SDG #371 Geeboon HC24 Low Cost High Power Soldering System for JBC handpieces.

The Geeboon HC24 is an interesting middle ground in the growing family of Chinese JBC compatible controllers. Instead of the bulky linear transformer used in the HA310, it packs two isolated 24V switch mode supplies that the firmware can series-connect via a relay to produce 48V, which is what feeds the big C470 cartridges. The practical upshot is a smaller, lighter, cheaper station that still hits well over 400W at the wall, works on both 115V and 230V, and remains compatible with T115, T210, T245, T470 and even T12 handpieces.

The teardown shows a much simpler power section than an AC switched design: a single MOSFET, a current shunt, a thermocouple amplifier and a GigaDevice 32 bit ARM MCU, with tight current loops on the output. Build quality and earthing are generally sound, though a 200mA fuse fitted in the earth path is an odd design decision that could silently open without the user knowing.

Cartridge detection works on heater resistance rather than handpiece type, so swapping a C245 into the T470 handpiece correctly drops the station back to 24V. Calibration measured close to setpoint out of the box, and there was no measurable AC or DC leakage voltage on the tip against mains earth, which has been a genuine problem on some competing stations.

The main gripe is acoustic. The 80mm fan is on or off with no PWM speed control, and it is loud. A firmware update to 1.27 improves the logic so the fan only spins up under heavy C470 loads, but anyone doing sustained high power work may want to swap the fan or consider the silent linear alternative.