Soldering 101: Difference between revisions

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====A few things to remember before you start:====

*Most people use crimp-style bullet connectors on automotive applications. One reason is that they do better with high power applications. Also, mechanical vibration can cause solder to crystallize, leading to joint failure. That said, Wes, who rides in salted slush six months of the year, has never had a connection fail on his bike, either soldered or crimped.

:You still have to solder certain things, like grounds onto your 1157 sockets when adding extra rear lights.

* Get a ~30 watt pencil soldering iron. They are available at Radio Shack, or, in Canada, The Source, for about $10. Try to pick up a soldering sponge or two at the same time.

*Make sure you tin your tip before using it. That means: soak it in solder, knock the excess off, and wipe it clean with a wet soldering sponge. If you don't have a soldering sponge, a damp cotton or terrycloth rag will do the trick. This will not only extend the life of your tip, but by having a clean tip, you will produce better joints, more quickly, and with less heat damage to surrounding components.

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 ====A few things to remember before you start:====
+*Most people use crimp-style bullet connectors on automotive applications. One reason is that they do better with high power applications. Also, mechanical vibration can cause solder to crystallize, leading to joint failure. That said, Wes, who rides in salted slush six months of the year, has never had a connection fail on his bike, either soldered or crimped.
+:You still have to solder certain things, like grounds onto your 1157 sockets when adding extra rear lights.
 * Get a  ~30 watt pencil soldering iron. They are available at Radio Shack, or, in Canada, The Source, for about $10. Try to pick up a soldering sponge or two at the same time.
 *Make sure you tin your tip before using it. That means: soak it in solder, knock the excess off, and wipe it clean with a wet soldering sponge. If you don't have a soldering sponge, a damp cotton or terrycloth rag will do the trick. This will not only extend the life of your tip, but by having a clean tip, you will produce better joints, more quickly, and with less heat damage to surrounding components.