Solder and soldering irons?

Hi, Just wanted recommendations of the best type of solder to use for alarm instals. Also what type of soldering irons do you use? I started by using a mains electric irom but had to use extension leads to use in the vehicle. I then invested in a gas soldering iron by Iroda but this was extremely hard to use by a novice like me. I then bought a battery soldering Iron whic used 3xAA batteries but they didn't last long. I'm thinking of buying a 12v car soldering iron to plug into the cigarette lighter or one with battery clips. Advice on wattage, brands to go for etc. would be a help. Thanks

the Master & Weller butane units are the best... the get good and hot quickly and go anywhere....Kevin Gerry

Certified Electronics Technician

MECP First Class Installer

Owner/Installer

Classic Car Audio

since 1979

i use a gas iron one thing you have to watch out for is where you have the exhaust ports pointed. mains you need an extension lead. 12V you draining the battery while car is off. they all have there good and bad points.Why oh Why didn't i take the blue pill

Darren Power

Do not buy a soldering iron just for the 12V. Buy a good one, 120V, and purchase a Mobil Power unit, DC 12V to 120V, 50W that plugs into your cigarette lighter, they small and are cheap. Now you can use the Soldering iron, Laptop, or anything else you wish in the car. I use mine for the kids using the laptop in the car on trips and when we loose electrical power at home to run the Refrigerator or TV in an emergency, I use an extension cord from the car to the house.Knowledge is Indisputable, Opinions are Subjective.

Snap On makes a cordless, 20 minutes constant heating time and rechargable, though i never tried it you can plug it into the wall.. But in the shop i use a sodder gun, especally since i broke my hand, and have a hard cast on my dominant hand.

Yep, the Weller butane iron I got works really nicely- the piezo ignition is really handy; one handed start, so you can start and stop easily. Heats up very quickly, so you can just shut down in between prep time for the connections. The cap is heat resistant, so you can put it back on right after shutting off to avoid carpet meltdown. Plus, it makes a cool rising pitch whine as you start it up that you just won't get with anything else- fun! I suppose the only drawback may be that it may not fire up easily in really cold temperatures, if you're frequently inclined to work in that environment- otherwise, it's the handiest thing for mobile applications.

Blue point hands down, not the cheap red one either. Heats up quicker then any other and lasts a very long time between fill ups.Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

do you have the model number of the blue point Iron. I have always used weller guns but might give the snap on one a shot.double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

from what i remember the bluepoint is the same as the gascat/iroda units.

Ravendarat wrote: do you have the model number of the blue point Iron. I have always used weller guns but might give the snap on one a shot.

YAKS32 for the kit, I don't recommend. YAS32 for the iron itself, much better price and you don't pay for all the tips you will never use My current iron has lasted for 3 1/2 years now. The key is not to use sub par butane, that is what destroys them. On the current iron I have only gone through 3 replacement tips which even off of the truck are $12.Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.