5 ms·

Meta, but I'm really turned off by this gatekeeping title.

• Gibbon1 9y ago
  When I read the tittle I thought if you have to do a lot of soldering you're not doing design for test very well. (I do a lot of soldering) I'm also really against the recommendation to use lead solder. First off it's expensive and harder and harder to get. But in a professional setting it opens you to a regulatory mess. That said 60/40 lead solder is trash compared to 60/37/3 lead tin/antimony solder.
  • joezydeco 9y ago
    Agreed. Even a small amount of lead cross-contamination can cause your product to get rejected in RoHS regions. This has happened to my company. Getting a palette of product shipped back to you is not a fun event.
  • jessaustin 9y ago
    60/37/3 lead/tin/antimony solder A quick search seems to indicate that this is not available for purchase anywhere?
    • Gibbon1 9y ago
      I think I have the ratio's wrong, I think it's 0.5% antimony. But I haven't seen it in about 20 years. Even before then most solder was 60/40.
    • pravda 9y ago
      That's because the OP is clueless. :-( DON'T use lead-free solder, unless forced to. Lead-free solder is a nightmare. Use leaded 63/37 solder, although 60/40 is fine.
      • Doxin 9y ago
        Lead free solder definitely isn't a nightmare. The early versions might've been, but modern lead-free is just fine. The only gripe I have with it is that the flux is more aggressive and eats into my soldering iron tips a lot faster.
• calcifer 9y ago
  I'm trying really hard to see how the title is in any way gatekeeping. If I say "if you just look at the exhaust, instead of using proper equipment, you probably aren't testing emissions thoroughly", am I gatekeeping against those poor emissions testers that just don't have any equipment?
• walshemj 9y ago
  Why not that long ago for technical /research programmers knowing how to solder was a given.
• Sir_Substance 9y ago
  You're definitely looking for reasons to be offended.