Keysight knows how to hold a soldering iron!

[Justin_]

Hey so I saw a Keysight Oscilloscope Facebook post where they had a woman holding a soldering iron so I shih posted "WOW SHE IS HOLDING THE SOLDERING IRON THE RIGHT WAY!!!" in reference to the photo below and they actually liked it. I don't know, I just found it entertaining.

[Tomorokoshi]

Let's see:
- Holds soldering iron the right way
- Many tools all over the desk
- Actually holding solder
- Fluke DMM there as well
- Board held up in a stand

The only thing missing are the safety glasses, the fume extractor, and the static bracelet.

Ha! Who am I kidding! Those are missing in a lot of workbenches anyway!

[691175002]

Do people really use bulky irons like that for pcb work?

A bulky handle makes me think the tool is better suited to plumbing or stained glass, but I might be spoiled.

[kalel]

That should be the responsibility of whomever is "designing" the scene, to ensure that everything is placed as should be and held as it should. Unless none of that is important for the specific image.

In any case, we can't say it's the model's responsibility to know how to solder unless the image is of a real workplace worker actually working on a project.

[Cubdriver]

Not only is she holding the iron properly, she also appears to be using actual SOLDER with it, rather than the more typical test probes or screwdrivers or <anything else except solder> that you normally see in this sort of image.

Nice to see that Keysight paid some attention to the details.   

-Pat

[mikeselectricstuff]

Fluke DMM there as well

Fluke DMM, in a Keysight post.... 

The only thing missing are the safety glasses

Safety glasses ?

[bd139]

Having been in moorfields eye hospital for a night after a soldering blim landed on my eye, yes safety glasses.

[amyk]

Do people really use bulky irons like that for pcb work?

A bulky handle makes me think the tool is better suited to plumbing or stained glass, but I might be spoiled.

At least it looks to be temperature-controlled, not just a direct mains iron. Possibly a Weller?

Here is the full stock photo: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-soldering-a-circuit-board-in-her-tech-office-royalty-free-image/517234414

But I agree, a Hakko or similar 936 clone would look less anachronistic today. Oddly enough, I couldn't find any stock photos with that style of iron.

[NiHaoMike]

If you look closer, you'll notice that the "engineer" painted her nails. That's very uncommon with hardware engineers since painted nails don't stay nice for very long after handling PCBs. (Out of all the hardware engineers I know in person, only two paint their nails!) It's quite a bit more common with software engineers.

Do people really use bulky irons like that for pcb work?

A bulky handle makes me think the tool is better suited to plumbing or stained glass, but I might be spoiled.

Skip to 4:25.

She shows off the huge soldering iron she uses to solder together battery packs. I'd imagine it would be just as useful for soldering very high current PCBs.

[Ampera]

Depends on what sort of PCB work. Can't see it well, but if it's all through-hole (not on a modern board, but maybe we have a retro computer nerd here?) then it doesn't really matter that much.

[nanofrog]

Looks like a Weller WLC100 to me, which is nothing more than a fire stick + light dimmer.

[vk6zgo]

Do people really use bulky irons like that for pcb work?

A bulky handle makes me think the tool is better suited to plumbing or stained glass, but I might be spoiled.

It doesn't look any bigger than a Weller WTCP.
There are still a lot of those being used for PCB use.

I find they are easier to manipulate than some of the more modern irons.
AND they have enough reserve to not wimp out on boards with large areas of copper.

In my last job, we had a cheapo rework station for the really small stuff & a Weller for everything else.
I often didn't bother to turn the other thing on, as the Weller was quite capable.

In the previous job, we had  earlier versions of the Hakko.
These would often be unable to make satisfactory joints on boards with  a lot of copper,  unless we preheated the PCB with a heat gun.

Main problem was poorly designed boards & excessive diameter interconnecting wires, but that's another
story. 

[bd139]

TCP iron here. It eats up everything you throw at it. I can attack big 1960s capacitors soldered to thick copper PCBs followed immediately by 0805's without even changing the tip or temperature. It's easy to control when you've had one in your hand for at least 25 years

[cdev]

Please, all of us. I find it really sad that we're having this discussion about this and that virtually every single stock photo in ads of somebody soldering, especially women, is dangerously wrong.

Please, lets all of us, try to make it a point to teach somebody else to solder properly at a basic level.

[kalel]

Please, all of us. I find it really sad that we're having this discussion about this and that virtually every single stock photo in ads of somebody soldering, especially women, is dangerously wrong.

Please, lets all of us, try to make it a point to teach somebody else to solder properly at a basic level.

Do people learn from those photos? If you search "how to solder", usually you get some reasonable instructions.

[Ampera]

If people take these photos seriously, I doubt they have the mental capacities to even learn how to solder.

[Beamin]

If you look closer, you'll notice that the "engineer" painted her nails. That's very uncommon with hardware engineers since painted nails don't stay nice for very long after handling PCBs. (Out of all the hardware engineers I know in person, only two paint their nails!) It's quite a bit more common with software engineers.

Do people really use bulky irons like that for pcb work?

A bulky handle makes me think the tool is better suited to plumbing or stained glass, but I might be spoiled.

Skip to 4:25.

She shows off the huge soldering iron she uses to solder together battery packs. I'd imagine it would be just as useful for soldering very high current PCBs.

Is that a guy or a girl? The hair has streaks in it which means they have been to a hair place which men don't do but they have no boobs but the hand mannerisms are feminine.

[David Hess]

Do people really use bulky irons like that for pcb work?

A bulky handle makes me think the tool is better suited to plumbing or stained glass, but I might be spoiled.

At least it looks to be temperature-controlled, not just a direct mains iron. Possibly a Weller?

Unfortunately the first one looks like one of Weller's non-temperature controlled irons which use a red enclosure instead of Weller blue.  The second photograph shows what looks like an unregulated soldering iron which would be terrible choice on a board like that.

TCP iron here. It eats up everything you throw at it. I can attack big 1960s capacitors soldered to thick copper PCBs followed immediately by 0805's without even changing the tip or temperature. It's easy to control when you've had one in your hand for at least 25 years

The Weller TCP irons are great.

[Cerebus]

Please, all of us. I find it really sad that we're having this discussion about this and that virtually every single stock photo in ads of somebody soldering, especially women, is dangerously wrong.

Please, lets all of us, try to make it a point to teach somebody else to solder properly at a basic level.

So you want us to go out and give remedial soldering lessons to photographers and art directors? OK, I'll give it a go, but I suspect I know where I'm going to end up sticking the iron.

[amyk]

Is that a guy or a girl? The hair has streaks in it which means they have been to a hair place which men don't do but they have no boobs but the hand mannerisms are feminine.

Both and neither.

[Ampera]

Please, all of us. I find it really sad that we're having this discussion about this and that virtually every single stock photo in ads of somebody soldering, especially women, is dangerously wrong.

Please, lets all of us, try to make it a point to teach somebody else to solder properly at a basic level.

So you want us to go out and give remedial soldering lessons to photographers and art directors? OK, I'll give it a go, but I suspect I know where I'm going to end up sticking the iron.

Hmmm, I wonder how effective a soldering iron would be as a weapon.

Well, if it wasn't attached permanently to a chord. Maybe one of the NiCad ones.

Is that a guy or a girl? The hair has streaks in it which means they have been to a hair place which men don't do but they have no boobs but the hand mannerisms are feminine.

Both and neither.

You could have just said she was trans.

Also AFAIK transgenderism means that you are still one or the other. That's the point of it.

[Cerebus]

Is that a guy or a girl? The hair has streaks in it which means they have been to a hair place which men don't do but they have no boobs but the hand mannerisms are feminine.

Both and neither.

You could have just said she was trans.

Also AFAIK transgenderism means that you are still one or the other. That's the point of it.

Just a perfectly ordinary woman who's a bit androgynous. Voice is clearly and naturally female (trans people take about 20+ years to get this right, if ever), wide hips and hands not 'too big'. I suspect the person who raised the question hasn't met enough women to realise that quite a lot come with small boobs and no staples in their midriff and has probably never met a single trans person in their life.

[MrW0lf]

 



Some extra content for connoisseurs:

https://youtu.be/4QqxlOr7Jh8?t=4m13s

[IanB]

Just a perfectly ordinary woman who's a bit androgynous. Voice is clearly and naturally female (trans people take about 20+ years to get this right, if ever), wide hips and hands not 'too big'. I suspect the person who raised the question hasn't met enough women to realise that quite a lot come with small boobs and no staples in their midriff and has probably never met a single trans person in their life.

Except that by her own biography she is in fact male, transitioning to female. I also think the body shape and movements look very masculine.

[Cerebus]

Just a perfectly ordinary woman who's a bit androgynous. Voice is clearly and naturally female (trans people take about 20+ years to get this right, if ever), wide hips and hands not 'too big'. I suspect the person who raised the question hasn't met enough women to realise that quite a lot come with small boobs and no staples in their midriff and has probably never met a single trans person in their life.

Except that by her own biography she is in fact male, transitioning to female. I also think the body shape and movements look very masculine.

I stand corrected, but my analysis by appearances only stands - I reckon I'd have been right 95+% of the time. Very much a corner case and just goes to show quite how fluid gender characteristics are in practice.

[MrW0lf]

I stand corrected, but my analysis by appearances only stands

Nowdays it may require more in-depth investigation. In fact much like CRO vs DSO. With DSO you gotta know quite well how to milk it to get right stuff out, not only something that looks right (aliasing etc). Complicated times.

[Beamin]

Do people really use bulky irons like that for pcb work?

A bulky handle makes me think the tool is better suited to plumbing or stained glass, but I might be spoiled.

At least it looks to be temperature-controlled, not just a direct mains iron. Possibly a Weller?

Unfortunately the first one looks like one of Weller's non-temperature controlled irons which use a red enclosure instead of Weller blue.  The second photograph shows what looks like an unregulated soldering iron which would be terrible choice on a board like that.

TCP iron here. It eats up everything you throw at it. I can attack big 1960s capacitors soldered to thick copper PCBs followed immediately by 0805's without even changing the tip or temperature. It's easy to control when you've had one in your hand for at least 25 years

You didn't notice that she is holding the part that is 650'F? I don't think temp control and wattage is a concern when you have 3rd degree burns on your hand.

The Weller TCP irons are great.

[David Hess]

Nowdays it may require more in-depth investigation. In fact much like CRO vs DSO. With DSO you gotta know quite well how to milk it to get right stuff out, not only something that looks right (aliasing etc). Complicated times.

I think this is caused more by lack of documentation than complexity.  Compared to older DSOs, newer DSOs (and everything else) do more but explain less.

[vk6zgo]

Nowdays it may require more in-depth investigation. In fact much like CRO vs DSO. With DSO you gotta know quite well how to milk it to get right stuff out, not only something that looks right (aliasing etc). Complicated times.

I think this is caused more by lack of documentation than complexity.  Compared to older DSOs, newer DSOs (and everything else) do more but explain less.

Those of us who knows their way around analog 'scopes often think they are easy to use.
Basic CROs are pretty easy to understand, but the niceties of more sophisticated ones take a bit of experience.

I remember "sweating blood" the first time I had to use the delayed time base on a 545B.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I think this is caused more by lack of documentation than complexity.  Compared to older DSOs, newer DSOs (and everything else) do more but explain less.

..Apart from those pesky help buttons, and press-and-hold function to display one or more pages of onscreen help....
Not to mention the 530 page user guide
http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/75037-97038.pdf?id=2556931&cc=GB&lc=eng

[MrW0lf]

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[japasetelagoas]

He(she) already looked like a woman even before the "transition". I guess some people are just meant to be women.

[Towger]

Speaking of which glasslinger has not done any new videos for ages.
https://www.youtube.com/user/glasslinger/videos

[bd139]

Speaking of which glasslinger has not done any new videos for ages.
https://www.youtube.com/user/glasslinger/videos

TBH he was getting on a bit. Hope nothing serious has happened.

[Beamin]

Speaking of which glasslinger has not done any new videos for ages.
https://www.youtube.com/user/glasslinger/videos

TBH he was getting on a bit. Hope nothing serious has happened.

That guy is a genius with the things he does with tubes. I have seen some videos of his where he looks really old. When I first started watching his videos I only saw his hands and one where he just looked like an old guy with gray hair in clothes from the good will. Then the next video auto played and he was dressed like a 6 year old girl on school picture day. I thought all of a sudden grandpa had lost his mind but I guess that's normal for him. Doesn't make his videos any less interesting although I spent the whole video wondering what has happened to his brain the first time I saw that. 

Reminds me of the time I was using my gf picture on a car forum when I was younger with out telling her. I left it on our computer one day so she decided to post a picture of herself in the off topic area. Then leg humping went crazy and she got: "show us your underwear/boobs" PMs. She took toilet paper and rolled it up and stuffed it in her underwear. The opposite of what I thought was going to happen: The PM's didn't stop: People were even more interested and the instant message box filled up full of requests to meet up in real life along with pictures of people with their shirts off and one guy sent a dick pic. Pretty much ruined that account. I'll see if I have the picture on an old hard drive. We turned it into a "meme" that said "Look at my boobs! Now look at my balls!"

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

It could just be me,but I would definitely have plugged in the soldering iron. Would have made it so much more interesting and could have made some money send the film in to one of those crap blooper TV shows.

[Beamin]

It could just be me,but I would definitely have plugged in the soldering iron. Would have made it so much more interesting and could have made some money send the film in to one of those crap blooper TV shows.

Bob sagget could do that squeaky voice that says "5 minutes to go on my last day at my soldering Iron job before I get my dream job as a ring and watch model with my pretty hands. I just have to pick up the soldering iron real carefully for this last part. AAAAARRGGHHH!!!! MY BEAUTIFUL HANDS SCARRED FOR LIFE!!!!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Let's face it's a really easy mistake to make.  Over the years I have developed my own method of avoiding this trap. Plug in the soldering iron and if you can smell pork your holding it wrong 

[cdev]

So, now for several days Ive been sort of looking for another image of a woman soldering and I have not found a single other one where it doesn't look fake in some important way.

Women hold up half the solder..  (in fact, probably more than half)

[NiHaoMike]

So, now for several days Ive been sort of looking for another image of a woman soldering and I have not found a single other one where it doesn't look fake in some important way.

Women hold up half the solder..  (in fact, probably more than half)

If a picture is worth a thousand words, is a video worth a thousand pictures?
https://www.youtube.com/user/micahjd/videos
If you prefer a younger woman:

[cdev]

(speaking to other males, one guy to another, but not to anybody in particular.)

If we not talk about women's age or relative sexiness or lack of it- that would be a good thing in this context, I think.

Because it must be really annoying to them. It would be to me. Maybe its an age thing, (younger people do it less) or maybe its just that I spent a lot of time in Calif. hanging out with people who just didn't seem to do that much if at all, ever.

And that works for me.

There is a time for everything, and a time for not everything.

[NiHaoMike]

Younger generally means less experience, for either gender and any race. If two people are equally good at soldering a bodge wire to a 0.4mm pitch QFP, the one who had 2 years of experience would be considered more impressive than the one who had 10 years of experience.