Soldering to small tab on a socket? (NLJ2MD-V)

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Hi, im wondering if anyone has any recommendations on how to solder to a pretty small tab on a neutrik NLJ2MD-V speakon/jack combo socket?

The tabs on these are much much smaller than i was expecting, so im not totally sure how to approach this and know ive got a secure connection.


Cheers


- Will

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Tin both surfaces first, touch them together, heat them. I use a 50 watt iron, smaller irons don't get the joint to temp fast enough, the extra time causes the plastic of the jack to melt.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Ive only got a 30watt solder iron, would i best to upgrade to a 50 watt unit?

[Les Webb]

Ive only got a 30watt solder iron, would i best to upgrade to a 50 watt unit?

Or wet the end of the iron with solder before touching it to the joint. I use a pair of hemostats to clamp the joint together when I can. If you use hemostats then clamp between the joint and the plastic if possible. This creates a sort of heat shield.

I personally use a 50 watt iron minimum. Like Bill says, it just works a lot better.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I thought it was generally bad practice to wet the iron before touching the joint, as the resulting connection can end up cracked and can readily become a dry joint?

Good idea on the hemostats tho, i never thought of using them, ive got a couple pairs kicking about, generally used for other things in the lab, but, these will do fine

Im still a bit anxious about doing this, but hope it will be ok!

http://www.neutrik.com/Secure30/getMedi ... cation/pdf

theres a link to the PDF schematics, showing how small the connection point is!

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

I thought it was generally bad practice to wet the iron before touching the joint, as the resulting connection can end up cracked and can readily become a dry joint?

Always keep the iron tip tinned, it conducts heat better.

[Les Webb]

Yes, heat conducts through a liquid better than than through a solid.

[kdchandler]

I'm not sure how serious to take the solid vs liquid idea. The difference is that without wetting the iron you only have a small point of contact. A small blob of solder on the iron increases the contact area greatly because the solder conforms to the surface. This transfers heat more quickly. You need more patience with a 30w iron. The inexpensive ones are not temperature controlled and it may end up being hotter than a more expensive unit. Temp control is in the $100 range and is available in both bench units and pencils.

I'd also be cautious of using hemostats on the joint. If they can be positioned to hold without being at the joint you are better off. When they are on the joint they become heatsinks, increasing the time and heat required to bring everything up to temperature. Cracking is more likely to occur when the entire joint has not been brought up to temperature, resulting in a cold solder joint. Tin both sides with a small amount of solder. If you are not able to pre-position the wire, I put a bit of extra solder on each side and then bring them together with heat. The resulting joint should be smooth, shiny, and not beaded up like it's avoiding one side.

[kdchandler]

If the irons are not temp controlled, this is a measurement of how quickly they heat (or re-heat), not necessarily the maximum heat they will reach. Higher wattage will allow you to move between large joints more quickly as it re-heats.

[Les Webb]

I'm not sure how serious to take the solid vs liquid idea. The difference is that without wetting the iron you only have a small point of contact. A small blob of solder on the iron increases the contact area greatly because the solder conforms to the surface. This transfers heat more quickly. You need more patience with a 30w iron. The inexpensive ones are not temperature controlled and it may end up being hotter than a more expensive unit. Temp control is in the $100 range and is available in both bench units and pencils.

I'd also be cautious of using hemostats on the joint. If they can be positioned to hold without being at the joint you are better off. When they are on the joint they become heatsinks, increasing the time and heat required to bring everything up to temperature. Cracking is more likely to occur when the entire joint has not been brought up to temperature, resulting in a cold solder joint. Tin both sides with a small amount of solder. If you are not able to pre-position the wire, I put a bit of extra solder on each side and then bring them together with heat. The resulting joint should be smooth, shiny, and not beaded up like it's avoiding one side.

Heat conduction in solid vs. liquid is HS chemistry, not rocket science.

Hemostats work only when both the tab and the wire are tinned. If this is the case then the joint is created at the solder contact points between the tab and the wire.

Using the hemostat as a heat sink/shield against the plastic of the connector is the way I recommended it.

I've used the hemostats on literally hundreds of joints. No problems so far.

Les

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

While minor disagreements are inevitable we're all on the same page here, so everyone please be civil. If you want to pick a fight please do it at Harmony Central or TalkBass.

[fender3x]

I am new at this soldering stuff, and had to look up "hemostat"... I hae some of these jacks, and have never seen a hemostat small enough to go between the plastic and the end of the tab where the joint would go... Any ideas where one might find a hemostat so small?

[Les Webb]

I am new at this soldering stuff, and had to look up "hemostat"... I hae some of these jacks, and have never seen a hemostat small enough to go between the plastic and the end of the tab where the joint would go... Any ideas where one might find a hemostat so small?

Yes, it may not work in this case. My hemostats are definately not small enough to use on the jack the OP is talking about. I was only trying to add a tip on how I did it.

[Tim A]

The best way is the way Bill said. Tin both sides, place the wire on the tab, heat.

I use a 30w all the time, it works fine. I also use a 50w and a 100w, which ever is handy.

If both pieces are tinned it shouldn't take but a second to make the joint, rendering hemostats or 'gator clips unnecessary.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

If both pieces are tinned it shouldn't take but a second to make the joint, rendering hemostats or 'gator clips unnecessary.

They are nice if you need a third hand, to hold parts/hold iron/feed solder at the same time.