Pine64 Pinecil, PinePower Desktop, kit-build - LFC
2021 ж. 15 Нау.
61 694 Рет қаралды
[Links down below]
Picked up some Pine64 goodies a while back and finally got around to making a video about them.
Love the designs, great prices too. Only complaint is the TS-B2 tip, in my experience, no one likes cone-tips. Stick a nice chisel/wedge tip in the box instead!
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this man is a born educator - learned so much from his channel! (and he's from my native Daaaahrset too! :)
@Alberto Steven flixzone is a complete scam to steal your money
@Brock Brett flixzone is a complete scam to steal your money
You're probably the only person who owns a TS100 and hasn't upgraded it to the Ralim IronOS. Highly recommend it. The firmware upgrade takes ten seconds and you get the same UI that's default on the Pinecil
I haven't either but I certainly will. I didn't really have a problem as is but then I've never ventured in to the OS other than changing the current temperature.
@@SimonNemeth Ralim's firmware is waaaaaay superior to the stock one. Just do it!
I totally agree. Ralims firmware is fantastic.
but the firmware don't magically add the USB C power port ;)
@@scaramonga I don't think anyone said it would
This is a steal for 25USD. I expected it to be 100 or something close to that.
2 T Tips were $60 from Amazon lol I needed very fine tips for cpu pins on Ryzen they look menacing. (T1-C+TS-ILS)
21:56 - I find that kind of operation (and even regular soldering) much easier with a conical chisel tip (BC2), as opposed to a simple conical tip (like the B2, which I assume is what you're using there) or even the wedge (D24). The conical chisel holds a perfect little blob of soldier on the tip, it doesn't try to climb up the cone, and the flat part of the tip makes it much easier to heat pads. It's basically like a wedge tip that can get into smaller spaces.
You are a great tech. You should know the secret to a good soldering job is a tinned tip. Longer life for the tip and cleaner soldering connection. Also tinning the leads and or wires works wonders. But great contents. You are very knowledgeable. Keep it up buddy.
Woooh finally some interisting content from youtube LOVE THE CHANNEL!!!
One of the best reviews ive seen of this soldering iron, thanks for sharing!
That's Ralim Firmware , you can use it on the TS100 as well and you will have all the options
Ah, like, exactly the same firmware? Someone else mentioned that a newer firmware for the TS100 gave it more or less the same options, but is it identical firmware?
@@Adamant_IT Yup, all the same bells and whistles (except for the type-c obviously), same user experience, same everything.
@@ebinwaitee Except, it is a different controller, Risc-V and different pricing. ;)
@@worldhello1234 Yeah, but the user experience is identical despite what's under the hood is my point
I own a Weller Pro station and I love it, but of course it lives at the bench. For the last 10 years I've been using an Iroda butane iron for field work, and just recently I made up about a dozen wiring harnesses (away from the bench). The Iroda is a fantastic butane iron, but it's still a butane iron. No (accurate) temperature control, throws off tons of CO (drove my alarms crazy), long heatup time.. and constantly out of gas. Decided to see if there was something new on the market. ... and found this! Ordered it along with a 4-pack of large tips. "I'm stoked" is an understatement. And great video. :) You're a fantastic presenter.
Finally found this got 2 of these as waited for them to stop being scalped / out of stock Thank you for a great video my shop is finally getting gear I need to be full service.
This is a wonderful and informative review, I just ordered one of these with a set of fine tips and did it for less than the price of a TS100 itself on amazon. Thank you so much, love your videos, I've learned so much and you've given me a lot of confidence to fiddle around with electronics and have fun! I just can't wait until my exams are done so I can tinker to my hearts content!
i ordered mine too with the 120W power supply
Now that is a proper video! I build star trek and other space craft models this looks like a great iron to use with the boards that go inside the ship
WOW. Thank you for sharing this. At the end of the week I will be ordering the Pinecil soldering iron, both sets of iron tips and also the power suppy. Once again, thank you for making this video and sharing. Plus the links. Muchly appreciated. I`m from Australia so it will be a while for me to receive and try it.
I liked the on-screen power supply digits, thank you.
I'm in the market for my first iron. Everyone is raving about this one. Great showcase!
I loove this iron! has replaced my TS100!
@@humanbagel I've had mine for about a year now and used it for several projects. One of which I posted to my channel here on KZhead. It's a great little iron!
Adamant, could you do a video explaining wth the difference between v, a, watts, power, current, ohms, resistance, and juice mean? as well as what all these cells mean.
I just recently ordered one super excited probably the best "maker" soldering iron.
Finally a new video 😁😁
Ok ok I'm sold.
Absolutely love this device!!! I'm a maker hobbyist and not a everyday bench tech. My soldering skills arent expert...for sure. I bought one of these and what I considered a chore....soldering...is almost fun now. Plug it into a 12v 5a PS (60w) and I'm at nearly 400° is about 20 seconds! My soldering skills have improved as well. The small footprint is just so much more easy to use and handle. Love it so much I just bought another for my Nephew. He's in his first year at university for Electrical Engineering. He's learning to solder and Im afra I'm spoiling him with this lol.
Really love ur vids man!! Keep it up!!
I will get the pinecil eventually, absolute steal for what they're asking for it.
I do like a very fine cone tip for when stuff is really close together and I have no space to work. Sometimes I even hang a drip of solder onto the tip and place it like that when i don't get the solder wire in in a convenient way.
Iron makers ship the cone tip by default because it's the quickest/easiest one to manufacture, least operations to shape them. If that means customers are more likely to buy additional tips, bonus.
Very nice stuff Graham. Regards and thanks for sharing, Nico.
Just found your channel, I have a feeling this will be one of my favorites! I just ordered my charger and Pencile:) Going to do some work on my Game Boy Color and GBA games.
Saw these things and thought man those are nice and probably SO expensive... went to website and they are very cheap!
Yeah, they are affordable and scarce in supply. The problem is availability. If you want to order one, you should do so as long as you can. :)
Nice. I was waiting for this! :)
this is a great informative video, thanks
I used to like conical tips since that's what I learned to solder on. last year I watched Louis Rossmann review a TS100 and he went on a rant on how conical tips suck. he had a BC2 tip on his Hakko soldering iron and he recommended that tip over the conical tip. I did a leap of faith and listened to what he said, loved that tip since the first use after using conical tips for years
dude... i just expected a review for a soldering iron that I might get for my first one. I got that AND an excellent how-to for someone who's never soldered before. I mean really, good shit dude! Thanks!
Yeah, managed to get one also, will take 2 weeks, but well worth it :) Thx Graham! Delivery was more than device itself, lol, but still cheaper than the TS100
I liked them so much, I bought two!
Although solder contains flux, I also use most of the time liquide flux applying it with the brush inside the lid. It largely increases the solder flow for nice connections. I also have the tolerance indication on throughole resistors on the same side, just for the nice look.
I'm a stickler for getting things lined up and the correct orientation (to read the values), even with SMD resistors, they all have to line up one way or another!
I updated the firmware of my TS100 on arrival, some time ago. It has a different interface than the one shown in the video, almost identical to the one shown in the Pine64 and also has boost mode. I don't remember seeing the "hall effect" feature but It's been a while so I'm sure there will be more recent versions hanging around, so if the hardware has the feature it might show. I should check. I recommend doing the upgrade asap, it definitely improves the device. By the way, I purchased mine in a kit including a DC adapter specifically designed for the solder with a long silicone wire, avoiding the risk to melt the cable if you mess handling the tip when hot (which has happened to me more than a few times in the past). I totally recommend buying one of those with the device, it is quite convenient. Regarding speed to reach temperature mine needs 10 seconds to go to 380. It might be the adapter being 24v 3A (72w), though.
Yea, I suspected that newer firmware for the TS100 would be better, or at least there'd be unofficial firmware. The main draw for me is still having Type-C PD and barrel jack on the same device though - that flexibility is a big appeal for me when the whole point of these electronic irons is to power them from whatever you have laying around.
As a matter of fact, I just checked and I was using Ralim firmware that other people are also suggesting. My bad. The stock one doesn't have the fancy interface or the boost option. I totally agree that Pinecil is a more interesting device, but owners of the TS100 can close the gap significantly with that simple update. Regarding usb-c I don't own a suitable powerbank yet, but I have some adapter boards (you might have tested them in some video), so it will be easy to make an adapter cable to XT60 to accept 20v, or even hack and replace the barrel connector (which I fancy a lot, as I like te ability to rotate the device so it rests well oriented). It is a small investment.
@@JosepsGSX In case it wasn't brought up before. The Ralim firmware you can load on the TS100 is the SAME firmware that the Pinecil uses.
These pencil like soldering irons with the hakko like tips are fantastic, i have one and in 10sec is already at max temp, are small/portable, configurable and work as a professional one, old type irons, slow and uneficcient are a thing of the past.
Just ordered the pinecil today myself. Unfortunately they don't have the pinepower in stock now due to all the delivery issues at the moment
@AdamantIT Graham -- thanks for the excellent video. I also wanted to thank you for turning off the mid-roll KZhead adverts. YT has really gone overboard with the ads, to the point where the sheer numbers of them ruins some videos. I appreciate yours being ad-free during the video. I'm sure this costs you a little revenue, but it certainly enhances the viewing experience.
Thanks for this. As a result I have just updated my TS100 and the interface is much better and seems the same as the Pine64. It's also made me think about getting a better power source for mine as it currenlty only runs off 12v
Yea you'll definitely get more power and heat up speed from a 19.5v adaptor, highly recommended.
order this device today, cannot wait to try by my self. and repair some controller and mouse switch 😀😀
Nice bro!
I've recently gotten into soldering and purchased a cheap kit from Amazon for $25. It takes far too long to heat up and I was going to get a TS100. It seems that this is the better choice since it's firmware is better out of the box. Plus it's cheaper than the TS100.
Goodness, your hair has grown back quickly.
Nice little iron and I may grab one, seeing as I already have a TS100. Also, the FW on that iron is just the CFW for the TS100. It appears exactly the same, anyway.
It is only manners to clean your tip once in a while 😂
It's my tip and I will clean it as often and as fast as I like. 😀
Do you lad even know that you made the best review of the Pinecil so far? It is the most comprehensive. :)
2:36 - Not sure if you have an older version, but the voltage shown above the middle three ports is definitely not static on current ones. It always seems to stay between 4.9 and 5.1 V, but it does change. None of the voltages seems super accurate, though. The leftmost port sometimes shows 0.3 V more than it's actually putting out.
dayum your voice is chill af 10/10
You can use the tips from ts100 too for the pine64 pinecil!
buying one asap!!
Great Video
The main differences between this and the TS80 are the RISC-V chip in the Pinecil, and the 3.5mm "audio jack" tip plugs on the TS80 series. The TS80P has a spring-loaded grip for some reason; I swapped it for the grip on my old TS80 whose screen died. :( Nothing wrong with the TS100 tips, not sure why Miniware changed up the connector and gave the TS80 and not the TS100 a chonky big screwdriver tip that has serious thermal mass, but there we have it. I also love that you can set the default screen on IronOS to just display all the things (voltage, temperature, etc.).
awesome tools
Saw your video on their product page 😁
Nice video, thanks Graham. Shame you don’t have aff links for the Pine Gear, I’ll get the power supply and the soldering iron, looks like my TS100 will be the back up to this Pinecil. 👍⚡️
nice video. thenks
can you buy the copper clips inside the handle that hold the soldering iron tip
It's possible (if selected) that when you put the iron in the stand, that activated its hall-effect sensor, thus automatically putting it to sleep.
Just ordered it 3 days ago after your review..
How well will that C port handle the stress of force of cable flopping around 😮?
I'm excited to get mine. I love my TS100 but I like the USB C power of this one. I can't find that desktop power box.
The C-type connector will be more prone to breaking than the sturdy barrel jack, so for me no real advantage. Your set of connection cables is a nice feature for various supply sources.
nice video 👍 still would like to get some of the kits eventually, however just dropped $400 on some A5 wagyu lmao so probably not anytime soon 🤣
That is a good test. I think if you would have tried to rework some OEM, leadfree solder. Something like a USB connector or what not. something with legs that need a fair amount of heat.
Well, on TS 100 you can program a similar interface, is what i use and looks mostly the same.
The Pinecil is IMHO overall the better deal, with Risc-V controller, free programmable firmware, USB-C and better pricing. The problem is availability. :)
Did you test it, by chance, with an usb-pd capable powerbank?
Still prefer my cheap soldering station, FEITA Mini portable.... It's power supply is the same size as a laptop PSU. The Solder handle accepts Hakko 951 tips, so you get a MUCH wider range of tips, and the tip makes a HUGE difference. The handle itself is light and super comfortable to use. I love the control interface on the power supply: power toggle off/on, temperature up, and temperature down. This is all I need to bother with on a soldering station. I love a simple tool that's highly effective. There are more options to toggle and mess with from what I understand, but why bother?
This can be powered through the usb-C as well, I use mine with a usb c laptop adapter
I LOVE my Pin64 (Pinecil)! the boost feature is one of my favorite features! along with being able to use a lypo and xt 60 connector!
I wish that pinepower supply had a UK option 😂 I'm definitely putting the soldering iron on the list though...
You can add the pinepower too, there's a UK option.
@@noisynotquiet is there? I didn't think there was when I checked the website :)
I have the Pinecil connected to a PinePower with 65watts (USB-C) and if i touch a larger metal area it will shut itself off. I bought this PinePower because i wanted to have a fast soldering iron as my old 85 watts Weller and in all the reviews i watched it looks like it was very fast, but if i can't touch metal i have no use of a fast soldering iron. Maybe you could try and touch a larger metal area with the soldering tip? Will it shut off your PinePower too?
hiya buddy. whats the usb cable you use to power the device with the pinepower desktop? I clicked on the pine link but it says maintenance mode
Type-C USB cable. Just make sure you buy one that's correctly rated for PD65 or more. I always get 100w cables, because overkill is underrated.
@@Adamant_IT Thanks for the swift reply, I just bought the Pinecil, PinePower and the cable they recommended from the Pine store, so I should be cushty.
21:39 My head screamed "YOU NEED A LIOUS ROSSMANN AMOUNT OF FLUX TO REMOVE THAT BRIDGE" FIY if you're having troubles of removing any sort of solder bridging, I'd suggest using any kind of flux to make the solder lead act more water like.
black sheep face rossman have a ultrasonic cleaner worth $5000 to clean the mess he always does.
I installed IronOS on my TS100 so it functions like a Pinecil. That way I don't need to buy the new one. It will even solder off the USB but I wouldn't recommend that since Micro-B is weak.
Is it any special usb c cable to use? Or can i buy any?
This is not a review - 33:10 There we have it, that was my review Gr8 video!
I really need to get my story straight on these things 😅
@@Adamant_IT Love the video!
How is that multi usb box working for you? Worth the money?
Boost mode. “This one goes to 11” 😂
nooo!!, i follow ur channel for really quite a while, but for some reason didnt remember this video, just the ts-100 u did, so when i went for a cheap iron soldering i skipped the pinecil because didn't know about it, that on my opinon is the best one (by far) for 25$ right now.
Can you distinguish the quality of the shell body? Are they both plastic or metal feeling? Amazing review btw :)
TS100 plastic feels a little more premium, but I can't say the difference is vastly noticeable. The Pincecil doesn't feel _cheap_ at any rate.
11:44 - You can get a firmware for the TS-100 that does all of that. 😉Search for "Ralim / IronOS". It's literally made by the same people that make the Pinecil's firmware, and seems virtually identical.
On top of not folding the legs you're actually supposed to trim them before soldering.
I agree, conic tips should not be the standard on any soldering iron.
Got mine yesterday, and just know the shipping cost is crazy, you aint getting one of theese for less than 50$. And be prepared to wait, takes up to 3months atleast to deliver... And that is really crazy considering the high shipping fees. You could have walked it here faster!
When you solder 0402 sized smd's on a daily, a cone tip comes in handy. Believe.
Surely a knife-edge is more helpful there?
@@Adamant_IT maybe. But once you change tip and you get used to it you know? When I started out I used the wedge type tip and was able to slide solder with ease but I can't do it well with the cone tip. Maybe it is time to go back to a wedge again. ;)
Yee. At any rate, definitely use whatever works for you - everyone's got preferences!
every time i hear or think about resistor colour coding i remember that someone wrote a Wii homebrew app that converts colours to resistance...
Is this a good soldering irons for beginners? And do you need the desktop?
Yea I think it's a great beginner's iron. It's capable of approaching the hard stuff (laptop mobos, which suck up heat from irons) but as cheap as a no-name brand. The PinePower desktop isn't required, you can use any PD65 supply, or most general use power bricks. 65w Toshiba laptop charger is perfect for these as well.
@@Adamant_IT so what does the desktop do exactly? Can you use the iron by itself? Or is that like a charge?
@@Adamant_IT I've only ever had a cheap plug in Iron for my mods, so I'm fairly new to soldering.
Damm it, its sold out :-\
How is the new 101 MINIWARE?
Can you grinding the conical tip into a chisel tip? Forgive my ignorance
Grinding or filing on a tip is generally not recommended. The tips are plated with an alloy that is resistant to the heat and flux. When you scratch or damage the tip, it erodes much faster. I have one tip on a Weller that has lasted more than 25 years. I am very careful not to press too hard or use it for a screwdriver or pry bar.
Cool . What the usb c 100w cable called bud.
INIU brand on amazon. Cheapest nice-looking 100w cables I could find. They're actually quite nice. Associate link for posterity! amzn.to/3cBG2qJ
@@Adamant_IT thanks dude
what's the name of the song in the intro?
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUX! I’m gonna start bugging you until you get it right like! Cheap liquid flux is perfect for these little kits. 👍🇬🇧
The cheapest flux pen you can find from anywhere that suits the user is the best flux to learn how to solder. Flux has to be used when soldering. The EU market is flooded with a Polish brand liquid flux that is very good. That’s why I mentioned it. I can recommend it to entry level soldering with excellent results. Hope this helps anyways. 👍🇬🇧
I hope they make one for t12 heads. T12 can work with those irons but the tip goes too far from handle.
On thingiverse someone made an adapter, I don't know how good it is.
What other options are there for powering the Pencile?
The DC jack allows you to plug in any 12-20v DC source, I regularly use a 19.5v laptop charger with mine. You could also get an XT60 cable and then power it from 4 or 5 cell lipo batteries.
You don't use any silicone wire ? It's largely better than PVC cable for a lot of things ^^
I buy it when I'm buying wire, but a lot of the custom-cables I've got are just made from stuff I have laying around.
the ts100 has a boost most.
Did all the kits you bought on the livestream arrive already? Holy smokes that was quick if that is the case
Given the length of his hair in the video Vs the live stream something tells me this was recorded before the fact lol
@@pekitivey True, I didn't even notice 😂
@@freemansfreedom8595 I must admit I like the newer more trim version haha
I'm planning on releasing a similar product. Nose hair clippers, powered by a 128 core 64bit UltraSPARC SoC, with 2TB RAM, NVMe storage and 100GbE WiFi, running a hardened Trusted Solaris. My friends tell me this is a solution in desperate search of a problem, but I'll show them!
Dang it. Now you've got me obsessed with getting a PinePower Desktop and they've pulled it from the store. (I guess they had some issues with the manufacturer)
Yea I think the PinePower Desktop and 65w unit were very hit-and-miss. My 65w unit was DoA, so I can completely the folks who said they had a bad experience. I think this is a risk you take though, Pine64 stuff is very 'experimental' in a sense of making something well designed, in demand, and dirt cheap.