Soldering iron High Low switch Diode trick save the tip

[@mevk1]

This is exactly what I needed. Thank you! So glad bigclive has links here. Love subscribing to all you EE genius's channels. You guys/gals always know how to make my live easier - something manufacturers don't seam to care about. I have two of these and both will be having this mod very soon -sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

Yes! this is an oldie but a goodie👍 So simple but effective 😉

[@mevk1]

My "stubby" iron tip, with the flick of a switch now puts out 54 or 27 watts.😊 Now I only use full power to heat up iron faster then switch to half power unless have a larger mass to solder; and, if I forget to turn it off it won't burn up any more. Low setting feature will also allow you to have a nice shinny properly tinned tip, and for me, help prevent or minimize my careless carpet drop burns (what's that I smell burning - dooh !!!).😢 If you have a watt-o-meter, they make for a quick power test. My other similar 20W iron I left as is because tip is still good and I have changeable tips that help somewhat with temp control and SMD/Biggy soldiering tasks, and because I don't have another in-line switch. Now, wondering if one of those very small tactile-like clicky switches salvaged from a discarded HDTV would do the business - any thoughts? Also, is there some way to half the power again so I only get 25% ? Thanks Again !!!! Anyone who has one of these types of irons should add a switch and a diode, or add what the el cheapo manufacturer should have originally included.😒😒 Yes, if you have a light dimmer box circuit that could work even better, and of course pretty cheap chinses adjustables can be purchased.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Same as I did 50 years ago. It's still a good hack.

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

It's a oldie but a goodie! The simple hack's are sometimes the best ones 😉

[@terrymarky9996]

I have a heat lamp for kennel which uses the same method for a high/low switch, they just tacked the diode across the switch, Job done!. You cant get more simple

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

That's great! It's a very common technique and a very simple, easy thing for the DIY to do. And of course the simpler it is the less that can go wrong.

[@lookoutleo]

thanks for posting. hoover in the 80s used this system to make their vaccum cleaners have two motor speeds :)

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

It's simple and really effective. 😉👍

[@tisrettamton153]

That's a nifty little hack!

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

Thanks! The little diode halfwave trick comes in handy for many different things. You will often find it inside a hair dryer to control the motor speed.

[@hootinouts]

Will this work with 120VAC? I live in the US where that is the standard household voltage. I tried your tip by placing a diode on the "hot" (ungrounded) side of a power cord wired up to a receptacle and checked the voltage across the hot and neutral with no load. My digital meter showed very little drop in voltage with the diode in the circuit. Am I overlooking something?

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

Yes it will work on 120vac. The diode will effectively make half-wave DC. So the voltage can't be measured on the AC setting. It's not going to be easy for a voltmeter to measure the true RMS voltage on half-wave DC. For a soldering iron the power will be reduced, by giving it half-wave DC.

[@TruthLoversKoSALAM-fg8dh]

@@MyProjectBoxChannel You're essentially reducing the duty cycle by half 60w AC will consume 50% less power.

[@GregAtlas]

Wiring up an AC heated bed for my 3D printer soon. Figured the 1300 watts might be a bit much at times for our old house's power grid with other appliances plugged into the circuit, so I'm looking forward to trying this out. I really don't need to get to temperature in less than a minute and my battery backup system only supports 800 watts, too.

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

Try it! It might just be the simple solution you have been looking for. Just remember to use a big enough diode, for the heating element current draw.

[@GregAtlas]

@@MyProjectBoxChannel I'm looking at the BYV79E. 200 volts 14 amp should be enough for a 120 volt 10.8 amp application I'd assume. Or maybe I should give it a 80% overhead and go for a 19.44 amp minimum?

[@anwarabbasnaghma]

very good video sir

[@AndrewSparkfish]

Great idea. Does it matter what size diode? Or any diode that will fit in the switch?

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

As long as the diode can handle more current than the iron.The 1N4007 is rated for 1A , so that's up to 200w

[@alvingacho719]

.

[@anilkumargoel307]

I have a soldering Iron which work on 110v ac. By fixing diode 4007, can I use it on 230v ac as this diode may drop 50% voltage as it will give half cycle Anil Kumar Goel

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

That will work 👍. It won't be exactly right but close enough.

[@IS-77]

It works wonders bro, thanks, 👌

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

Simple hacks are the best ones😉👍

[@briancormier5236]

Smart I have hard times with soldering resistors and led ugh and my soldering iron is crap hahah

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

This diode trick definitely makes a cheap soldering iron more usable. Keep at it, practice makes perfect😉. It can be fun.

[@plainedgedsaw1694]

What a piece of sensitive equipment you have acquired there... I'm using 100W gun. Transformer based, so I can't half wave it. But I have successfully soldered SMD LEDs with it before, It's about practice.

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

I agree! with enough determination you can solder almost anything, with any size soldering iron. I have done LED strip lighting with my dad's automotive soldering iron, which he used to repair starter motors!🤣🤣😜 Sometimes you need that extra grunt, to solder things with high thermal mass.

[@cotto887]

how about you use a dimmer switch

[@plainedgedsaw1694]

@@cotto887 it could be done, but there is a risk of ruining certain components with that noise from the triac switching in middle of the wave, it couples much easier thru the loop of wire as a tip.

[@hootinouts]

@@cotto887 Vince, I was thinking the same thing and so I grabbed a spare dimmer I had laying around and measured the output with my digital meter and at the lowest setting, it didn't seem to drop the voltage much at all. I am in the US where 120 VAC is standard household voltage.

[@mevk1]

@@hootinouts My vintage Craftsman 200W 3 pound behemoth has a dial that that goes from low to high. Not sure, but feels like the dial is just a switch inside the iron that taps into a second transformer output giving you a low power setting, albeit 120W. Those beasts had triggers for almost instant heat that you regulated manually by "firing" on and off.

[@Amperekaefer]

Ein Temperaturtest wäre nicht schlecht gewesen.

[@cotto887]

you could have used a dimmer switch

[@MyProjectBoxChannel]

Yes you can 😉. And I have done it in the past. I have even build a dimmer circuit from scratch, many years ago. But a diode circuit is as simple and cheap as it gets! And a simple "hi /low" setting, is good enough for most use cases.

[@TruthLoversKoSALAM-fg8dh]

@@MyProjectBoxChannel 12 diodes are 10 cents at my electronics store.

[@BinjMikhahakdog]

Can the diode be place in any direction?

[@georgekurgansky5986]

Sweeeeeet