While this has crept into design of our radios over the past 25 years or so (remember the ICOMs that "forgot they were radios" when the internal battery died?), it has been a part of commercial test equipment for a longer period. Once the custom parts are gone, a dead piece becomes a parts-donor. I'll be sad on the day when my TEK 465B finally dies, but that scope - from the 70's - is chock-a-block full of custom chips that are now made of unobtanium.
A day will come when a TEK 465B or an IC 746-Pro in working condition will be come a collectors piece worthy of a healthy price. Steve, W1ES/4 -----Original Message----- >From: Curt <[email protected]> >Sent: Nov 1, 2011 9:59 AM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [Drakelist] OT a failure mode of solid state electronics > > From what I've been seeing in the basic design of some newer radios on >my repair bench, tin whiskers is the LEAST of your worries regarding >longevity! One only needs to research the problems of the TS2000 and >the IC 746pro to realize there are some real service/design issues out >there. > >Curt >KU8L > > >On 11/1/2011 7:47 AM, Bob Spooner wrote: >> Ron, >> >> Vintage radios were made with regular leaded solder so they don't have that >> problem (unless you repair them with lead free solder.) It's the new rigs >> that I'm concerned about. Tin whisker growth under surface mount components >> would be very difficult to detect and remove. So keep your vintage Drake >> radios operational and you won't be without a rig if the new one fails. >> >> 73, >> Bob AD3K >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] >> On Behalf Of Ron >> Sent: Monday, October 31, 2011 6:46 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: [Drakelist] OT a failure mode of solid state electronics >> >> All, >> I was tooling around the web and ran into this video and document. For >> those unfamiliar, the new lead free solder often has a higher tin content >> and can causes tin whisker growth issues. Who knows when it might strike >> your beloved solid state or hybrid vintage radio. Maybe we should all >> return to hollow state :-) >> >> http://www.vintage-radio.info/whiskers/ >> >> Totally amazing IMO. >> >> 73, >> Ron WD8SBB >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Drakelist mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Drakelist mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist >> > > >_______________________________________________ >Drakelist mailing list >[email protected] >http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist _______________________________________________ Drakelist mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
