Any opinions on the AiXun T3A?

[jbf]

What vendor did you buy yours from @IreuN?

Looks like it might just be rubber glued with alastic to bottom to make it harder to pull out.  Can you tell if that’s a component t on the bottom side of the board or some kind of rubber piece?

I just ordered one from easy100fix.  Hope the pcb changes are good things and not cheapening out the units.

[IreuN]

@jbf : I've ordered from easy100fix on Mar 24, 2023, there are definitely components on the underside. And that white 'glue' is kind soft, but kind of hard, that's all I know, really could not pulled that out, maybe I will try to put some alkohol to loosen it a bit..

[dreamcat4]

Bought mine earlier on (last year) from easy100fix... my PSU module has 0 parts on it's underside. So clearly they have changed something there. Or new revision / new batch. Whatever.

To pull out the PSU module, you will need to remove that silver cap head screw that is holding it captive on the sliding rail. Which you can see on your photo, on the end of the left internal rail, (it is blurred / out of focus)

You will also discover that you will need to access from the front too.... to remove front glass needs some hot air, to warm the glue. And some careful prying the front glass face. Be sure to heat the front panel warm enough to have a soft glue. Because otherwise you will rip tiny screws on internal front panel (as i did). They have some teeny screws behind the glue.

So yes, with generous hot air. Then should be OK. You can then get better access from the front side, for example to unplug the internal 24 DC red and black short power wire (of front pcb attaching to the ac PSU module).

[IreuN]

Yes, I know, i've removed the front panel too (photo above is from the front), removed both flat-head screws, from front and rear, still no luck with removing the PCB

EDIT: I got it! After much poking the white goo it got loose. Photos incoming!
EDIT2: Uploaded! Let me know what You think

[jbf]

Interesting the psu pcb says t3a/t3b now.  They clearly combined one board for both then I guess?

I noticed that the 936 handle is not listed as compatible anymore.    I wonder if now it won’t support the 936 handle.    I bought this unit over the t420 only because it could run the 936 handle which I used constantly for threaded inserts. 

[yelkvi]

 
IreuN, You'll have to glue these parts again now. Aixun engineers have abandoned cooling radiators. And use the body of the soldering station as a cooler.
If I had such a power supply, I would have modified it. These parts (transistor and two diodes) were fixed with screws with a nut. I don't trust the thermal conductivity of Chinese glue.

[jbf]

IreuN, You'll have to glue these parts again now. Aixun engineers have abandoned cooling radiators. And use the body of the soldering station as a cooler.
If I had such a power supply, I would have modified it. These parts (transistor and two diodes) were fixed with screws with a nut. I don't trust the thermal conductivity of Chinese glue.

Now I'm re-thinking this station.  Probaby should have just gone with T420.  Probably cost me an arm and a leg to return it to Aliexpress.  Ugh.

Well that is pretty annoying.  I assume caps will still need to be replaced so that means anyone will have to re-glue it?
Isnt silastic silicone?  I thought silicone was bad at transferring heat? 

What would one use to re-glue it back?  It looks to me like (what I just found online) some kind of silicone thermal conductive gap filler product. 

[IreuN]

Aixun engineers have abandoned cooling radiators. And use the body of the soldering station as a cooler.

Yeah, but I don't mind that, they moved everything that could get hot to the underside, away from the caps. Also It's not like the station generates much heat, since it only gets tip to the temp and then holds that. The SMPS is 'idle' most of the time.

Interesting the psu pcb says t3a/t3b now.  They clearly combined one board for both then I guess?

I noticed that the 936 handle is not listed as compatible anymore.    I wonder if now it won’t support the 936 handle.    I bought this unit over the t420 only because it could run the 936 handle which I used constantly for threaded inserts. 

I don't get why it would not support it. The front panel hasn't changed, only the SMPS has changed, whose sole job is to supply 24V to the front panel.

[CDN_Hussar]

Pre-order for the Aixun T3AS and T3BS.  Price increased from the T3A and T3B.
Anyone have info on the new upgrades?

[mastershake]

so from one of my friends who is a seller in china (im waiting for a couple units both a and b) im told this new unit is basically both a t3a and t3b sort of. in other words they can set it for which ever they want it to be similar to the was the 2408(s) model is you simply pull the board and by soldering one small jumper i.e. 2 pads together this makes it 110v and by opening it then its 220v. for this new model they (this is just info im given and sometimes when we talk things are not always communicated properly with the language barrier) have it so they can load it with one firmware or the other for the new one and then it will be that model or something to that nature. imo it def was a cost reduction for them but might raise cost to the end user since its kind of 2 units in one. also the prices need to settle. just like the new 3408 psu they have now they were selling for WAY over msrp when they first showed up on aliexpress and prices are now settling down i got one with all the extras and cables for 5$ more then the msrp on the aixun website then got a discount on that price. so i would never recc buying a new aixun unit until prices settle unless you NEED it for some reason or for a review. i confirmed the msrp of the new t3bs model is 132$ usd and the t3as is 102$ usd and the difference is because of the handles having different prices. where the 210 and 115 cost more then the 245 as well as the tip cost difference.

i also confirmed the 936 was removed as an option for the t3as (or at least that was the answer i got from aixun and my contact at phonefix) so in the end aixun simply grabs one psu and whichever front panel (i am also told supposedly soon they may have a t3a with a t3b like setup) with rear connection but again this info did come directly from aixun but someone i know who sells these and they sell a LOT of them. once my sample gets here i can plug a 9 series in and see if it still shows up then you would have to find someone selling the handle.

sometimes aliexpress has a setup with certain sellers where you return the item to aliexpress and they give you / you buy the label from them directly and the cost is a lot less to ship it back could be worst asking since it doesnt use 936 handles you could say they made the change and you did not know it would not support it. now all this info could be wrong but this is a mix of info from both aixun directly and a reseller who sells hundreds of these units. who is close to aixun. i really like my 420 units but i still have both my t3a and t3b units also.

personally i MUCH prefer the separate unit and stand version so i can stack them i would never use these on my bench. but for someone with very limited space i understand.

[mastershake]

im also curious of the output voltage of p2 and p3 in the front. also what it says under the white wire hold down.

[IreuN]

> i also confirmed the 936 was removed as an option for the t3as (or at least that was the answer i got from aixun and my contact at phonefix)

Weird, their newest firmware file for T3AS definitely mentions the 936 handle.


> im also curious of the output voltage of p2 and p3 in the front. also what it says under the white wire hold down.
p2 and p3 are both 24V headers, they are both connected to the same 24V line. All I can see under that white wire hold down is T3A/T3B my guess is that it's probably the same text as on the underside "T3A/T3B_PWR_V1.0".

> Anyone have info on the new upgrades?
https://github.com/c0d3z3r0/aixun_t3a_rev - "T3AS firmware is for GD32F305/GD32F307 version of the board"

[mastershake]

they may remove the 936 in upcoming updates. again i dont have one here yet but i do have the handle and i can plug it in when it gets here. but that is what both of them told me. ill send them the info you gave me and verify that again

[IreuN]

Sure they can, but you can still downgrade to the previous version in such case. And if You can test the 936 handle than that would be best confirmation we could hope for. I don't think there is the need to ask them maybe they will let that be in the firmware.

[jbf]

Would be a pretty bad move if they removed 936 from firmware updates as that means users who bought the original would be SOL if they still use the 936 handle type.

[jbf]

Hmm, Im doing the attachments wrong, I'm putting them as inline expandable but i must be messing it up.
936 Handle
Not much to say about this one as likely no one else is probably going to buy one. I plugged it in to see if it worked and that's likely all the use it will see. Not a great fit in the stand, but sleeps right away as its all grounded. Has a cartridge/plug in heater. I will have to see if I can find spares anywhere.

I have the 245 New stand coming even though I don't mind the cheap one that came with it. Also have two TB3's coming, looking forward to checking them out.
I have very little time on this unit but so far I'm pretty happy. I recommended the KSGER stations before but they have really started to climb in price. So far this these stations seem to be a pretty good value.
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Anyone have a fully accurate pin-out for a 936 style aixun handle?   This pinout does not seem to make sense without knowing what is under the heatshrink.  Especially why black and green share continuity and terminate on a single terminal.   I'd assume there's got to be a thermocouple somewhere (which I'd assume would be a green and black wire).     

Would like to adapt my old existing 936 handle since Aixun's are long sold out.

[exe]

Would be a pretty bad move if they removed 936 from firmware updates as that means users who bought the original would be SOL if they still use the 936 handle type.

Why would one want to use such a station with 936 irons? There are plenty of cheaper stations for 936.

[jbf]

Heat set inserts and not wanting extra stations for no reason.   

[dreamcat4]

it's understandable. what i think would be an alternative solution (for T245 handpiece) is:

to take a symmetrical or conical shaped tip. And then wedge some metal rings onto it. Of varing diameters to fit different sized heatserts...

however the heatserts probable have internal threads. So you would want such adaptor set to be like different sized threaded end piece. That somehow fits onto the main tip somehow.

Probably easier if you have machining tools. There are some like hollow threaded 'helical' thread inserts. Which are basically just like a coil. of the thread itself. But they are typically rather expensive. And might not come in all of the sizes you want.


Another solution is to petition JBC. And ask them as the manufacturer to start making a special heatsert tip (for T245 officially). Or otherwise ask the chinese to make clone tips (the ones who already makes the 936 style heatsert tips).

This is good options for other reasons, to do away with last remaining usage of those 936 handle. I would prefer that because my own hardware mods are simply not compatible with the laternative handles. Not 936, and not T12. After these modding my station only supports T245 handle (in the hardware / the physical rewiring thats been done to it).

[jbf]

Oh right you did a mod to move the iron cable to the stand right?  I was wanting to do something like this or just reroute a second gx12-5 port in place of the 24dc port.  But yeah would still have to run the standby grounding wire unless changing the ports to fc12-6 like you deviously suggested.


Having tips made by jbc or clone tip mfg. would be great honestly but for some reason I feel it’s less likely. 

[waffle_iron]

Yes, I know, i've removed the front panel too (photo above is from the front), removed both flat-head screws, from front and rear, still no luck with removing the PCB

EDIT: I got it! After much poking the white goo it got loose. Photos incoming!
EDIT2: Uploaded! Let me know what You think

Thank you for the pics!

This PCB matches mine too (I bought earlier this year from AliE)

Quick question please: how did you get the PCB to shift? I know you said you poked the "glue", but there's one blob right under the middle and I'm afraid of knocking some SMDs off.
Do you think a bit of heat would help on the underside of the case?

I want to recap mine, but need to get the PCB out for the cap dimensions first!

Also, did you manage to put the glue back? I honestly don't know how they managed to put the glue there in the first place without smearing it all inside the case when you slide the PCB in.

ty!

[jbf]

Yes, I know, i've removed the front panel too (photo above is from the front), removed both flat-head screws, from front and rear, still no luck with removing the PCB

EDIT: I got it! After much poking the white goo it got loose. Photos incoming!
EDIT2: Uploaded! Let me know what You think

Thank you for the pics!

This PCB matches mine too (I bought earlier this year from AliE)

Quick question please: how did you get the PCB to shift? I know you said you poked the "glue", but there's one blob right under the middle and I'm afraid of knocking some SMDs off.
Do you think a bit of heat would help on the underside of the case?

I want to recap mine, but need to get the PCB out for the cap dimensions first!

Also, did you manage to put the glue back? I honestly don't know how they managed to put the glue there in the first place without smearing it all inside the case when you slide the PCB in.

ty!

I'm guessing its a liquid paste / gap filling compound that's thermally conductive and they use a syringe to dispense it between the mosfet's and case.   That said, I am totally guessing as I've never used the stuff.

Maybe @IreuN or @masterhsake might know. 

[IreuN]

Quick question please: how did you get the PCB to shift? I know you said you poked the "glue", but there's one blob right under the middle and I'm afraid of knocking some SMDs off.
Do you think a bit of heat would help on the underside of the case?

I want to recap mine, but need to get the PCB out for the cap dimensions first!

Also, did you manage to put the glue back? I honestly don't know how they managed to put the glue there in the first place without smearing it all inside the case when you slide the PCB in.

1. I've used these two tools (img) and wedged them between the goo and the case, thankfully I haven't scratched the case, but yeah, it wasn't the most refined method.
2. I've just slid the PCB back into place, it still was a rather tight fit, but probably not ideal.

[tireX]

Hi Ireun,

Had you a chance to troubleshoot the connector problem you mentioned, during T3A usage. I bought same soldering station and have very same problems plus extra unusual issue - flashing LCD every few minutes while the unit is off
Did you notice that strange behaviour with your station?
I have checked M16 connector and it looks fine, front PCB with soldered connector also looks fine.

[jbf]

Hi Ireun,

Had you a chance to troubleshoot the connector problem you mentioned, during T3A usage. I bought same soldering station and have very same problems plus extra unusual issue - flashing LCD every few minutes while the unit is off
Did you notice that strange behaviour with your station?
I have checked M16 connector and it looks fine, front PCB with soldered connector also looks fine.

Don't think this was IreuN.    No history in their posts about this.    What do you mean by "while unit is off"?  By off you mean off-off, no power?   I'd replace power switch and see if its still happening.  If so then means its getting power from mains somehow.  I'd assume something is wired wrong internal to allow this to happen but im no expert.   There are schematics of the unit by codezero posted in this thread somewhere. 


If you just recently bought the unit, i would reach out to the place you bought it from.  Most reputable aliexpress sellers will try to make it right.   Worst case reach out to Aixun support with video if your issue and maybe they will offer a replacement unit or something.