Year 2024 what about Solomon SL-30CMC Soldering Station Taiwan / TELE SL30

[Kiriakos GR]

Just recently gained awareness that my TELE SL30 soldering station ( TELE electronics sales channel in Greece since 90s), this is actually a rebranded product of Sorny Roong Industrial Co.,Ltd  in Taiwan.

Solomon SL-30CMC
TELE SL30
Tenma 21-1590
PENSOL SL30

Still unknown of how many times this product were rebranded, this soldering station and a child of Taiwanese engineering.
I found my TELE SL30 as used, no carton box and no proofs of origin.
Since 1996 up to 2012 I think that I did buy for it just a spare soldering iron.
Also I must own the oldest revision, which has a simplified metal spiral as iron holder.   

Its like a time travel since 1996 up to 2024, but it is remarkable that this product design stay unchanged for 28 years.

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Product description (Taiwan)

ADJUSTABLE TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED SOLDERING STATION

A ceramic heater is installed inside the SL-30CMC ceramic temperature-control solder iron, which is modified from SL-30, and the temperature adjustment is more accurate.

The temperature on the panel of the SL-30CMC temperature-control soldering iron station is displayed digitally with the adjustment range from 160°C to 480°C. The digitally displayed temperature on the panel can be adjusted to SET thus setting all the required temperatures for operation and such a setting is very accurate.

Soldering iron:  48W 24V (slow heating element).
 
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At about the year 2020, something when wrong at my TELE SL30,  there was issues with the PCB and or indication of temperature.
I did take the soldering station apart, and succeed to refurbish it, but I am not 100% aware of how successful is calibration adjustment.
I am now thinking that I should also replace the temperature selector switch too.

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It is weird that:
Solomon and or PENSOL, and or Sorny Roong Industrial Co.,Ltd  in Taiwan, even today they do not have any modernized revision of soldering station.
Their most powerful weapon is SL-183 that is 60W with fast heating element at 20 seconds.

Their website name https://www.pro-soldering.com it makes it obvious, this Taiwanese factory prefer stay hidden, as it works best for then to be OEM provider than ODM which care for their own branding.

In summary us within EU, we are almost three decades bonded with this factory in Taiwan, even if we are aware of it or not.
In the positive side of things, SL30 proven it self as almost immortal product, and very easy to repair.

I have still few doubts if the upgrade from SL-30 to SL-183 this worth to be considered.
From 47Watt an upgrade up to 60watt, this is not a major difference.
 
My SL-30 this need a new soldering tip, but my new problem is what to type at the search engine as product code ?
Too many product codes are involved here... 
   
   

[Kiriakos GR]

Regarding SOLOMON SORNY ROONG replacement tips.
I did a quick research.

Fine tips for electronics are two product codes.
SR-623 0.4mm conical
SR-627 1.6mm hoof

General purpose and or default with a new soldering iron appears to be:
SR-622 0.8mm conical

General purpose / wire to wire soldering 
SR-621 0.8mm conical slightly slopped

And Tip shape chisel:
SR-626  1.2mm
SR-624  1.6mm
SR-625  3.0mm

Large conical slopped:
SR-628 3.0mm
SR-629 4.0mm

So here we have it all, nine available options with the year 2024 

[Andrew-88]

We should organize a members club of soldering station owners of Sorny Roong Industrial Co.,Ltd   

In Greece there was a significant number of SL30 owners.

 

[overvolt]

We should organize a members club of soldering station owners of Sorny Roong Industrial Co.,Ltd   

In Greece there was a significant number of SL30 owners.

This is not a bad idea.   

[Andrew-88]

Just spotted another rebrand = Velleman VTSSC30N
Product label indicates PRC 

[Kiriakos GR]

Just spotted another rebrand = Velleman VTSSC30N
Product label indicates PRC 

This is a true PRC clone made for the American market = CT-936CD
CT-936CD this is a dead horse in the past ten years.
The Taiwanese station does not have C / F  add-on button.   

[Kiriakos GR]

When any fancy soldering station fails, I always return back at my Back-up soldering station.

Few years ago I did replace the soldering iron with a genuine hand piece  SL-I (24V 48W).
Back then wanted to also perform a basic temperature calibration, but I did not have any documentation at all.

February 2024, I did communicate with Sorny Roong Industrial CO., Ltd.  Taiwan and I did request if possible to receive instructions.
I did receive instead, their recommendation of me to replace the entire PCB with the latest version.

This motivated me to search and to find of how many PCB versions they are out there.   

Today I can count at least three. 
I consider my own SL30 as a lesser troublesome revision regarding calibration.
Due to a lesser number of pots to adjust.

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The worst revision has double the count of ADJ pots,  PCB age unknown.
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The newest 2018 revision of PCB, this has only two pots for calibration.
If someone has this soldering station, and this is production of 2019 and later, then he might have the latest PCB.
 
The long story in sort, I am somewhat hesitate to invest money for such an upgrade.
I did mention at the factory, that my current station this seems unable to heat up the soldering tip higher than 370 ~ 380 Celsius.
They did not answer of why, my station appears to have such a limitation.
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I did succeed to calibrate my TELE SL-30 with the current soldering iron SL-I (24V 48W) 
My only complain is that the cable of the soldering iron, this is a bit stiff ( not any soft silicon feeling to it).

For the purpose of temperature calibration, I did buy locally a new tip (three euro).
I did a choice here, to calibrate the station at the range 190C ~ 340 C (best reading accuracy).
The Master potentiometer ( temperature set), this has a printed scale that its not worth to count on it.
After the calibration, I am now aware that when I do set my station at 220C  the temperature of the tip this is there too  +/- 2C

Now I am getting ready to put back together my SL-30. 

[Andrew-88]

February 2024, I did communicate with Sorny Roong Industrial CO., Ltd.  Taiwan and I did request if possible to receive instructions.
I did receive instead, their recommendation of me to replace the entire PCB with the latest version.

They should deliver in your hands a pile of their new products for a product review.
This is of how they should react.

[Kiriakos GR]

February 2024, I did communicate with Sorny Roong Industrial CO., Ltd.  Taiwan and I did request if possible to receive instructions.
I did receive instead, their recommendation of me to replace the entire PCB with the latest version.

They should deliver in your hands a pile of their new products for a product review.
This is of how they should react.

I do not think that this small factory it is ready to claim the glory of be ODM, they somewhat manage it staying alive as OEM source so far.
But my door this is always open if they decide to change.

[overvolt]

Did you succeed calibrating your old SL30?   

[Kiriakos GR]

Did you succeed calibrating your old SL30?

Yes but it did take some time.
You have to think of it as basic thermostat, and not as this to was a digital multimeter 
I did adjust it for best precision at the range of 220 ~ 330 Celsius (LED screen).
The printed scale around the adjustment knob its best to be ignored.

I did use a combination of regular K Type thermocouple along with high precision HH DMM.
It was not that difficult if you work with patience.
The true temperature range of this discontinued TELE SL-30 it is at 135C ~ 370C  (soldering iron tip temperature).
 
And Solomon Taiwan, this shown as totally unhelpful about the offering of any technical information.