Aether II solder iron

[gatorengineer]

I'm having lots of difficulty soldering the main LED to my wires.  I'm using a 40 watt soldering iron.  Anyone else having the same problem or have some recommendations.

[rm357]

I had to tin the wire, then tin the pad, and as soon as the solder started flowing on the pad, add the wire. You'll get a couple of seconds before the wire wicks enough heat away for the solder to solidify.

Getting the wire off takes patience as the pad and the wire have to get hot enough for the solder to melt. Having an ugly blob of solder on the tip helps the heat flow out of the iron and into the joint, but I wouldn't want to leave that much solder on the joint...

[RJ]

Since the LED is attached to it's own heat sink intended to get rid of the heat it generates, it does take some heat/time to get them soldered. A larger tip can also help. Lay the led itself on something that does not conduct heat well to limit the loss will also help.

RJ