KSGER Hot Air Soldering Station

[0xPIT]

Hi,

does anyone have a KSGER Hot Air Soldering Station [1]?

This feels stupid, but I seem to have problems with it: No matter at what temperature (tried 300-480°C) and no matter how long (tried 2-6 mins) I'll blow at some chip on some old PCB, the solder will not soften. I've tried to desolder some SOIC8 and some larger RAMs, all with pins. If I blow at regular 0,7mm solder (leaded and lead-free), it will melt, as will solder paste.

It seems that the handle and heating element are the same as in the 858+ stations.

Anyone any hint as to why I'm too stupid to desolder with this piece?


cheers,
  - pit

[1] https://de.aliexpress.com/item/KSGER-Hot-Air-Gun-Soldering-Station-Handle-Electronic-STM32-Digital-T12-Nozzle-Stand-220V-DIY-Welding/32820878426.html

[thm_w]

Didn't know they had come out with these, looks like they could be a slight improvement over the 858D with a better and compact controller.

Do you have a thermocouple to measure the output air temperature? Just hold it about 1cm past the tip and see how well it agrees with the controller display.

For removing chips, set the flow rate to 80% or more, and put on the second largest or largest round tip thats shown in the photo. That should be plenty to heat up most PCBs.

[0xPIT]

Yes, I got it because of the small size, my lab desk is full

Thanks for you help, bigger nozzle and more airflow helped, I did not expect that.
Strangely, almost no YouTube video mentions temperature and airflow.

[kripton2035]

these stations have a pretty nice look !

[Hergen Lehmann]

I bought one of these a few weeks ago, but unfortunately the controller box gave up with a bang and smoke after only 10minutes of operation.

Further analysis showed several construction errors:

1. The heater is operated at mains voltage with only very thin wires running through the handpiece cable. As only one input terminal is fused, there is a 50-50 chance that unfused live ends up on wires not suitable to carry short circuit current (at least in countries using a reversible mains plug).

2. There was a wiring error (unsure, whether in the handpiece or the control unit), resulting into the PE from the heater shell running back and forth through the heater thermocouple before actually reaching ground in the control box.

3. To make things even worse, the ground connection further runs through a very thin PCB track on the power board before finally reaching the PE input terminal.

4. There is no thermal runaway protection.

My unit seems to have failed from some kind of short circuit in the heater, leading to a burned up ground PCB track (3), leading to mains voltage reaching the control circuit, and finally blowing up almost everything on the control board. :-(

So be careful with these! You should at least check the wiring and add a proper PE/ground connection. A second fuse to limit the current flow in case of a heater failure may also be a good idea.

[JonasCz]

Not sure if it's OK to revive old threads here, but..

In addition to what Hergen Lehmann mentioned above, there are further flaws that I've discovered:

* The metal case is not connected to ground / PE

* The ground connection to the handle actually is not only though a trace on the power supply board, but also through a trace on the display / control board.

* The socket for the handle connection is wrong IMO: it has the male pins exposed with the handle disconnected (50/50 chance of having mains on them if you live in a country with reversible plugs)

The fuse is 5A, so it should blow if there's a short in the heater, but if you're in a country with reversible plugs, and you happen have the live coming in on the non-fused side, in case of a sort to ground you'll be relying on your house breaker / RCD to turn off the power.

IMO, buy something else.

[mastershake]

there are 2 totally different versions of these. i have both. one is much more reliable then the other. the issue is you dont know which you will receive when you order one. one has a very different psu board controller wise and the other is a totally separate psu and controller. the totally separate one i have used for nearly a year without issues where the other model did not last very long maybe a week or so if that. depending on which one you have you can buy replacement boards for them from one of the sellers on aliexpress. any pics of the one you have? here is the first version https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32847424634.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.10.4d995bdcMzVZbI and this is the other version https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33037630159.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.14.4d995bdcMzVZbI

[RayRay]

any pics of the one you have?

I know this isn't geared at me, but just in case someone wanna know how to do things properly, this is what I have:



The PSU board doesn't directly touch the enclosure (which is metal), it's held in with plastic spacers, screws and nuts (I drilled 4MM holes with precision for that purpose), I've also drilled a side hole (for grounding) and used a flat screwdriver to expose the metal around it (the enclosure itself is painted with non-conductive black paint, so this had to be done). The spacers themselves are hollow (non-threaded) so I've done is, I've manually put in each screw & spacer, then taped it at the bottom with kapton tape, placed the PSU board on it, locked it up with the nuts, and then removed the kapton. I've used a 20AWG silicone wire for the AC & ON/OFF switch. There are 3 wires with terminal loops (for grounding) and the terminals are both soldered & crimped and connect to  the side screw and locked in with a nut (one coming from the grounding AC pin, one coming from the PSU board, soldered to the DC minus, also with a 20AWG, and one coming from the controller, which goes to the tip). The way I've had it grounded, it's full on AC/DC (even a short in the DC would trigger the grounding & breaker). On the PSU board, right side is the live wire, left is the neutral (although, with this particular board, it'd work either way) the only thing that really matters is that the switch is wired with the live wire. The micky mouse power input is not fused (but the PSU board is). Anyways, I've had my first PSU board working like a champ for 3 years straight (recently had to replace it, as it crapped out, the display started to flicker on and off out of nowhere) this was resolved after replacing it of course!

Some of the parts used (well most of em, except for the grounding screw & loop terminals I already had in store):

Enclosure:
https://www.banggood.com/DIY-T12-Digital-Soldering-Iron-Station-Aluminum-Black-Shell-Case-Power-Socket-Switch-p-1121499.html
This one didn't properly align with the controller's display (had to use small needle files to slightly expand the encoder hole to the left for that, so the encoder itself is a bit off aligned due to that, but as long as the display's good, I don't mind it)

PSU Board:
https://www.banggood.com/Geekcreit-AC100-220V-to-DC-24V-Switching-Power-Supply-Board-AC-DC-Power-Module-p-969204.html

T12 Kit (standard led controller+iron):
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32803671016.html
Do note that newer versions of this controller comes with the 3PIN connector facing the top, from the display's side (instead of side ways from the back, like in mine) and this may require soldering the wires directly from the other end (with the provided enclosure) due to not having enough clearance to close it.

Extra handle with better precision (for SMD work):
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000130747937.html

12MM M3 screws:
https://www.banggood.com/Suleve-M3CH4-100Pcs-M3-Carbon-Steel-Countersunk-Hex-Socket-Screw-6-20mm-Flat-Head-Hex-Screw-Metric-p-1009073.html

M3 Nuts:
https://www.banggood.com/Suleve-M3AN9-10pcs-M3-Aluminum-Alloy-Hexagonal-Hex-Nut-Lock-Nut-Multicolor-p-1228870.html

4MM Plastic Spacers:
https://www.banggood.com/100Pcs-M3-White-Nylon-ABS-Non-Threaded-Spacer-Round-Hollow-Standoff-PCB-Board-4-or-5-or-6-or-8-or-10-or-12mm-p-1371223.html

Hope someone would find this useful when building their own T12!
I personally prefer the plain T12 controller over the OLED one.

Edit: Just realized I've mistakenly thought this thread was about their T12 
But nevertheless, I'm sure the above will be useful

[SoundSponge]

there are 2 totally different versions of these. i have both. one is much more reliable then the other. the issue is you dont know which you will receive when you order one. one has a very different psu board controller wise and the other is a totally separate psu and controller. the totally separate one i have used for nearly a year without issues where the other model did not last very long maybe a week or so if that. depending on which one you have you can buy replacement boards for them from one of the sellers on aliexpress. any pics of the one you have? here is the first version https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32847424634.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.10.4d995bdcMzVZbI and this is the other version https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33037630159.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.14.4d995bdcMzVZbI

I have the second pcb and I don't see potentiometer for temperature calibration. Someone knows how to calibrate?
I ordered this station 2 times because the first station has a problem with house breaker general.
After 5 month I have new station but is totally uncalibrated...

[ygi]

Looks like you have to mess with the feedback resistor of the opamp because there's no function to calibrate in the firmware.
On this product page there's also an unofficial manual (taken from some Russian forum) on what to change and how to calculate the correct resistance: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32847424634.html

[SoundSponge]

Shit..

I have to send mail to KSGER on Ali and ask for firmware Update..

[mastershake]

they told me they dont have firmware updates for these. each new firmware version was on a different board. there are three different style boards for 1.02 1.03 and now 1.04. if you do get a firmware please let me know id be curious to check it out also.

[SoundSponge]

SW Version is 1.02, also the Voltage reading is not correct. 285V
Yes, I asked yesterday for firmware.. I will wait for response..

[SoundSponge]

I don't know how to insert a picture but they sent me a pic. I have to change R6 smd resistor to 110k

[ygi]

When the manufacturer tells you to hack your hardware (at your own risks, of course) to fix the lack of basic functionality in their firmware, that's the moment you should demand your money back...

[SoundSponge]

When the manufacturer tells you to hack your hardware (at your own risks, of course) to fix the lack of basic functionality in their firmware, that's the moment you should demand your money back...

Yes, I know..the story is very long and complicated so I decide to swap resistor. 5 month of long story...

[de.leon]

Thanks much for the advice on the wiring issues, just received mine, it works, that is about all I can say.  I am underwhelmed with it thus far. 
Curious, could anyone advise me on thermal capabilities.  With no nozzle on the gun and the fan at 100, the best temp I can get out of it is about 250 degrees C. Does this sound correct? With nozzles on and fan set to about 40, I can get up into the 400's.  Trying to calibrate seems to make it worse.  Initializing it brings it back to its feeble performance.
It is a fight to get any factory components off a lead free board.
I do have the separate ps and control board version with 1.06 sw.
Was happy with the T12 station which is why I bought this.

[ygi]

There's no way that tiny fan could drop the temp by that much. Because heater's powered straight from mains voltage, if you got the 220V station running on 110V, it would perform as badly as you say. You'd be effectively running with a ~180W heater.
Check resistance across the heater's terminals. If you read something like 70~80 Ohm, it's a 220V station and you need to replace the heater. If it's 20~30 Ohm, you've got the right part but it means you bought a pile of junk (or it's somehow defective). Actually, I don't think ksger even makes a 110V version so you might be on your own to find a suitable 110V heating element. Those do exist though because that same handle is commonly used on many cheap stations.

[de.leon]

Will check that out, not a surprise despite them knowing they were shipping to Canada. does that really mean AliExpress does not have their customers best experiences at heart?
Their t12 iron functions just fine.
Thanks for the help.

[ygi]

Well, AE is a web infrastructure, they take a fee for each transaction but don't actually sell anything. It's like amazon marketplace except for the fact AE won't take any responsibility after delivery. China runs a 220V power grid so when there's no mention of a US/110V/NA version always assume it's not.
Yes, T12 iron works because it's powered with 24VDC from the secondary side of the PSU (that PSU works with both 110 and 220V). Same as the controller board in the hot air station which is why it seems to be working properly.

[de.leon]

Correct, 79.6 ohm heater coil. So it’s a 220v unit.  If Ksger does not make a 110v handle or heater coil, does any one? I see there are elements for sale on AliExpress that indicate a choice of 110 or 220 but so did Ksger when I bought the unit. Guess it’s a crap shoot which is why they jumped at the chance to refund half the purchase price rather then deal with it.
 So if I understand correctly if I replace the entire handle I still have to confirm the pin out. If I replace the element I have to sort out polarity of he coil leads and the sensor leads.
If anyone has done this successfully I would love to know what your source for parts was.  Otherwise I guess I could just use this in the garage kitchen or laundry where I have 220v. Going to use it with heavy rubber gloves from how on.  Not what I had in mind when I ordered it.

[thm_w]

Correct, 79.6 ohm heater coil. So it’s a 220v unit.  If Ksger does not make a 110v handle or heater coil, does any one? I see there are elements for sale on AliExpress that indicate a choice of 110 or 220 but so did Ksger when I bought the unit. Guess it’s a crap shoot which is why they jumped at the chance to refund half the purchase price rather then deal with it.
 So if I understand correctly if I replace the entire handle I still have to confirm the pin out. If I replace the element I have to sort out polarity of he coil leads and the sensor leads.
If anyone has done this successfully I would love to know what your source for parts was.  Otherwise I guess I could just use this in the garage kitchen or laundry where I have 220v. Going to use it with heavy rubber gloves from how on.  Not what I had in mind when I ordered it.

The Ksger listing I'm looking at does not specify "110V" anywhere. Are you sure you bought the correct part?
"Input Voltage: 200-260V"

But yes, you can get a 110V handle from somewhere else and figure out the wiring yourself.

[ygi]

Look for replacement part for a Yihua 858D, it uses the same handle and offers a 110V version. Like this one:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000511733714.html

Disclaimer: I picked the first link that fit the bill as an example, I don't know anything about this seller nor have I looked for the best deal.

Now I have no idea if wires use the same color coding. Thick wires will be the heating coil, thin ones will be for TC. Heating coil is a resistive load running on AC therefore polarity doesn't matter there. Controller board may or may not care about TC's polarity. To be on the safe side, you should care. It will generate voltage in the mV range when heated up (obviously don't connect the coil, use external heat source like a hair dryer).
Make sure you don't damage the insulator sleeve between the coil and the metal housing (if it's made of mica paper, it's very fragile). You don't want live voltage to touch the exposed bare metal.

[Rixi]

Hi folks,

I've been reading through maaaany pages of KSGER/Quecoo T12 soldering station related threads in the last days. Today I came accross this thread about the hot air station and was quite pleased about it, since a few days ago the requirement of a hot air station was the start of my "journey" which led me to the T12 (which BTW is now on my next-buy list).

But comming to the hot air station: When searching for a affordable (my first) hot air station I came accross this HANDSKIT labeled one on Banggood: https://www.banggood.com/custlink/vmvynn13um
(I can't quite remember how/where I found it, but there was also a coupon code advertised which mekes it only 52 USD shipped to me in Germany from the European CZ-warehouse: BG4a91fa)

Now I am of course wondering how this unit compares to the KSGER hot air stations as there seam to be at least two different versions around:

there are 2 totally different versions of these. i have both. one is much more reliable then the other. the issue is you dont know which you will receive when you order one. one has a very different psu board controller wise and the other is a totally separate psu and controller. the totally separate one i have used for nearly a year without issues where the other model did not last very long maybe a week or so if that. depending on which one you have you can buy replacement boards for them from one of the sellers on aliexpress. any pics of the one you have? here is the first version https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32847424634.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.10.4d995bdcMzVZbI and this is the other version https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33037630159.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.14.4d995bdcMzVZbI

In the Banggood reviews there is one picture showing the boards, but from what I can see at least the PSU (not sure about the contoller) is neither of the versions mastershake had linked:


There are a few questions I have:

• Does anyone knows this particular PSU? Is there anything good/bad you can say about it from the picture?
• Is or was anyone of you running the HANDSKIT hot air station?
• I'm aware of the HW security flaws mentioned in reply #4 and #5 and I'm assuming the HANDSKIT has similar issues. I am open to add some grounding and fuses to make it more safe. Should that be alright then or will it still be unsafe?
• Is the HANDSKIT worth buying it (or even worth a try)? Or should I better stick to the one(s) from KSGER and hope to get the the "first" version mentioned by mastershake?
• Anything else worth to mention? 

Thank you in advance for your help and Cheers,
Rixi

[DavidAlfa]

$90 ksger vs $20 858D for the same thing, really?