KA9MOT
06-23-2012, 07:42 PM
In 1991 I replaced my stock (came with the truck) coax in my company owned Peterbilt. I purchased 100' of RG-8X from a CB Shop at the truckstop. They offered to install it for me for $120 and because I wanted to do it, I turned them down. I also looked at a Weller Butane Soldering Iron that they had for sale but decided to buy a 12V Soldering iron instead (At home I would have run an extension cord out and used one of mine, but I was not at home).
So, I stripped what needed stripped from the interior of the Pete (door panel, and I can't remember what else), cut the coax to length and ran it in the mirror tubing, through the door and the rubber boot that carried the door wiring into the cab, through the dash and up the center channel for the windshields and put the truck back together......and then the problems began.
I got my PL-259s and reducers ready to go, coax cut, and was hanging onto the side of the truck trying to solder the PL-259s on the coax with a 12V soldering iron that the handle got hotter on than the tip. I could not get enough heat to properly flow the solder and had to wear a glove. For 2 hours I struggled. Finally after admitting my failure, I spent the $60 for the butane soldering iron. $60 for something I would probably never use again. It worked awesome! I finished the job, through the new soldering iron in the side box and forgot about it until I needed it again.
I've gone through 3 tips for that son of a gun. It has had allot of use and has worked perfectly every time. Plus it has a hot air tip, torch tip, and a hot knife tip. I used it again today and it looks like an 11 year old tool, but the damn thing still works as good as it did the day I bought it......
It turned out to be the best $60 I've ever spent. The tips are getting to be unobtainable, so when I do spot them, I grab them. I only have 1 left :(
So, what have you purchased only because you had to and now you're glad you did?
So, I stripped what needed stripped from the interior of the Pete (door panel, and I can't remember what else), cut the coax to length and ran it in the mirror tubing, through the door and the rubber boot that carried the door wiring into the cab, through the dash and up the center channel for the windshields and put the truck back together......and then the problems began.
I got my PL-259s and reducers ready to go, coax cut, and was hanging onto the side of the truck trying to solder the PL-259s on the coax with a 12V soldering iron that the handle got hotter on than the tip. I could not get enough heat to properly flow the solder and had to wear a glove. For 2 hours I struggled. Finally after admitting my failure, I spent the $60 for the butane soldering iron. $60 for something I would probably never use again. It worked awesome! I finished the job, through the new soldering iron in the side box and forgot about it until I needed it again.
I've gone through 3 tips for that son of a gun. It has had allot of use and has worked perfectly every time. Plus it has a hot air tip, torch tip, and a hot knife tip. I used it again today and it looks like an 11 year old tool, but the damn thing still works as good as it did the day I bought it......
It turned out to be the best $60 I've ever spent. The tips are getting to be unobtainable, so when I do spot them, I grab them. I only have 1 left :(
So, what have you purchased only because you had to and now you're glad you did?