Tools of the Trade | The Best FPV Soldering Tools
- FPV Builders
- May 2, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: May 13, 2021
Over the last few weeks I have set out to find the best soldering supplies. I have learned that tools play a very large role in the quality and aesthetics of your soldering joints. I have tried products that I didn’t like, and will not mention them here. I have dug through the weeds to find and test the best products so you will not have to. Hopefully this will save time and money that you can devote to more building!
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Soldering Iron - TS100
A good soldering iron is key to great looking solder joints. I literally have a pile of cheap soldering irons because I didn’t want to splurge and pay the few extra bucks for this soldering iron. It was ABSOLUTELY worth it. This soldering iron is all you will need. It is portable, and even comes with an XT-60 power cord so you can use it in the field if needed. The problem with most soldering irons is that you never really know if they are hitting the temperature they are set at. Now that I have a TS100, I have never been more confident that my soldering iron is reaching the set temperature. The TS100 is an amazing soldering iron for the price. It performs just as well has irons that cost well over $100. Find on amazon
Soldering Iron Tips
When I first got into the hobby, I only had a single tip. It was the one that came with the cheap soldering iron, and I used it for everything. I was able to make it work, and my drones flew fine however, I was not happy with the look of my joints. I wanted that super clean, shiny look that is so satisfying. When I started using the appropriate tips, I instantly noticed a difference in my joints. Now, I use three different tips. Keep in mind I mostly build 5 inch quadcopters, so you may find that other tips work better for you. The takeaway here is that you cannot use the same tip for every situation when building a drone. These are the three that I use. Keep in mind these tips are only usable with the TS100 soldering iron.
TS-B2
This tip comes with the soldering Iron above. It is for small wires 22 AWG and up.
TS-BC2
This tip is great for 16 -20 AWG
TS-C4
This tip is best for 12 and 14 AWG
Flux
Flux is ABSOLUTELY necessary if you want beautiful looking joints. This is something that is often overlooked by beginners. Flux does a couple things. First, it helps with heat transfer. This is important because holding the solder tip on your board for too long can end up damaging it, causing the copper pads to lift. Second, it keeps the solder clean of contamination as it flows to the surface of the joint and vaporizes. Ever wonder why your joints are pointy and don’t shine? A common misconception is that it’s because of incorrect temperature. It is actually because there is no more flux (aka rosin) left in the solder to evenly distribute the heat and clean the solder. Flux comes in several different forms. My favorite form is the pens. The pens are easy to use and won’t spill or make a big mess like the liquid and the paste.
Flux Pen
Solder
The solder I use is Kester 1.0mm Sn60Pb40 3.3%. The metal composition is 60% tin and 40% lead. The total wire composition is 96.7% tin/lead mixture and 3.3% rosin. There is also 60/40 solder that is 2% rosin. I prefer that little extra bit of flux. Remember, flux is your friend, it will help you make gorgeous solder joints.
Smoke Extractor
It is a common misconception that the smoke produced when soldering contains lead. This is not actually the case. Lead melts at 621F (321C) and vaporizes at 1100F (593C). So, if you are using proper temperatures when soldering, the only thing vaporizing is the flux/rosin. That said, it is still not recommended to breathe solder fumes. While a smoke extractor will not make your joints look better, it is a small investment for your health. I do not recommend holding your breath, or blowing at the smoke to get it away. (Don’t ask me how I know these techniques LOL!)
Tweezers
Tweezers are an excellent tool because they add a certain amount of precision. I actually have two sets of tweezers. I use cross lock tweezers and precision jewelry tweezers. Cross lock tweezers are designed so they apply pressure when they are in the resting position. This is great because it allows the tweezers to hold the wire without applying any pressure. I typically use the cross lock tweezers for the larger diameter wire, and the jewelry tweezers for wires that are small and have small solder pads.
Jewelry Tweezers
Cross Lock Tweezers
Solder Wick
When I set out to improve my soldering skills, solder wick was an invaluable tool. It allowed me to practice on an old burnt out board over, and over again. It’s super easy to use, and can actually remove all the solder off a pad down to clean copper. Just be careful not to apply heat to your board for too long.
FUN-TAK
This stuff is awesome. It is super cheap and will last you a really long time. It’s very sticky and can be used to stick whatever you are soldering to your solder mat. It won’t leave any residue stuck to your board and it doesn’t melt at soldering temperatures. I use it for joining wires, soldering on boards, basically anything that I used my helping hands for. I seriously love this stuff. Now, the only time I use my helping hands is when I need to use the magnifying glass!
Brass Wool
Brass wool is for cleaning your solder tip. Cleaning your tip is imperative for making great looking solder joints. Brass wool is softer than steel wool and won’t damage your soldering tip like steel wool will. Just jab it in there when you have finished a joint you'll get a clean, shiny tip.
Soldering/Building Mat
This soldering mat Brand is the best. It is high temperature resistant, (I tried to melt it with my soldering iron) and has places for you to put your hardware and tools. One thing I love about this mat (S-180) is the magnets embedded in a few of the pockets to keep the hardware from rolling everywhere. The S-180 I have is perfect for 5 inch drones.
Painters Tape
Painters tape only costs a few bucks and it can save you a LOT of money. When soldering, sometimes there is spatter. Spatter is when small balls of solder “jump” off the solder area, and they can bridge (or short) circuits on your board without you noticing. This can have catastrophic effects on your electronics when you plug in your battery for the first time. Using a little bit of painters tape to cover the areas around your solder joint can keep this from happening.
Isopropyl Alcohol
99% isopropyl alcohol is the last thing I use on my soldered joints. I dip a toothbrush in it, give my joints a light scrub, then dab dry with a paper towel. Doing this cleans your joints, and will get all the excess flux off. This will not hurt your electronics at all. In fact, cleaning them after soldering should extend the life of your boards, and will make them look much nicer.
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