Solder Shootout - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 02:47:52 am
content: I was wondering how many of you guys here would be interested in a shootout consisting of Rosin Activated 63/37 solders, and maybe something special from Indium. I will be including kester, Multicore, Stannol, basically the tier-1 brands. I am trying to gauge some interest beore I start sending out letters to manufacturers for small samples, or buying some of this myself.

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 03:02:16 am
content: If you do one, there is one factor i would call the rework factor i'd like to see played out,Take an unsoldered junk board or offcut of unetched pcb, soak it in salt water for 2 days, then try soldering to it with the various type, this will give an artificially aged example of how well the flux cleans old copperequally a similar thing with a few generic diodes to see with tin plating if possible (my job is rework and 50 year old dry joints can be a real sod to clean and prep,)

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 03:04:59 am
content: OK. I will be sure to do that.

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2014, 03:54:19 pm
content: This would help a lot so I know what solder to buy in the future

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2014, 04:40:54 pm
content: Interesting from a geek POV, but not really necessary IMHO (since you're sticking to name brands).I could see it with Asian sources, which there's another thread started on recently (here). But I wouldn't expect huge differences between top quality solders at all (should primarily come down to the flux; type & content for a given alloy & wire size for equivalent levels of oxidation, plating, ...). Getting all things as equal as possible, any differences are likely to be minor.

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2014, 05:06:59 pm
content: Quote from: nanofrog on January 20, 2014, 04:40:54 pmI will buy some one hung low as well, to give a quick test. Thanks for the tip.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2014, 05:12:05 pm
content: Quote from: echen1024 on January 20, 2014, 05:06:59 pmPerhaps you might want to contactNeugin the other thread, and see if you guys can work out a divide & conquer strategy. Faster (less work per each), and possibly less expensive each as well, assuming samples would have to be covered primarily out-of-pocket rather than free samples.Worth a PM or email IMHO.

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2014, 05:39:03 pm
content: Not a bad idea. I'll give that a try.

author: ablacon64
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2014, 11:50:52 pm
content: Those Rosin Activated 63/37 solders are getting more and more difficult to get around here. Why not include some lead-free alloys? I've been playing with some of them, trying to adapt myself on using them but man it's terrible...BTW, I would love to see the shootout anyway.

author: Co6aka
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 10:49:55 am
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on January 21, 2014, 09:07:10 amBecause these colors don't run; we stick to our guns!Because one man with a gun can control 100 without. (Which is why the government is trying to take away all of the people's guns.) We love our violence; we're a violent nation of violent people... Home of the OK Corral, and gangsta rappahs! O0 Werd! (One of my homiez just shot up Mickey-D's coupla weeks ago -- no more RoHS lead-free burgers there!) Heck, just watch the upcoming Superbowl! After "democracy" and toxic financial products (including the USD), munitions is our largest export. Here, just about every government program here a "War On " -- poverty, crime, drugs, hunger, terror, file-sharing, stupidity, anything. HOO-RAH!(We're Fast-n-Furious!) And competition; whoever dies with the most money wins.Because frenzied people are easier to control, and they're too preoccupied with their frenzies to notice the guy in the gorilla suit walking across the stage.-- exactly.Now, back to shooting molten lead (and tin, etc...)

author: Co6aka
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 11:03:14 am
content: Quote from: echen1024 on January 19, 2014, 02:47:52 amHow 'bout Alpha?

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 08:51:43 pm
content: Another tier 1 brand would be AIM (American Iron & Metals).

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 11:32:09 pm
content: KesterAIMMulticoreStannolIndiumMG ChemAlphaAny more? The people at Multicore wanted people from my school or whatever. Anyone willing to order some samples and direct them to my address?No problem, they are willing to send me some 370