[time-nuts] OT: RoHS crap

[John Miles]

There are no problems using Pb-free parts, or obtaining them, either, in my
experience.  Most of the manufacturers and distributors have done a good job
working the kinks out of the supply chain.  (DigiKey was unusable for a few
months, but they seem to have recovered nicely.)

Lead-free parts are just literally "tinned" with lead-free solder.  They are
absolutely indistinguishable from the old parts, and once you tin the leads
with conventional solder they are no longer "lead-free."  There is no
problem using SnPb solder with Pb-free parts under any conditions I'm aware
of.  I imagine your third problem would be solvable by using tin-lead solder
in the reflow process.

Finally, some grades of lead-free solder work pretty well; the
silver-bearing stuff that Radio Shack sells appears to yield decent joints.
You wouldn't want to use it as long as you can still get SnPb solder, but
it's not the end of the world.

-- john, KE5FX


-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com]On
Behalf Of Michael Sokolov
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 10:52 AM
To: time-nuts at febo.com
Subject: [time-nuts] OT: RoHS crap


Hello time-nuts,

Sorry for the off-topic post, but reading my mail this morning I've seen
a few messages go by on this list about bad solder joints due to the
RoHS stupidity, and I have a question about that.