FPV drone soldering technique, step-by-step instructions

5 September 2024 3 minutes Author: Murder

Welcome to our step-by-step tutorial on FPV drone soldering techniques! In this guide, we will cover all the important steps in the process of soldering pads and wires. Learn how to properly set the temperature of the soldering iron, apply flux, and how to achieve quality connections without unnecessary difficulties.

Let’s start with tinning the contact areas

First, set the required temperature on the soldering iron – 400-450 degrees for ESC power contacts, 310-330 degrees for all other contacts (depending on your soldering iron).
Apply flux to the contact area.
Clean the tip of the soldering iron.
Attach the tip of the soldering iron to the contact pad and apply solder. Spread the solder over the entire surface of the site with the movement of the needle. Do not wait longer than necessary so that the flux does not evaporate and the solder does not start to stick to the tip.
The result: the contact area is completely covered with solder, which forms a neat drop. Power pads must be soldered on both sides of the circuit board.

Next, we prepare the wires for soldering

Remove some insulation from the wire, twist the cores so that they do not loosen. If the wire comes already tinned from the manufacturer, it still needs to be tinned.
The length of the uninsulated part of the wire should be approximately 2/3 of the length of the contact pad to be soldered.
Apply flux to the bare part of the wire.
Set the temperature of the soldering iron to 310-330 degrees.
Clean the tip of the soldering iron.
Take some solder on the tip and apply it to the bare part of the wire. You can turn the wire so that it is well twisted from all sides.
The exposed part of the wire is completely tinned, the veins are not visible, the veins do not stick out.
The end result.

Soldering a tinned wire to a tinned contact pad

Apply flux to the tinned contact area.
Set the temperature of the soldering iron to 400-450 degrees for power pads, 310-330 degrees for all others (depending on your soldering iron).
Clean the tip of the soldering iron.
Put some solder on the tip.
Bring the tip to the contact pad, wait for the solder to melt, and feed the wire into the drop. Do not press the wire strongly with the sting, so that the veins do not loosen.
Remove the tip of the soldering iron and look at the work. If necessary – add flux, solder and heat again to get a nice solid drop.
After soldering, be sure to wash the flux with isopropyl alcohol.
The uninsulated part of the wire is completely immersed in a shiny neat drop of solder on the contact pad.

Conclusion

Successful soldering of an FPV drone requires precision and attention to detail. It is important to set the temperature of the soldering iron correctly, use a sufficient amount of flux and thoroughly clean the working areas after soldering. Following these simple tips will help you achieve reliable and durable connections that will keep your drone running smoothly. Using the correct soldering techniques will not only improve the quality of your project, but also reduce the chance of future malfunctions.

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