Solder

[audioguru]

The SEARCH above shows that I said RICE many times including Rice-Krispies for breakfast and I ate Rice at a Sushi restaurant.

The last batch I bought off eBay spattered and shot micro beads of solder and resin all over my beautiful Chinese-made board. Of all the things I buy, a $14.00 roll of solder every few years and it is not going to make or break my budget. Last roll I bought was MG Chemicals brand from Digikey. I only picked the MG brand because they've been reselling small containers of chemicals and PCB processing equipment for years, AND, they were the only recognizable brand that was offering 4-oz rolls. The 8-oz rolls and larger don't let me hold solder and PCB in the same hand so, MG it was.

PS audioguru, what do you think was in the solder to cause caused the spattering?

Maybe they added water to the flux to make it heavier?

 

[Mickster]

The SEARCH above shows that I said RICE many times including Rice-Krispies for breakfast and I ate Rice at a Sushi restaurant.

It also shows this, in reply to someone from Africa:

audio recording,need help

hi everyone, would anyone help me with a task i am trying to acheive,i am trying to build a one master play -6 record side audio cassete recorder for a freind who gives out free messages on tapes but has not much time to record.i need a circuit or conecrtion diagram thanks all[/quote]

www.electro-tech-online.com

They still use cassette tapes in Africa? They are 30 years or more behind the rest of us?
Then what do they do with all their CDs and DVDs? Throw them around like frisbee's? He, he.
I've never tried to burn an MP3 onto a cassette tape. It would make a lot of smoke. He, he.
I use all the CD Roms that I get in newspapers and in the mail from AOL (internet SP) to make my LED chasers. :lol:

Then the next post:

I am very sorry to ridicule your continent but I just realised something.
You folks are behind most of the rest of the world. The other part of the world that is also behind like you eat nothing but rice. I don't think that rice grows in Africa so what do you folks eat? Each other? He, he. :lol:

You had the choice whether, or not, to write that crap for the whole world to see.
SMDH...

 

[throbscottle]

Oh yes, Ersin Multicore - solder from the 70's that smells nice! Maybe Canada got bitten by the HSE-originated completely unproven and unfounded worries about rosin flux - but the HSE said it so it must be right, right? Huh. I got my mum to buy me a big roll of that stuff for my birthday one teenage year!

To be honest, what's in the flux is the only thing I've previously worried about with the cheap stuff, not because of any problems I've had soldering, but because of breathing it in! But my shed door is usually open so I don't worry much.

Anyway, CPC have a roll of Multicore (which is now Loctite Multicore, I see) for a few quid more than the same weight of Jinhu would cost, so if I can find something else I want to buy from them (to avoid postage fees) I might just get that. I looked at the Duratool one but it's too thick, and my experience of Duratool (and also much studying of product photos) is that they get their own label put on cheap stuff from China anyway (same as Tenma multimeters, made in the same factory as all those cheap brands)

Don't forget, most electronics these days starts off at least as parts, in Shenzhen, it can't all be bad.

 

[throbscottle]

I did not say that ALL cheap crap from over there is bad, I said ebay solder MIGHT be bad with a certain common impurity that is used over there.

What is the common impurity?

 

[Musicmanager]

I looked at the Duratool one but it's too thick, and my experience of Duratool (and also much studying of product photos) is that they get their own label put on cheap stuff from China anyway

The label clearly states ' Made in Taiwan' ; It's actually 0.7mm dia. .. how thin do you need it to be ?

MM

 

[Ian Rogers]

What is the common impurity?

Dont ask!!

FWIW When I buy solder from RS, they allow access to the datasheet, and all relevant documents stating EXACTLY what it contains..

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Oh yes, Ersin Multicore - solder from the 70's that smells nice! Maybe Canada got bitten by the HSE-originated completely unproven and unfounded worries about rosin flux - but the HSE said it so it must be right, right? Huh. I got my mum to buy me a big roll of that stuff for my birthday one teenage year!

To be honest, what's in the flux is the only thing I've previously worried about with the cheap stuff, not because of any problems I've had soldering, but because of breathing it in! But my shed door is usually open so I don't worry much.

Anyway, CPC have a roll of Multicore (which is now Loctite Multicore, I see) for a few quid more than the same weight of Jinhu would cost, so if I can find something else I want to buy from them (to avoid postage fees) I might just get that. I looked at the Duratool one but it's too thick, and my experience of Duratool (and also much studying of product photos) is that they get their own label put on cheap stuff from China anyway (same as Tenma multimeters, made in the same factory as all those cheap brands)

Duratool is CPC's own brand name, so is generally cheap but reasonable quality - I've used a lot of Duratool stuff, and it's OK for the price. My boss/work-mate has had a few Duratool soldering stations though, and those were really crap, and barely lasted a couple of years - the Antex ones (although much more expensive) go on for ever. I would imagine Duratool solder is probably OK, as I expect CPC keep an eye on quality, and you could always send it back if it's rubbish.

My boss/work-mate also got through numerous cheap heat-guns (we use them for heat shrink), so eventually bought a Bosch one, which has been perfect ever since. Some stuff you buy cheap is fine, but others are just so inferior.

The solder I'm currently using came from RS, and is labelled RS Pro - RS's own brand name, but all seems decent stuff.

As for Ersin Multicore, I agree on the 'nice' smell - but way back in the early 70's (71 or 72?) I built-up a Heathkit FM tuner for a customer, and been an American kit it had American solder, which smelled completely different. Many years later I did buy some solder at work, which had the same smell, so presumably of similar origin?.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Dont ask!!

FWIW When I buy solder from RS, they allow access to the datasheet, and all relevant documents stating EXACTLY what it contains..

Not only 'allow' - they send you a copy of the datasheet in the parcel - which is really annoying, as it's just more rubbish to throw away. We keep one copy in a file (in case H&S should happen to call?), so don't need any more.

 

[Musicmanager]

FWIW When I buy solder from RS, they allow access to the datasheet, and all relevant documents stating EXACTLY what it contains..

That's 'cos you're posh !

 

[Mickster]

I bought a few rolls of this unbranded 60/40 solder, from Bowlers computer fair in Manchester, probably about 10 years ago.

I am happy with the joints it produces:

Even managed to get some wires on a QFN with it.

Advice for soldering wires to QFN48 (6x6)

I have recently purchased one of these kits: http://www.banggood.com/100KHz-1_7GHz-Full-Band-Software-Radio-HF-FM-AM-RTL-SDR-Receiver-Radio-Frequency-Modulation-Kit-p-1120249.html There is a link to assembly instructions, just at the bottom of the "Specifics" section. (...

www.electro-tech-online.com

P.S. Ian Rogers Is Bowlers still going?

 

[audioguru]

Does "Super Solder" have the same quality as "Super Heavy Duty" batteries?

 

[throbscottle]

The label clearly states ' Made in Taiwan' ; It's actually 0.7mm dia. .. how thin do you need it to be ?

I have 0.5mm at the moment, which I measured and is actually 0.6mm. I want definitely no bigger than 0.5 since I mostly play with SMD's now. I even thought about 0.3. I remember a time when a mm was really small. They seem to have got much bigger, now...

I had a Duratool mains soldering iron, ran too hot and didn't last very long. I started studying their product photos when I started looking for a new solder sucker and found a lot to be identical to the cheap stuff you find on eBay. (I'm still using the sucker I got from Wilko over 15 years ago. A little adhesive tape goes a long way...)

 

[throbscottle]

Does "Super Solder" have the same quality as "Super Heavy Duty" batteries?

You mean the sort you get from the £1 shop? I think they are the same as the ones that come pre-fitted in stuff you buy sometimes (I think they are called demo batteries?). Same voltage and current as the regular ones, way shorter life.

Anyway the solder looks decent enough, though I know you can't tell without actually using it. The word "super" makes me wonder if it's of Japanese origin?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Does "Super Solder" have the same quality as "Super Heavy Duty" batteries?

Back when Grundig still existed they used to label the front of their TV's as 'Super Color' - which always sounded rather naff, and they couldn't even spell 'colour' correctly

They were decent TV's though.

 

[Ian Rogers]

P.S. @Ian Rogers Is Bowlers still going?

Did you ever visit?... Don't think so... I partnered up with one of the Bowlers organisers ( Stuart ) and we opened another Fayre at Manchester Uni in the Refectory... We made quite a bit... BUT!! as we charged less per table, Andrew ( Main guy at Bowlers ) got a bit p**sed at us and closed us down.

We did the one at Trafford Rugby club quite a few times.. I made quite a few computers back then..

 

[Mickster]

OT (sorry throbscottle)
Yeah, I used to go there quite often, built all my own PC's and those for friends from parts sold by Bowlers vendors. Got into modding Xbox controllers for rapid-fire, using 12F683 and 0603 LED colour swaps, so would get loads of them from the guy who parted-out laptops and all kinds of other stuff. Most were probably returns due to joysticks drifting, but I could make up around 25 to 30 good controllers from 50 (at a quid apiece), and have some of the parts left over pre-modded, for when somebody wanted one. One of those was the Xbox button in the centre, which had a + inside and was 'machined out' with a Dremel to accept a smd bi-colour LED connected by Kynar wire, then refilled with hot glue.

Got the TDS220 that I still use now, from the same guy, for 20 quid.

Never knew about your spot at the Uni.... would have popped down if I had.

/OT

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

OT (sorry throbscottle)
Yeah, I used to go there quite often, built all my own PC's and those for friends from parts sold by Bowlers vendors. Got into modding Xbox controllers for rapid-fire, using 12F683 and 0603 LED colour swaps, so would get loads of them from the guy who parted-out laptops and all kinds of other stuff. Most were probably returns due to joysticks drifting, but I could make up around 25 to 30 good controllers from 50 (at a quid apiece), and have some of the parts left over pre-modded, for when somebody wanted one. One of those was the Xbox button in the centre, which had a + inside and was 'machined out' with a Dremel to accept a smd bi-colour LED connected by Kynar wire, then refilled with hot glue.

Got the TDS220 that I still use now, from the same guy, for 20 quid.

Bargain!

 

[Ian Rogers]

Git.... I have a TDS220... I bought it around 7 years ago.. £150.. I thought I got a bargain.
May I ask...Did you ever find a battery pack for it?

( Sorry Throb..... Casting the thread wide again....)

Shutting up now..

 

[be80be]

Delta makes a really good solder I us the .6 mm stuff it great wasn't cheap tho for a 1/2 pound of it.

 

[BGAmodzX]

any 60/40 solder will do it right for me.