Stupid rookie questions...
 

Hi all,

I've been interested in electric vehicles for some time and have build an electric motorcycle and several electric bicycles. I have since been looking into getting into EVs of the four wheeled variety and have an Open Revolt Controller kit.

Undoubtedly, I've made a few rookie mistakes some of them unquestioningly stupid. If anybody has put together one of these things before, I understand that they are of rather exceptional quality but I could use some direction.

Those capacitors are SERIOUSLY STUBBORN to solder in. The three large ceramic capacitors I actually used a butane torch to get on. I was as careful as I could be to keep the flame only on the work and not the capacitor itself. They had long legs and I didn't see much of a problem.

...but those 16 capacitors near the end... man are they hard to solder in. What kind of wattage do I actually need here? I have a heavy duty weller 200w soldering iron and it's not even close to getting the job done.

Any opinions? Thanks for any help.

I don't have any insight into your problem. But I do want to say, there are no stupid questions here. We love to help! Welcome to our community.

Thank you!

I am a "tinkerer" and I do not like the use of fossil fuels so ecomodding is a very logical step for me.

I am building a 1994 Ford Ranger EV and I am looking forward to being able to look proudly at my vehicle and saying "I built that."

I used a radio shack 250 watt gun. I would hold the trigger till the business end got red hot. Then I would make contact with the area to be soldered. My thinking was that maybe I would not over heat the parts that might get hurt by it.

The controller has been working since September 09. Heating the soldering gun like that was hard on the gun. My conversion is an 87 Ranger.

Good luck
Alvin

Hey Alvin! I remember picking up some ideas from you on the other forum. Our builds are very similar.

I've got one of these little irons right here: (Weller D550, I can't post images)


It's supposed to be 200-260w... but it just doesn't get the job done. I butane torched in the 3 ceramic capacitors and that was probably a reckless mistake and a lesson not to work when angry and frustrated. I think I got away from that without a hitch, but these 16 black capacitors... that just sounds like a really, really bad idea.

I am REALLY thinking about this one: (300w amazon iron, I can't post images).

but I have the same concern you have... I don't want to fry the capacitor. I'd have to be careful to keep the head on the work. It could be precarious.

Yes that is why I preheated the iron so much just so I would not spend so much time on the work area. I also did the mosfets and diodes like that.

The 300 watt gun might be better.

Done. This is me slamming the gable down and saying "it is so ordered."

It only cost $24 from Amazon. I can deal with that.

Thanks for the advice.

I really cant see how anybody does stuff anymore. I have my tins of nokorrode amonia chloride and when they are empty i'll have to stop soldering.

My guess is you might want to really clean then pre-tin the leads and go to a proper electronics supllier to get decent but expensive flux. The crud they sell otherwise isn't worth the money

The 300w did the trick!

All finished... it works!!

Hi,
Try using a hemostat or some other heat sink between the area of the component being soldered and the component itself. Do not use acid core solder on electronics; use rosin core solder. The small rolls of solder that are used in electronics today are a tin/silver mix with a rosin core. The area being soldered needs to be clean with no oil or crud on its surface. Alcohol can clean this, with a Q-tip if appropriate. Or brake cleaner on a Q-tip if necessary. Then the gun tip needs to be clean and tinned. To clean a tip, heat turn on the gun and heat the tip till it smokes (a sign it is dirty, clean tips don't smoke). Wipe it off while hot with an old clean rag, t-shirt or towel. Then let it cool, then clean it with some fine grit sandpaper or emery paper. Wipe it off. Then heat it till it is hot and apply solder to it, all over the tip, then wipe it off while hot. Now you should have a nice clean silvery tip on your gun and it is ready to use.

Heating the gun till it is hot will not hurt the gun; it is made to be heated.


The gun

I am kind of a soldering rookie. I've done small electronics a lot, but this was a whole new realm. I didn't know that there was that much to it.

Weller D650 300/200 Watt 120V Industrial Soldering Gun
 

Hi guys, I'm just about to get started on a ReVolt. Is this what I need - Weller D650 300/200 Watt 120V Industrial Soldering Gun? Thanks!