The Lidl Parkside iron has a calibration mode

This is what I found. Maybe others here may find the information useful. I'll describe it as best I can without a diagram. Each side has 4 wires plus "spring" from the heating element (white, white, red, blue, metal shield via spring). The white ones in series and measured about 14 ohms each (pins 1 & 2 on the plug and pin 7 common). The blues are commoned to pin 6, while the reds have pins 4 & 5 respectively. Pin 3 is the metal shield connection. The resistance across red&blue is less than one ohm. I am assuming that the heating elements are those measuring 14 ohms each. I haven't got inside the Lidl base yet other than on your videos.

Xaksin

It depends on the sensor used, as some use thermocouples and the LIDL units I looked at used a resistance change device. It may be worth looking to see what access to connections in the tweezer elements you have.

Big Clive

These are back in stores since Sunday and I was wondering: could two of these be used to control hot tweezers? I stupidly got a pair without checking if I was able to plug them into my soldering station. The pair I have should be used with a GORDAK 902 station and has a 7-pin connector. My station has 5-pin connector. I was thinking of adding a socket and connector to the Lidl iron/s and create an y-adaptor cable to connect the tweezers to the two controllers. I have not taken the tweezers apart yet, so I still have no idea about the wiring if that is possible. If I'm lucky, Clive might have a video about this! (fingers crossed, hint hint!) PS: I pronounce Xaksin, Maltese spelling of the English Shaxon after the late Alan Shaxon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Shaxon) - well known internationally amongst fellow members within the magic community.

Xaksin

PCB has changed. No trimpot position, but I can't post pictures here.

Bike Forever

Mine is not burning solder, but is corroding through the tip at an impressive speed. Will need to open it up and see if the trimmer pot can be put in.

Bike Forever

Picked one up yesterday ( in Scotland), no calibration mode that I can find. Will open it up and try the resistor mod.

Bike Forever

That's still quite a spicy temperature, but not too bad.

Big Clive

440C, I am amazed how quickly it heats up.

I've been keeping an eye out, but I haven't seen this in my local Lidl (NYC area)

Jason Brinkerhoff

That's annoying. I wonder if they've tamed the temperature down. Is it still discolouring and burning the solder/flux? If I can get one I'll investigate a hack.

Big Clive

Bought one this morning ( they are middle of Lidl from today ) with a manufacturing date of 2022-05, B2 model , no luck with getting it into calibration mode, it just turns off with the slow flashing red.

Thanks! I’ll give it a go.

Amro

You may find that when you're soldering your shaking stops briefly. I had an elderly coworker who shook all the time, but stopped while working on intricate things. This soldering iron is actually pretty good to hold, and once set at a lower temperature it can perform admirably.

Big Clive

Very tempting purchase now..

AESFTW

Tells me after I just finish putting the case crews back in my iron after adding a potentiometer inside 😑

Mick Spanner

Leave stuff alone. :-)

Jon Knight

Would this be good for a slow solderer with very shaky hands, like me, do you think? MS has really wrecked my handwriting and soldering!

Amro

It seems the Chinese version of the USB-C Cordless Soldering Iron (FROGBRO is the most common brand) also has additional functionality accessible by button presses, sadly none of these work with the current LIDL model, but may have worked on the prior model. Still, it's fine for what it is.

Hackers. What *can't* they do?

Curtis Hoffmann