SDG #361 i2c PDK1200 300W Dual Iron Soldering Station for JBC handpieces

The i2c PDK1200 is a 300 W dual channel soldering station for JBC style handpieces, sold with two T210, two T245, one of each, or two T115 handles, at about £168 plus substantial shipping. The reviewed unit has one T245 and one T210, each with a plastic cradle closely modelled on the JBC original and two cartridges. The front panel has a tilting colour TFT, an illuminated rotary encoder and three buttons; the rear carries the mains inlet, two cradle ports, USB, undocumented pedal and robot connectors, and an ESD socket. The unit is 220 V only.

Inside, a 300 VA toroidal transformer provides a 12 V winding for the electronics and two 23 V windings, one per channel. The heaters are switched directly on the AC waveform by paired MOSFETs driven through opto couplers, with an ACS712 current sensor per channel and OP07 op amps for the thermocouples. Construction is modular and tidy, with mains wiring confined to the rear. A firmware update from 1.08 to 1.13 through the PC software succeeded, though the screen gives no indication while it runs.

The interface shows one handpiece full screen or a split view for two, each channel independently configured with three presets, a setback temperature and optional heater shutdown, plus a live temperature and power graph and an encoder ring that changes colour with cradle state. Calibration read about 20C low at 350C and was corrected through the menu. The supplied small cartridges limited power into a heavy board, but a genuine JBC 5 mm tip drew around 130 W and put 137 W into a coin without difficulty. Against the Aixun T420D, the build quality and cradles compare favourably at a lower price; the only omission is a brass wool or sponge holder.