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mattpas
Bronze Member
USA
74 Posts |
 Posted - 08/16/2006 : 19:02:07
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For everyone who read the Because of the Lead Free...... thread (http://www.bossarea.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1618) here is the response I received from Boss:
Lead-free is one of the requirements of RoHS regulation. Roland/BOSS
started to apply to the RoHS from March 2006. We already made all
Roland/BOSS products to apply to the RoHS. All Roland/ BOSS products
which have been shipped from Japan after March 2006 apply to the RoHS.
In other words, Roland/BOSS product units shipped before March 2006
do not apply to the RoHS. In order to distinguish RoHS applied units
and non-RoHS-compliant units, the Green Triangle Sticker with the white R is put on to the RoHS applied units.
Of course the products which have been launched after March 2006
apply to the RoHS. There's no non-RoHS-compliant units existing among
such products. Therefore, no need to put the Green Triangle Sticker on it.
"Glow hair of solder" is a phenomenon called WHISKER. Actually, lead-free solder itself does not cause this. In order to use lead-free solder, tin plating would be used for connectors' terminal posts. This is the main factor to bring WHISKER phenomenon. But Roland/BOSS keeps away from using devices which have short-pitched terminals to avoid any troubles even if WHISKER occurred. |
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jack
Platinum Member
USA
1418 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 19:16:10
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| I am just now becoming interested in soldering cause I want to build my own pedals, so I am a little behind on this RoHS stuff, so please pardon my ignorance as I try to get some clarification. With RoHS regulations, does this mean that to be safe I should pick up a sizeable stash of 60/40 solder with lead? Will solder with lead be unavailable to DIY consumers everywhere? Or is this just mainly something that affects manufacturers who use large amounts of the stuff? Just wondering, cause I got a connection at Radio Shack and I am just wondering if I need to have them set their inventory aside so I can go a buy out their stock of 60-40 light duty rosin core solder. |
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mattpas
Bronze Member
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 19:19:42
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| As far as I know, right now the RoHO Compliance is just overseas and effects anything coming into this country. So far the U.S. has not switched electronics to Lead-free. |
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jack
Platinum Member
USA
1418 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 19:40:05
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| Thanks for the info Matt, though I may buy a couple extra rolls of solder to stash away just in case the US decides to do something similar... |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 21:21:59
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It's good to hear Boss response to the new directive. Thanks for that. RoHS is an EU directive so it only applies to parts of Europe but it still looks like it has a wider effect than the EU.
Here's a web page that I found helpful explaining the rules to me.
http://www.rohsguide.com/rohs-faq.htm |
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stahlhart
Platinum Member
1318 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 22:35:57
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I stocked up on a couple of large spools of 60/40 in the spring. I've probably got a lifetime supply of it now, unless I go bonkers building clones or something. Check eBay for Kester, Multicore or Alpha.
Some additional info -- note the difference between 60/40 and 63/37:
http://www.teamnovak.com/tech_info/how_to/solder/
...60/40 takes a little longer to solidify to a good bond due to the difference in transistion state temperatures between it and 63/37 -- there's (I think) about a 13-degree separation between liquid and solid states, whereas with 63/37 it's more instantaneous. Depending on what you're soldering, it could make a difference -- if, say, it's a wire on a switch or potentiometer lug, you'll need to be more careful about not bumping or jarring it before it's fully cooled if you're using 60/40. You'll get a dull, grainy solder joint instead of a smooth, shiny one, and it will not be reliable under mechanical stress.
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jack
Platinum Member
USA
1418 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 06:48:13
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I was looking into solder info and found this interesting tidbit on this website:
There are numerous lead free alloys available today; some of which have been available for many years. A drop in replacement for 63%tin / 37%lead has not been found. Two alloys are emerging as the front-runners in this search;
96.5%tin / 3.0%silver / 0.5%copper adopted by the Japanese,
95.5%tin / 3.9%silver / 0.6%copper adopted by the North American Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI).
"IPC-SPVC-WP-006, Round Robin Testing and Analysis of Lead-Free Alloys Tin, Silver and Copper", Report published July 2003, found no significant difference in the alloys. Also, assembly performance testing data did not find a statistically significant difference between the alloys. Long term reliability comparison testing is ongoing.
There is a steady flow of lead free articles being published about the restrictive process window for their use. The change over is occurring faster in Japan and Europe, but it will be required in the US at some date.
I placed the emphasis on that last sentence, but maybe it is time to start stashing away solder with lead in the US as well.
You can read the entire article at: http://www.canfieldmetals.com/electronic_lead_free.htm |
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boss freak
Gold Member
USA
663 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 11:58:13
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| Thanks for posting the information from Roland/Boss. Very useful. |
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stahlhart
Platinum Member
1318 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 19:59:36
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You think that DM-2s are pricey?
Wait until you see the cost of a one-pound spool of tin/lead solder in a couple of years...
/they will become "highly collectible"
//no, I'm not giving it a rest
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mattpas
Bronze Member
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 20:06:46
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See, it's gonna happen....
For Sale, Pre Lead-Free Boss DS-1 Made in Taiwan MINT Buy-It-Now $200! |
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stahlhart
Platinum Member
1318 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 21:20:44
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It is absolutely going to happen -- phostenix spoke the prophecy about this quite a while back (search for the "evolution of the DS-1" thread in this forum). You give people any excuse at all to up prices or claim that something old is superior to something new, and by golly they're going to.
It will become believed folklore, ranking right up there with "oxygen-free" copper wire, using a green Sharpie pen on the edges of CDs to improve their fidelity, and analog delay pedals sounding so much better than digi *WHACK!* Oww!!! Sorry...
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lazzrath
Bronze Member
Canada
103 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 21:44:59
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quote:
Originally posted by stahlhart
It will become believed folklore...using a green Sharpie pen on the edges of CDs to improve their fidelity...
WHAT?! I missed that one completely - I've never heard of that before. I'm hoping you just made that up, and people don't actually do that... |
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stahlhart
Platinum Member
1318 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 22:05:01
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quote:
Originally posted by lazzrath
WHAT?! I missed that one completely - I've never heard of that before. I'm hoping you just made that up, and people don't actually do that...
http://www.snopes.com/music/media/marker.htm
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lazzrath
Bronze Member
Canada
103 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2006 : 08:52:24
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| Crazy. That's all I have to say. |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2006 : 11:56:29
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Some Hi-fi stores actually went so far as to sell special (and expensive) sharpies with supposedly the right shade of green.
Can't believe that anyone actually fell for that. |
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lazzrath
Bronze Member
Canada
103 Posts |
Posted - 08/24/2006 : 10:58:35
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quote:
Originally posted by bossarea
Some Hi-fi stores actually went so far as to sell special (and expensive) sharpies with supposedly the right shade of green.
Can't believe that anyone actually fell for that.
Well, it's true what that article said about people having a desire for control over technology. People want to feel like they're in power over their electronics. That and the 'something for nothing' syndrome makes perfect sense.
Here's a silly question - in regards to that RoHS article you posted, Bossarea, it states that businesses after July 1/06 in their dealings with EU countries are restricted from selling products that don't conform to RoHS standards. This is stretching it a lot, but doesn't that mean that the selling of such materials even on eBay will be restricted? Are we going to see less trading of Boss pedals because of this? Trading on eBay is for profit, so if you're making a profit selling a restricted item, I wonder if that's going to trickle down soon... |
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Lead-Free Response from Boss
