ATTEN AT-90DH advanced soldering station, all their secrets in one picture.

[giorgos]

So fortunately the most possible case, is to be a bad soldering.

[Kiriakos GR]

It seems that I fall in a rabbit hole with significant length.
My first word will be that with out hot-air rework there is no chance to disassemble this thing.

In my attempt to remove the metal cage that holds the display , I got scared and stop.
The contact between PCB and display screen is made by some sort of double side sticky paper.
 
So far there is no evidence that this problem came due soldering issues, but I am suspecting that something has to do with the pressure which the metallic cage bonds the screen with the PCB.

I will take a break and have a look of it when I will be relaxed later on.
   

[Kiriakos GR]

Made it to walk in and out with out getting wet. 

Some things are made just to be assembled once and that's it,  unfortunately even this product is one of those.
While there is some simplicity in the circuitry what ATTEN did totally wrong is the dimensions of the holes of regular parts as for example the capacitors.
Parts removal is a pain in the ass.

Electrolytic capacitors are made by an unknown brands called as JWCO and after some research over internet I just find some comments that is just a bit better than totally cheapest ones.
I did ESR measurements one 47uF 35V seemed degraded and I did replace it by a better Nichicon.

The true problem about the back-light was the hand soldered LED, which took me long time to isolate as problem because it did seemed as soldered.
What really happened is that PCB holes does not match with the specific LED system that gets behind the display.
So eventually ATTEN used a person to patch the problem, but the next problem is that LED leads are sort, so to travel around the PCB and be soldered as it should be, the only way to do that is to bent the leads with tremendous accuracy, which it did not happen here.   

Generally speaking I am kinda disappointed about finding inside such budget capacitors, and fragile push buttons, which if you are not careful when using hot-air rework station these could melt. 
 
Even so this adventure reminded me how crap was my older soldering station, which I had to use in this repair.
My opinion today is that I will never trust ATTEN  about buying the supposed more expensive with more features soldering station.
By such build quality inside they definably do not respect their customers.
     

[Kiriakos GR]

Thanks to this topic, this working as log, I am now aware that my heater + sensor part this lasted for three years and 10 months.

Yesterday and suddenly my soldering station display this reads Error code S-5.

I am currently seeking replacement part CBB024441 (AT90DH), and I am making international inquiry about it.
Mostly because price this vary extremely, and you can easily be cheated and pay over 50 Euro for a part with production cost of 4 USD.

[Kiriakos GR]

Best settlement finding this part in Greece this is found.
While prices change by the day, I did order two spare parts, better prepared than sorry. 

 

[Kiriakos GR]

This soldering station its now EOL  END OF LIFE and from my own end.
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I did kept this product that long despite all issues caused due ATTEN poor manufacturing, and or the problematic spare parts availability in EU.
But I am not willing to consider my self as ATTEN customer any more.


They Discontinued AT-90DH,  then presented it again as  ST-100, nowadays they selling all it spare-parts at double/triple the price than before.

Beginning of the year 2024 the Tip fastening sleeve of my AT-90DH this where damaged at the point of not retaining the soldering tip anymore.
The theoretical spare part which never sold or shipped anywhere in this planet is the CBG023410 .

The true background story, is that ATTEN copied 25 years old Weller technology,  including T800 soldering tip system.
Welder abandon T800 soldering tip system long ago.
But for some time welder tips they could replace ATTEN T800, and even old welder stock this does not last for ever. 

Today February of 2024, we can not find anymore, neither ATTEN spare parts at reasonable price, and neither old stock of Welder tips T800.
About me its now time, to move forwards, and to discover and hand over my money at one more reliable brand of soldering tools.


My Golden advice, do not buy soldering station from ATTEN if you are a professional.

[Kiriakos GR]

It might be some hope after all,  if you are a friend of adventure.

There is no explanation of why, but there is one source in UK this selling the heating element HS3100 at reasonable price.
This web-shop it is fully prepared to deal with EU orders, automatic VAT clearance,  and somewhat reasonable shipping of 15 Euro for 76 Gram of goods.

First of March placed my order for a qty of three heating elements.
Eight of March (Friday) order arrived at my town mail center.
Eleven of March I will have them.

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Regarding the other major issue,  a spare tip sleeve barrel.
I did start a new quest of my own,  about getting a similar product (sleeve barrel from another factory) so to modify it.

Here is the link of the new topic.
https://www.ittsb.eu/forum/index.php?topic=1862.0   

[overvolt]

You are a proven fighter,  the entire Blog this is loaded with hundreds of proofs.
Again you did find a new workaround.   
I am happy for you, simple as that.

12€ per piece !!   
Unbelievable   

[Kiriakos GR]

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