this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2025
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Microblog Memes

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Finally, an usecase for USB irons!

[–] Bronzie 6 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 21 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

[–] [email protected] 1 points 14 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 1 points 17 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 1 points 17 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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 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 3 points 14 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!

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 day 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.

[–] [email protected] 210 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (6 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.

[–] [email protected] 116 points 1 day ago

nnnNNEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRd!

[–] [email protected] 47 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If only the oop was here to see this 😔

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Ok. I was acountless on lemmy for a long time, your comment made me finally register. Thanks!

So, yeah, with double the voltage you get 4x the power. But you you put 4 times the power at 50% of the time, you get only 2x the power. And the other half of the time, you get 0 power. On the average you get the same power output.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You double counted there.

You said 4x power 50% of the time and then said “the other half of the time.”

So you’re calculating 50% of 50% which is 25% duty cycle.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Oh no, I didn't. Should I draw a graph? Pop out some equations?

Let's say P is the nominal power. When I said "The other half" I meant when the solder iron is not plugged. So:

50% of the time at 4xP 50% of the time at 0...

Oh shizzzz, you're right!

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 56 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 day 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!

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 1 day ago (3 children)

It's only stupid if it doesn't work

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[–] EmoDuck 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

[–] [email protected] 71 points 1 day ago (3 children)

There are also battery powered soldering irons.

[–] [email protected] 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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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago

Hey. If it works, it works.

Any port in a storm right?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day 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.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 day ago

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

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago (6 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 23 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

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day 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

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day 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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 21 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 8 points 23 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.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 22 hours ago (2 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.

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