Modder services needed: Someone with soldering skills.

Ok, I've melted two SST-90s and I can't afford to keep doing that. They overheated and the dome popped off.

I have a driver and heatsink from Der Wichtel and I need a bare SST-90 soldered and mounted. I'll provide the heat sink, socket, LED, and Arctic Alumina. I'll pay shipping both ways plus service fee. You solder the wires and epoxy the emitter in place, and pot the driver inside the heat sink. I just want a working "pill" back to slide into my host and hook up to the power. I am readily admitting that soldering isn't something I'm good enough at to do this project. I'll already be $120 just in emitters at this rate.

Please PM or post here if you've done something similar and can do this without destroying a third emitter.

I am able to do this for you. PM me and give me your phone number, I'll call you and discuss it.
Russ

PM sent.

I'm willing to bet we are both using the same heatsink, except mine hasn't shown up yet

Looks like Russ is going to try his hand at it. I'll update this in the future.

Hi Rando,

Sorry to hear about your trouble with this. When I was first learning this stuff ( and a time or two since) I had the experience of a few poofed SST-90s myself. Its quite a sting I know.

I am sure Russ will get ya squared away. :thumbsup:

I know advice is not what your thread is asking for, but if you are interested to know here is my 2 cents on the issue your having.

When these LEDs were first released and I worked with them on a regular basis I found the easy pop dome to be the Achilles heel of this emitter. I have even had them come off while I was centering an emitter because I just grabbed the top like I did LEDs from the previous generation like P7s.

Anyway if touching/ wiggling the dome is not the issue ( which in your case it looks like not) it could be that more heat is actually what you need. What I mean is when you solder to the led prep is the key. A very hot iron is a good idea. That way the iron only touches the solder joint for like a second. I think my iron is like 25 watt. Higher would be fine.

Here is what I do when soldering. I flux the solder pad and the wire, make sure the tip of my iron is clean and then tinned. Tin each with solder ( the iron should only have to contact the LED solder pad for a quick swipe 1 second is about all). If most of the flux is gone you may even reflux the wire or the LED, then solder them together. In the case of the SST 90 with 22 or 20g ( cant recall) wire the joint only takes about 2 seconds if the iron is hot enough and the tinning is done correctly.

Hope you have a blast with your new light.

Your procedure is in line with what I spoke with him that I would do Vesture, thanks for sharing your knowledge and knowing I can do it