"bz" wrote in message
98.139...
wrote in
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bz wrote:

I have 60/40, will that work OK though? This computer is a 733Mhz
processor so it's not modern.

The age of the processor doesn't matter. What does matter is the fact
that it is much easier to make a good solder joint if you use good
solder and much easier to make a bad one if you use bad solder.

Apparently all we can purchase now is bad solder (the EU banned lead
in solder in 2006).

Talk about timing, this /. article came out yesterday

http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/15/1732216
"Lead is added to solder as it melts at low temperature, but also, it
prevents the solder from growing 'whiskers' - crystalline limbs of
metal. The effect of whiskers on soldered equipment would include
random short-circuits and strange RF-effects. Whiskers can grow fairly
quickly and become quite long."

I've got a bunch of old solder, I'm going to take much better care of
it now. no more using it to balance my 2 meter gliders

I understand that for certain critical applications, lead bearing solder
is still available and legal to use. [caveat: I am not in the EU, not a
lawyer, not an expert on EU law, etc., etc., etc.]




One obvious exception being the military who really can't afford to have
crap solder in their systems.


Gareth.