Dumbest epiphany of all time this morning.

[cdoggwsu]

I'm a little late to the game here but in addition to what everyone else said I'm a huge fan of the Power Probe. They're a little spendy if you're just getting into it (around $150 last i checked) but damn if that thing hasn't save me a crapload of time diagnosing sneaky broken connections and grounding issues.

I also highly recommend the Weller portasol for soldering and precision torch work, heat shrink etc...especially under the dash and in the engine bay where a bigger torch or heat gun would be tough to use.

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[ryoken]

I LIVE by the PP3 on the boats....

 

[Fordum]

I LIVE by the PP3 on the boats....

Figured I would see you show up. That was why I threw in the part about not using solder joints on boats.........
So you wouldn't have to.

 

[ryoken]

you got it covered... the PP3 is ridiculously handy in my line of work.... power it up, got a long chord for walking around the boat, it puts power or grd to anything, voltage readings, continuity, etc... invaluable for diagnostics...

Colby I would just tell ya proper techniques and tools are great, but having an understanding of DC systems, their components, needs, requirements and purpose are usually where most get lost....

It's one aspect I'm very grateful for being a marine guy... I had a very extensive auto electric background prior, but the boats really made me think on my feet and look at things from other perspectives... my electrical knowledge is 10 fold what it was doing collision work, resto's, hotrods, etc...

some people never get it, but your a smart guy and electrical is a very logical process... if I can ever help, holla....

 

[Fordum]

What he said!

One of the hardest things I have found to explain to people, and one of the most used, is the concept of voltage drop.
It explains so much about things going wrong, but people have problems understanding it, even though its simple.

It freaks them out when I have them turn on every load they have on a car, lights, fan, and then start measuring between two points on the same wire.
Like from the battery terminal on a top post to the clamp hooked to it.

I have had them stand there and call me stupid because you have to measure between positive and negative to get a reading.
Not positive and positive.

Then watch them get a stunned look when I show them my meter is reading 2 volts.

That, by the way, means that they have a very bad connection and is the reason the truck is cranking so slowly with a good battery.

Also, I have been doing some checking, and it seems that lead solder is making a slight comeback.
When I looked for it a few years ago, it was not to be had in most places. Now I see it listed in some catalogs.
I suspect that companies are cleaning out their inventories and it will disappear for good pretty soon.

But, if you are serious about doing any soldering in the future, I suggest you grab some now.

Here is a good brand, composition and size. Plus not all that bad a price for these days.

http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/2059010-60-40-370-3-064dia-16swg-mm00994.html

For what you are doing, the thick stuff is good. I have lots of that, plus some the size of a hair for some of the really delicate work I do.
The thin stuff will work for your stuff too, but it takes a lot of it.

BTW, I apparntly had a brain fart the other day. 60/40 solder is
60% tin and 40% lead.

Not sure how I got that backward.

Oh, and the weird alloys, like 63/37 are eutectic alloys. They melt at a much lower point than the regular ones.
And the ones with a third number, have some silver in them to make a slightly lower resistance connection and make it a little less subject to corrosion.

And, for what its worth, I see where Amazon has the power probe 3 for about $97 with free shipping if you have Prime.

 

[colbystephens]

I really appreciate all the info in this thread. I haven't had time yet this week to REALLY delve into it, but I appreciate that it's all there. I'm planning to spend significant time this weekend studying over it - so questions to follow, I'm sure!