Talk:ColdHeat

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This article name had 183,000 Yahoo! hits. --SuperDude 04:33, 22 Apr 2005 (UTC)

This is not an ad, it is an article for curiousity. --SuperDude 05:15, 22 Apr 2005 (UTC)
There are some comments that sound kind of like an ad, but those are easy to clean up. Now that I'm at home, I'll take a crack at it. - Lucky 6.9 04:50, 23 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Citations needed

These need citations of studies.

  • Unlike conventional soldering guns or irons, the ColdHeat soldering iron is less likely to cause accidental burn injuries since the tip is heated only when it comes in contact with the surface being soldered.
  • The reaction in electronics communities is mixed.
  • The company has announced that the technology of the soldering iron could be used for other purposes as well, and indeed it suggests the technology will reshape our household as we know it.
  • ColdHeat is proving popular with broadcast engineers for field work and for radio control hobbyists who frequently require a cordless iron as well.

- FrancisTyers 16:40, 24 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, the second one is definitely true. How does that need a citation? Some people prefer safety (coldheat) and some prefer efficiancy (normal soldering iron). Ilikefood 17:56, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] ColdHeat name

It seems there is controversy over the proper spelling of the name.. is it ColdHeat or Cold Heat? According to the website it is ColdHeat; just to clear up any room for ambiguity, if you go to that site and copy and paste the text from the website, it is in fact ColdHeat. I've moved the article to reflect the proper spelling. Triddle 04:03, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] contradiction

The article appears to contradict itself: the bulk of the text describes the heating action as a result of current passing from the tip to the object to be soldered, while a comment from a "ColdHeat engineer" claims that this is a common misconception and that essentially no current passes through the object. This should be cleared up.

I think the way ColdHeat works is that it puts current from the batter to one tip half, through the join, the other tip half, and the battery. Due to the low resistance of the solder, it doesn't heat up much (power = I^2 R, but R is small for the solder). But the tip has higher resistance and therefore heats up. This heat is transferred to the tip, melting the solder. However, there would still be current flowing through the solder. Can anyone verify what I said? Iamthebob 15:46, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
HowStuffWorks did a fairly detailed analysis of one. DMacks 07:19, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
I've shorted solder across a couple of batteries, and it melts. Because of this, I thought the tip of the ColdHeat is made out of that conductive ceramic stuff so that it doesn't get hot and burn the user. Also if the tip was the heat source, why would it pass the current though the stuff being soldered? Just some thoughts. 66.114.93.6 (talk) 11:30, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
Also I want to add that if I keep the idle temperature of my soldering iron just around 500 degrees, I can touch the tip for a 1/8th of a second without getting burned. I would think the selling point of the Coldheat of not getting burned from it - is rather pointless. If you get burned too quickly, it is too hot! And you burn up your work and tips anyway. Coldheat's sales pitch seems to be praying on the first time solderers becuase they tend have a unregulated iron and let the temperature get way too high. 66.114.93.6 (talk) 11:52, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

Well, either way, we have to figure out which explanation to keep and which one to ditch. Ilikefood 21:42, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

Not really. Just make sure to cite both. Wikipedia's job is actually to present all notable views and cite their sources. It is up to the end user / reader to make that decision. It is our job simply to strive for the neutrality to let them make that decision with as much information as possible. Deciding which one is accurate would be OR. --67.22.194.228 07:02, 7 October 2006 (UTC)
I think we need to figure out which one is correct, because the issue of ColdHeat is not a POV issue, but a factual one. Iamthebob 05:01, 9 October 2006 (UTC)
Right. This is NOT a POV issue. It doesn't matter if I think the ColdHeat is powered by Unicorn's dreams. It's not. My opinion doesn't matter because this isn't a matter of opinion. There's one right answer.

[edit] Eureka!

I think that I've figured out whether the heat is made in the solder or the tip. It's obviously made by the resistance of the tip. If it was the resistance of the solder, the tip could be metal, instead of the carbon-y thingamabob. Does this make any sense? Thanks. :-) Ilikefood 21:50, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Functionality concern

I just tried to use this device in order to remove an unnecessary switch from a pet feeder, and when following directions, I could not get the solder to liquify. The batteries were in correctly, and the light did come on, but when solder was applied to connection and to the gun, nothing happened. Could this be my solder? This is my first attempt with 'ColdHeat', so I went back to my old soldering iron. It is dependable, albeit HOT. Really would like to know if I'm doing anything wrong. Thanx... 75.104.96.39 14:30, 15 June 2007 (UTC)Chief

It's kinda difficult sometimes. Just wiggle the tip around a bit or try touching the solder with different areas of the tip. Also, make sure the solder contacts both halves of the tip. User:Ilikefood

[edit] Batteries blow up?

I think this needs citation:

  • The device also does not work with rechargeable AA batteries. When directly shorted, as they are in this iron, such rechargeable batteries may explode, causing injury to the user.

I've used my ColdHeat a lot with Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, and they have never exploded. BFeely 22:16, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 20 volt to cause SD?

Someone added to the article "This statement is incorrect in that electro-static damage can occur at as little as 20V, and 6V is less than one order of magnitude smaller than 20V." In my experience, 12volts can cause ESD damage, and even lower in more modern electronics. Does anyone concur that 20V is a little high as a threshhold? 24.254.141.144 21:15, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] It doesn't solder

I bought it and tried it tonight. It doesn't solder at all. It will just heat up electronics and everything and damage them by roasting but never solder. William Ortiz 08:58, 20 October 2007 (UTC)