Application for a 50 volt soldering iron? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

threeseven · 27th Jul 2014, 2:03 pm

Recently I acquired an Litesold, 25 watt soldering iron, the type with the rounded off, square red plastic handle and wire wound heating element.
However, it is a 50 volt version.
So I was wondering what the application for this would be, aviation, Post Office perhaps?
Any ideas?

matthewhouse · 27th Jul 2014, 2:16 pm

Almost certainly for telecoms use, I have a 50v iron somewhere which came with a box of assorted telephone junk.

threeseven · 27th Jul 2014, 3:22 pm

Thats what I was thinking, although I've just noticed I left out exchange when I wrote Post Office! So they would have just clipped on to the bus bar wherever they needed to use it then. Same could apply to aviation use too, as aircraft use a 48 volt supply.

g8jzyian · 27th Jul 2014, 4:07 pm

Yes they were for telecomms use.
They were connected to the exchange supply with a TRS jack.
additional jack sockets were fitted round the MDF for soldering jumper connections.
We never clipped them onto a busbar , the bay fuses were about 100A if I remember correctly.

Ian

198 kHz · 29th Jul 2014, 3:45 pm

If you happen to come across a 24V version chances are it was for use in transmission repeater stations.

Herald1360 · 29th Jul 2014, 9:55 pm

Or it's just a typical low voltage soldering iron fed from a basestation with a transformer in it. Weller TCPs and the like run on 24V AC. DC probably wouldn't be too clever for the magnastat switch.

27th Jul 2014, 2:03 pm	#1
threeseven Octode Join Date: May 2010 Location: Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 1,880	Application for a 50 volt soldering iron? Recently I acquired an Litesold, 25 watt soldering iron, the type with the rounded off, square red plastic handle and wire wound heating element. However, it is a 50 volt version. So I was wondering what the application for this would be, aviation, Post Office perhaps? Any ideas? __________________ BVWS member

27th Jul 2014, 2:16 pm	#2
matthewhouse Octode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Willand, Devon, UK. Posts: 1,023	Re: Application for a 50 volt soldering iron? Almost certainly for telecoms use, I have a 50v iron somewhere which came with a box of assorted telephone junk.

27th Jul 2014, 3:22 pm	#3
threeseven Octode Join Date: May 2010 Location: Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 1,880	Re: Application for a 50 volt soldering iron? Thats what I was thinking, although I've just noticed I left out exchange when I wrote Post Office! So they would have just clipped on to the bus bar wherever they needed to use it then. Same could apply to aviation use too, as aircraft use a 48 volt supply. __________________ BVWS member

27th Jul 2014, 4:07 pm	#4
g8jzyian Pentode Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, UK. Posts: 149	Re: Application for a 50 volt soldering iron? Yes they were for telecomms use. They were connected to the exchange supply with a TRS jack. additional jack sockets were fitted round the MDF for soldering jumper connections. We never clipped them onto a busbar , the bay fuses were about 100A if I remember correctly. Ian

29th Jul 2014, 3:45 pm	#5
198 kHz Triode Join Date: May 2014 Location: Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 37	Re: Application for a 50 volt soldering iron? If you happen to come across a 24V version chances are it was for use in transmission repeater stations.

29th Jul 2014, 9:55 pm	#6
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,536	Re: Application for a 50 volt soldering iron? Or it's just a typical low voltage soldering iron fed from a basestation with a transformer in it. Weller TCPs and the like run on 24V AC. DC probably wouldn't be too clever for the magnastat switch. __________________ ....__________ ....\|____\|\|__\|__\_____ .=.\| _---\__\|__\|_---_\|. .........O..Chris....O