F8BOE wrote:
My main use was to solder coax connectors. The Gun seems to work Ok on

100W+ soldering irons are pretty good for plumber jobs or for desoldering
fast and clean, but definitely not for your aim.

??!!

Well, maybe if Dave's doing BNCs or N connectors then a 100W+ unit is
too big. But "...of soldering the 259 shield.", PL-259s are a
completely different case. I had a 70/140W "dual-power" gun, and it
really wasn't adequate for doing PL-259s.

Managed to find a 200W+ Weller at a Lowe's store in Clarksville, and it
does the trick. You've really GOT to have that heat, a PL-259 shell is
an awfully good heat sink...

Why does the gun allow the tip to get red hot away from the actual tip.

Mine doesn't, though it does get hot enough to melt solder a fair
distance from the actual tip. I guess I expected that.

First thing I'd suspect, especially if you're having trouble soldering
PL-259s with a 230W gun, is that the tips aren't making adequate contact
with the secondary of the transformer, the metal tubes coming out of the
handle. At the risk of stating the obvious, those little nuts at the
end of the tubes are good and tight, right?

tip is almost new. I notice its made from a silver metal not copper
as with most Weller tips.

The tips for mine are silver in color. I guess I figured they were
tinned copper but could be wrong.

--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com