooked) point, Asger, great to hear from you.

[@youdonotknowmyname9663]

About that ESD wrist band thing: DO NOT CONNECT IT DIRECTLY TO GROUND! If you accidentally touch something like 230 Vs, there is only the resistance of your body to limit the current! There are special plugs to put between your ESD writst band and the actual "ground". They have a 1M or 10M resistor in them. The static electricity can discharge over it and if you do touch high voltage the resistor will limit the current. //End of safety rant "We don't need 8 digits of precision" The HP 3458A would disagree ... But I agree with you, having a "crappy" DMM is better then not having one at all! Same goes for oscilloscopes, soldering irons and pretty much every other piece of equipment. And yes, analog multimeters are awsome! The most important tool for working with arduino and microcontroller stuff is: The PC! Because without any way to actually write the firmware for the MCU, it all is pointless! ;-)

[@RalphBacon]

My ESD band has a 1MΩ resistor built in otherwise I wouldn't use it - sizzling Bacon everywhere!

[@JerryEricsson]

My collection of tools were pretty much shown on the pages you displayed. Some of the multi-meters are real crap, I got one of those large print ones, not much good except for checking battery voltage and continuity. Got one like yours that I dig out if I really mean business. I ordered one of those power supplies TWICE and twice had to get EBAY to refund when they ended up scams. I finally got angry enough to build my own in an old 3.5 inch Floppy Drive holder. Turned out OK, I had a kit that I had built a few years ago but never had a transformer to feed, and a transformer that was rated at 26 volts. The kit said not to use over 24 volts, so I never had hooked it up. Well I thought why not try, they were just gathering up dust. Makes a GREAT power supply. Has adjustable amps and volt output. When checked against my good multi meter it is dead nuts on for output. She only goes up to 20 volts out but that is fine, I do have a 24 volt DC power supply that I got to hook to this, but didn't work since it put out DC and the damn kit would not use DC no matter how many ways I switched leads. I do have a boost that will take my 24 volts up to 80 so I can use that for higher voltage output when needed for my 100 watt LED lights and such. As far as irons, I went for the cheap digital with the readout in the handle. Not very accurate but I learned quickly where to run it for each use. She reads up to 400+ c and works best at around 290 c for small jobs. Heats up in seconds. I also have another with a dial on the handle, heats up fairly quick, I keep the digital with a fine point the dial with a chisel point.

[@RalphBacon]

I've learned a couple of things from this comment, Jerry. 1. If it ain't broke don't fix it. If your tools are fine then don't replace just because you can. That's how the planet is in this mess! 2. Making your own can often be very satisfying. I had to cut that bit out of my overlong video, but I made my first one too. Linear PSU, twin VU meters (yes, with needles and everything), huge transformer. I put it all in a metal, oven-painted case (which probably cost more than the components) and it worked well until the transformer died. RIP. 3. There is too much fake stuff out there. China needs to clean up their act if they want to be taken seriously. There is some astoundingly good stuff made there but equally some appalling (and unsafe) stuff too. How can we tell? If the price sounds to good to be true... Good to hear from you Jerry, thanks for posting.

[@tubical71]

For DMMs, i can recomend the AENG (or alike) 8008 as it has a full 4 digit readout: it can display 8888 and all ranges go from 0000 up to 9999 not these 3 and a half or 4 and a half digit rubbish....also it´s rather small and it´s not very pricey..i got mine years ago for about 25bucks(when Dave from the EEVBlog reviewed it, it was an instant buy for me)...and it´s also capable of measuring real high voltages...i tried it when i restored the Philips EL6420 Amp which has two EL34 tubes in push pull at absolute maximum rated plate voltage of 820Volts and it survived, also it measured pretty accurate and still does...i monitored it with my tektronix DMM254... Also i really can advice you to buy top shelf stuff from the past, used...my tek 254 i bought used was 46bucks, the fluke 75 was about 110bucks....in fact i only bought two really new meters....the 8008 and a noname 3 1/2 digit DMM in the end 80s, which is already bust, and i still want one of these fluke 8xxx series bench meters ;)

[@RalphBacon]

We all (secretly) want a top range Fluke but it's a bit like hankering after a top end Merc or Beamer - sometime we have to make do with a Ford or Opel and it can be just as enjoyable (but we still hanker...). Where's my lottery win when I need it? I would have bought that AENG I mentioned for someone starting out in a heartbeat too. It has good reviews, it's more than accurate enough and it's value for money. How things have changed over the last 30 years...

[@hoggif]

OMG, what a boxing for multimeter! I'd never pick up one from the shelf. If I had a permanent table for the hobby, I'd use an esd mat. Other than that missing, I totally agree with your tool list. I'd perhaps add hot air too for advanced hobbyist, not for beginner. Soldering smd by hand is not too bad but desoldering is so much easier with hot air. Sometimes I so think of time before kids when I had the extra room with adjustable isolated ac, all the equipment on shelves above work bench and all the other equipment and tools at hands reach too.

[@RalphBacon]

Kids, who'd have 'em, hey? Taking away your workshop for a bedroom, what a nerve! Yes, I have a hot air gun which I showed in a previous video when desoldering the STM32 from a board but, as you say, certainly not an essential tool (for beginners - or advanced users, if they are not desoldering chips). Someone else mentioned an ESD mat which I have looked for many times but got no further than that. I like my A2 green cutting mat surface too much, I think! So you thought the multimeter box looked a bit garish then? I'm kicking myself for ignoring similarly boxed items when I went to Singapore thinking they were toys, I could have struck gold. Drat! That's why I mentioned it!

[@robinrixon5241]

That's a great selection - about the only addition I would suggest is a logic analyser, extremely useful when you're struggling to work out timing pulses/sequences from Arduinos - especially as the 8 channel 24MHz ones (through a PC) can be had for under £5.

[@andymouse]

could you post a link pls.

[@SimonCoates]

@@andymouse I got this one: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00DAYAREW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_FVztDbAT3J24X it was about £11 at the time. You can find the same type cheaper on eBay and AliExpress. Clip type test probes are also available - I paid about £3 delivered from China.

[@RalphBacon]

Watch my video on my Logic Analyser: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZDKdIiQnJ2hd9E Great product, cheap and works so well (as you will see, you can read the I2C/SPI data as it goes past).

[@mahudson3547]

Nice video. Upgrade? Buy well in the first place. My essential tools that you have highlighted now total 100 years old! Weller digital iron (1990), Fluke (1983) and Farnell 30V 4A bench PSU (1984). All still in full service. I have a soft spot for this stuff - still have my Antex C series from early 70's (lives in a tool roll) and my first multimeter - AVO MultiMinor Mk4 from pre-history which is in the 'museum'!

[@RalphBacon]

As my video said, *Buy Cheap, Buy Twice* (or even thrice). I learned that the hard way and my wife is a strong advocate of that philosophy. These days I buy the best that I can afford after extensive research. It seems to have paid off over the last few years (well, decades). And as your experience reported here has shown. OMG you have an AVO. Probably worth a mint, these days. Nice to hear from you M&A, thanks for posting.

[@mahudson3547]

Ralph S Bacon You are right. I had a lovely AVO 8 Mk 5 (best meter ever for setting the discriminator of an FM receiver) and a Tektronix 60 MHz scope. They sold on eBay and realised enough funds for a Siglent 200MHz Digital scope. Another good reason for buying well - they also sell well - even after many years of good service.

[@asagk]

No.1 >>> Digital Signal Oscilloscope ... most important tool by far imho. Even current measuring works fine via voltage drop, as well as measuring capacitors via charge time at a defined signal frequency. (Nice almost any Oscilloscope has an 1 kHz calibration output, since that does so many nice things now and then.) ------ No.2 >>> Frequency Generator (signal gen.), to create all the measuring setups, in combination with the Oscilloscope, for impedance, signal simulation, filter/ripple simulation/testing and stuff, ... or even measuring an inductor value via resonance frequency in combination with some high precision silver mica capacitor. ------ No.3 >>> Soldering Iron and/or Hot Air Soldering Station. They come sort of cheap; no reason not to have at least one! ------ No. 4 >>> Calculator! --- But I do have some Multi-Meter as well, mostly 20+ yr. old stuff, to be honest. [EDIT] I am not sure if the Calculator is not No.1 actually?! Perhaps it is... In summary, one could have a very nice go below USD 500; about 220...250 for some sort of reasonable 2-channel Oscilloscope (UNI-T/Hantek/Rigol), about USD 70...100 for a usefull DDS Signal Generator (noname @ up to 20MHz does the job), Soldering Iron for like USD 25...40, an Arduino or STM32 Nucleo or ESP32-Wroom for like USD 7...20, and some small parts for another few Dollars (small LED/Resistor/Capacitor pre packaged collection). So in total definaitly below 500 USD, perhaps even about just 400 USD if one knows where and what to look at for the best price... for being used as a hobby that does already about perfect! And as you can see, Ralph, I did not include a multi-meter. And I didn't do that for reason, since one could do all that what the multi-meter does with a calculator (windows calc is enough) / oscilloscope / signal-generator and some brain. And while that is some effort, it has a nice learning curve that helps to already get a clue about what the first projects could be like ... e.g. measuring tools(!) for inductance, capacitance, resistance, frequency counting, a simple logic analyzer for like I2C/SPI etc.pp.. But that's just my 2 pennies... :)

[@RalphBacon]

A DSO as your #1 _essential_ tool, Sebastian? For a beginner? Would they know what it is for? And #4 is a calculator? As it happens I use the Windows calculator a lot when working with binary bits (and Hex equivalents) so I know the value to write but I would have thought a multimeter is easy for a beginner to understand what s/he is seeing? You are a hard task master, that's for sure! But I knew not everyone would agree with my list so thanks for posting that, very interesting!

[@asagk]

@@RalphBacon Well, I think you are right, Ralph. There is quite a risk that beginners do not get what to do with a DSO. On the other hand, a multimeter just tells if things go well or not. The pity is, it cannot tell about why and how things perhaps go wrong, since you never see the transients, ripple and else. So I tend to believe that a multimeter does not really help. What you can see on a multimeter is not any much different from what you can and/or could see on a DSO already. The only obstacle is the learning curve. But the advantage of the DSO is, that one does not have to write in comments like "my arduino does not do that, when pressing the little attached button once ... it acts like the button was pressed multiple times...". To see that the button bounces is never happening without DSO, and from that there is no idea that there is something else and asking or finding out how to solve that by integrating the signal by a low pass filter, to get rid of the bouncing once and for all remains impossible. Instead people start trying to design nifty solutions in software to get rid of something that a resistor+capacitor would had done without any further effort right away. On he other hand, finding the error also means to learn about integration and when, where, as well as why to make use of integration in hardware or in software. And there are so many things to learn in electronics ... ranging from Ohms law to Smith charts and what not. So when I argument for an Oscilloscope as an essential tool, I do that since I try to put an argument for the learning about electronics, instead of just plugging modules from banggood or adafruit together. by learning people can even design stuff on their own after some time ... simple designs in the beginning perhaps ... more complex ones after some more time and exirience. We live at a time where everything relies on the transformation of science into technology ... cars, air planes, mobile phones, power plants, hospitals, ... you name it. To be interested in at least some part of that, even at a hobbyist level, is a very nice choice. Not to understand and/or know about something does not mean one is stupid. What we do not know, is just what we didn't learn about so far! But this also asks for a chance for the learning, and I am not sure if a multimeter does help with that much, except for driving an LED with a battery and measuring the resistor for to make that work, without buying a new LED after each attempt. A multimeter is certainly usefull, especially along with AC above the 48 Volts range. But I had doubt if it helps with micro-electronics and learning about it really. I myself am originated in informatics, not at all in electronic engineering. Of cuorse I had some fundamental electronics lectures at university, but that is like 35 years ago. But I can see videos from NPTEL about electronic engineering at KZbin, read books about it, and look at things with my oscilloscope and learn from it. It does not make me a better person, it does not grant me income, but it makes me happy to learn something new I didn't know too much about beforehand. And that is a nice goal to achieve! And if I would try to make a guess, just guessing, what makes you do some electronics might be different in detail, but is basically pretty similar to what drives me ... it is all about the fun and learning. But I could be wrong ... just guessing ... :)

[@asagk]

Btw.: There are very good lectures about basic electric circuits to watch at youtube, like e.g. kzbin.info/aero/PLuv3GM6-gsE3VXX1ZRU3-bQEuyqj5av_k So beginners are not completly left alone.

[@MrBobWareham]

Still got my Antex and it is the one I use it with my yellow sponge and would not change

[@RalphBacon]

I still both my Antex but my new ATTEN one is in a different league altogether. Quick to heat up (almost instant), temperature controlled, umpteen different bit options... the list goes on!

[@bgable7707]

Thanks again for sharing the info

[@RalphBacon]

Any time!

[@randallmoore4000]

prefer the Hakko line of products. I use an FX-951 station with a mini iron (45 watt) I also use a Hakko 203 with hot tweezers and a Medium Iron (70 watt). The fx 951 is about 250.00 US. Great kit.

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, Hakko does have a good following which can only be achieved by delivering good quality products. And the bits are available everywhere (probably clones though!). Nice to hear from you Randall, thanks for posting.

[@randallmoore4000]

@@RalphBacon the clones are really iffy. The tips on the other hand work well for me and a huge savings on the common T12 and T15s. (T12 and T15 are identical. T15 designates US market for some reason. Really think your content is interesting. Thank you for sharing.

[@uwezimmermann5427]

Your blue soldering station is not temperature controlled, it is just a phase angle dimmer controlling the power. As with your yellow irons the temperature then is whatever it is when the heat is dissipated. There are really good temperature regulated stations around for just twice the price of your yellow soldering irons. Lacking the atuomatic switch-off and the pre-settings. I strongly recommend the 898-stations whihc also include a hot-air gun, retailing for about 60 €=£=$. These take Hakko-bits which are also widely available.

[@uwezimmermann5427]

The AN8008 is a very very very good multimeter. It would not only do, it DOES! Auto-OFF on a multimeter is not a feature but a curse!

[@RalphBacon]

Yeah, thanks Uwe, someone else has already broken the bad news to me on that front. But I'll keep it in reserve for those big jobs I don't want to use my new iron on! I looked at the combined units but decided against them as I already have a 959D hot air gun (very good it is too) I didn't need that. But what you are really saying is that there are amazing units out there with a proven reliability record for relatively little money, which can only be good for us hobbyists and makers. Great to hear from you, thanks for posting.

[@uwezimmermann5427]

@@RalphBacon Yes the 898's combined soldering/hotair systems are in my experience very reliable and also important very compact units. Yes David2 on the EEV-blogg managed to blow up his hotair-gun of the same type, but it might have happened in the same way with every other system as well. In spring I bought a new 898D from a German eBay-seller for our makerspace and it has some new features, which my older ones doesn't have, for example a standby function where I don't know yet how it is controlled. Also the same type of tips are available as for your Weller-clone, especially the concave reservoir tips. Usually at around 1 €=$=£ per tip.

[@tubical71]

For the solder, i really do fear the days when there will be no more HS10, 2630 or any SN60PB40 type solder available....ok i must admit i bought about 5kg of 2630 1mm made by stannol and some 5kg of HS10 1mm, as i usually need 100g per month (depending on how much solderstripe / tube stuff i do) also i got some 10kg of generic industrial grade SN60PB58CU2 2mm for point soldering on line assemblies...it has lots of flux inside and it needs rework (a non "no-clean" flux type) or the traces corrode, but the flux type is very agressive it do top grade solder-joints even on heavy corroded copper traces. This is what you have when the PCB has no soldermask and was siktting on the shelf for years...also great for repair...but again it needs cleaning after you finished the solder work....

[@RalphBacon]

I've watched videos (proposed by my viewers) on how to do SMD soldering where he states that even no-clean flux should be washed off as he had his traces eaten away by not doing so. Just because is says no-clean on the box I don't believe it (especially if it comes from China) and always remove the flux so it is squeaky clean! It just look so much better too IMHO. It's interesting about leaded solder; they relented and allowed hobbyists and the like use it after a huge backlash a few years ago so I guess it will _always_ be around. It supplies ever dry up it will be a sad day for hobbyists and makers who have to struggle with lead-free. I do wonder whether there really was a problem with lead leaching into the ground from dumped circuit boards, or was it just some eco-warrior thing? I though all solder and other precious metals were reclaimed from PCBs by specialist companies.

[@whitefields5595]

On power supply .... you needed to mention that it is switched mode. not linear, hence the low cost BUT the output can be noisy.

[@RalphBacon]

Funnily enough I was going to but thought that a beginner would not know (or care about) the difference and I tested my PSU on my scope and it was squeaky clean (probably gets worse under a big load which I don't tend to need)! Just as well, I have enough trouble with noisy supplies on my ESP8266s as it is. It's all that RF...

[@whitefields5595]

@@RalphBacon I doubt many of your viewers are beginners. If they watched your 240V stuff they'd be dead by now. Still think it would have been useful to spend a few moments on the difference as they may choose to buy a second-hand linear one rather than a brand new switched one.

[@r1273m]

That was a very useful and interesting video. All of my kit is a bit like me, old and past it, however one thing I use in preference to "solderwick" is a solder sucker. I have a couple and they are ancient but still work well. Are these no longer in fashion? Bob

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, some people swear by solder suckers, some swear at them (like me) and solder wick was my saviour. Perhaps you need to consider a gentle, wallet-friendly upgrade (not you personally, your equipment); you could see how much the price of things has come down. Treat yourself to some early Xmas presents!

[@davadoff]

7:39 not temperature controlled. It’s power controlled, like a dimmer circuit.

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, that is a better description.

[@leifsoderstrom2879]

Thanks for sharing Ralph. What is the name of the terminal emulator software you use ?

[@RalphBacon]

I use CoolTerm a lot, as it is quite flexible, free (donations accepted) and you can log the data to a file too (eg for overnight debugging). freeware.the-meiers.org/

[@DCFusor]

Of course, touching a mosfet with your grounded self while it's sitting on a statically charged up plastic table top cover...makes it more, not less, likely to be fried. If you're going to do one end, you had best take care of the other side of the circuit too.

[@RalphBacon]

So ground the bench mat too?

[@DCFusor]

@@RalphBacon Yes! The make special ones with mildly conductive surfaces just for this. (Example, and no I don't sell or use them myself: www.amazon.com/StaticTek-Anti-Static-Conductive-Electronics-Precut-Roll/dp/B071Y4HN7G ) In truth, all but a very few specialized mosfets today come with protection diodes anyway - it's been over a decade since I fried anything taking no precautions whatever. If you have any reasonable humidity in the place and you're not constantly getting shocked on things, you're probably good. The issue, when you think about it, is that electricity (in the currents required to fry something) flows through a (complete) circuit. The thing is, humans have a capacity to ground that can charge up (there's a standard for that too), so the wrist strap helps bleed any charge on that off. But if the desktop itself is charged - fairly likely if it's plastic and humidity is low, you've just moved the problem - your body capacity makes you a low impedance to ground for fast events (spark discharge that fries fets) - and the tabletop's potentially charged capacity to ground then supplies the current through its own and your capacity (in series) to do the frying. I learned a bunch of this the hard way on both parts and well, myself since I work around very high voltages, and the charge you can pick up is...not pleasant to discover when you lean on something grounded. A literal pain in the a... Link: Human model - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human-body_model The desk can be all over the place. An old rule for plain wire is around a pf per foot in free space. I've had desktops that if I put something conductive on top and measure to ground, it's 100's of pf - doesn't sound like much, but it's easy to pick up a few kv in dry air (motion nearby can act like a Wimshurst machine and amplify a small charge)... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimshurst_machine Best is just to keep the air reasonably moist - 30-50% RH and you'll never have an issue.

[@sickvic3909]

Where is your solder roll holder link?

[@RalphBacon]

It's in the GitHub now Vic, not cheap at about $16 but it is very well made. www.banggood.com/High-Strength-Tin-Solder-Frame-Soldering-Tin-Holder-Metal-Tin-Wire-Frame-Stand-2-Levles-p-1156335.html?p=FQ040729393382015118& A single version is also available,

[@PaulMcKillop]

Hey Ralph, Great advice all round. Maybe you could do a video about good hand tools, screwdrivers, pliers and so forth. Do you have a link to the .4mm leaded solder? Thanks for another great video.

[@RalphBacon]

Link to the 0.5mm (not 0.4mm , my bad) in my GitHub, Paul. github.com/RalphBacon/Essential-Workshop-Tools-for-Beginners A video about hand tools is a great idea, I shall add that to my list at once, thanks for posting.

[@pintokitkat]

What's your experience of desolder braid? I've tried several types and a lot of them were rubbish. As you say, you can rub extra flux in to help, but that strikes me as wrong. If I buy something to suck up solder, I expect it to work without me having to add what should be a fundamental part of the product ie flux.

[@SpeccyMan]

Cheap desolder braid tends to be just that ..... cheap (and nasty.) Buy a branded braid and you will find it works just as it should.

[@RalphBacon]

Some braid doesn't have added flux (cheap Chinese stuff). I *always* use Servisol Soldamop now, Andy, I assume it a brand available worldwide these days. Not cheap, but it's so worth it compared to cheap stuff! Adding extra flux is just a way of ensuring an easier soldering experience, the same as flooding with flux paste on an SMD chip. The flux can boil off pretty quickly so any extra makes the job easier, but as Nick says you don't always need it (especially for single components rather than header pins that I was desoldering).

[@MrBobWareham]

I have an XS25 with a big bit it will desolder no problem bigger bit more heat!!

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, Bob, size definitely matters when it comes to soldering iron bits!

[@bunnykiller]

its like trying to pick the top 5 organs of a body needed to stay alive... power supply 30v min 5A, soldering iron 25W, V meter, good solder the thin stuff, wire nippers/strippers, and a large magnifying glass on a swing arm. Ohh yeah, almost forgot, bright lighting for the work area... anything else is an upgrade...

[@RalphBacon]

Sounds very good, would work well!

[@colindejager1250]

The only soldering iron worth its salt is ... Antex xs 25! Still have my red one from the seventies, along with a few from later eras. Mr J. Iiett gave his up for the 'modern ones noooo Of course, my goto for toys etc is the 8W 5V tool. Just fantastic, heats up instantly, spare tips...

[@RalphBacon]

Ha Ha! They _are_ definitely still a good iron. Of course, the cheap, temperature controlled Chinese models are very tempting but will they last 10 years or more? (That was a rhetorical question, we all know the answer). I saw Julian use a TS-100 a couple of years ago and thought it quite nice, but ultimately decided against it, as you saw. Nice to hear from you Colin, thanks for posting.

[@stevehallam0850]

Excellent as usual Ralph. Where did you get the 0.4mm leaded solder?

[@SpeccyMan]

Yes, I would also like to know.

[@RalphBacon]

I've put a link in my GitHub now. It's actually 0.5mm (my bad) but it's good stuff. github.com/RalphBacon/Essential-Workshop-Tools-for-Beginners

[@englishrupe01]

If you are in the US and need 0.6mm solder (63/37) i can highly recommend this deal! smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R1PTRE2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 There's 2.2lb of great solder, PLUS a dispenser thrown in for $38 with free shipping! Can't beat that!

[@philjordan1749]

Have to admit that I miss the days of the analogue multimeter. Though not as precise as their digital counterparts, when looking for some fleeting signal the instantaneous response time definitely gives them the edge. In my work I use a Fluke 175 - pretty quick for a digital, but not a patch on an analogue. However, if we're talking robustness that's a whole other story....

[@RalphBacon]

Oh, so _you're_ the one using a Fluke, are you, Phil? Hmph! When I win the lottery... But I agree on the needle kick to show a quick signal - that's why I keep my old meter and use it about once a year!

[@philjordan1749]

@@RalphBacon Seriously doubt I'd have Fluke if the company I work for hadn't payed for it ............... at home it's a different story, that meter comes from the, sadly departed, Maplins.

[@RalphBacon]

Maplins is dead! LONG LIVE MAPLINS. They're back: www.maplin.co.uk/ owned by one of the Dragon's Den people, I believe.

[@philjordan1749]

@@RalphBacon Well, sadly departed from my neck of the woods at any rate. Up until a few months ago I had a Maplins store just a few hundred yards away from where I live, since closed down along with many others I believe. But on the back of your post I may well start buying from them again. Cheers Ralph.

[@tigrafrog]

cannot agree about soldering irons. Any DIY "T12" kit + 3 T12 tips, with 24v power supply -- and you probably will never want another soldering iron.

[@RalphBacon]

Except you need a soldering iron to put that kit together... Um...

[@tigrafrog]

@@RalphBacon Ok, so full path or "true story": 1. get yourself cheapest 2-in-1 Yihua 852D+ station, because it was on huge sale, 1.5 of price of your yellow soldering iron. 2 with time, get sick and tired of soldering iron "performance" and look around of alternatives. 3 Order T12 kit as cheapest option. 4. After 1st use: NO MORE PAIN. If I've start today, I'll get T12 station clone assembled (NOT blue hakko clones, those are crap), and save huge amount of pain and misery.

[@RalphBacon]

Actually I have a *Yihua 959D* hot air gun and it's pretty good (so far, just a few months) for desoldering stuff like chips. So "essential" if you're doing that sort of thing but otherwise a soldering iron can solder SMD stuff not problem. But it's good you have a soldering iron you're obviously very happy with and equally good you reported that here for all to read. You are not the only one to say that about the T12. Thanks for posting, most appreciated.

[@lezbriddon]

@@tigrafrog I have one of those awfule cheap chinese hot air+iron jobbys, pile of crap, but i was given it, oddly i find the air comes in handy, when i need something to melt a glue stick fast.....

[@JerryEricsson]

Ordered some solder from Electronic Gold, believe it or not, it is called AMERICAN SOLDER, MADE IN USA must be old stock, great stuff, sadly I am going through it faster then I like, I could only afford a quarter pound of it, perhaps I need a pound. Those fillers for the iron cleaner are about the same as my mom used to clean pots and pans called a "chore girl" back in the 60's

[@RalphBacon]

I got refused solder from RS Components, Jerry, as you have to be a "professional user" to be allowed a product with lead in it (does solder have lead in it, who knew?). But I bought it from elsewhere so no loss. the "scourers" should really be brass or copper (or brass or copper-plated steel) bare steel is not so good for your iron (or pots and pans, if ti comes to that).

[@TheDefpom]

@31:10 I had the same issue with RS not selling me solder, I did a video on it actually a couple of months ago, I got mine from Element 14 instead in the end: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJ6QkIqDf8qonNU

[@RalphBacon]

Your video describes my experience exactly. If they are going to be so pedantic why not put something on the website in big red letters to that effect? I thought it might have been because I had my profile set to "Individual" or something like that. I've changed it now to something more corporate but I suspect I am not an 'authorised' person to buy this dangerous product from them as it will cause untold harm to all those around me as I construct my home PCBs. Grrr. Bureaucratic red-tape nonsense. The irony of it was that I also ordered a couple of other trivial items at the time because I was ordering this solder - which they still sent to me, probably at a loss due to the free shipping!

[@Dad-ij2qy]

You forgot a ventilating fan to suck the solder fumes out of your work area. You don't, after all want to breathe lead fumes whilst soldering PCB's! I bought a bathroom ventilation fan and hooked it up to the 4-inch dryer vent so I could vent both at once.

[@RalphBacon]

I have a small USB-powered fan blower which at least ensures the fumes don't go directly up my nose. But, sadly, no extraction. But my workshop has a bathroom-style extractor fan so I do get lots of fresh air in.

[@MrBobWareham]

Hi Ralph with your Antex iron I have to disagree with you I don't have a problem I just change the bit to a bigger size and that works for me if I am soldering wire lugs I change my bit for a larger one and that sorts it out, I would like you to test Chinese flux and Chinese soldering items I think you will be surprised how bad they are and when you are new to soldering it is very misleading I have been soldering for over 30 years and the only time we changed our soldering irons was when we were in production then you do need a temperature-controlled iron when you have 100 boards to do but for the hobby person I think the Antex is ok I still use mine

[@RalphBacon]

Since I changed to my ATMEL 100W it's been a delight to use. My Antex I used for 30 years but now I have seen the light. Hallelujah! (Am I allowed to say things like that these days?)

[@tubical71]

Sorry to say this....the Atten is a chinesium expensive knock-of, of the early Weller WS-series, only by the looks of your iron it says WS all over...;) and it´s expensive....the WS81 (80Watts, with a rather tiny iron) is about 250bucks. I would def. have bought the original rather than an almost equally priced chinesium alike, but as you got it and you´re happe with it, it´s ok ;)

[@RalphBacon]

I couldn't afford the Weller, no matter how many times I scoured the Internet the price refused to come down! But the Atten doesn't feel like a knock off, Chinese thought it is, and their website certainly makes me believe they manufacture quality tools. Let's hope that's the case.

[@reelrebellion7486]

I saw yku turn on that iron and touch it with your finger, and your multimeter measures RELs. Ralph, are you a Dalek?

[@RalphBacon]

My secret is obviously out, Kent, trust to you tell everyone! Sorry, must dash, I've had a message from Davros on Skaro, for my eyes only.

[@DennisFisherUK]

cpc sell tin lead solder and the brass cleaners for £1.30.

[@RalphBacon]

That's where I got it from Dennis! The solder, not the brass cleaner thing, which, had I known, I would have added to my order just to have a spare, ready for the day I need it. They didn't send me an email about not being able to sell me something that contains lead. Thanks for posting, nice to hear from you.

[@inferno6012]

10:45 best part i hate that annoying wait

[@RalphBacon]

Yes, it can be quite irksome. Often I have switched on the iron then forgotten that I was going to solder something (it took so long I got distracted - squirrel!)

[@josephtannenbaum8696]

The soldering station is discontinued.

[@RalphBacon]

Which one, Joseph? Not the ATTEN ST-100, surely?

[@davadoff]

29:28 that’s not brass, it’s plated steel. Chinese cost cutting.

[@RalphBacon]

Story of my life. Being the recipient of, I mean.

[@Georg_Hannes]

I love my analog multimeters much more than the digitals. And having a rangeswitch is for me much more comfortable than the autorange shit.

[@RalphBacon]

Each to their own, Georg, I've had both and I far prefer the autoranging, it's just another thing I don't have to do!

[@Georg_Hannes]

@@RalphBacon for me it's the worst-case that I've allways to until the multimeter has a stable value to read. Choosing the right range ones and it's done is the best thing for me.

[@johnstephenson2891]

That AVO is tiny compared to the RAF AVO's. lol

[@RalphBacon]

I bought the compact model, John! We had huuuuge ones at school. I don't know why they were so big.

[@gpTeacher]

I’d recommend a pair of inexpensive “extra hands” to hold together fiddly components you’re soldering. Much nicer finished products than trying to hold with pliers in one hand and the length of solder between your teeth!😝😝

[@RalphBacon]

Like the one I showed in video #58? kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZLZc2RoecyjnaM I use it almost daily, wouldn't be without it. But it wasn't cheap, for what it is. Then again, it has stood the test of time, so money well spent.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

Blu-tac. As long it's not too close to the hot bits.

[@whitefields5595]

Soldering tip cleaner is copper, not brass.You can also use copper pan scourers .... much cheaper!

[@RalphBacon]

Even cheaper than the $2 or whatever the refill was? I might have to look in my supermarket next time (I'm very serious, if they are good soldering tip cleaners, why not)? Good tip, thanks for posting. I'm guessing you've been avoiding my videos lately as you've not put me on the naughty step for ages... unless I've been good (and not mentioned mains electricity)?

[@whitefields5595]

@@RalphBacon ... Its called 'swarf' btw, it is produced on a lathe by turning a solid copper bar where a continuous strip of metal is cut away. Bit like peeling an orange. In most cases it is waste material. Make sure the supermarket ones don't contain soap (as Brillo pads do). Note copper is an excellent natural anti-bacterial which is why really posh kitchens have copper worktops and old ships had copper-plated hulls to keep the marine growth off. Really important when soldering. I watch all your videos as they are always useful .... you have not messed with the mains so I have remained silent. I do always become anxious though if you ever drift that way and start having 'hold my beer' moments with 240 VAC, With power cuts in London yesterday I did wonder .....

[@RalphBacon]

Drat! I hope no-one would link those power cuts with me. I need more power now I have that lovely soldering iron... Glad to see you are still watching but do feel free to chip in now and again, always welcome.

[@Enigma758]

Good suggestions, thanks for the video. I would add a fume extractor to your list. Although I've never owned one over the years, now that my electronics hobby has been recently rekindled, I plan on investing in one.

[@RalphBacon]

I don't have an extractor but I do have a small USB fan to ensure I'm not breathing in the flux fumes.

[@ArjanvanVught]

Using "Arduino"in the title for getting more hits? ;-) Luckily, this video applies also for non-Arduino users :-)

[@GnuReligion]

Yes, I was expecting to see an AVR ISP at the top of the list!

[@RalphBacon]

This channel is called "Arduino Fundamentals - Videos to get your Projects off the Ground", and it's on the end of every video I've ever made. These days I include ESP8266s, ESP32s, STM32s they all can act as though they were an Arduino, if you want them to, including programming them using the Arduino IDE (stop laughing). I've even done a few videos on the Raspberry Pi just to be inclusive! But I didn't include Arduino in the title as click bait, Arjan; as you rightly say, everything in this video applies to anyone doing (µC) electronics, so I'm glad you found it. The question is, did you find it useful, interesting, entertaining...? What soldering iron do _you_ use?

[@RalphBacon]

@GnuReligion I suppose #1 should have been an Arduino Uno board! Doh!

[@GnuReligion]

@@RalphBacon The term "Arduino" has come to mean most anything associated with hobby electronics (among advertisers) especially when pins leads come out in 0.1" or DuPont (which is not really DuPont), making them easy to work with. I will not throw shade at you for that. "Linux" has come to mean anything GnuOS / FSF imitating Unix. You can run GnuOS on a BSD, Minux, SCO, Plan 9, or any number of other kernels though. But I cannot fight that either. This distinction is lost in language. Do not get me started on how the feeling of "Politically Correct" has changed. That used to be a Maoist thing with extreme negative connotations. Other news: Your new LGT GitHub thing came up in an AVRfreaks post. "MD-328D MassDuino" is another mega328 clone ... but perhaps(?) just an LGT. The most active user community for LGT I have found so far is in Chinese, here: mqtt.ocrobot.com/forum-64-1.html Final note: Once you use a temp-controlled iron, you never go back!

[@GnuReligion]

@@RalphBacon Oddly, I got started with factory mega328p MCUs, and have *never* owned an Arduino. Had to bootstrap my way into it by running avrdude from a Raspberry Pi. The Xmega was the biggest challenge, because it needs a PDI programmer, that I had to manufacture (groan). Oh, that was a dead end. No one uses those. Some of us do it the hard way.

[@0RDClark]

A good alternative is the Atten 938D. £60 from Amazon. Bought one 4 years ago from Maplin (same version, just rebadged) and it's still going strong. www.amazon.co.uk/Atten-AT938-Soldering-Station-Ceramic/dp/B07SQCXXDG

[@RalphBacon]

That looks OK, Roger, and I'm glad it's proved durable over the last few years. Maplin is back online, did you know?

[@0RDClark]

@@RalphBacon I didn't realise that they were back (online only). Unfortunately what killed them in the first place was Shenzhen in China. Where Maplin sold, for example, a 2 pack of 2n2222 for close to £5, if you can handle the 2 week wait, then you can get 100 from China for 99p postage free!!! Great if you're doing some development work, fry 2 and it's back to Maplin £5 note in hand, get them from China and you've got another 98 to get through.

[@AJB2K3]

That little thing? Meh, I still have a model 8 avometer!

[@RalphBacon]

Ha ha! It still feels huge (and heavy) compared to the dinky DMM I now have, Adam. Your model should be sold to a museum and then you can retire on the proceeds! (Slight exaggeration, perhaps).

[@AJB2K3]

@@RalphBacon £20 wont get very far :( Prices for them have dropped badly. I also have a Fluke 111 i use as my everyday tester.

[@theonlymudgel]

Hi Ralph - No email address in your about box??

[@RalphBacon]

On a PC or Mac, go to my Channel (with the intro video): kzbin.info/door/8Ob-HnnmhlgSv5Vs_i32TQ Then go to the About tab, click the light blue button that says "View email address".

[@theonlymudgel]

Ralph S Bacon Now I understand. I’m usually on an iPad. Probably why I don’t see it. I’ll sort it out.