Pace Soldering Stations on Sale

[jdcolombo]

Hi folks.

As many of you know,  both Peteski and I are big fans of the Pace soldering stations with their unique pencil-sized handpiece.  These soldering stations are not inexpensive, but Pace just sent me an e-mail advertising $100 off most of their mainstream stations and bundles.  If you've thought of acquiring one of these, here's the link to the Pace website with the sale prices:

https://paceworldwide.com/product-catalog/soldering-stations?mc_cid=91a1f177c7&mc_eid=4cf74c7b62

John C.

[peteski]

Well worth the money for anybody who is serious about doing lots of N scale (or smaller) decoder installs.  My first encounter with Pace equipment at at work, where as an electronic technician, I had to rework PC boards.  Back  then I couldn't afford that professional equipment, but now I can.  I was able to pick a full rework station on eBay, but I also got one of the new small soldering irons (similar to what John ended up with). It is so worth it!

I'm talking about the TD-200 handpiece (I have the previous version, TD-100).  The PS-90 is a standard size soldering iron.

There are other similar brands, but Pace is Pace.  Kind of like Kato of soldering equipment (some of you know what that means).For a price of couple sound decoders you can have professional quality tool which should last you a lifetime.

In case you're  still not convinced, photos are worth a 1000 words.



Top one is inexpensive Weller pencil iron.
Next down is standard Pace PS-90 iron.
Bottom one is that miniature TD-200 iron.

Notice I show the distance between the tip and where your fingers gold the handpiece.  Why is that important? Because the closer your hand is to the tip, the more precise your movements will be.  If you unsure what I mean, then take a pen and try to write some very small letters while holding it 4.25" from the tip. Then try the same while holding the pen 2.25" from the tip.  There is a big difference.  The type of soldering we do,using tiny 36AWG wire, or even smaller magnet wire to very small soder pads or SMD LEDs is what I call precision soldering.  Being able to hold the handpiece so  close to the tip gives much more precise control.

Then there is the diameter of the barrel. I placed a standard pencil next to it to show just has small the barrel is.  Again, that gives you better view of what you are soldering, and allows soldering in tight quarters.



For example, I often have to solder inside N scale locos shell.  As you can see, large diameter barrel of the standard iron doesn't give much room to move around, and  the stray heat from the 600  deg. F barrel can even melt plastic.  The small Pace barrel makes the same soldering job much less stressful.



Then there are the tips. Actually in this iron, those are not just tips, but a complete cartridges containing the tip and heater element.  And they can be simply pulled out and another one installed. No set-screws or twisting.  Pull out and insert.  Can't be easier.  There is a huge selection of tips available.  What's also nice is that most of these tip cartridges cost less than $20 each.

If you are still not convinced, Pace irons are not for you.   

[Tjack757]

My work horse is a Pace ST-25 with a PS90 hand piece.
If I require precision temperature control or motorized solder extraction I switch to the MBT-250. If I need to solder on smaller surface mount devices I have the option of using the PRC-2000 and the microscope at work.

[peteski]

Same here.  If you look at the middle right side of my workshop photo, you will find the MBT-250, and on the left side you see part of the boom of my stereo-microscope.    But you will have to wait until I'm dead and cold to pry the TD-100 handpiece out of my hand. 

[woodone]

I will give the Pace a good report!
I have been doing DCC installs for over 20 years.
Several years ago.  I ran into a Pace soldering station with a TD-100 soldering pen.
I had bin using a much less expensive soldering station for years.
I thought I was pretty good with it.
Wow, is all I can say, what a difference this had made with my installs.
Do lots of surface mounted resistors and such with this tool.
If you can get one, you will not be sorry.

[reinhardtjh]

I bought a ST-50 set with the TD-100 handpiece a couple of years ago.  It's been great.  My only complaint is timing, about a year after that Pace discontinued the ST-50 and the TD-100.  When I bought the TD-100 tips were plentiful and cheap on Amazon and EBay.  Now, not so much.  Every once in a while I find a place that has them but I need to figure out what I need to keep going for a few years and plan out what tips to get to make sure.

[peteski]

I bought a ST-50 set with the TD-100 handpiece a couple of years ago.  It's been great.  My only complaint is timing, about a year after that Pace discontinued the ST-50 and the TD-100.  When I bought the TD-100 tips were plentiful and cheap on Amazon and EBay.  Now, not so much.  Every once in a while I find a place that has them but I need to figure out what I need to keep going for a few years and plan out what tips to get to make sure.

So the ThermoDrive tips are not compatible with our IntelliHeat units?  Did Pace discontinued TD-100 tips? I have always bought my TD-100 tips from  https://www.techni-tool.com/Search?query=pace%20td-100%20tip

[jdcolombo]

I get tips from Techni-Tool, too.  They have all the TD-100 tips in stock.  The 1124-0002-P1 1/64" sharp conical, which I use the most, is $16 and they have 87 of them in stock.

John C.

[reinhardtjh]

So the ThermoDrive tips are not compatible with our IntelliHeat units?  Did Pace discontinued TD-100 tips? I have always bought my TD-100 tips from  https://www.techni-tool.com/Search?query=pace%20td-100%20tip

As far as I know...  I've looked at the various manuals and they don't say the TD-200 tips can work with a TD-100 handpiece.  I keep hoping I've missed something.

Pace does still list the TD-100 and tips.  So probably not discontinued.  Just the base station part.  On a page for the TD-100 it says "PNs beginning with 1124- and 1126-) and Gold Series (PNs beginning with 1128-" So only the TD-100 tips, not the TD-200.  But it doesn't look like they are discontinued either.  I had done a search and didn't find them but I must have done something wrong because I find them now.

I get tips from Techni-Tool, too.  They have all the TD-100 tips in stock.  The 1124-0002-P1 1/64" sharp conical, which I use the most, is $16 and they have 87 of them in stock.

John C.

I can't find where I last bought my tips.  I got the workstation on Amazon in 2018 and a couple tips then.  Now they are in the $30 range.  The Techni-Tool site may be the place I looked and found reasonable prices last time. It looks familiar.  I do remember looking around 2020/21 and finding a lot out of stock.  Perhaps it was just the pandemic.

Looks like a false alarm.  Sorry about that.

[reinhardtjh]

I get tips from Techni-Tool, too.  They have all the TD-100 tips in stock.  The 1124-0002-P1 1/64" sharp conical, which I use the most, is $16 and they have 87 of them in stock.

John C.

What other tips are favorites and for what kind of work?

I recently built a video terminal emulator (VT132 - https://thehighnibble.com/vt132/ ) which had a large SMD MPU chip using:

1124-0002-P1 1/64" sharp conical for the SMD chip
1124-0018-P1 1/32" sharp Conical for most of the other through hole parts
1124-0019-P1 1/16" 30 Degree Chisel for the I/O connectors shown at the bottom and left sides.  I used a silver bearing solder for those as they will withstand some fiddling when being connected and disconnected from serial lines.

[peteski]

Ah, good to see  that assembling electronic circuit kits is not a dying hobby!  That's right, you're into the vintage DEC stuff.  Funny to see that small board taking place of the large original VT132 PC board packed with components.

I was a bit surprised when you mentioned seeming lack of TD-100 tips.  Pace seems to support their older products.

I own the older SensaTemp equipment, but when I wanted to get the TD-100, it was only available in their then-current IntelliHeat range of products.  Looking around the website I found out that they sold an adapter which allowed the older SensaTemp hand pieces to work with IntelliHeat base station.  But no the other way around.  I contacted them about a reverse adapter, but they told me that was not possible because IntelliHeat uses totally different electrical design.  SO INtelliHeat handpiece coudl not work with SensaTemp stations.

I guess if one wanted to know for sure about IntelliHeat and ThermoDrive, it would make sense to just contact them and ask.

[jdcolombo]

What other tips are favorites and for what kind of work?

I recently built a video terminal emulator (VT132 - https://thehighnibble.com/vt132/ ) which had a large SMD MPU chip using:

1124-0002-P1 1/64" sharp conical for the SMD chip
1124-0018-P1 1/32" sharp Conical for most of the other through hole parts
1124-0019-P1 1/16" 30 Degree Chisel for the I/O connectors shown at the bottom and left sides.  I used a silver bearing solder for those as they will withstand some fiddling when being connected and disconnected from serial lines.

I use basically the same set of tips, plus the 0012-P1 1/32" 30-degree chisel.  In addition to N-scale decoder stuff, I've been known to overhaul Revox B-77 Reel-to-reel tape decks, including recapping and replacing the trim pots on all the electronics boards.  These are 1980-vintage, with reasonably-sized traces and no SMD components (all through-hole).  I could probably use a Weller soldering iron for this, but the Pace just makes everything easier!

John C.

[signalmaintainer]

Dagnabbit! I have not heard of Pace products, and I just bought a new Weller station a couple months ago. Pace design and usefulness sounds just the ticket!

I don't suppose there's any chance a Pace tool will interface with a Weller base.

[reinhardtjh]

Speaking of SMD...  This video is great!  I have to get one of those Miniwave tips to try on a QFP package.

And Dewey (?) from Pace has the same brand of stereo microscope as @peteski !

I looked up that MBT250 and it sure is slick, too.  But $1800 just for the base and another $1000 (or more - I always want more!) for the handpieces?  I can't do that!

I did order some TD-100 tips from a place called TEquipment.  They had lots in stock and discounted a few $ off list price.  Techni-Tool was list price for everything I saw.  I don't know which has better service but I'll find out.  TEquipment even had the ADS200 kits for $100 off like the Pace site.

https://www.tequipment.net/Pace-1/

[reinhardtjh]

Dagnabbit! I have not heard of Pace products, and I just bought a new Weller station a couple months ago. Pace design and usefulness sounds just the ticket!

I don't suppose there's any chance a Pace tool will interface with a Weller base.

Unfortunately, I'm 99.9% sure the answer is no.  These things are all pretty proprietary.