Senior tech told me to stop using so much solder on terminal posts

I had this older guy watch me tin a wire on a Garmin GNS 430 connector last week and he said I was putting way too much solder on. He showed me the right amount is just enough to wick up the strands, not form a blob. Ever since I changed my technique the connections look cleaner and I haven't had a single cold joint issue. Has anyone else had a veteran tech call them out on their soldering habits?

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_butler75d ago

Oh man, that's exactly how I learned too. I had this crusty old Avionics guy tell me the same thing back when I was starting out. He basically said if you can see a bulge on the wire, you're wasting solder and making a cold joint just waiting to happen. I mean, it sounds simple but it really clicked for me when he showed me how the solder should flow into the strands like water soaking into a sponge. Once you get that, your joints come out looking almost invisible and way stronger. Plus it's way easier to inspect them later cause you can actually see the wire wrap around the post. It's one of those little tricks that makes a huge difference once you get the feel for it.

reese5515d ago

Old timers have a way of cutting through the noise and showing you the simple stuff that actually makes a difference. Getting called out like that can feel rough at first, but it sounds like he did you a solid by sharing what he knows. Those cleaner connections are proof enough that his advice was worth listening to.