Recommended Soldering Kit & Tutorials (for Arduino, Electronics, & Radio Control)

By Gabriel Staples
Written: 14 June 2014
Posted to blog: 3 Aug. 2014
Last Updated: 26 May 2018
History (newest on TOP):
-20180526: Added Velleman desoldering review & link.
-20170415: converted basic Amazon links to Amazon Affiliate links; updated many of the solder links too, and prices on many links
-20161126: updated many links, incl the broken ones from Radio Shack; also added several new sections, including bonus soldering irons, rosin flux, high-power irons & torches, acid-core solders & acid fluxes, & how to tin a soldering iron tip.
-20141008: added an advanced "drag soldering" link at bottom
-20140905: added more soldering iron links, & solder tip tinner/cleaner link, as well as quite a bit more info.
-20140830: added more info about soldering irons "for Radio Control" use; also added "intermediate" links to the soldering tutorials section at the end

Related Articles:

• Heavy Duty Connectors and Large Gauge Wire, & XT60 Soldering Experiment - using my $8, 60W Hobbico iron from Tower Hobbies
• The Power of Arduino <-- be sure to check out the various really useful Arduino-related links at the bottom of this post!  They have helped me a ton.
• The Goal of a Lifetime
• Arduino micros() function with 0.5us precision - using my Timer2_Counter "Library"
• Arduino Power, Current, and Voltage Limitations
• Quick Tip: 4 Ways to Power an Arduino
• Parallel Charging Your LiPo Batteries
• Beginner RC Airplane Setup
• Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging Software
• All articles on my blog with the label "Arduino" - http://electricrcaircraftguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Arduino
• Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging Software
• Parallel Charging Your LiPo Batteries

Here is a list I put together to help people get into soldering & electronics.

DIGITAL GENUINE HAKKO FX-888D, from Adafruit.com

Keep reading below for more info.

Beginner RC Helicopter & Quadrocopter

By Gabriel Staples
Written: 13 Jan 2013
Last updated: 3 Dec 2016
Update History (newest on top):
-3 Dec. 2016, updated dead link to micro heli (now linked to "v911" search results on eBay), and updated links to some other small parts too
-6 Oct. 2013, added links to micro quadrocopters

Related Articles:

• Beginner RC Airplane Setup
• Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging Software
• Parallel Charging Your LiPo Batteries

For those of you who have tried a 3-Channel micro helicopter or two (ex: virtually any helicopter that you might see at a mall), you are probably ready to try something a little bit better.  Well, don't go out quite yet and spend hundreds on a 6-Channel fully acrobatic collective pitch heli.  Rather, get a nice single-rotor 4-Channel beginner micro heli that can take some abuse while still teaching you more skills.  Once you master a micro 4-Channel heli, then take the step up to a several hundred dollar 6-Channel helicopter, and start flying slowly and carefully as it will be much more difficult still than the 4-channel heli.

So, which one to buy?  Well, I have the HobbyKing FP100 ($29 + shipping) (also see the "v911" eBay links below) (shown to the right), and I love it! It flies very well, gives you those extra skills you need while providing more challenge and capability, and yet is still so light that it is durable and can take quite a few crashes without breaking.  And if you break it? --you can buy spare parts!

How is this different from a 3-Channel Helicopter? 
A 3-Channel helicopter has a left stick which controls throttle, and a right stick which controls pitch and yaw.  There is no roll control, and pitch is extremely limited, since it is done simply via a tiny horizontal propeller near the tail which spins to create lift and slightly raise or lower the tail, thereby providing forward or aft movement.  A 3-Channel heli, therefore, is very limited in control authority, and can rarely go faster than a walking speed.  Another serious limitation is that they usually use infrared transmitters, which have a very short range, and are affected by sunlight.  Therefore, they are usually only indoor helicopters due to their ultra limited control (inability to counter even the slightest wind gusts), and infrared antennas which are susceptible to interference from the sun.  (Note: infrared transmitters are usually identifiable by a small, usually red, plastic cover near their top, instead of an antenna).

So, what is the extra channel on a 4-Channel helicopter?  
A 4-Channel helicopter, on the other hand, is highly maneuverable in comparison

Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging Software

Setting Up The Computer Data-Logging Software for Your Thunder AC680 (or AC6) Charger
~By Gabriel Staples, 24 Feb. 2013.
Updated: 3 Jan. 2014
-added a note to check out a comment below this post if you are using Windows 8
-link added for a USB extension cable.

Related Articles:

• Parallel Charging Your LiPo Batteries
• Beginner RC Airplane Setup

Brief Charger Description & Review:

Since I recommend so often to beginners in RC that they purchase the Thunder AC680 charger, I thought I better at least help them learn how to setup the computer software for it, which can be a little bit tricky, even for the computer-literate person.

First off, I'd just like to say that I love this charger, and it makes an *excellent* starter charger for someone looking to get a fully functional, computerized, smart charger capable of charging, discharging, cycling, and balancing.  This charger can handle LiPo/LiFe/Li-Ion, NiMH/NiCad, and Pb battery chemistries.  To the layperson, this means that with the right connector, it can charge any rechargeable battery in your house, car, or workshop.  That's pretty impressive.  Also, by using it to discharge a battery, you can measure the capacity (mAh) in the battery to get an idea if the battery is any good, and whether or not the manufacturer of a cheap rechargeable battery (on ebay for instance) ripped you off.  I've used a charger like this to charge and/or discharge (to check the capacity) of cell phone batteries, camera batteries, airsoft gun batteries, 18V cordless drill batteries, and dozens and dozens of various RC aircraft or radio transmitter batteries.  Lastly, by using the charger's cycling abilities, I've been able to reduce or remove the "memory" effect of many of my old NiCad batteries, and I've even been able to bring back "dead" NiCad batteries, which were over 10 years old!, to at least a usable condition after years of sitting around unused.

To top it all off, this charger is available for ~$55 with shipping from hobbypartz.com, which is a steal-of-a-deal.  Many chargers of this quality sell for 3x this much, so I have got to say, I am extremely impressed.
If you'd like to purchase this charger, you can find it at the "Thunder AC680" link above, or it is located at