Solder

Didn't get the price but I was in Rat Shack sunday and they still had Kester44 in various diameters.

[andy]

...

[devoid]

I think, folks, that this says it all.

[Dave A]

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

[Kiwick]

Metal whiskers are not a new problem, they were a big plague with some types of 60s germanium transistors, the worst was the AF117, this transistor has a near 100% failure rate, whiskers grew from the inside walls of the metal can and when they grew long enough, they shorted the leads to the can.

They're easy to fix though, you just solder the B-C-E leads together and then discharge a 50v 100mfd cap between the leads and the can, this burns the whiskers, this is usually a temporary fix, sooner or later another whisker will grow long enough to reach a lead and short the transistor again

[Chad Hauris]

Does anyone know if lead solder will actually be prohibited from being made (like R-12 refrigerant) or is it just not allowed to be used in newly constructed devices?
I know I will have plenty of old equipment to repair for the rest of my life and I'm concerned that in 10 years or so there will be no leaded solder to properly repair older equipment originally soldered with leaded products. Is it really a case of needing to stock up now forever??

[tcdriver]

Originally Posted by andy

A quick search of the usual places (MCM, Mouser, Jameco,...) shows that good old Kester 44 63/37 is going for $35+ a lb. A year or two ago it wasn't too hard to find the same thing for under $10. .

In this months issue of Design News, Doug Smock wrote an article on materials and fastening cutting cost. From the article: “In 2003, lead was $500 a ton and went to $3, 400 a ton in August.” This may explain one reason why leaded solder is becoming more expensive. It may be a good idea to stock up now.

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by devoid

I think, folks, that this says it all.

Well, I am a Lead Zeppelin fan...

[andy]

...