this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2025
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Microblog Memes

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[–] oldfart@lemm.ee 23 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Finally, an usecase for USB irons!

[–] Bronzie@sh.itjust.works 6 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (2 children)

I just got one, and it’s so practical with a PD battery bank. Can now solder inside or outside on my car/bike with zero hazzle

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

I love my Pinecil. I recommend them to kids as a beginner iron cause of the low price and sleep function.

[–] oldfart@lemm.ee 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I have one too, I like the idea of it but can't solder with it. For any serious work I use my old transformer iron that has enough power to melt the solder.

[–] Bronzie@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Sure, a Weller station will probably last a lifetime even with serious usage, but I do maybe…. 20 total solder joint per year, so I couldn’t justify the price.

I do agree that it’s better at what it’s supposed to do though

[–] oldfart@lemm.ee 2 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

Not quite a Weller station, but also will last a lifetime ;)

md_NIDA36NIftSsNKkdqLwkmZw6Izqt5TpegS9zqii7

Edit: I'm aware that USB irons are good and I'm just shit at using them

[–] Bronzie@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 hours ago

I really appreciate that you took the time to take a photo to show us your iron. It’s nice to get the more personal touch as I keep forgetting we are real people talking together.

It looks like an old clenodium. I’m sure it has seen its fair share of work. Thanks for sharing!

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 19 points 16 hours ago

I've had a similar experience as a child. I live in Germany and found this voltage switch on a hair dryer. My thoughts were like: Switching it to less couldn't possibly hurt, could it? Well it could. It was super efficient though but only for a few seconds before it self destructed.

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 208 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (16 children)

Shoudn't it be 25%?

Current is not controlled here, resistance (aka the soldering iron) and voltage are.

Power = Voltage ^ 2 / Resistance. Double the voltage, that quadruples the power. So you only want to plug in 25% of the time to get the equivalent power of 120V.

But it might not melt at double power? Maybe the extra heat helps, I can't find a resistance/temperature curve for a soldering iron...

Source: EE dropout.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 115 points 1 day ago

nnnNNEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRd!

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[–] RangerJosey@lemmy.ml 8 points 18 hours ago

Hey. If it works, it works.

Any port in a storm right?

[–] melpomenesclevage@lemmy.dbzer0.com 43 points 1 day ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (5 children)

there's the STEM bell curve. XKCD shows the axes as 'how well your computer works' vs 'how well you know computers'. that is accurate.

but if you've ever known serious engineers who didn't just live boring white collar work-home-work-and-some-marvel-shit lives, you'll have seen things that make this look mild.

edit: and it gets really crazy when you're talking about a civil engineer. closest thing you'll ever find to an eldritch location.

[–] anton@lemmy.blahaj.zone 52 points 22 hours ago (1 children)
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[–] Xatolos@reddthat.com 56 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Should have just left it in, and been able to get the soldering done twice as fast.

[–] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 18 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

New manufacturing hack unlocked: Install 240v outlets at workstations and fire half of the workforce. Golden parachute and douchey, hand-wavey TED Talk, please!

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 3 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

Elon knows more about manufacturing than any other person on earth, he said

[–] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 62 points 1 day ago (3 children)

It's only stupid if it doesn't work

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[–] EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works 80 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There are gas powered soldering irons that are essentially lighters with metal around the flame. Real life savers

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 71 points 1 day ago (3 children)

There are also battery powered soldering irons.

[–] Anivia@feddit.org 2 points 13 hours ago

Yes, and they actually have a working thermostat, so they aren't complete garbage to solder electronics with.

Gas powered soldering irons are great for soldering stuff like copper water pipes. But even soldering through-hole components with them is a pain in the ass due to the temperature instantly evaporating all your flux. Soldering SMD components is near impossible with them

[–] BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 39 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

I like the pinecil, usb-c powered soldering iron with temperature control. If you are not doing anything intensive any fast smartphone charger will power it.

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[–] RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Why plug and unplug? Doesn't the wall outlet have a switch?

[–] Johanno@feddit.org 8 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Afaik it is a safety thing that is handled differently in different countries.

Uk and their colonised countries have this. The reason is that the fuses are in each plug. But no (or almost no) fuses in the power grid of the house. In Europe most countries have a single GFCI and several fuses for power grid sectors in a single place in the house where the power comes in.

I assume the switches on the power outlets are for turning off a switch because there is no GFCI in the house.

[–] jeeva@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I think in the UK at least this view might be a little outdated - every house I've ever lived in has had GFCI sectors across the house, or had to be updated to have it when work was done.

[–] Johanno@feddit.org 1 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Well I would need to do research on that so I can make actual claims here, but I think the switches on the power outlets are somewhat related to the kind of how fuses are handled.

[–] oo1@lemmings.world 3 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

I think it's mostly due to the the way the "ring mains" are often wired in UK to basically cheapout of copper I think . . .

The consumer unit/fusebox/gfci protects the whole ring mains wire from overheating or ground leakage - up to the socket - but that will likely be more current than any individual appliance would want to see maybe 20A or 32A or something. So it's up to the appliance to protect itself (and its wiring from the plug) from overcurrent scearios per its own tolerances.

[–] Azzu@lemm.ee 38 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

I have actually never met a wall outlet with a switch.

[–] RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

Really? Where are you for that? I don't have a wall outlet without a switch, and I've never seen one because why would it just be live all the time?

I'm in Australia for reference.

[–] Tenniswaffles@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 17 hours ago

We're the exception, most places don't have switches on their outlets.

[–] nik9000@programming.dev 14 points 17 hours ago (6 children)

Looks like it's mostly a UK, Australia, and New Zealand thing.

[–] southernbrewer@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

I'm in NZ and I've always hated it. Someone always goes and switches them off, and they're totally unnecessary when every device already has its own switch

[–] crazyhotpasta@lemm.ee 3 points 13 hours ago

I also have switches indoors for balcony/outside outlets. Finland.

[–] crmsnbleyd@sopuli.xyz 4 points 16 hours ago

India as well!

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[–] Azzu@lemm.ee 13 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Germany. It's just live all the time, because why wouldn't it? If you plug something in, you want it to work. If you don't want it to work, you either plug it out (which works just as well as a switch, with the same convenience), OR you use the switch at the appliance because why would you try to reach the hypothetical switch at the wall outlet if the wall outlet is behind a drawer, under a table, or whatever inconvenient place? I use my remote control to turn the TV on or off, I don't physically walk to the wall power outlet.

[–] RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I can't turn my tv entirely off without cutting power to it because of the standby light. Same thing for my laptop. The switch is typically not hidden behind things because that is really annoying. Power switch in my room that I use is right next to my bed, can turn the light off without leaving bed.

Things that don't get moved don't get unplugged because why bother when you hit the switch and it's entirely off, and actually entirely off unlike what most of my devices do when 'off' but powered

[–] Anivia@feddit.org 4 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Keep in mind modern TVs have very low standby drain, and if it's an OLED then unplugging it or turning off the outlet instead of letting it stay in standby will actually slowly break your panel

[–] RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 10 hours ago

Tv is like 10 years old and definitely not OLED. Good information to have though.

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