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PSA: I was wrong about using hot air on those tiny ribbon cable connectors

For years I used a regular soldering iron to fix laptop screen connectors, thinking hot air was too risky. Last week I had a Lenovo Yoga with a 0.4mm pitch ZIF connector that just wouldn't seat right with my old method. Switched to a cheap 858D hot air station at 280C with low airflow and it went on perfectly first try. Anyone have a go-to temp for these super small flex cables?
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3 Comments
johns18
johns189d ago
Yeah, hot air is a game changer for those tiny ZIF connectors. My old station only has a percentage dial too, and I keep it around 30% for the really small stuff. That trick from @pipera50 about using a paper strip to check airflow is solid advice. It keeps you from blasting the cable right out of the socket. Once you get the feel for it, the connector just sinks into place.
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river_hart18
You mentioned low airflow, but what's your actual number on the dial? My station reads in percentage, not a real CFM, and I always second-guess if I'm using too much pressure even on the low setting.
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pipera50
pipera5011d ago
Just tape a paper strip to the output and watch it move, @river_hart18.
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