Not really testing question but...

Alex SE

Journeyman
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Messages
250
Location
Sweden
Tagline
Amateur
#1
... it's about a tools.
Have a Metcal MX-500P-21 soldering station which I just love, but... . When I power it ON, it turns on yellow LED instead of a green one (green means ready, yellow means fault). Couple times turn on-turn off and it works and it happens more and more often. Today I couldn't turn it ON at all. Pulled out a plug to see if I can open it and as I couldn't, I left it as is without a power cord connected. Half time later, plugged a cord in and voila - it works.
Is there anyone have an experience with Metcal or generally have an idea what can be wrong. I'm guessing that it can be some cold joint but... just wondering.
Now its cold again and I tried to start it and it turns on from the first try so something strange is happening. Just want to be prepared in the case...
 

Gepetto

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 15, 2011
Messages
13,473
Location
Sterling, MA
Tagline
Old 'Arn Enthusiast
#2
Does your solder pencil use the pluggable tip cartridges? Sometimes a fault is associate with that connection, unplug and replug several times and it usually clears up.

Other thing to check is the cable connector to the main unit, they use clamping style connectors that look like BNC connectors. Sometimes that clamp loosens up and you get a fault from that as well.
 

Alex SE

Journeyman
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Messages
250
Location
Sweden
Tagline
Amateur
#3
I have tried what you're suggesting, even before. Fortunately I have both spare wand and different kind of a tip, and problem seems to be somewhere else. Interesting thing is that, if a unit is unplugged (no matter if I unplug a cord from it or just cut a power on the extension cable switch) and leave it so for a while, it turns on without a problem. Maybe it is just coincidence, but right at the moment that's how it is.
More and more I believe it's some cold joint. Here is what I've found on YouTube. Don't know, but if it works sometimes and sometimes not, it sounds logical that nothing is dead. More likely it loosing a contact somewhere.
Have tested again now, pulled out and pushed back a plug that goes into the unit, couple of times , and it 3-4 times it doesn't works, and than it works and then doesn't works again. Weird.
 

Alex SE

Journeyman
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Messages
250
Location
Sweden
Tagline
Amateur
#4
Opened it today and found broken joints on the one transistor. Works like charm after reflow.


S20220724_0002.jpg S20220724_0003.jpg
 

WOPL Sniffer

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
11,223
Location
Minnie-Soda
Tagline
Screw it
#5
Yep, I touched on this a while back. I had a pair of side cutters and they needed to be retired, it put too much pressure on the joints and was not cleanly cutting. I go through a lot of tools. They LOOK OK, but get dull and break/crack joints when trimming leads. Ya gotta look at the joints under magnification. When you see that, toss em even if they look new.
 

Alex SE

Journeyman
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Messages
250
Location
Sweden
Tagline
Amateur
#7
F***** joint are so small that crack is difficult to see without magnification. As I guy showed in a video I pointed before, everything looked OK, so he resoldered a whole area on that pcb. I thought, why not to check all joints instead and see if I can find something and there it was. All other joints was OK, so about 20 minutes for identify and fix a problem.
Interesting, station have a one yellow LED (fault) and one green (ON & OK). If a wand is not connected, yellow LED is ON. I have reflowed those 3 joints and tested OK. Assembled everything and now yellow was on again. First thing came to my mind was What is now? Then I saw that wand is not attached :) Tested ON-OFF couple of times and it works as it should :) So happy that I could fix it, it wouldn't be piece of a cake to buy a new one, those costs from 400$ and up at mouser.com. Well worth but kind a too much, at least for me.
 

WOPL Sniffer

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
11,223
Location
Minnie-Soda
Tagline
Screw it
#8
F***** joint are so small that crack is difficult to see without magnification. As I guy showed in a video I pointed before, everything looked OK, so he resoldered a whole area on that pcb. I thought, why not to check all joints instead and see if I can find something and there it was. All other joints was OK, so about 20 minutes for identify and fix a problem.
Interesting, station have a one yellow LED (fault) and one green (ON & OK). If a wand is not connected, yellow LED is ON. I have reflowed those 3 joints and tested OK. Assembled everything and now yellow was on again. First thing came to my mind was What is now? Then I saw that wand is not attached :) Tested ON-OFF couple of times and it works as it should :) So happy that I could fix it, it wouldn't be piece of a cake to buy a new one, those costs from 400$ and up at mouser.com. Well worth but kind a too much, at least for me.

Don't buy your test equipment/tools at Mouser or Digikey...... The mark-up is fucking enormous. Shop around, you'll find it for MUCH cheaper elsewhere.
 

Alex SE

Journeyman
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Messages
250
Location
Sweden
Tagline
Amateur
#11
Don't buy your test equipment/tools at Mouser or Digikey...... The mark-up is fucking enormous. Shop around, you'll find it for MUCH cheaper elsewhere.
I understand that but I don't have so much choice in Sweden as you guys have in the US, and I'm visiting your country every 3 or 4 years which is not so often. And even when there, I can't order anything because I'm almost never at the same place more than 3-4 days and besides, I don't think any store would ship to a hotel address. To make an order to Sweden is not an option since that taxes and customs are about 50% which is overkill. Last time I bought WHS300 from Willy, price was IARC 200$, taxes and customs 100$ more :( Yes, there are probably some things we have in the EU that are not available in the US or cost more, but everything I'm interesting in is for the most in the US. Lucky me :)
FYI, Gasoline 95 costs today in Stockholm about 7.50 $/gallon :)
 
Last edited:

Alex SE

Journeyman
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Messages
250
Location
Sweden
Tagline
Amateur
#12
A WSP80 (my model of Weller Pencil) is $170 at Mouser, and $80-$125 at other places.
Can't believe :(
That's what I'm talking about. We from EU don't have such a choice :( Same thing with a tapes, sometimes I have mixed feelings (anger, disappointment and depression) when I see eBay prices in the US.
 
Top