JBC compatible cheap station

[mandor]

Hi.
I'd like to move to JBC soldering tips but JBC prices are sky high for me.
I'm searching for a base unit compatible with c470, c245 and c210.

I've seen that Aixun t320 is compatible only with c245 and c210.
Some digging got me to JBC original CD-2BD being compatible with all three. But looking at the manual it says it's 23.5V 130W while I'm reading elsewhere c470 should be 48V 250W? Anyway JBC-2BD is around 600€ expensive so I won't be buying that. But i'm confused if c470can work at 24 volts, could it work with Aixun?

Digging on Aliexpress I've found these
YCS W400 t.ly/lAv-q
I found only one yt video on this and not much else. Anyone know anything about this or recommend something else that could work with all three jbc irons?
If not, what could I supplement Aixun with to get 470? YCS 400 or something else?


Why do I want the big 470? Because I do amateur radio stuff. Why 245? Because I mess with arduino and led strips and such. Why 210? Because I want to and also sometimes I help friends with Garmin GPS stuff and such.
I really would like to have all three.

[thm_w]

Its in the manual, so you'd think its supported: https://www.jbctools.com/pdf/CD-BD_MANUAL.pdf
But yeah at best you'd only get 130W out of it, which would make it 100% pointless to use over C245.

I don't think anyone here has the YCS W400: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807901273728.html
You can also compare to the HC24: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/geeboon-tc20a-240w-tc20b-380w-jbc-clone/

Any specific examples of the amateur radio stuff? There is a good chance you don't actually need T470.

I wouldn't bother with T210 personally, if you want microsoldering T115 is great. But the handles are so cheap you can try both.

[mandor]

Well I don't "need" any of this. I was getting along with cheapo Hakko, TS100, and a 230V noname.
Amateur radio stuff is cables, filters, and I wanted to try amplifiers. It involves big planes, big coils, big cables for big power, and usually by the time solder flows nicely, the dielectric on the cable starts melting. Or it takes forever to heat up and unsolder a toroid inductor from a PCB. I thought a more powerfull iron with could do a better job. It's quite possible T245 works good enough, I Don't know.

I found some more Aifen and Sugon wiith seem to be the same company.
Specifically Aifen A902 t.ly/gD5fP
and Sugon T61 https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005007653713782.html
https://www.sugoncn.com/SugonProducts/list.aspx

The thing is, I'm not sure the products are real and if they are, they may be not all they clame. No normal videos or information found. Just some marketing crap. :-D

[u666sa]

I'd like to move to JBC soldering tips but JBC prices are sky high for me.

Not to mention that JBC is old at this point in time.

Your best choice is Aixun T420D
+
Aixun T435 for the C470 tips, or I2C PDK1200R, or just a plain old large tip solder iron.

[mandor]

I've searched all day for Aixun T435 and I2C PDK1200R. I think those are about 500€ if I can even get them. i can't understand where to buy them (I'm in Germany currently) and for that price I might as well search second hand JBC original, I think.

I'm little lost with compatibility. Almost no one even uses C470? I think JBC says T470 can accept C470 and C245 but T245 can only accept C245?
All of chinese manufacturers are much more vague even if they mantion C470 it looks very casual and might not even be true.

[thm_w]

Well I don't "need" any of this. I was getting along with cheapo Hakko, TS100, and a 230V noname.
Amateur radio stuff is cables, filters, and I wanted to try amplifiers. It involves big planes, big coils, big cables for big power, and usually by the time solder flows nicely, the dielectric on the cable starts melting. Or it takes forever to heat up and unsolder a toroid inductor from a PCB. I thought a more powerfull iron with could do a better job. It's quite possible T245 works good enough, I Don't know.

Just saying that T245 is enough for most people. It will be drastically better than the TS100 for sure, and worth it either way.

For the unsoldering toroid from PCB example, the limitation you'd probably see is thermal transfer ability which is based on surface area, etc. So lets say your tip is contacting a 2x2mm area (and its not some monster industrial toroid), it might only take 50W, and 500W or 1000W capacity with a 10mm diameter tip is not going to help you.

If that 50W is not enough then we have to preheat the board, eg infrared or hot air.

I've searched all day for Aixun T435 and I2C PDK1200R. I think those are about 500€ if I can even get them. i can't understand where to buy them (I'm in Germany currently) and for that price I might as well search second hand JBC original, I think.

Aliexpress but from another thread it sounds like they don't ship to Germany in many cases.

I'm little lost with compatibility. Almost no one even uses C470? I think JBC says T470 can accept C470 and C245 but T245 can only accept C245?
All of chinese manufacturers are much more vague even if they mantion C470 it looks very casual and might not even be true.

C245 is the tip shape, T245 is the handpiece itself. T245 only works with C245, T470 with C470, etc. yes. But we often use them interchangeably just to describe the range.

Correct, very few people actually use T470 tips/handles.

[mandor]

Thanks.
Informative.

This is what I was looking at


Looks like T470 handle could work with C245 cartridge. But I guess only with smaller stations and not that you could use C470 with a smaller station.

[mandor]

I just tried Aixun T320.
I'm impressed. That is a pretty good station. Iron stand, the whole right side is made of hard silicon. So it doesn't burn and solder doesn't stick. Except the few metal parts of course.
It's very quick. It melts solder on pads like it's nothing, instantly. Aixun tips come in silicon/plastic box. You can stick them hot in silicon and cover with the other, plastic side.
C245 Tips are also very small and T210 might not be needed at all. I got a T210 handle anyway, since it was like 10€. It can just sit in a box until i perhaps want it one day.

I tried a genuine JBC tip and it seems even faster. So fast, in fact, that I wonder if it runs hotter than Aixun tips. Maybe I'll buy a temperature tester and check and calibrate.
 There seems to be an offset setting in the menus.

This station seems so good that nobody should be buying Hakko 888 or similar ceramic core heater soldering irons. I mean nobody. This cost like 120€. They shouldn't even be sold.
TS100 or similar only if you really need portable, not for first Iron. If anyone wants to get their kid first soldering iron, I think Aixun T320 is the way to go.
Handle is also very nice and lightweight. It has freaking wifi [facepalm]

I havent tried integrated tips before. I just read everybody praising them. I didn't know what I was missing all these years. I do have TS100, but it's not this good. Probably because of lower power?

I'll search for Aixun 470 compatible station still or genuine second hand and get it if I find either for low price.

[StrayElectrons]

I second the i2c  PDK1200.   I'm doing great with one C245 handle and chinese tips, yes plan to get genuine JBC tips once in awhile.    Instant sleep handle is parked is perfect and tips tackles the difficult soldering rather well.

I came from Hakko FM2023 station, had enough with it and T12 tips are okay but not the best.   This began when I finally lost it with worn out micro tweezers and tips burned constantly three times and to replace again is extremely costly after lot of use in 6 years, so I moved away from Hakko to PDK1200 and C245 handle. 

Worked well for everything including soldering HDMI ports.  Yes, I do use hot air station and board preheater.

If you do buy i2c PDK1200, get two stands for C245 and C210 with handles as a kit when purchasing on Aliepress, cheaper this way and easier.   I made mistake of buying one stand kit so I'm spending more getting correct stand with correct cables later on.

Cheers,

[mandor]

I2C PDK1200 is 210/245 station and PDK1200R (with aditional R) is T470 station.
Where do you buy those in Germany or EU?
Only site I found is Martview and not sure about it.

Edit: found ot aliexpress for 313€. I still don't know if I need it that much because I could maybe find used JBC for that money which is for sure most compatible with JBC tips :-D. It's kind of steep. I don't know. If it was 200€ it would be more justifiable for me.

[Electro Fan]

Anyone know if the I2C PDK1200 is 210/245 compatible with the JBC handles?  Thx

[thm_w]

This station seems so good that nobody should be buying Hakko 888 or similar ceramic core heater soldering irons. I mean nobody. This cost like 120€. They shouldn't even be sold.
TS100 or similar only if you really need portable, not for first Iron. If anyone wants to get their kid first soldering iron, I think Aixun T320 is the way to go.

Well yes and no. They aren't properly grounded and can potentially destroy your equipment. Which makes me hesitant to suggest their stuff to anyone. $120 is a bit above the budget of some, when I started out my first iron would have been around $50.

TS100 is ok, but you can get a T210 or T245 portable iron instead.

[mandor]

Like i wrote before, I'd skip portable unless you really need portable for the first iron. People are going to buy it without power supply. If it's usbc, they might buy one too weak. The cables are short because you're running from outlet instead of on desk base station. Most don't have a propper heavy stand so they're going to slip off the table while hot. Remember, if we're talking about the _first_ iron, the person using it will not be handy with it.
TS101 for example is 80€ at least with a power supply. You compared 50 when you first started with 120 today. I'm just saying 80 vs 120, I would recommend spend 120.

About grounding. I don't know. I've never had a problem. I never did much sensitive stuff.
But you're right and your argument stands

[mandor]

Anyone know if the I2C PDK1200 is 210/245 compatible with the JBC handles?  Thx

I don't know. But. They all use the same 6pin JBC conenctor and there is nothing smart about the handles, they just connect the tips. So if they're compatible with the tips I don't see how handles wouldn't be.

[Electro Fan]

Anyone know if the I2C PDK1200 is 210/245 compatible with the JBC handles?  Thx

I don't know. But. They all use the same 6pin JBC conenctor and there is nothing smart about the handles, they just connect the tips. So if they're compatible with the tips I don't see how handles wouldn't be.

- 6 pins in handle but 7 holes in connector?

- the I2C PDK1200 has a linear power supply and is properly grounded?

[mandor]

Those connectors are not for the handles. Those are for the holding stands. The holding stands seem to have regular jbc connectors.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/any-opinions-on-the-i2c-pdk1200/?action=dlattach;attach=2426139;image
I don't own nor have I seen one in person.

[mandor]

If anyone bought PDK1200 in EU, can you tell me where did you order and how much did you pay in total with shipping, tax and tarrif?

[mandor]

Just wanted to report that I measured tip temperature of Aixun T320 (C245 cartridges) with cheap Hakko temperature probe clone.
The tip that came with the station was spot on. 1°C difference. The Original JBC tips were within 5°C. I think that is VERY good.
I measured resistance (brymen meter) and Aixun tips were about 3.1ohm, and JBC about 2.9ohm with0.1 ohm showing for shorted probes.
Oh yes, and tip to mains earth was showing about 0.5ohm.