Hi guys, I'm looking for advice on buying some equipment suitable for electronics modding/repairs. I don't want anything too fancy at this point, just something decent to start out. The main thing I'm looking at is an IR rework station. I'm considering the Scotle IR6000 as it seems to have good reviews, and I can get one from a UK seller. I'm also looking for an oscilloscope. Is something like the DSO Nano or BitScope Micro likely to be sufficient? I've also been looking at used units on ebay but I don't really know what I'm looking for in terms of specification, so any advice here would be appreciated. A final thing on the list is flux. There seem to be very cheap tubes on ebay, are these likely to do the job, or are there particular brands I should be looking for? I already have a hot air rework station (Atten 858D+) and soldering iron. If anyone can think of anything else that might be useful, I'm open to suggestions.
Get a proper scope, not a toy. Rigol are cheap and cheerful. With a good hot air station, you should be able to do anything IRDA can do.. it's just more convenient in some situations. Personally, I'd put that last and ensure you have the basics. A decent temperature controlled soldering station is a must, as is a good multimeter. The 858D+ is very cheap... personally, I'd prefer a decent hot air station with a temperature profile over getting IRDA to start off. Of course, what you need really depends on what you're going to be doing. The most important thing is a sound background in electronics. With that knowledge, you'll know how to repair stuff, and what tools you need.
get a good iron, like hakko 888 cheap and good Bladder style hot air stations work better than those fan based ones. for BGA you'll want both tacky and lquid flux
