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Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: TT results - HP 2015

From: DJ Delorie <dj@...>
Date: 2010-02-06

"James" <jamesrsweet@...> writes:
> You could attach a thermistor to the hot plate and build a simple
> temperature control circuit to keep the temperature FAR more stable
> than the controls, if any, that are built in.

I've thought of that, but mine is cast iron - it has way too much
thermal mass to be accurately controlled ∗at all∗. It takes about
three minutes to get up to temperature, and the ramp-up is pretty good
for reflow soldering, so as long as I don't mess with it it works for
one board at a time, or multiple boards simultaneously, just not for
multiple boards consecutively.

If I'm going to start hacking up an mcu-controlled reflow device, I
won't start with a cast iron hotplate.