Eggtimer Rocketry Holiday Sale

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I think for the Eggtimer stuff a $50 iron should be fine, splurge a little if you want and get the digital display for another $50. I have a Velleman 60W iron that Radio Shack resold for $100, it was on sale for $69.99 and half price off that because my local RS was going out of business. For $35 I grabbed it on sight. Hakko tips fit it, so I can get them any time I want from the local Fry's.
 
I haven't found a tip that works better than the one on the WM 120, it fits into the hole through the board and heats up the bottom of the GPS chip. I admit, I learned soldering in the Marines forty years ago, so no surface mounted parts, but I picked that up pretty quick. Over a dozen Eggfinders in our fleet operating now, and one scorched board with a lifted lead from when my old WM 120 gave up the ghost and I tried a cheaper, bigger iron.
 
As someone who is contemplating building one of these kits (I had Connor do the stuff I bought on the sale two years ago) I find myself looking at either getting some new tips for my old 23W Ungar iron (with which I used to build RC servo kits long ago) off of eBay or getting something new I find myself looking at the 12W Weller WM120 and the adjustable Weller WLC-100 and a fine conical tip for that (ST7) and trying to decide which way to go. The two Weller options are comparable in price either locally (at Fry's) or on Amazon, and I could easily spend that same amount getting a number of the long out-of-production tips for the Ungar - so I'm really somewhat in a quandary.

Any words of wisdom?

My intent is to get the GPS add-on for the LCD receiver and a Mini transmitter (at least) in this sale.
 
I’ve got an Ungar iron that I’ve had and used for 25+ years. The heating element screws into the handle with a course lightbulb style threat. I’ve been using a 35w element to build the Egg stuff with a very long conical point tip ( they thread into the element with a ~1/8” fine thread). I’ll see if I can find the source for the tip I purchased a couple of years ago. It’s worked really well for this stuff. My heat times are much less that Chris calls out, but the solder flow looks great.... maybe I’m just use to the extra power!

Found the tip purchase, it was on eBay. Search for “ungar pl338”. Look like NOS is selling for $4-8


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I started with just a weller 15w pencil. Just upgraded the setup a bit. Ready to add a GPS module to this LCD. And built some black Friday deals. 1115170709a.jpg
 
I’ve got an Ungar iron that I’ve had and used for 25+ years. The heating element screws into the handle with a course lightbulb style threat. I’ve been using a 35w element to build the Egg stuff with a very long conical point tip ( they thread into the element with a ~1/8” fine thread). I’ll see if I can find the source for the tip I purchased a couple of years ago. It’s worked really well for this stuff. My heat times are much less that Chris calls out, but the solder flow looks great.... maybe I’m just use to the extra power!

Found the tip purchase, it was on eBay. Search for “ungar pl338”. Look like NOS is selling for $4-8

Thaks for that. I’d used the PL340 tip on the servo kits back in the day (in a 535-S heater - the 23W version of the one you have) so that’s where I started in my search which quickly led me to eBay. The tip that’s in the iron now is in pretty bad shape.

I found the PL338s along the way and thought they might be just the ticket. But then there was all this about 12W irons and I wondered about those little SMT components. Glad to hear it can work.
 
I started with just a weller 15w pencil. Just upgraded the setup a bit. Ready to add a GPS module to this LCD. And built some black Friday deals

I've been happy with the Hakko T18-B conical 0.5mm tip.
Hakko station can be bought from here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C1N30DI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

More info on tips here:
https://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/series_t18.html

BTW, at what temperature do you run your soldering statinos?
500F seams to work for me. Anyone tried going lower?

a
 
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Cris
What is an Eggfinder Bluetooth RX starter set? I don’t see anything that matches that description on your website.
Tom
 
BTW, at what temperature do you run your soldering statinos?
500F seams to work for me. Anyone tried going lower?

Kudos to you for using such a low temperature :). Not many people run cool. If it is working for you keep up the good work! Most people are in the "quick joint is a good joint" brigade and run their irons much hotter (600degF). With a good temp controlled iron you can go a lower temperature, because the tip temperature varies less over the duration of soldering the joint. I generally run about 280degC (535degF) unless I am being very fussy.

What is the right number? Solder (regular Sn/Pb) melts at about 218degC. You need to add about 30degC more to that to make sure there is enough energy in the melt to form the intermetallic compounds with the copper traces. So minimum is about 250degC (482degF).

Remember that the calibration of the temperature may be out so your setting could be hotter or colder than what you think.

Also, sometimes we add a bit more heat to drive into very large thermal masses. Try not to overdo it. Use a bigger tip instead maybe. I always use the biggest I can use without creating solder shorts.

Running cooler temperatures means you might get more reworks out of the PCB, if you are modifying them. The Tg for FR4 is about 140degC (280degF), and the glue bonding the tracks to the FR4 is probably less tolerant. It might mean the difference between getting one rework on a PCB or perhaps four or five. The solder joints are also less brittle because the intermetallic is thinner.
 
Would the new LCD-GPS module be able to provide a signal to two LCD receivers? I wanted to combine the new and old LCD receivers into one box.

Planning a 2 stage with sustainer and booster tracking. Being able to recover both halves with only one box would be great.
 
For $50, I would say give the Xtronic 3020 a look on Amazon. I've got one and it's really a pretty decent iron. I've got a Weller WES-51 that I've had for probably 10 years or better and this is the iron on my bench now... takes Hakko tips, is a digital readout, does what it needs to do... it's a soldering iron... but I have been happy with the one that I got and it's a good relatively low cost option for the guys looking to purchase or upgrade their current iron.
 
Well I’m hedging my bets. I just ordered four PL338 tips and two PL340 tips for my Ungar on eBay. But I’m still contemplating a new iron as well (as I also want to give one to my son for Christmas as he’s getting into building little quadcopters and needs a decent soldering tool for small stuff).

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I need to send Cris a “here’s what I’d like” email - but first I need to check and see if I have a data cable already.
 
Would the new LCD-GPS module be able to provide a signal to two LCD receivers? I wanted to combine the new and old LCD receivers into one box.

Planning a 2 stage with sustainer and booster tracking. Being able to recover both halves with only one box would be great.

I doubts that would work live but you could try parallel wiring to each board. Kurt
 
For $50, I would say give the Xtronic 3020 a look on Amazon. I've got one and it's really a pretty decent iron. I've got a Weller WES-51 that I've had for probably 10 years or better and this is the iron on my bench now... takes Hakko tips, is a digital readout, does what it needs to do... it's a soldering iron... but I have been happy with the one that I got and it's a good relatively low cost option for the guys looking to purchase or upgrade their current iron.
I use an X-Tronic 4010, it works well, however it did require re-solder a heat element lead. They are inexpensive though.
 
This is the station I have and I love it. I don't use the pencil tip it came with. Instead I use the tip all the way to the right in this replacement pack for most things(even SMD) when theres room. I like the heavy tip for the thermal mass so I can run below 500. Good fluxing helps when running low temps.
 
Would the new LCD-GPS module be able to provide a signal to two LCD receivers? I wanted to combine the new and old LCD receivers into one box.

Planning a 2 stage with sustainer and booster tracking. Being able to recover both halves with only one box would be great.

Great idea... I could use that for two-stagers. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work assuming that both receivers are running off the same battery (you're gonna need a decent sized 2S LiPo... the 4xAA box isn't gonna cut it). Just wire the power to one of the LCD boards, and "Y" the GPS output to the necessary pin on both LCD boards.
 
Great idea... I could use that for two-stagers. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work assuming that both receivers are running off the same battery (you're gonna need a decent sized 2S LiPo... the 4xAA box isn't gonna cut it). Just wire the power to one of the LCD boards, and "Y" the GPS output to the necessary pin on both LCD boards.

LOL - The LCD GPS gets left/right brain support... I guess it will work so long as your ok with the booster tracker being good at painting and drawing and the sustainer tracker being good at logic and math... [emoji12]
 
Great idea... I could use that for two-stagers. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work assuming that both receivers are running off the same battery (you're gonna need a decent sized 2S LiPo... the 4xAA box isn't gonna cut it). Just wire the power to one of the LCD boards, and "Y" the GPS output to the necessary pin on both LCD boards.
That is great to hear. I am using a 1000 mAh Turnigy. But with the removal of the Bluetooth module. I will free up some capacity.

It was very nice to see my rocket on an area map with GPS rocket locator. But not having to carry around multiple items during recovery will be worth it.


Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk
 
LOL - The LCD GPS gets left/right brain support... I guess it will work so long as your ok with the booster tracker being good at painting and drawing and the sustainer tracker being good at logic and math... [emoji12]

With two LCD boards and displays in one case, since Cris says it will work with parallel wiring and there are no input problems it's doable. Me thinks the OP wants to really push the stack up high for staging necessitating a tracker in the booster.
Personally, I like seeing the staging process down low that would obviate the need but if going "on high" it's nice to get the booster back. I'd use a larger box and the largest capacity lipo I can stick in there.
I have a 1500mah for an LCD in the handle and something like a 2500mah in a stock LCD case.

EFR1.jpgtogether.jpglcd1.jpglcd2openback.jpg

I'm going to have to "unscrew" the EF LCD in the black case to get at the backside so I can wire in the base station GPS receiver. I had the foresight to put a terminal block and wires at the RST terminal for the black cased unit along with labeling of the
serial wires to the B/T module so I can wire in the USB/serial cable for flashing. Took two minutes to flash the update.

The Black Aero case I can get to the backside in an easier fashion. Since the photo, the HC-06 B/T is on double stick servo tape on the back I'll have to pry up to get at the pads to do the solder job. I may just servo tape the GPS to the top of the
yellow case. It two was a 2 minute firmware update.

Kurt
 
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With two LCD boards and displays in one case, since Cris says it will work with parallel wiring and there are no input problems it's doable. Me thinks the OP wants to really push the stack up high for staging necessitating a tracker in the booster.
Personally, I like seeing the staging process down low that would obviate the need but if going "on high" it's nice to get the booster back. Kurt
My plan for having a Tracker in the booster came with a Labor Day sale TRS. So I get deployment and tracking. This is going in my 3-inch scratch build. Kind of like a Quantum Leap II.

Plus losing visual on the booster, while watching the sustainer ignite and go out of sight. I can just see a tracker coming in as cheap insurance at these prices.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk
 
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My plan for having a Tracker in the booster came with a Labor Day sale TRS. So I get deployment and tracking. This is going in my 3-inch scratch build. Kind of like a Quantum Leap II.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

The TRS is a dynamite system.md2.jpgIMG_20141217_185545.jpgIMG_20150214_090634.jpgIMG_20170113_063231.jpgIMG_20170113_063212.jpg

Stuck it in a 38mm LOC cardboard tubed, 5ply plywood finned project where I did a 1/3rd, 2/3rds and full span fin can lamination with 2oz. fiberglass cloth. Cut 12 pieces of cloth. I freaking did a stupid thing and
used a dirty rail that bound the Mayhem rail guide. The rocket blasted right through it, the rail guide was destroyed, rocket hit 850mph and 8,697 feet on a J350. I lost a few paint chips as the right photo shows.
Used a single break and a PrairieTwister cutter to open the main.

I never saw the rocket after the button was pushed. GPS Rocket Locator kept tabs but at the time GPSRL didn't cache maps for offline use and I had the cajones to use the program bare. Had the two "spots" and a line.
Rocket landed 1.66 miles away and was in fine shape when I got to it. I did a test with a 900Mhz yagi for the recovery and the yagi certainly increased the ground footprint out in the open. I walked toward the last
known position with the yagi and when I started getting the beeping back I disconnected it and put the vertical dipole back on. (same antenna shown on the TRS in the pictures above) The signal disappeared.

It had a good satellite lock while on the ground and it was out in the open. I still had to get pretty close to finally visually see it. Pretty nice altitude for the venerable J350 in a cardboard rocket. Man that fiberglass lamination
is like really strong! I was pleasantly surprised. Can't wait to fly it again. Kurt
 
That's beautiful... Kinda like my LOC tube with plywood fins. No glass though. And eggfinder mini is in the nose. Haven't flown it yet.

20170819_191452.jpg20170819_191407.jpg
 
The support pages are missing drill templates - anyone know where I can find hole size and spacing for the various Egg devices?
 
Cris, for some reason the Purchase page is down on your website I am getting a 404 error.

Edit: correction it was a broken link on the main/home page , the sidebar Purchase link still works.
 
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Just send an email with a list of items to Cris and Cris will send you a PayPal invoice.
 
Cris, for some reason the Purchase page is down on your website I am getting a 404 error.

Edit: correction it was a broken link on the main/home page , the sidebar Purchase link still works.

Just saw that, I'll fix it. We don't do the cart thing (because about 75% of the time people have questions about their needs anyway), send us an email and let us know what you want. The items are on the Purchase link on the sidebar; prices are at list there (they're discounted on the home page with the sale details.)

https://www.eggtimerrocketry.com/Purchase.php
 
cerving, what's the hole size and spacing on the Quantum board? Looking to whip up a 3D printed sled for it. Thanks!
 
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