Nick Waterman wrote: > I was going to ask, even before this thread... What do Elecraft and > "Doctor Solder" recommend now that 60/40 doesn't officially exist?
---------------------------------------- I don't know what you mean by "60/40 doesn't officially exist". It's still being manufactured and readily-available everywhere I've looked. The Kester 44 that Elecraft recommends is, in particular, still in production. See http://tinyurl.com/b44v4 at the Kester web site. Plug "Kester 44 Solder" into your favorite search engine and you'll get pages of hits of places to buy all you want. It is true that non-lead solder is in use and being developed over time. >From what I've seen and read, current formulations have three problems. One is that it doesn't "wet" surfaces as easily as lead solder. That's a minor issue for us Hams, but a MAJOR issue for companies using wave-soldering and other automated techniques that must be absolutely reliable every time. Still, it means taking more care at all times to ensure a good joint. Another issue is that lead-free solder isn't as shiny as leaded solder when it cools. In fact, it can look exactly like what we've come to know as a "cold solder" joint! That means extra care is needed to produce good joints. We lose some of the visual clues. Finally, all the lead-free solders I know of require somewhat higher iron temperatures than leaded solder. Modern components can handle the heat just fine in normal use, but removing components can be a bit more difficult without damaging pc board traces. Commercial manufacturers seldom face the task of removing parts, but us Hams seem to need to do that all too often, Hi! The industry press seems to think the rush to lead-free solder will occur when a major consumer electronics manufacturer can offer "lead free" devices at the same price as others. It's expected that the consumer will see it as a chance to be "green" at no cost, to the detriment of any manufacturer who is still using lead-based solders. But there's a reason why most manufacturers are using lead solder today. By the time all the bugs are out of the process for high-speed, reliable mass production with lead-free solder, you can bet there'll be excellent replacements for us Hams to use instead of the old standbys we've had for years. In the meantime, wash your hands after handling solder and don't put solder in your mouth. Seriously! I've seen guys stick the end of a length of wire solder in their mouth while using both hands during a repair. Not a good idea! But, short of that, there's no real reason not to use the "tried and true". Ron AC7AC _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
