[HCARC] Solder Question

[Kerry Sandstrom]

Gary,

I didn't see your question on field day antennas.  The answer depends on 
many things.  First, what kind of filters are you going to use.  You 
need them on both the transmitter and the receiver and the narrower the 
better, a few kHz.  I think the big guys use xtal filters at the RF 
frequency.  Look at a typical repeater set up where you have coaxial 
filters which i guess have 60 + dB attenuation 600 kHz away at 2 m.  I'm 
not sure it is practical for a club like ours.  Check old QST's for 
articles on the subject.

The Jameco catalog specifies whether components are lead-free or not.  
Silver plate and gold plate shouldn't be a problem.  Some of the cables 
may be a problem.  By the way, the UHF connectors I have that are silver 
plated are obvious.  The silver plate tarnishes noticeably.  It it isn't 
tarnished, it may not be silver plated. Really, you have to have 
connectors you trust.  I only use name brands or Mil qualified 
connectors.  Everything else is a gamble.

If you have some 40 tin/60 lead solder, it may be for plumbing.  It will 
have a high melting point.  Electronic tin-lead solder is either 60/40 
or 63/37 tin/lead.  Silver solder is 2% Ag/62% Sn/ 36% Pb.

Gary, as far as why no one talks about this in ham radio, just look 
around.  How much are hams encouraged to do anything anymore?  Forty 
years ago the discussion was about hams who were appliance operators, 
they never built anything, just buy their receiver and transmitter.  
Now, not only does nearly everyone buy their receiver and transmitter 
but they also buy all their accessories, their antenna and even their 
cables with the appropriate connectors already attached to the cables.  
You already know how I feel about current operating techniques, hams 
don't even go looking for their own QSO's anymore, they get them off the 
internet.  There is no interest in teaching/learning soldering or 
anything else that would help you do things yourself.

I came across the problem from two directions, for a while I was the Haz 
Mat person for my lab.  I learned an awful lot, most of which I wasn't 
happy about.  Tin/lead solder was on its way out in the 90's.  I also 
came across it in ham radio as I started finding things which were, 
shall we say, difficult to solder.  Also buying parts I began to notice 
the "lead-free" description on components. It has gotten nearly 
impossible to repair consumer electronics because it is all lead-free 
now, even the connectors on cables.  I bet new ham gear is the same, I 
just don't have any so I don't know!  I expect that if you are going to 
do much construction you will have to have two sets of soldering gear, 
one for lead containing components and one for lead-free components and 
you probably won't be able to intermix them.  Such is progress.

This is the RoHS Directive,  naturally its from the EC but the US is 
doing it too.


      The Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and
      Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive (2002/95/EC)

*RoHS Explained*

RoHS: The European Union (EU) Directive on the Restriction of certain 
Hazardous Substances EU Directives must be transposed in each EU state 
into binding National legislation. This will restrict the use of certain 
substances in electrical and electronic equipment placed on the EU 
market beginning July 1, 2006.

The Directive seeks to limit the chance of hazardous substances possibly 
leaching out and polluting the environment during end-of-life recycling 
or disposal in landfills. The electronics industry is most affected by 
the restriction on lead, as it is a key component in electronic 
component packaging (pins), solders and solder pastes. While the term 
"lead-free" is sometimes used to describe RoHS, the real requirement for 
manufacturers is to design and ship products that are not only lead-free 
but fully RoHS compliant, meaning they do not contain more than the 
allowances of any of the hazardous substances named in the directive.

The hazardous substances and the proposed maximum concentrations levels are:

Lead - Pb
Mercury - Hg
Cadmium - Cd
Hexavalent Chromium - Cr(V1)
Polybrominated Biphenyls - PBB
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers - PBDE 	0.1% Max Concentration
0.1% Max Concentration
0.01% Max Concentration
0.1% Max Concentration
0.1% Max Concentration
0.1% Max Concentration



Well, that should keep you going for a while!  If I can find some 
connectors that are lead free, I'll let you know.  As far as I know, 
sheep haven't been declared hazardous yet, but stand by!

Kerry