which solder do you recommend?

Jennifer from Jena Labs highly endorsed the Cardas Quad Eutectic Solder. She told me that she has used pretty much every high end solder available and she prefers this for sonics and durability. She also went on to tell me she did upgrades to a $8k preamp and used a silver solder and since it was not an eutectic type solder it started to "break down" in a matter of years and now the piece is pretty much a boat anchor unless she wanted to go back and re-do every solder connection. I've used it on all of my projects and it is very easy to use, seems to be sonically nuetral and will remain easy to work with as many times as you need to-which can not be said about other solder's I have used. It is expensive but it lasts a long time and gives me piece of mind.

There are lots of soldering tips on the Web. The US Navy has a very good guide to soldering that is part of their training for their electronics technicians. See if you can find it through Google.

Weller are good irons, but another option is the Hako 936 - this is an excellent soldering station for around $85. Well made, good temperature control, nice feel in the hand, a range of tips are available, better looking than the Weller.

Regards,

Tireguy,

It is good to hear from you. Maybe I am just getting old but I do not remember seeing you post much these days.

The reasons you mention using the Cardas solder seem very good to me but alas, Nick Gowan From True Sounds (an Audio Note dealer) told me I should use Audio Note solder. I did not even know they sold one. I was just asking him if he had any recommendations for me before I started my speakers.
So I will use their solder.

I plan on placing my speakers in the corner as they were built for, and reporting back on Agon. A big difference from Maggies which I see you still enjoy.

Metralla,

thank you for the advice on the Hako 936. I will look into it.

all the best,

Phil

I was taught that in soldered connections the wire should be firmly crimped to the terminal before solder is applied. Electrical contact is made without need for solder. The purpose of the solder is primarily mechanical, to prevent the connection from coming loose. It also helps with electrical continuity, but the current flow path is basically from conductor to conductor without going through solder. Where components are installed by leads through holes in a circuit board conductor-to-conductor contact is not assured and some very small distance of the circuit path is through solder.

In military electronic equipment that is designed to withstand nuclear weapon effects electrical connections are often made by "wire wrap". A special tool is used to tightly wrap several turns of soft wire under tension around a square post. Believe it or not this makes excellent electrical contact, and even severe vibration (as during missile flight) does not shake the wire loose. In the nuclear effects environment solder is a bad idea...it melts.

I have noticed that some higher priced solder is easier to use: has better melting characteristics.

Eldartford,

So the wire must be cleaned before soldering. Is that what the flux is for? Do people still use flux? I do not remember seeing it mentioned.

The way you describe it solder becomes less important. I am sure that could be a volotil subject...

I am a total newbie to this...

Interesting story about the wire being wrapped around square posts.