Royel soldering station repair

[Autronic]

Hi

Have an old white Royel soldering station, single channel. Rear of unit is marked Power Unit E 024. Trying to identify a component marked c357, think it is a triac. Anyone have a circuit diagram or any thoughts?

Thanks Chris

[wasedadoc]

Photo of component please.

[Autronic]

Will do, standby.

[Autronic]

Please see attached

[fzabkar]

https://www.google.com/search?q=bc337+philips&tbs=isz%3Am%2Citp%3Aphoto&udm=2

https://www.dca.fee.unicamp.br/courses/EE531/1s2004/datasheet/bc337.pdf (datasheet)

[lowimpedance]

Spares for those vintage stations dried up years ago, unless you have some tips etc, is it worth the effort !

[Autronic]

This one has been converted to run on a Hakko iron, so spares are not an issue. I have two of these, they were going in the bin in the mid 90's when I was working at GEC-Marconi in Sydney. I keep them as a reminder of those years, and the years in the R.A.A.F when we used Royel stations.

[Autronic]

Thanks Fzabkar

The sticker on the front of this unit says "Zero Volts Switching", and I believe it is 24 VAC for the iron heating. It's been some months since I last looked at this, let me have another look at the circuit board.

[lowimpedance]

This one has been converted to run on a Hakko iron, so spares are not an issue. I have two of these, they were going in the bin in the mid 90's when I was working at GEC-Marconi in Sydney. I keep them as a reminder of those years, and the years in the R.A.A.F when we used Royel stations.

Nice mod to use Hakko parts  , Those white stations are solid built.
Still have a couple of the later 'black' model in occasional use for memento reasons too.

[Autronic]

Yep, like the Barbra Streisand song "misty water-coloured memories of the way we were"

[Autronic]

Just pulled the board out and found the SCR. It's an S1008L. I would say the transistor recommendation is correct. Need to do a bit more diagnosis.

Thanks Chris

[RayRay]

In my opinion, unless it has sentimental value to you, it's not worth the bother!
You could easily get a C245 station for $50 or a T12 one for $30 (from Aliexpress) and either would be a big improvement.

[Paceguy]

If I'm looking at your photo I see a semi C337 not C357. I would think that it's a 2SC337 which can be replaced by a NTE 123AP which could be similar to the BC337. Both are NPN.

[wasyoungonce]

BC337 is fine.

[Autronic]

Thanks Pace, not only should I get my eyes checked, I should get my brain checked as there is no way a TO-92 device would handle
the 8+ amps the iron would draw. It's a faulty SCR, the heating LED is on dim and when I short the anode-cathode on the SCR the LED brightens and the iron heats.

To Rayray, yes, I am not sure why I would bother to replace a USD 0.60 SCR to keep my high quality Australian made soldering station serviceable
when the Chinese are purveyors of such fine soldering equipment.

[RayRay]

To Rayray, yes, I am not sure why I would bother to replace a USD 0.60 SCR to keep my high quality Australian made soldering station serviceable
when the Chinese are purveyors of such fine soldering equipment.

That's just nonsensical.
Almost all electronics (not to mention electronic components) are made in China nowadays (and have been for well over a decade!) A product made in China isn't synonymous with poor quality, and it's on a case to case basis.
I bet your Multimeter, Phone, Fridge, Oven, Microwave, Router, TV, Washing Machine, Air Conditioner, Electric Kettle, Computer Monitor and so much more are all MIC! But regardless, A C245/T12 station would still outweigh your existing soldering station by a mile and would have many advantages, but it's of course your right to keep on using such an outdated station if you insist. Have a nice day.

[Autronic]

 Indeed, well, you would certainly lose the bet on the multimeter. My Fluke 75 III is made in the USA by the good ol' boys. I am not opposed to Chinese equipment, to my left is a Standig 898D solder station and heat gun which is an excellent tool for it's purpose.

As far as outweigh is concerned, are the C245 or T12 transformer based or switch mode?

It is not my intent to engage you in polemics, rather to point out in my view high quality Australian made equipment should be repaired and retained serviceable where economically viable.

Perhaps to misquote the latin cogito ergo sum, fixus ergo sum?

Thanks for your input Ray.

[ebastler]

[...] it's of course your right to keep on using such an outdated station if you insist. Have a nice day.

Yeah, those modern soldering stations produce much more modern heat! Measured in Joule rather than calories, ya know. I'm not even sure whether modern solder will melt when confronted with that outdated heat from the OP's station... 

[wasyoungonce]

I have two dual Royals, RE800/RE900 (the 800 is dual and vac/pressure, the 900 dual vac/pressure and includes resistance soldering and thermal wire strippers with the “biggest arsed” transformer that is huge, you could weld with….not quite!) and about 5 single stations and too many irons and tips to mention.

The single stations transformers are 80VA the Tips excellent and still keep up today with their bigger irons.  I also have smaller irons for fine stuff and around 130 new tips.  The vac pump unequaled by any other de-solder!  Any.   Their proper wedge tips are still the best thru hole tips ever.  Way too many are spade, not wedge!  To contact pads and THT leg at both same with large contact area

I am Changing to T12 (because I need more heat on a 6 layer board I do with POWER SO16 a hard chip for any tech, consider the thru hole vias and GND plane all the way thru) so will move on my Royel, (I may keep one or two) but am will miss them and still don’t know what to do about a de-solder station.   Nothing sucks like a Royel…..(the Brit’s will love that) or use pressure to blow out holes.

They were a great company but basically Hakko improved upon the “Royel” design and Royel failed to keep up. In the end they were sold and their black stations used cheap poorly made Hakko knock offs and was rubbish.  They folded.  A sad end to Techtron

[Autronic]

Yeah, what would I know about Royel? They were used by Her Majesty's Royal Australian Air Force for the high reliability hand soldering course (To NASA standard maybe?) in the 80's.Must be rubbish.Please talk to me before you move your Royel's on WYO, I am sure an elegant sufficiency of funds could be provided in exchange.

[wasyoungonce]

Yep even earlier    The Adcola were virtually early Royals    I did the NASA Standards HRHS mid79 with a cassette player that had a stuck tape of Bob Marley! 5 or so weeks of the same tape.  Kill me now!

Hardest part of my Royels was getting de-soldering irons and parts. I think I have 3 and one that can be put together. 

[RayRay]

As far as outweigh is concerned, are the C245 or T12 transformer based or switch mode?

Switch mode, but that part is irrelevant (although, I can't be sure if you were making a weight related pun or if it was a legit question) Regardless, while transformers have certain advantages over SMPS's, one has to consider the application for which they are used for. For an audio amplifier for instance, of course a transformer would be preferable. But for a soldering station it genuinely makes no difference whether it's powered up by a SMPS or Transformer

[...] it's of course your right to keep on using such an outdated station if you insist. Have a nice day.

Yeah, those modern soldering stations produce much more modern heat! Measured in Joule rather than calories, ya know. I'm not even sure whether modern solder will melt when confronted with that outdated heat from the OP's station... 

Funny, but it's not just about the basics of melting solder!
Modern stations have many advantages, such as higher power/thermal capacity, AIO tips (tips that have the heating element+temp sensor integrated) unlike separates in the old ones, and they also have thinner, less bulkly handles with less distance from the tip to the handle (which helps a lot with SMD components), plus have a much wider variety of available tips.

[wasyoungonce]

Have to correct there.  The Royel has heater and sensor connected together mere mm apart.  I know I unwound one.  Some nichrome wire with small weld tab then off the heater feedback while heat and return go indifferent lines and gnd is also included on outer sheath.  They were first MilStd soldering stations. Even in USA

Are they still good. Hell yes.  But not aimed at mass SMD work era where the solder (metal glue) needs high temp.  Sure they can do this but it’s just more difficult.

Also needed drag solder tips to do QFN144 and other SMD ICs.  These ICs were after Royel era   So needed a Hakko 936 and drag tips.  But it’s vac station, ….still the worlds best IMHO Made to vac desolder all day long!

Ok Royel had been superseded but come back in 40 years and ask me if my cheap T12 stations still work!    Thats so how old some Royel are and they will work for another 40+ yrs no problem.   They still are very useable but for all the varied work I do I can no longer continue with them.   

Except the vac station.  No idea how to replace that

[Autronic]

Yeah ebastler, Joule, it sounds like a girl's name. Tho calorie does rhyme with Mallory so who knows?. All this modernity, it drives me insane in the membrane, insane in the brain.

[Autronic]

[/quote]
Funny, but it's not just about the basics of melting solder!
Modern stations have many advantages, such as higher power/thermal capacity, AIO tips (tips that have the heating element+temp sensor integrated) unlike separates in the old ones, and they also have thinner, less bulkly handles with less distance from the tip to the handle (which helps a lot with SMD components), plus have a much wider variety of available tips.
[/quote]

Do you imply funny as in humorous, or funny as in peculiar?