I read the link in tcdriver's earlier listing and found a few thing I did not know about the problem, especially lead "pest"...a sort of fungus-looking contamination that is eating away at the outdoor tv's in my stadium here in Phila. I sent an email to the author, Dr. Howard Johnson mentioning this thread and he was kind enough to reply to me a few days ago.
Dear Dave,
Thanks for your kind note. I'm not likely to sign onto the forum, but I
will tell you (and you can quote me on this) that the lead-free requirement
in RoHS is driving people out of business all over the planet. It hits
especially hard in small businesses that assemble their own products (like
makers of specialized audio gear). These businesses cannot afford to
upgrade all their soldering equipment, which is what it takes to comply.
I'm not an expert in soldering technology, but regarding one of the posts on
the audiokarma site, I do hear that you should not mix lead-free and
lead-based soldering technologies, either way around. If you have lead-free
parts you need to use lead-free solder and lead-free temperature profiles.
If you have lead-based parts you need to use lead-based solder and
lead-based temperature profiles (the lead-based profiles have, by the way,
more process window margin built in).
I think we are headed for a train wreck of major proportions.
For your amusement, I attach a few of the responses I have received from
other readers.
Best regards,
Dr. Howard Johnson, Signal Consulting Inc.,
www.sigcon.com -- High-Speed Digital Design seminars, publications and films
If you want to see the other replies, let me know and I will forward the file. It would be a page by itself on this thread.
Dave A