Here's a link to what is probably one of the most commonly used professional grade solder stations in the world. I have and use this
Weller Solder Station at work for 8 - 12 hrs per day and they work very nicely.
If that is a little too "rich" for your blood at this point in time, here's a simple but highly effective
Weller Soldering Pencil that should do what you want it to do for less money.
As for solder, I personally like Wonder Solder and also use Cardas. Wonder Solder is the easiest to work with, flows much better than Cardas and may be more available though, so that is what i would probably start off with. My personal experience is that it Wonder is much easier to make a good connection with than if using the Cardas. Either way, you'll have to get the Wonder or Cardas from somewhere like
Michael Percy Audio, so that would mean a separate order. If you want to pick up some good utility solder while ordering the soldering equipment for all around use, i would recommend using this
Kester model. When it comes to soldering, finding the right size and type can make a world of difference in terms of how easy it is to work with and how good your connections are. The specific size of solder recommended here and the formulation makes for both ease of use AND good long term connections.
Other than that, all i can say is to practice, practice, practice. Keep the solder tip clean and try to make a good mechanical connection between components previous to using solder. In other words, the components should be able to make a connection without using the solder as a conductor. Think of solder more as a "glue" than as conductor. The more that you rely on the solder to make the connection, the more important the quality of solder / soldering job becomes. Sean
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