ChrisN
Striving
Who is the fellow (in the UK I think) who was converting the old mercury batteries? He posted here at one stage a while ago.
Who was converting batteries?
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lynn
lynn
John Neal.
ChrisN
Striving
Thanks for the name. Now - to find him!
ClaremontPhoto
Jon Claremont
john neal
fallor ergo sum
Chris - here I am!
At the moment, I am not taking orders for adapters for a couple of reasons - I'm in the middle of changing jobs, moving house and such stuff. In addition, I have found out that my adapters fall within the remit of the upcoming WEEE regulations that will prohibit the use of lead based solder (this is the reason that Konica have dropped the Hexar RF).
Once I have sorted out how to use a non-lead solder, I will put a new ad in the classified section. I have some concerns at the moment about whether I will find a suitable solder - the ones I have tried so far do not want to make a good alloy at the sort of temperatures I can achieve with my current equipment. I need to increase the temperature by about 50 deg C and the dwell time by 5 to 8 seconds. Unfortunately, this may well kill the electronics!
I will be starting some trials with different materials next month.
At the moment, I am not taking orders for adapters for a couple of reasons - I'm in the middle of changing jobs, moving house and such stuff. In addition, I have found out that my adapters fall within the remit of the upcoming WEEE regulations that will prohibit the use of lead based solder (this is the reason that Konica have dropped the Hexar RF).
Once I have sorted out how to use a non-lead solder, I will put a new ad in the classified section. I have some concerns at the moment about whether I will find a suitable solder - the ones I have tried so far do not want to make a good alloy at the sort of temperatures I can achieve with my current equipment. I need to increase the temperature by about 50 deg C and the dwell time by 5 to 8 seconds. Unfortunately, this may well kill the electronics!
I will be starting some trials with different materials next month.
ChrisN
Striving
Thanks John
That's bad news about the solder regs - do the regs apply to exports to barbaric places like Australia?
I hope you manage to get things sorted out - best wishes.
That's bad news about the solder regs - do the regs apply to exports to barbaric places like Australia?
I hope you manage to get things sorted out - best wishes.
john neal
fallor ergo sum
Hi Chris,
It covers anything made in the EU, or shipped from there, regardless of destination (sadly).
You could try the small battery co or Cris in the US, but you will have to pay £30 for a device that will not carry enough current for your meter.
It covers anything made in the EU, or shipped from there, regardless of destination (sadly).
You could try the small battery co or Cris in the US, but you will have to pay £30 for a device that will not carry enough current for your meter.
R
rpinchbeck
Guest
John,
I'll ask the techs in the lab what they've finalized on for Pb-Free solder and techniques. I can tell you what we have for SMT reflow solder but I think you are more interested in solder that we use for rework with solder irons and heat pencils.
Cheers,
Russ Pinchbeck
(wearing my professional hat)
PCB Manager
Novatel Wireless
Calgary, Alberta
I'll ask the techs in the lab what they've finalized on for Pb-Free solder and techniques. I can tell you what we have for SMT reflow solder but I think you are more interested in solder that we use for rework with solder irons and heat pencils.
Cheers,
Russ Pinchbeck
(wearing my professional hat)
PCB Manager
Novatel Wireless
Calgary, Alberta
C
ch1
Guest
john neal said:
John,
Being on the westside of The Pond I'm not familiar with these non-lead solder issues. However, have you checked on the RSGB's (Radio Society of Great Britain) website? If this is affecting UK hams then they should have "workarounds" of some kind.
I'm not at my ham radio location (Copake) to check the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Handbook for solder specs. Is ALL lead solder being banned there? That sounds draconian.
If you give me some details I can check on the specs per uses once I get up there tomorrow night.
john neal
fallor ergo sum
Thanks for the offers of help guys - sometimes the EU just drives you mad - I mean, it's not as if we are all going to sit around licking the solder of PCBs, now is it?
As I understand it, the only genuine exemptions at the moment are equipment for either medical, or military use (not much help to me). There are some applications lodged for exemptions where the solder is encapsulated in other inert material (I'm hoping that one of these gets approved) or where the use is within a protected environment. I had hoped that inside a camera would be protected enough, but that does not seem to have helped Konica, who canned the XPan.
I guess I will have to use a Tin, Copper, Silver alloy of some description but those I have seen for use with a hand-held soldering iron (ie those designed for rework) are all too high in melting temperature to e considered completely safe with my diodes. I am waiting for some samples from a couple of sources and will conduct further trials shortly. The last one I tried would flow on the iron, but just formed beads when I tried to get it to take onto the battery case. I don't know if this was due entirely to temperature, or to a flux that was not sufficiently aggresive, so there is some work to be done on fluxes too.
Any suggestions most welcome.
As I understand it, the only genuine exemptions at the moment are equipment for either medical, or military use (not much help to me). There are some applications lodged for exemptions where the solder is encapsulated in other inert material (I'm hoping that one of these gets approved) or where the use is within a protected environment. I had hoped that inside a camera would be protected enough, but that does not seem to have helped Konica, who canned the XPan.
I guess I will have to use a Tin, Copper, Silver alloy of some description but those I have seen for use with a hand-held soldering iron (ie those designed for rework) are all too high in melting temperature to e considered completely safe with my diodes. I am waiting for some samples from a couple of sources and will conduct further trials shortly. The last one I tried would flow on the iron, but just formed beads when I tried to get it to take onto the battery case. I don't know if this was due entirely to temperature, or to a flux that was not sufficiently aggresive, so there is some work to be done on fluxes too.
Any suggestions most welcome.
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
i thought soldering is tin-based.
john neal
fallor ergo sum
Pherdinand,
Most electrical (& Plumbing solder) is/was a mix of tin & lead - often 60% tin, 40% lead, but could be in different proportions depending on the joint in question. (Un)fortunately we are now being protected from ourselves by a bunch of beaurocrats in Brussells, so we can't play with lead any more.
Solders that meet the new regulations are mostly tin, copper and silver in different proportions. They give a completely different look to the joint - to my (old) eyes, it looks more like a "dry" joint in conventional terms. Needs to be done at higher temperature due to the changed alloy and can cause havoc with degradation of soldering iron tips if they are not properly maintained.
Thanks to a tip from a member here, I have been investigating ultra-low temperature solders, but they are also covered by the RoHS regulations from the 1 July 06 - there is an appeal before the EU court to allow these to continue to be used, but no decision date has been scheduled as yet.
Looks like it's lead-free or nothing :bang:
Most electrical (& Plumbing solder) is/was a mix of tin & lead - often 60% tin, 40% lead, but could be in different proportions depending on the joint in question. (Un)fortunately we are now being protected from ourselves by a bunch of beaurocrats in Brussells, so we can't play with lead any more.
Solders that meet the new regulations are mostly tin, copper and silver in different proportions. They give a completely different look to the joint - to my (old) eyes, it looks more like a "dry" joint in conventional terms. Needs to be done at higher temperature due to the changed alloy and can cause havoc with degradation of soldering iron tips if they are not properly maintained.
Thanks to a tip from a member here, I have been investigating ultra-low temperature solders, but they are also covered by the RoHS regulations from the 1 July 06 - there is an appeal before the EU court to allow these to continue to be used, but no decision date has been scheduled as yet.
Looks like it's lead-free or nothing :bang:
Last edited:
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