personally, i would be so pissed off that i would generate a complete schematic and spread it, followed by looking at the mcu, although i think they use a Richoh chip and info on those is slim.
I agree!. A complete scheme would be great in many ways and I also think it would have several positive effects:
a) Definitive guide between the pirate copies and the original one, although, making a diagram of which components are in each place of the plate already it's enough in this sense.
b) Repair guide! Although, in their favor I see few people who have problems/complains with the 951 in the forums.
c) The most important for me: clones that would be use exactly the same analog circuit would begin to appear, except, of course, the microcontroller. That is already a huge improvement with respect to today situation, there are hundreds of different circuits of T12 solders and a priori it is not known which is better. In this way it would be simpler, the Chinese clon with the same schematic in principle is the most reliable (never like the original of course). Eventually you have to replace some component of poor quality, but in general lines the quality of the copy would be more evaluable.
With regard to this last point, when the complete schemes of the 936 appeared years ago, at the same time there appeared lots of identical copies with different brands (with worse transformers and poor quality components) but the "current" copy of the 936 for 15 dollars is generally between acceptable and reasonably good for beginners. When copies get better, appear "brands" and then evolve by themselves and separate from the "circuit" offered by a small a semi-homey sellers, improving the different parts and offering new models even.
I do not know if it is directly related, but for the same dates Hakko modernized the 936 and pulled out a somewhat better version to be separated from those clones. Maybe, it would be Pure Darwinism.
This does not mean that Hakko stops selling, on the contrary! It happens that in any case the Chinese copy does not have the same certifications, performance, robustness or ergonomics, the professional will continue buying original because it is a tool for him and its cost is ridiculous in the face of the improvement in the performance of his work.
But then the copied product appears as a reasonable alternative to the beginner or amateur, with few resources or very temporary use that never would be buy the original, which at least could have a temperature-controlled soldering station instead of the old fixed soldering iron connected to the wall.
When I buyed my 888D I never hesitated between buying Hakko or a clone, but when I donated for my son's school several solder stations for "robotics" I buy a very acceptable 936's clon.
I need a better handle than the 8801 and I convinced that cartridge system from Hakko, Pace, JBC and others are the way, but meanwhile the economics in my country get better I can buy the original cartridge and stay for a time with a clon/diy driver and when buy a real one station in the future I just have the tips and I can donate the driver to somebody that need it. But I have very clear that in the near future I need to buy the original and a clon not would be sufficient.
If now I could see a schematics of 951 I would do my own version and would stop to evaluate clones or would stop doubt about the better way to power the cartridge to avoid internal damages to it, but still be thinking in buy the real one soon.
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