The board is not mounted on post, pushing the power cord into the plug won't do a thing to the traces. it's mounted in the slotted case. If you held the board in your hand and tried to plug in power yeah then you'd have an issue.
Great video and thank you. My own KSGER T12 solder station arrived this morning from ebay and was OK (02-Jan-2021), no legs where they shouldn't be but the heat sink was covering the trace like yours, the handle was the yellow and blue one and not the thinner blue and black grip one you see with some, so far so good with it.
Hi, thanks for the teardown and the review of the built quality. I also bought a Ksger T12, but the one I have has the right side of the heatsink raised up, not touching the mask of the secondary side. So I guess I don't need to worry about the heatsink. Also the controller is version 3.0 OLED. The only thing I'll need to do is to earth grounded the case, though the board is floating.
i ordered this unit but i did wait for 3.2 version, Still after a month or the handle leads broke off, the sensor wire broke then the black wire broke, in trying to repair the sensor connections the black lead broke off and contacted the the red lead pad. this then arced. I unplugged and repaired the solder joints and retested the K12 unit but this time the iron tip heated uncontrolled until i shut off the unit. I tried three tips each one would heat to bright red hot then i turned off the unit. I cracked open the case thinking i could detect the failure and fix it. I only found one part with heat damage a Thermistor being used as a Current limiter (used to start motors they allow a start up peak of current but limit it to prevent major failure) had a leak and glossy wet spot. I read up on the part and found it is used to fuse a jolt of high current. I am guessing the part failed when the broken Black lead touched the red lead in the handle. I order a new part and hope replacing that part, isolating and adding a strain relieve will get it all back on line. I did order a New Aluminum handle before i discovered the Current Limiter device. Do you have any thoughts on this mess. The Seller a company representing KSGER is just giving me lip service so far. I broke the seal to inspect the internals so i believe i am in my own now. Dennis in Virginia
Very nice video on the problems and review of the unit. I find the same problems in ALL electronic equipment coming from china. It's like they design it well, then management makes changes to save money and it ends up degrading the reliability and safety of the product. Thanks for sharing. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
I've read some of their military (or I guess communist party) intentionally has an economic warfare mission going on and has basically weaponized everything they can... it's not just the narcotics or traditional ways and means. Not sure if micromanaged... though I'm guessing macro-managed to an extent. Surprises me actually how well the cost effective items are for the effort if even needed to modify. Watching General Spalding discussing on youtube... seems like the Chinese 5G micromanages more than most realize... plus I'm sure they have intense remote sensing and surveillance most don't disclose like with the latest Sept. 1st 2019 CBS News 60 Minutes report regarding the U.S. Diplomats, Staff, Family and others including pets' in not only Cuba and China. Finally, the devices capabilities are coming out... if wasn't for a few brave that disclosed capabilities... most will deny appears and act as traitors. Neat to see the new thorough videos on the TDS's and other neat devices too. In Christ.
@@jafinch78 In Christ love it! Baptist, So. Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran ect? Me just a Bible man, but you could call me Baptist based. Just got back Saturday night from a week long mission trip in Zacatecas Mexico. Going to Grid Iron in June this year too! Just look it up if you're interested. It's an annual Men's Bible Conference. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
@@keithnoneya Amen brother! Yes, for the laymen at the least Pro Life and Pro Truth is my spirit of what Jesus Christ is and substantiated in John 14:6-7,16-17. I'm fundamentally exposed to Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist and Catholic (grew up north of Fighting Irish'ville) though encouraged to choose what I believe... with later Christian School up to 2nd grade that was Baptist Ministry based with later in life Wesleyan baptism in 2004/2005 (I need to look exactly as I forget of hand). Wound up doing some high risk ministry work after being inspired by the short term mission trips I served on and other spirited ways of being that Advocate of Truth Holy Spirit like some John 14:6-7, 16-17 with some life changing events that actually lead me into amateur radio, electronics and RF engineering to better serve to respond, teach and heal. Serving in an area of very controversial as Jesus Christ issues and concerns regarding remote sensing and remote transmission systems like those better disclosed in the Sept. 1st 2019 (Labor Day) CBS News 60 Minutes Report ( www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-trauma-suffered-by-u-s-diplomats-abroad-could-be-work-of-hostile-foreign-government-60-minutes-2019-09-01/ ) and maybe their later Rewind regarding Mind Reading in November. I made some reports I'm working on and they're posted on my dewdefense blogger: dewdefenseprojects.blogspot.com/2019/10/remote-sensing-remote-transmission-and.html Something else..., though having the background in developing, validating and training.. including regulators on alternative test methods and systems using chemometrics... and in lean sigma paradigms of thinking... seems like I'm the one called to serve to expand on the spectroscopy capabilities of other wireless systems in relation to health and safety issues by the malicious... even though in a very already quarantined ways and means... unfortunately. Was nice being able to speak at locations regarding in what seems like a prior life. Awesome to read you're serving, keep it up, way to go man! I'll look into the Gridiron Conference (I assume) since just briefly searching looks like is in Huntsville so seems like I can go there. Last few years of my life I've only been able to go to a few limited places where I can stay overnight like DOE installation perimeters seems basically or Universities campuses. Otherwise... I'm on the road and on the move secret service style I guess. Had to complain to the highest levels of government branches and office, including the relative IA, OPR, OIG, GAO and Office of the Comptrollers where seems the Senate was most impacting... I assume. Never received a denial regarding other than one earlier on MSP IA complaint. I took your advice and made the RUclips channel, since I think that was you back when I was working on the TDS-520 who noted since I can be long spoken/written. Interesting is I recorded the sonic and ultrasonic assault I was experiencing where my parents were being targeted and posted the video on youtube and on my dewdetectionprojects.blogspot.com site. Kind of crazy look and method... though... reading into seems safer that way. Literally, about ten days later the Associated Press came out with the generic sonic recording taken in Cuba. Literally, that same month the only of the cohort last I knew approved in China (all were approved in Cuba who complained with effects) came out around that same time in October 2017 also. Interestingly, I've donated a little time for DOC NIST when I was working on SRM2035/2036. She's DOC and her Mother went over and detailed her experience on the Today Show rather clearly. ruclips.net/video/pOdXVye-4X0/видео.html My Dad was USAF for a period so was like... hhhmmm... worse case scenerio I'm going to have to bury a intermodule shipping container so many feet deep and I'll figure out what else I need to do..., though he wouldn't leak anything if he knew it and then some. Anyhow... glad to see other brave Men and Women serving in their own way to expose toxic and evil intent that some appear to want to hide the truth regarding capabilities... let alone acts and events performed at the expense of lives lost that are not required to be lost. Likewise, all the best and be safe Keith! In Christ!
Yeah the overall engineering designs are usually quite good. Then just like every other manufacturer, including the top shelf big brands, accountants and non-engineer middle management get to it, and go back and forth with the manufacturing plants and material/component suppliers trying to cut down cost as much as possible - modifying circuitry, assembly and design, component quality and types etc. Only real difference between the big brand companies and small(ish)-time chinese (and other) entities like these - is how low are they _actually_ willing to go, to cut - and whether their product engineers get to review and have a say in final design. These units though, all elements included, they probably cost around $20-25 to manufacture and assemble. And selling for down under $40, significantly less to large customers like resellers and retailers. Not a tonne of room for paying everything else involved in operating that business. There's a lot more room for better assembly, inproved manufacturing, quality control etc - if you're ie making a more premium product. Like ie a $300 Hakko station with a $60-65 manufacturing cost, or a $1000 smartphone with a $250 to $350 manufacturing cost.
Hi, any hack to repair a T12 D12 tip? Its seems to be burned out. I did test it (newly bought) at more than 450C (around 480C the T12 soldering workstation's maximum).
good to hear as i did not purchase due to all the reviews warning of this problem. can you drop a link to the one you purchased? did you verify the grounding by opening and visually inspecting the unit? thank you
Did you buy this one from the KSGER official store or just a random seller? I'm not sure how to tell if it's a copy or a "genuine" one. I'm looking to buy one of these but have not yet decided between the KSGER/Quicko etc. The quicko seems to have a completely different power supply card and I guess the software is going to vary between the models even if they are broadly similar in function.
It is a real KSGER and most of the other reviews they use the same SMPS, just reviewers overlook the flaws, likely due to they are getting it for free and if they give to bad of a review, free stuff stop flowing in. Despite what reviewer claim not to let it affect the review, it does as they know if they when into details and pointed out the major design issues, Banggood and these other sites won't sent them more stuff to review in the future. The Quicko uses a 105W SMPS instead which doesn't have the isolation issues and they did ground the front controller. Still they edge mounted the IEC connector. With that stated still prefer the KSGER over the Quicko as use a much better STM32 controller and they fixed a lot of bugs as removed R10 resistor to keep RTC battery from draining. Fixed the LDO overheating, added copper-pour heatsink. Some knock-offs have no copper-pour heatsink, H/W 2.0 had some issues... LDO for 3.3VDC power which powers the MCU overheats due to bad copper-pour. Look at the tab heatsinking. Just make sure you get H/W revision 2.1s as they fixed the issues. the version I got is 2.12s which is even newer, which they also fixed the battery draining RTC issue. Avoid 3.0, or 3.1 revision as uses a different way more buggy firmware as sellers didn't pay extra for the firmware as they do for the 2.01 and 2.1s. The KSGER also uses Mosfet instead of triac and has NTC temperature sensor in handle for better cold junction compensation. The Quicko still using a triac for switching and the NTC temperature sensor is on the controller and none on the handle, reason why only 4 pins instead of the 5 that KSGER uses. So cold junction compensation on the Quicko will not work correctly.
@@benbaselet2026 They have way to many versions. Best one to go with is one with hardware 2.1s and just modified the power supply and cut the corner of the heatsink, so won't lay on HV trace and solder a ground wire to the front controller, they actually added a ground thur-hole pad so someone thought of this when designing the controller? likely to cut corners they omitted the separate ground wire, with SMPS it is required. Also wire the IEC connector to SMPS instead of the edge mounting solder they did. The heater and wand cable has ~4uH inductance and -ve spikes occur switching which stress the MOSFET and thermocouple amplifier. They have added a small cap C8 is across the MOSFET to absorb this, so again someone knew it could be a problem, but I added a fast recovery reverse diode across the heater. If you get the older 2.1s instead of 2.12 The RTC battery usually goes dead in a few weeks. Remove resistor R10 10k, it adds unnecessary 0.28mA load. It is version 2.12 if it doesn't have the R10 resistor on the front controller. Then move RTC battery off the top of the transformer and put it under PCB toward front controller. Them putting it on top of transformer cause case not to close correctly and put downwards force on power supply. Doing these mods make it way more stable I notice as recovers faster instead of temperature jumping around plus/minus 15-20 degrees when I first got it. I stay around now 1-3 degrees from set temperature even under full load, soldering larger components. It is a great solder station once you work out the design and QC issues. Been using it for 8-9 hours the last 4 days with zero issues since modding it. I prefer it over the HAKKO FX951, just for the fact you can use the fake, or genuine HAKKO tips as the FX951 doesn't work with most the 3rd party tips I tried on it. Plus the KSGER allow you to calibrate so as thermocouple aging, I can compensate for that. Then the firmware is better and display more info on OLED display. For the price point it is a steal, but needs work. I wish more would go to using a good micro controller then the outdated one that the Pace and other use, as lot of potential and with SMPS and mosfet bridge way more efficient, better temperature regulation as once I did mods it doesn't overshoot by much and stay within 1-2 degrees which is impressive . But also requires second ground which I did and Y capacitor to keep reference as zero as SMPS also have a problem with grounding and leakage, which took care of by connecting the output to earth, via a Y capacitor and grounding the front controller. Just big companies rather stick with old dated designs due to cost.
@@legolasster It is just like adding a reverse recovery diode/spike suppressor across a relay coil to save the driving transistor. It is wired in parallel with the heating element, cathode to the positive side, anode to the negative. IE, it should be reverse biased when power is applied to the heating element.
I got one today and my main socket is connected via crimped cable connections to the board and not a direct solder connection. But I got mine from the official KSGER Store on AliExpress, so maybe there are knockoffs around or they've learned and improved their design. The Board Revision number is still the same though. On mine, they've used the 3 through-hole connections next to the onboard fuse for the mains connection and it came in a little different plastic case. photos.app.goo.gl/XYf7UN2Ys9MHZpMW9 The heatsink is the same though.
In your photo there is a round black component just to left of the red wire, this component on my failed unit has a wet spot like a cap leak, and my unit will run any tip to bright cherry red nonstop until I shut it off. I learned the part is a thermisor designed as a current limiter for electric motors. It seems that GSKER put this part into the circuit to absorb some extra current upon turn on. But with the shorted broken wire in the handle mine was blown up. I ordered replacement parts to try to repair this unit to full operation. Would you have any tips. D
does ur ksger t12 have coil whine from the inductor mine does but not sure if i should replace it or try replacing caps like u would on audio gear never had this with anyof the older tip irons i own,
4 years old video, but anyway. I see another potential risk with the heatsink spanning the isolation gap. The electrolytic 68µF 400V Loading capacitor has a minimal airgap to the sink. Here in Germany (230AC) the voltage of this cap is around 230V x squrt(2) = 325V DC I´m planning to: A. cut the heatsink to it´s low voltage side dimensions (loss of thermal mass + 1 mounting point) B. Isolation material between Cap and heatsink (with edge trimming for the PCB trace distance)
Excellent videos man! Thanks for sharing. All sorts of really thorough detailed reviews with excellent advice. You deserve more subscribers for sure. Do you mind if I share your videos on social media, i.e. EEVBlog, Hackaday, Reddit and I guess Facebook Electronic Design Group?
Hello! I found link to this video on Bangood. Gonna buy Ksger 2,1s to, but don't know where: on Bangood for 40$ with yellow-blue handle and 1 tip or on AliExpress (Ksger official store) for 49$ (2 tips)? Is it the same stations 2.1s? I'm afraid a lot of negative reviews on Bangood.
It is the same one in my link and mines came with the newer blue plastic handle and board revision 2.12s which they resolved the RTC battery issue. They might sent a different one out depending on what they have in stock I guess? Yes this solder station has some serious electrical safety issue that need to be worked out to be safe. Out of the box I won't recommend. I was one of the ones that left a negative review, but somehow they change my 2 star rating to 5 stars. I left 2 stars only, not 5 stars, but at least they left the original comment on the review? Banggood and others will change reviews to 5 stars to lie, so they sell more?
The AliExpress do charge Taxes, Banggood doesn't? So pretty much the same price. They did a Ksger official store on AliExpress due to other sellers cloning them selling fake version of it, so if you get one off AliExpress buy from them and not 3rd party.
@@nghtrdr I like the term inane for this type of comment you wrote, which means senseless. ... BTW I am way more educated then you. Your the one that have a lot to learn and have a lot of growing up to do, since you can't act mature? What you wrote earlier is not even considered constructive criticism, it is trolling in a poor attempt and in poor taste to make fun of a speech impediment I do have.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
The board is not mounted on post, pushing the power cord into the plug won't do a thing to the traces. it's mounted in the slotted case. If you held the board in your hand and tried to plug in power yeah then you'd have an issue.
Great video and thank you. My own KSGER T12 solder station arrived this morning from ebay and was OK (02-Jan-2021), no legs where they shouldn't be but the heat sink was covering the trace like yours, the handle was the yellow and blue one and not the thinner blue and black grip one you see with some, so far so good with it.
Hi, thanks for the teardown and the review of the built quality. I also bought a Ksger T12, but the one I have has the right side of the heatsink raised up, not touching the mask of the secondary side. So I guess I don't need to worry about the heatsink. Also the controller is version 3.0 OLED. The only thing I'll need to do is to earth grounded the case, though the board is floating.
i ordered this unit but i did wait for 3.2 version, Still after a month or the handle leads broke off, the sensor wire broke then the black wire broke, in trying to repair the sensor connections the black lead broke off and contacted the the red lead pad. this then arced. I unplugged and repaired the solder joints and retested the K12 unit but this time the iron tip heated uncontrolled until i shut off the unit. I tried three tips each one would heat to bright red hot then i turned off the unit. I cracked open the case thinking i could detect the failure and fix it. I only found one part with heat damage a Thermistor being used as a Current limiter (used to start motors they allow a start up peak of current but limit it to prevent major failure) had a leak and glossy wet spot. I read up on the part and found it is used to fuse a jolt of high current. I am guessing the part failed when the broken Black lead touched the red lead in the handle. I order a new part and hope replacing that part, isolating and adding a strain relieve will get it all back on line. I did order a New Aluminum handle before i discovered the Current Limiter device. Do you have any thoughts on this mess. The Seller a company representing KSGER is just giving me lip service so far. I broke the seal to inspect the internals so i believe i am in my own now. Dennis in Virginia
Hi, Will the warm-up time be faster if we increase the voltage of the smps source inside the soldering iron?
Very nice video on the problems and review of the unit. I find the same problems in ALL electronic equipment coming from china. It's like they design it well, then management makes changes to save money and it ends up degrading the reliability and safety of the product. Thanks for sharing. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
The silk screen for the heatsink even was on top of that trace.. the designer just had no frigging idea what he was doing.
I've read some of their military (or I guess communist party) intentionally has an economic warfare mission going on and has basically weaponized everything they can... it's not just the narcotics or traditional ways and means. Not sure if micromanaged... though I'm guessing macro-managed to an extent. Surprises me actually how well the cost effective items are for the effort if even needed to modify. Watching General Spalding discussing on youtube... seems like the Chinese 5G micromanages more than most realize... plus I'm sure they have intense remote sensing and surveillance most don't disclose like with the latest Sept. 1st 2019 CBS News 60 Minutes report regarding the U.S. Diplomats, Staff, Family and others including pets' in not only Cuba and China. Finally, the devices capabilities are coming out... if wasn't for a few brave that disclosed capabilities... most will deny appears and act as traitors. Neat to see the new thorough videos on the TDS's and other neat devices too. In Christ.
@@jafinch78 In Christ love it! Baptist, So. Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran ect? Me just a Bible man, but you could call me Baptist based. Just got back Saturday night from a week long mission trip in Zacatecas Mexico. Going to Grid Iron in June this year too! Just look it up if you're interested. It's an annual Men's Bible Conference. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
@@keithnoneya Amen brother! Yes, for the laymen at the least Pro Life and Pro Truth is my spirit of what Jesus Christ is and substantiated in John 14:6-7,16-17. I'm fundamentally exposed to Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist and Catholic (grew up north of Fighting Irish'ville) though encouraged to choose what I believe... with later Christian School up to 2nd grade that was Baptist Ministry based with later in life Wesleyan baptism in 2004/2005 (I need to look exactly as I forget of hand). Wound up doing some high risk ministry work after being inspired by the short term mission trips I served on and other spirited ways of being that Advocate of Truth Holy Spirit like some John 14:6-7, 16-17 with some life changing events that actually lead me into amateur radio, electronics and RF engineering to better serve to respond, teach and heal. Serving in an area of very controversial as Jesus Christ issues and concerns regarding remote sensing and remote transmission systems like those better disclosed in the Sept. 1st 2019 (Labor Day) CBS News 60 Minutes Report ( www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-trauma-suffered-by-u-s-diplomats-abroad-could-be-work-of-hostile-foreign-government-60-minutes-2019-09-01/ ) and maybe their later Rewind regarding Mind Reading in November. I made some reports I'm working on and they're posted on my dewdefense blogger: dewdefenseprojects.blogspot.com/2019/10/remote-sensing-remote-transmission-and.html Something else..., though having the background in developing, validating and training.. including regulators on alternative test methods and systems using chemometrics... and in lean sigma paradigms of thinking... seems like I'm the one called to serve to expand on the spectroscopy capabilities of other wireless systems in relation to health and safety issues by the malicious... even though in a very already quarantined ways and means... unfortunately. Was nice being able to speak at locations regarding in what seems like a prior life. Awesome to read you're serving, keep it up, way to go man! I'll look into the Gridiron Conference (I assume) since just briefly searching looks like is in Huntsville so seems like I can go there. Last few years of my life I've only been able to go to a few limited places where I can stay overnight like DOE installation perimeters seems basically or Universities campuses. Otherwise... I'm on the road and on the move secret service style I guess. Had to complain to the highest levels of government branches and office, including the relative IA, OPR, OIG, GAO and Office of the Comptrollers where seems the Senate was most impacting... I assume. Never received a denial regarding other than one earlier on MSP IA complaint. I took your advice and made the RUclips channel, since I think that was you back when I was working on the TDS-520 who noted since I can be long spoken/written. Interesting is I recorded the sonic and ultrasonic assault I was experiencing where my parents were being targeted and posted the video on youtube and on my dewdetectionprojects.blogspot.com site. Kind of crazy look and method... though... reading into seems safer that way. Literally, about ten days later the Associated Press came out with the generic sonic recording taken in Cuba. Literally, that same month the only of the cohort last I knew approved in China (all were approved in Cuba who complained with effects) came out around that same time in October 2017 also. Interestingly, I've donated a little time for DOC NIST when I was working on SRM2035/2036. She's DOC and her Mother went over and detailed her experience on the Today Show rather clearly. ruclips.net/video/pOdXVye-4X0/видео.html My Dad was USAF for a period so was like... hhhmmm... worse case scenerio I'm going to have to bury a intermodule shipping container so many feet deep and I'll figure out what else I need to do..., though he wouldn't leak anything if he knew it and then some. Anyhow... glad to see other brave Men and Women serving in their own way to expose toxic and evil intent that some appear to want to hide the truth regarding capabilities... let alone acts and events performed at the expense of lives lost that are not required to be lost. Likewise, all the best and be safe Keith! In Christ!
Yeah the overall engineering designs are usually quite good. Then just like every other manufacturer, including the top shelf big brands, accountants and non-engineer middle management get to it, and go back and forth with the manufacturing plants and material/component suppliers trying to cut down cost as much as possible - modifying circuitry, assembly and design, component quality and types etc. Only real difference between the big brand companies and small(ish)-time chinese (and other) entities like these - is how low are they _actually_ willing to go, to cut - and whether their product engineers get to review and have a say in final design.
These units though, all elements included, they probably cost around $20-25 to manufacture and assemble. And selling for down under $40, significantly less to large customers like resellers and retailers. Not a tonne of room for paying everything else involved in operating that business. There's a lot more room for better assembly, inproved manufacturing, quality control etc - if you're ie making a more premium product. Like ie a $300 Hakko station with a $60-65 manufacturing cost, or a $1000 smartphone with a $250 to $350 manufacturing cost.
Hi, any hack to repair a T12 D12 tip? Its seems to be burned out. I did test it (newly bought) at more than 450C (around 480C the T12 soldering workstation's maximum).
Hi. Mine is all grounded (just bought it recently) from the metal cover, to the tip. I think the 2021 batch is all grounded.
good to hear as i did not purchase due to all the reviews warning of this problem. can you drop a link to the one you purchased? did you verify the grounding by opening and visually inspecting the unit? thank you
Did you buy this one from the KSGER official store or just a random seller? I'm not sure how to tell if it's a copy or a "genuine" one. I'm looking to buy one of these but have not yet decided between the KSGER/Quicko etc. The quicko seems to have a completely different power supply card and I guess the software is going to vary between the models even if they are broadly similar in function.
It is a real KSGER and most of the other reviews they use the same SMPS, just reviewers overlook the flaws, likely due to they are getting it for free and if they give to bad of a review, free stuff stop flowing in. Despite what reviewer claim not to let it affect the review, it does as they know if they when into details and pointed out the major design issues, Banggood and these other sites won't sent them more stuff to review in the future.
The Quicko uses a 105W SMPS instead which doesn't have the isolation issues and they did ground the front controller. Still they edge mounted the IEC connector. With that stated still prefer the KSGER over the Quicko as use a much better STM32 controller and they fixed a lot of bugs as removed R10 resistor to keep RTC battery from draining. Fixed the LDO overheating, added copper-pour heatsink. Some knock-offs have no copper-pour heatsink, H/W 2.0 had some issues... LDO for 3.3VDC power which powers the MCU overheats due to bad copper-pour. Look at the tab heatsinking. Just make sure you get H/W revision 2.1s as they fixed the issues. the version I got is 2.12s which is even newer, which they also fixed the battery draining RTC issue. Avoid 3.0, or 3.1 revision as uses a different way more buggy firmware as sellers didn't pay extra for the firmware as they do for the 2.01 and 2.1s. The KSGER also uses Mosfet instead of triac and has NTC temperature sensor in handle for better cold junction compensation. The Quicko still using a triac for switching and the NTC temperature sensor is on the controller and none on the handle, reason why only 4 pins instead of the 5 that KSGER uses. So cold junction compensation on the Quicko will not work correctly.
@@thetechgenie7374 Hey thanks, that's a lot of good stuff I did not know about!
@@benbaselet2026 They have way to many versions. Best one to go with is one with hardware 2.1s and just modified the power supply and cut the corner of the heatsink, so won't lay on HV trace and solder a ground wire to the front controller, they actually added a ground thur-hole pad so someone thought of this when designing the controller? likely to cut corners they omitted the separate ground wire, with SMPS it is required. Also wire the IEC connector to SMPS instead of the edge mounting solder they did. The heater and wand cable has ~4uH inductance and -ve spikes occur switching which stress the MOSFET and thermocouple amplifier. They have added a small cap C8 is across the MOSFET to absorb this, so again someone knew it could be a problem, but I added a fast recovery reverse diode across the heater. If you get the older 2.1s instead of 2.12 The RTC battery usually goes dead in a few weeks. Remove resistor R10 10k, it adds unnecessary 0.28mA load. It is version 2.12 if it doesn't have the R10 resistor on the front controller. Then move RTC battery off the top of the transformer and put it under PCB toward front controller. Them putting it on top of transformer cause case not to close correctly and put downwards force on power supply.
Doing these mods make it way more stable I notice as recovers faster instead of temperature jumping around plus/minus 15-20 degrees when I first got it. I stay around now 1-3 degrees from set temperature even under full load, soldering larger components. It is a great solder station once you work out the design and QC issues. Been using it for 8-9 hours the last 4 days with zero issues since modding it. I prefer it over the HAKKO FX951, just for the fact you can use the fake, or genuine HAKKO tips as the FX951 doesn't work with most the 3rd party tips I tried on it. Plus the KSGER allow you to calibrate so as thermocouple aging, I can compensate for that. Then the firmware is better and display more info on OLED display. For the price point it is a steal, but needs work.
I wish more would go to using a good micro controller then the outdated one that the Pace and other use, as lot of potential and with SMPS and mosfet bridge way more efficient, better temperature regulation as once I did mods it doesn't overshoot by much and stay within 1-2 degrees which is impressive . But also requires second ground which I did and Y capacitor to keep reference as zero as SMPS also have a problem with grounding and leakage, which took care of by connecting the output to earth, via a Y capacitor and grounding the front controller. Just big companies rather stick with old dated designs due to cost.
@@thetechgenie7374 Can you write more about this recovery diode, to which pin did you add it?
@@legolasster It is just like adding a reverse recovery diode/spike suppressor across a relay coil to save the driving transistor. It is wired in parallel with the heating element, cathode to the positive side, anode to the negative. IE, it should be reverse biased when power is applied to the heating element.
I got one today and my main socket is connected via crimped cable connections to the board and not a direct solder connection. But I got mine from the official KSGER Store on AliExpress, so maybe there are knockoffs around or they've learned and improved their design. The Board Revision number is still the same though. On mine, they've used the 3 through-hole connections next to the onboard fuse for the mains connection and it came in a little different plastic case. photos.app.goo.gl/XYf7UN2Ys9MHZpMW9 The heatsink is the same though.
In your photo there is a round black component just to left of the red wire, this component on my failed unit has a wet spot like a cap leak, and my unit will run any tip to bright cherry red nonstop until I shut it off. I learned the part is a thermisor designed as a current limiter for electric motors. It seems that GSKER put this part into the circuit to absorb some extra current upon turn on. But with the shorted broken wire in the handle mine was blown up. I ordered replacement parts to try to repair this unit to full operation. Would you have any tips. D
does ur ksger t12 have coil whine from the inductor mine does but not sure if i should replace it or try replacing caps like u would on audio gear never had this with anyof the older tip irons i own,
4 years old video, but anyway.
I see another potential risk with the heatsink spanning the isolation gap.
The electrolytic 68µF 400V Loading capacitor has a minimal airgap to the sink.
Here in Germany (230AC) the voltage of this cap is around 230V x squrt(2) = 325V DC
I´m planning to:
A. cut the heatsink to it´s low voltage side dimensions (loss of thermal mass + 1 mounting point)
B. Isolation material between Cap and heatsink (with edge trimming for the PCB trace distance)
nice video! what size wire did you use?
Excellent videos man! Thanks for sharing. All sorts of really thorough detailed reviews with excellent advice. You deserve more subscribers for sure. Do you mind if I share your videos on social media, i.e. EEVBlog, Hackaday, Reddit and I guess Facebook Electronic Design Group?
Hell of a video ,straight shooter..ty for doing this .
Hello! I found link to this video on Bangood. Gonna buy Ksger 2,1s to, but don't know where: on Bangood for 40$ with yellow-blue handle and 1 tip or on AliExpress (Ksger official store) for 49$ (2 tips)? Is it the same stations 2.1s? I'm afraid a lot of negative reviews on Bangood.
It is the same one in my link and mines came with the newer blue plastic handle and board revision 2.12s which they resolved the RTC battery issue. They might sent a different one out depending on what they have in stock I guess? Yes this solder station has some serious electrical safety issue that need to be worked out to be safe. Out of the box I won't recommend. I was one of the ones that left a negative review, but somehow they change my 2 star rating to 5 stars. I left 2 stars only, not 5 stars, but at least they left the original comment on the review? Banggood and others will change reviews to 5 stars to lie, so they sell more?
The AliExpress do charge Taxes, Banggood doesn't? So pretty much the same price. They did a Ksger official store on AliExpress due to other sellers cloning them selling fake version of it, so if you get one off AliExpress buy from them and not 3rd party.
There's also Quicko/Quecoo/Laecho making the same stations as these, can often be had for a little cheaper.
Do you tune radios? How do I contact you?
Yes do repair and tune radios.
Great explanation but lousy camera work I suppose we can't excel in everything. LOL
Out of Focus .
Pretty much not focused on the actual product, pretty much!
You obviously didn't watch the video in its entirety, since it is directly related to the product, or your not that very bright?
@@thetechgenie7374 your reply says it all! Stay in school, you have alot to learn. Including proper grammar!
@@nghtrdr I like the term inane for this type of comment you wrote, which means senseless. ... BTW I am way more educated then you. Your the one that have a lot to learn and have a lot of growing up to do, since you can't act mature? What you wrote earlier is not even considered constructive criticism, it is trolling in a poor attempt and in poor taste to make fun of a speech impediment I do have.