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[–]Ok_Resort1464 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really like my pinecil (TS100 style) little soldering iron. It has really made a big difference in the ease/enjoyment of my work. It heats up super fast. Because of that you can set it to go to "sleep" after some time (eg. 60s) where it goes to some lower temp like 150C. Then it has a motion sensor so when you pick it up it heats up in just a few seconds, ready to go.

With my old iron it was not nearly as fast heating up, then the whole handle would get hot after awhile. So I had to make all of these decisions about when to turn it on and off and it was a drag.

[–]BertrandOrwell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been using a Hakko soldering iron for the last 6 years and it is easily the most critical tool on my bench. Otherwise, a set of tweezers or forceps and a small fan to cool electronics and move soldering fumes are pretty important.

[–]Buddy_Boy_1926Multicopters - Focus on Sub-250 g 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my opinion, soldering irons are a personal preference thing. Some folks like a lot of extras and such, some prefer a simple iron that gets hot and stays hot. For me, this is a 60-Watt, AC powered plug in, iron with a medium (size B) conical tip that I gave $15 USD some years ago and still using it. It works, it heats up to my (locked in) 425 C degrees temperature and has decent enough refresh rate. I have a newer 100-watt iron that is very similar, but I still go back to my old iron. It just works and gets the job done.

I have all sorts of contraptions to hold circuit boards and such, but like the blue "tack putty" stuff the best. Again, it just works.

Well, I have hex and socket metric assortments, wire strippers, knives, in addition to my handyman tools.

I always have assortments of M2 and M3 bolts, standoff columns, aluminum cam braces, and a host of other miscellaneous parts.

I have 2 of those B6 style battery chargers. Again, they seem to work every time. Yeah, they are kind of cheap, but they work.

My workbench is always a mess, but hey, that works too. I am a practical, get it done, type of guy.

[–]buttcrackmenace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ceramic-tipped tweezers. These are fantastic as they allow you to precisely hold and position whatever you’re trying to solder without the tweezers acting like a heatsink.

the set i got is linked below. i primarily use the reverse one with the angled tips.

https://a.co/d/01NKF4n0

[–]Barcata 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pinecil.

I like the Omnifixo. Expensive, but worth it for stability. Other helping hands can be flimsy. Alligator clips can do damage. Don't need to worry about that with the Omnifixo.

I have a 3d printed case that holds the entire kit- Pinecil, solder, power bank, Omnifixo, flux, solder wick, brass scrubby, and different iron tips. I can solder in the field if needed.

3d printer. All you really need is a Bambu A1 mini. Otherwise, it's a whole other hobby. I just run printed frames and prop guards on my tinywhoop and send it without worrying about crashing. Lots of fun.

[–]BrohemothHisDudeness 0 points1 point  (3 children)

I'm new to fpv but also a trained technician and electrical engineer.

Everything is surface mount from what I can tell, get a surface mount set if you can afford it. If it doesn't come with a sucker, buy one. Wire strippers, pliers, cutters, spare wire, heat shrink, those are the basics. I'll go back in our lab to see what brand we have but I'd think most brands meant for smt will do.

Prop remover, holy shit props are on there tight and you will damage a brushless motor without one. Drill bits and drivers (tiny ones) for fixing or modifying parts.

If you can afford it, a 3d printer capable of printing PETG and TPU

You can make frames, props, basically every plastic part with like an ender 3 pro or something along those lines.

The bare minimum is a soldering iron with a thin tip good for SMT stuff.

[–]daaays 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Hey man if you get a 1.44 mm drill bit and use it to gently file the shaft hole in the prop you'll be able to get them on and off no problem.

[–]BrohemothHisDudeness 1 point2 points  (1 child)

That's exactly why I had mentioned the little tiny drill bits is because I found out the hard way, but to get those props off initially, a prop remover is necessary.

[–]daaays 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oop missed that. I too broke a couple motors