weller soldering station

[M. András]

hi as i wrote in an another topic as an off topic note i have a problem with my soldering station which is a weller wd 1000m kit (wd1m station 160watts, wmrp pencil max 55watts tip dependant 1x55 watts and 12x40 watts tips http://www.weller.eu/products.php?pid=299) only thing i can verify its again out of calibration by itself with not much use is set to 100? and it still melts the solder which is a stannol kristall 505 which melts at 183?, unfortunatly i have no such a temperature sensor which can measure atleast up to 150? to atleast do the manual calibration of the unit from its menu or software yet, any idea to solving it till an ordered tip temp sensor arrives or another round to the dealer and try to replace the unit? first time i went back with the whole set to the dealer poor guy was shocked when he tested the unit with an another tip to make sure which has problem

_{i have a weller wd1000m solder station set with their micropencil its a nice tool but within 1.5 month of buying it from an authorized dealer i had to take it back to the shop cos the thing wouldnt heat up or a very low temp and displaying insane numbers, displays 500?? and i held the tip of the iron and it was cold, after a week it came back from the weller service center and i was told they found no problems, after i brought it home and plugged in i noticed every damn setting was set back to default which is not a problem, but the damn thing now overheats the iron while displaying lower values, set to 100?? while melts the solder which melts at 183?? according to the manufacturer sheet now waiting for a tip thermometer to see somehow how hot is the iron versus the displayed value, so i can think of these like an invidual problem with an expensive lab/production gear (muprhy lived and will live  )}

[Kiriakos-GR]

Do not make any move that you will regret about it later on, like tweaking the internal pots.

Be patient. 

[hacklordsniper]

Do not make any move that you will regret about it later on, like tweaking the internal pots.

Be patient. 

I had the same unit and same problems. There is no pots inside !

Try to update the fw if you have usb module installed.

[Kiriakos-GR]

There is no pots inside !

I am old fashion. 

[hacklordsniper]

I am old fashion. 

Or outdated maybe 

[M. András]

Do not make any move that you will regret about it later on, like tweaking the internal pots.

Be patient. 

its can be calibrated at the lowest temp setting(100?) +-40? i wont take it apart especially while its under warranty, only softwer adjusment, front panel buttons or usb link with the weller software for their stations, unfornatly no accessable firmware on the weller site to try that way

[hacklordsniper]

its can be calibrated at the lowest temp setting(100?) +-40? i wont take it apart especially while its under warranty, only softwer adjusment, front panel buttons or usb link with the weller software for their stations, unfornatly no accessable firmware on the weller site to try that way

I just checked, the FW is there

Its always good to ask manufacturer about latest FW also since many of them dont bother to upload never revisions

[M. András]

you mean the firmware updater software? as i remember it needs  file to upload it does not download anything, and i cant find any firmware to any of the soldering stations, btw i didnt check the fw number when i got it back originally was 1.00, i will email them for a firmware when i can compare the stated temp and the real temp to adjust it and see if it changes by itself or malfunctioning again


edit: the unit was made in this years may according to its sticker

[hacklordsniper]

you mean the firmware updater software? as i remember it needs  file to upload it does not download anything, and i cant find any firmware to any of the soldering stations, btw i didnt check the fw number when i got it back originally was 1.00, i will email them for a firmware when i can compare the stated temp and the real temp to adjust it and see if it changes by itself or malfunctioning again


edit: the unit was made in this years may according to its sticker

Im sorry i confused you! The software is there but last year there was a webapge with all irons and their FW file, now its gone. I have the FW files for your iron on my home PC and extract them for you next week when i finish lab overhaul if you dont solve the issue sooner (by buying a HAKKO)

[M. András]

i will try to make them replace it if i cant adjust it to be exceed the specs cos stil under warranty i bought it in september during a 20% sales andt still was 656usd which is lot in this country

[hacklordsniper]

(

i will try to make them replace it if i cant adjust it to be exceed the specs cos stil under warranty i bought it in september during a 20% sales andt still was 656usd which is lot in this country

Yes they have similiar overpriced prices here too, better return it and buy few Hakko FX888

[M. András]

yep welcome into the europian union

anyway i bought this weller mostly cos i got a nice quality recommendation from 1 of our old technician in the company and i like this micro pencil nice heats up fast and very easy to get there places which are crowded, i dont know any distributor for the hakko in this country but there are few jbc, weller, ersa

[saturation]

This related thread has added info:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=5570.msg73312#msg73312

[M. András]

well the hakko 191 arrived what i ordered from ebay, dunno about its true accuracy but i was shocked when i checked the iron temp with it at 100celsius set temperature 25x celsius.... at 350celius it showed 39x. Quickly go to cal option and try to set it first i thought how the hell i correct that 150celius offset? but it can be done cal range is -+40 celius but you can do several steps set it and set it again and the temperature was about 99-100celius in a few steps saved it and left the menu and checked the whole range its spot on to the hakko +-1-2celius, i would like to test it with a proper k type sensor or the dedicated weller calibrator unit

[saturation]

To save money, you can cross check your Hakko 191 settings by checking the melting point of eutectic solder.  I have such a 191 myself, likely a copy, and its spot on against eutectic solder and my other thermocouples. 

well the hakko 191 arrived what i ordered from ebay, dunno about its true accuracy but i was shocked when i checked the iron temp with it at 100celsius set temperature 25x celsius.... at 350celius it showed 39x. Quickly go to cal option and try to set it first i thought how the hell i correct that 150celius offset? but it can be done cal range is -+40 celius but you can do several steps set it and set it again and the temperature was about 99-100celius in a few steps saved it and left the menu and checked the whole range its spot on to the hakko +-1-2celius, i would like to test it with a proper k type sensor or the dedicated weller calibrator unit

[M. András]

i checked it with my kristall 505 solder and it was right, but the odd thing or the temp sensor cannot repeat the same reading after a day or this damned station goes out of calibration after each turn off and turn on, today it was 30celsius less at 350 which im using the most i gonna check it with a ddm thermocouple soon and if it does the same error again like not heating up i will definetly force them to replace it

[Fraser]

For info, I have three 'Hakko 191' units from China and all three are accurate to within less than +-1 degree Celsius of the readings provided by my lab grade thermocouples and Fluke Hydra. The 191 appears a decent thermometer and even reads the air temperature in my lab correctly 

I still own the old Magnastat Weller soldering irons that have served me well for 20+ years. I would use nothing else 10 years ago. I have heard various stories regarding the modern Weller electronic irons so recently opted for a 'new old stock' PACE ST45 unit and a couple of lovely ST40A units. I already owned an HS200 preheater and MP1-E desoldering station. All the bits of PACE kit that I have are beautifully made and I am no longer fixed on Weller as a brand.

Your unit appears to be suffering calibration data corruption which makes it totally untrustworthy in my opinion. Test kit and tools need to be trusted when carrying out electronic servicing or construction. If I were in your position, I would need a replacement new unit to restore any faith in the model and the brand. If a previous unit has failed in the same way think about a refund. As others have already said, it may be time to abandon Weller for another quality manufacturer.

[saturation]

See this thread for more on calibrating your soldering iron:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=4208.msg58844#msg58844

[M. András]

For info, I have three 'Hakko 191' units from China and all three are accurate to within less than +-1 degree Celsius of the readings provided by my lab grade thermocouples and Fluke Hydra. The 191 appears a decent thermometer and even reads the air temperature in my lab correctly 

I still own the old Magnastat Weller soldering irons that have served me well for 20+ years. I would use nothing else 10 years ago. I have heard various stories regarding the modern Weller electronic irons so recently opted for a 'new old stock' PACE ST45 unit and a couple of lovely ST40A units. I already owned an HS200 preheater and MP1-E desoldering station. All the bits of PACE kit that I have are beautifully made and I am no longer fixed on Weller as a brand.

Your unit appears to be suffering calibration data corruption which makes it totally untrustworthy in my opinion. Test kit and tools need to be trusted when carrying out electronic servicing or construction. If I were in your position, I would need a replacement new unit to restore any faith in the model and the brand. If a previous unit has failed in the same way think about a refund. As others have already said, it may be time to abandon Weller for another quality manufacturer.

it was taken back to the shop to ship it to the local weller service center after a month with the issue of not heating up at all while displaying such a high value even the display turns off cos out of range, service center said to the shop owner it has no problem i took it back to home after a while i was checking for some reason at low temp i wonder why i  couldnt set the lowest temp which is supported 50celsius cos it stucked at 100celsius as lowest and on this setting it was still melting the solder very quickly accorindig to the hakko unit it was 150celsius higher at 100celsius set on the station

[M. András]

See this thread for more on calibrating your soldering iron:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=4208.msg58844#msg58844

thx i can calibrate it its pretty  easy, it maybe have some memory issue in the controller, i gonna check it a few times when i do something and if its always gous out of cal everytime when i switch it off i would take it back to the shop once again, hell with the sales discounts....., wish i would had the money for the wr3000m kit desoldering gun heat pencil and a 120w iron, but christ i just checked the prices on this and mine all of the weller product prices are 30% higher than before and almost 60% more then was the sales price

[Fraser]

I don't know what the consumer law is like at your location but if an item misbehaves like your unit is doing, I would push very hard for a new unit rather than any sort of repair. In the UK, I can even engage the services of my credit card company if things turn nasty on the refund front.

If you have a digital camera or web cam, use it to record the strange behaviour of your soldering station. A picture or video showing the soldering station and Hakko 191 temp displays would be good. Then show that evidence to the shop owner and request a replacement. I have successfully convinced shops and repair centres of intermittant faults in the past using digital camera evidence.

I have an Audi A4 that created a really strange intermittent whirring noise under the bonnet from new....the Audi local garage checked it and claimed nothing was wrong with the car on three separate occasions. I then recorded the noise using the camcorder function of my digital camera, transferred the audi track to a CD and placed it in the cars Hi-Fi unit. The car was left with the dealer with the instruction to listen to the CD before starting work on the car. Surprise surprise, the mechanics looked a little deeper into the car this time and found that my Air Conditioning pump was faulty from new.....A GBP 1200 part that was just waiting to fail. Fixed under warranty :-)

Its harder to brush off a customer when presented with video or audio evidence of an intermittent fault.

[M. András]

I don't know what the consumer law is like at your location but if an item misbehaves like your unit is doing, I would push very hard for a new unit rather than any sort of repair. In the UK, I can even engage the services of my credit card company if things turn nasty on the refund front.

If you have a digital camera or web cam, use it to record the strange behaviour of your soldering station. A picture or video showing the soldering station and Hakko 191 temp displays would be good. Then show that evidence to the shop owner and request a replacement. I have successfully convinced shops and repair centres of intermittant faults in the past using digital camera evidence.

I have an Audi A4 that created a really strange intermittent whirring noise under the bonnet from new....the Audi local garage checked it and claimed nothing was wrong with the car on three separate occasions. I then recorded the noise using the camcorder function of my digital camera, transferred the audi track to a CD and placed it in the cars Hi-Fi unit. The car was left with the dealer with the instruction to listen to the CD before starting work on the car. Surprise surprise, the mechanics looked a little deeper into the car this time and found that my Air Conditioning pump was faulty from new.....A GBP 1200 part that was just waiting to fail. Fixed under warranty :-)

Its harder to brush off a customer when presented with video or audio evidence of an intermittent fault.

yep thats true, i have 2 camcorder so the recording is not a problem, as far as i know they are forced to replace if the problem cannot be repaired or its not worth it if still under warranty, there is a 3 day replacemant or repay thing if the unit is faulty from the day you bought it but its long exceeded that time. i bought it in the first day of september so fairly new, unit is made in may according to the sn sticker on the unit