Is it possible hacking the Weller WX1 solder station into the WX2 ?

[N4v4jo]

Hi
I wonder if the Weller soldering station with one channel can be modified to add a second channel. I guess I will need tom hardware to connect the second iron. But has the board inside the station the hardware needed, populated components to just add a second iron?. I guess it may need also a firmware update?.
Thank you in advance.

[thm_w]

There are some photos here showing the missing components: https://maker.pro/forums/threads/weller-wx1.275334/

For firmware there is one for WX1 and another for WX2: https://www.weller-tools.com/us/en/software-updates

Maybe you can try to extract the WX2 and see if you are able to load it onto the WX1 first, if not, there is no point in loading the components.

[N4v4jo]

Thank you thm_w for your response an links, it seems the board could be populated if there would be a list of components. However I just upgraded the firmware in my brand new WX1 and it turned it into a brick, blank screen. I read in other threads only Weller customer service now can help. Looks like made in Germany is not what it used to be anymore.

[thm_w]

Probably the thread you are talking about: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/just-my-f***ing-luck-weller-wx1-firmware-update-gone-bad/

Try another USB key first, seems like the station has a bootloader, surprised if that has died but maybe.
If not it might be possible to extract the FW from the upgrade and manually program the PIC32 inside. Maybe. Assuming Weller won't repair it for free.

[N4v4jo]

Update.

Contacted Weller in the US, they asked me to send the unit to them a Weller WX1 since it was still under warranty. At the beginning they wanted me to pay $150 for the repair but after some back and forth  I got in the mail a WX2.
I appreciate what Weller did to solve the problem.