00:00I thought I didn't need it until I bought it and used it.
00:04And today I'm going to talk about the portable soldering iron
00:08and why you should have one at home.
00:17Do you happen to have any broken electronic equipment at home right now?
00:22That pair of headphones with the loose connector,
00:25that charger that stopped working,
00:27or even that remote control that doesn't turn on anymore because a component came loose.
00:33Many times we end up throwing these items away without even trying to fix them.
00:38But the truth is that most of these problems can be solved with a simple soldering iron.
00:44And today I'm going to tell you about this little guy here.
00:48The portable soldering iron.
00:51It completely changed the way I do small repairs on electronics,
00:54both inside and outside the house.
00:56But what exactly is a portable soldering iron?
01:00You probably already know what a soldering iron is, right?
01:03A portable soldering iron is just a soldering iron, but portable.
01:07That's it.
01:08Video's over.
01:09See you later.
01:09Now I get it.
01:11Now I get it.
01:13I'm just kidding.
01:14A soldering iron is a soldering tool commonly used in electrical and electronic work.
01:21And the portable version was designed to be carried and used in different places,
01:26without the need for a fixed workstation.
01:30Unlike traditional soldering irons, which need to be plugged into an outlet,
01:35portable soldering irons are smaller and lighter,
01:39and many of them run on batteries or through a USB connection,
01:43which makes them extremely versatile.
01:46Most models have electronic temperature control,
01:50which means you can adjust the temperature according to the type of component you're soldering,
01:58avoiding damage to sensitive parts or overheating certain materials.
02:02Now you might be wondering, how exactly does a soldering iron work?
02:08Basically, the soldering iron heats a metal tip to temperatures ranging from
02:12200 to 450 degrees Celsius, depending on the model and the adjustment you make.
02:19This heated tip comes into contact with the solder,
02:23which is a metal alloy composed mainly of tin and lead, or tin and silver,
02:30which is a metal alloy, causing it to melt and create a permanent connection between two
02:34electronic components or wires.
02:36Solder works like an adhesive, a metallic adhesive, that joins the components,
02:41creating both an electrical and mechanical connection.
02:45When you remove the iron and the solder cools down,
02:48this connection solidifies and becomes extremely strong.
02:52Seems simple, right?
02:54But this technique is fundamental in practically all modern electronics,
02:59from the smartphones you use to the most advanced computers.
03:03But the applications of portable soldering irons are much broader than most people think,
03:08even beyond the most advanced computers.
03:11Of course it's used to make and repair printed circuit boards,
03:15damaged electronic components, but there are many other uses you can explore at home.
03:21This model, for example, besides working with the tips specifically for soldering electrical
03:27and electronic circuits, it also has tips for soldering or sealing plastic.
03:33If you had a plastic part that broke, and you need to create a joint between the pieces,
03:40you can use this tip to weld the plastic, melting the material of the two broken joints,
03:48or overlapping the joint with some plastic filament over the seam.
03:54But why is a portable soldering iron so different from a regular soldering iron?
03:59Well, the whole point is portability.
04:02The same soldering iron you use, plugged into the outlet, does the same job as a portable version.
04:08There are plug-in models that are simple and don't have temperature control, like this one here.
04:13And so, it gets the job done. But there are soldering irons or professional soldering stations
04:20that already have temperature control and the possibility to change the tips.
04:25But the portable soldering iron is useful when you can't find an outlet or can't bring an extension cord nearby.
04:33If you need to use the soldering iron on a circuit board out in the middle of nowhere,
04:37and there's no outlet nearby, it already has a huge advantage.
04:41If you need to install several components in different places, in a building for example,
04:47and the connections need to be soldered, the convenience and portability are a real lifesaver.
04:52Or maybe a plastic part broke in your car and you want to make a quick fix out on the
04:57road.
04:58You can do that too.
04:59I actually got to know this little guy here because the technician who came to install the alarm system
05:04in my house was using a portable soldering iron to make the connections for the alarm keypads,
05:10sensors, and some control relays with solder. And he had to do this in several places.
05:16Climb ladders, get into tight spaces, and so on.
05:21Imagine having to hunt for an outlet nearby in every place he needed to go.
05:26Portability simply became essential. For me, I was pretty skeptical about this thing.
05:32Until I needed to solder a circuit board that was in a place with no outlet nearby.
05:38And I couldn't just remove the board to solder it somewhere with an outlet.
05:43Seriously, the workaround was so extreme that I used the paperclip and the lighter to melt the solder
05:50and get the job done. Damn, this guy is badass.
05:53Yeah, only after that. I realized that having one of these portable guys is a huge help. And now,
06:01every time I need to solder something, I prefer to use it. And when I want to fix a plastic
06:07part,
06:08it helps me melt the pieces and create a weld in the same spot. Even if you work with sewing
06:13or crafts,
06:14a lot of people use the soldering iron with specific tips to seal synthetic materials,
06:20like non-woven fabric, felt, satin, and even sealing plastics. I leave some options for portable
06:26soldering irons here in the video. Just click on the cards that are showing up somewhere here in the video.
06:32Or, if you prefer, check out the first thing in the description.
06:36But not everything is perfect. It's important to understand that the heating time of the portable
06:41soldering iron isn't as fast as the traditional one. So, you might need to wait up to 2 minutes for
06:47it
06:47to reach the necessary temperature. Another point is the battery. It lasts, on average,
06:53from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the temperature you need to reach. And if you
06:59usually turn off the iron to save battery... But even if you need to use it for longer,
07:05you just plug it into a power bank with a USB-C cable and keep using it.
07:10The portability will be the same. The price will vary a lot. But weighing price and portability,
07:17I ended up choosing the portable soldering iron. That's because the difference from the traditional
07:22soldering iron was very small. There are models that don't have temperature control.
07:30Others control the temperature only through indicators. The more bars or dots, the higher the temperature.
07:38And models like this one here. Which allow you to actually select the temperature you want to work with.
07:46And see in real time the temperature the soldering iron is at. And that's it. You have to evaluate
07:52which one is best for you. But I recommend the models that have a display that allows you to
07:57select the temperature. It may sound silly, but the temperature you use to solder regular wire
08:02won't be the same as the one you'll use on a printed circuit board. That's because you might
08:07end up melting nearby components. And yes, if I'm telling you this, it's because I've already made that
08:13mistake of trying to focus on a connection. And ended up melting some components that were nearby.
08:19How dumb you are?
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08:51So, do you already have a portable soldering iron at home?
08:55Have you ever tried to fix any broken electronics? And you, have you ever had trouble
09:00with a conventional soldering iron and didn't have an outlet nearby or the cord was too short?
09:07Leave in the comments what was the last electronic device you fixed or if you would like to fix one.
09:13Over here, there are two interesting videos that you need to watch to expand your knowledge and
09:17satisfy your curiosity. And if you want to support us, leave a like, subscribe to the channel,
09:22turn on the notification bell and consider becoming a channel member.
09:26That's it, Engineering Enthusiasts! Take care and see you in the next video!
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