Solder Temperature

How hot should I set my soldering iron when soldering to strain gages?

One of the quickest ways to ruin a good strain gage sensor installation is by using a soldering iron that is too hot and/or dwelling too long on the solder tab. Considering the solder tab is formed in rolled metal foil which can be only 2.5 µm thick, the tab cannot take excessive heat before popping loose from the backing. The “rule of thumb” for soldering iron temperature is that the soldering iron tip should be no more than 150°F (66°C) above the melt-point of the solder.  Refer to our TechTip-609:  http://www.vishaypg.com/docs/11089/tt609.pdf