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

[Kiriakos GR]

18 of October made my mind about getting this truly fresh AT90DH soldering station.

While emotionally I do not have positive vibes in favor of ATTEN, this specific product it does look promising.
Technically speaking it has tremendously advanced specifications.

http://www.attenelectronics.com/Products/Soldering_Tools/Soldering_stations/2013/0402/246.html

Comes close to challenge the latest JBC CD-2BC regarding speed, and regarding exterior design it is more than obvious that ATTEN is fan of Weller.

In this first post of my about it I will post a picture with all the small secrets  ( details ) of the soldering iron.
And I am doing it because this model is so new that the internet is totally empty for those information's.

I am expecting my AT90DH from Germany, and in about 10 days I will post some pictures from it.
Pricing : 129,00 EUR including VAT + 9 EUR DHL .
 
Additionally one new friend of my (Sky Hu ) from Ali Express.com
he will send me additional tips and golden sponges. 

Today because of me ATTEN updated their product picture again.

It looks than in the beginning the AT90DH were planed to have one power on switch with illumination and the Iron holder to be a luxury looking item.
And suddenly the company changed their mind and they offer the basic iron holder and a simple power switch.
Plus the front buttons from light blue now they look silver, and they replaced the LCD with white digits and blue back light.

I am crossing my fingers to get the first revision, with all the first planed stylish enhancements.

   

[Kiriakos GR]

ATTEN AT-90DH Unboxing pictures.


I got this station from Germany for 129,00 EUR + 9,00 EUR DHL

http://www.exp-tech.de/product_info.php?language=en&gm_boosted_product=Atten-90W-Loetstation-AT-90DH&Loetstation=Atten-90W-Loetstation-AT-90DH.html&products_id=2476&

I have no complains from the seller but I have plenty regarding ATTEN and their poor quality control and also because they are cutting corners that easy.

ATTEN should make their minds if they are going to compete in the market by following high quality standards like every one else ? ( Hot Iron & Iron holder ).
It supposed that I am going to live with it for many years ahead, and yes I lost my smile due their poor quality control.

The main station looks well made, and even after a good burn-in at 500C  on screen (or all most there by measuring by a thermocouple)  the station it self stayed cool in my quick test.
There is not going to be any full product review, I never do that when paying for buying a tool.



 

[Kiriakos GR]

ATTEN AT-90DH Unboxing pictures.

[Kiriakos GR]

ATTEN AT-90DH Unboxing pictures.

[Kiriakos GR]

ATTEN AT-90DH Unboxing pictures.

[Kiriakos GR]

Soldering iron base improvements.  

[giorgos]

Congratulations for your new tool. Im sure that you will find it very helpfull for your work.
Also the improvement you have done, with the extra weight on the stand, was very smart and usefull too.
The light weight is a common problem especially in cheap stands, which make the solder stand unstable.
As I see the tips looks like the same with weller for WSP80 , do you have the dimensions (diameter)? If it is same with weller tips, it would be an interesting alternative choice for replacement, because im sure that their cost will smaller than weller's is.
At last i would like to have your opinion about brass( I think) sponges instead classic type. I see that many manufacturers like ERSA, WELLER, have started to use this type of sponges on their solder stands.

[Kiriakos GR]

Regarding the tip, I did not measure the diameter so to check compatibility with Weller.
Prior getting this station from Germany, I made one arrangement and ordered two spare ATTEN tip AT-800-0.4S and two copper sponges.

The base that was not identical as pictured, it did made me mad,  and ordered again one dry tip cleaning kit so to get the tiny holder for the sponge. (3.40 EUR)

I would never expect that my first experience with one ATTEN product would destroy my enthusiasm about getting it.

At list it does have the expected power which makes the removal of bad capacitors from a motherboard a matter of seconds.

[giorgos]

As you mentioned capacitor removal from motherboard, I have to report that it needs full attention, because the vias on their holes ,are connecting with tracks of internal (invisible) layers of motherboard pcb, so if we try to remove capacitor, we have to take care to dont remove the vias too.
Obviously a good soldering iron with suitable temperature is important if we do jobs like this.

[Kiriakos GR]

I did some testing (training session) with a dead motherboard.
Capacitors and Mos-Fet they just lift and run in seconds.   

What I am looking to get as last accessory is some tin tinner, I never did use any, but this iron when it gets above the 400C the tip gets dry,  solder is unable to stay on it.
Therefore I think that I will possibly need one tip tinner for maintenance ?   

[Kiriakos GR]

We are not living in a perfect world, therefore when something gets spotted as issue in a new product it should be mentioned publically by a note.

In this case the note is regarding the AT90DH in which I have verified an issue caused by the transformer inside.

Title: The transformer inside cause’s electromagnetic effect when the soldering station is placed at the top of a metallic cabinet.

Side effects: Sound of hum which deviates according the electrical load of the transformer.
Work around: Avoid placing the soldering station over metallic cabinets made by iron.


I did inform ATTEN about this issue since November 25 with a video, in the beginning they took this subject very lightly, after some extra pressure they started mentioning that they are investigating it, after of three weeks of fake promises that I would be contacted back for getting a replacement, they came back to me today by saying that this issue possibly it will be resolved in the future.

This problem made me to further investigate of what solutions are used by others far more premium manufacturers (with even more experience in this field).
And I discovered pictures which are clearly demonstrating one far wiser transformer placement in their soldering stations (that came also with a plastic housing), or alternatively they use a toroid transformer.

The technical issue of the AT90DH it could possibly get solved if the inner transformer were shielded by a metallic cage,  by the same way that is shielded similar transformers’ designed to coexist close to other parts which they are prone to electromagnetic effect.

Up to date I have not verify that something like that is possible as design correction, this transformer is mounted on a plastic cage at the bottom of the soldering station base, and the dimensions of it were designed to host the transformer as is.

This all story it did made feel Mad because it did damaged my own Feng shui of how my working bench should be organized at it best.

Regarding ATTEN, other than getting back promptly to redesign this AT90DH, they will have their chance to win back the positive impressions, only when they will prove them self’s as worthy. 
Regarding the feeling of hard critique, I am tremendously hard to my own self first.

As about me, I did come up with an alternative Feng shui idea, which does not turn upside-down completely my own original planning.
Even so it is an reconciliation which I have to live with.

[giorgos]

First of all ,I would like to send ,my best wishes for the new year, to all  members of ITTSB forum.
Regarding the topic, I think that a solution could be, by installing rubber/plastic feet like these
 http://www.takachi-enclosure.com/data/c1213/c_en_p225.pdf  in the bottom of soldering station.
They could ensure primarly a space between soldering station and any metal surface, and secondly the rubber matterial of them absorbs any vibrations caused by electromagnetic effect.