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Pro tip: a client told me my solder joints looked 'cold and grainy'
I was fixing a vintage amp and they pointed out the dull, lumpy connections. Switched to a higher temp and proper flux, now my joints are shiny every time. Anyone have a favorite flux brand for audio gear?
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lunaf678d ago
Oh man, cold joints are the worst. Kester 44 flux core solder has never let me down for audio stuff.
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troysmith8d ago
Cold joints ruined a perfectly good tube preamp I was fixing last week. I've been using Kester 44 for about ten years now and it just works every single time. Something about the flux in it makes the solder flow so smooth on audio connections. I had to redo every single joint on that preamp board with fresh solder. Once you get a cold joint in there, the sound just gets all crackly and thin. That solder is the only thing I trust for my own gear anymore.
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Heard a tech on a podcast say cold joints can act like a diode. Creates weird distortion in audio circuits. That explains the crackle people talk about. Good flux is key to getting the metal hot enough to bond right. Makes sense why a grainy joint would mess with a clean signal.
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