[SEDXC] [nfarl] RoHS-compliant equipment and failures

[James Streible]

Some of you might be interested in this from the North Fulton Amateur 
Radio League
reflector.

Go the the web site below and read it. It may explain some weird failures.

Jim K4DLI

Here's another site with whisker info:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/03/research.engineering



 > Ted Bruce KX4OM originally typed on the keyboard:
>
> I was recently reading a review on eHam.net on the new (1 yr. old)
> Yaesu FT-450 transceiver, and one reviewer pointed out that the rig is
> RoHS-compliant (European parliament requirements for Removal of
> Hazardous Substances in products). I imagine most equipment designed
> since the 2006 deadline that is sold world-wide is now RoHS-compliant.
> What's the problem? read this quote from the F5VMJ.com "Whisker
> Hunt" web site:
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> " I landed on your "Tin Whisker" note when Googling "HAM Whisker".
> Thanks for the pointer to the website I manage at NASA's Goddard Space
> Flight Center in Maryland.
>
> Raising awareness about all types of metal whiskers is a major goal of
> our site. I'd appreciate learning of any feedback you might get from
> your post or from your HAM colleagues.
>
> Why Google "HAM Whisker" you ask? (Maybe you didn't ask
but
) About 1
> month ago a HAM in Hungary wrote to me to say "Thanks for the
> educational whisker www site". He had just encountered problems with a
> TNC modem purchased in the mid 1990s. When he looked inside, he found
> forests of whiskers growing from the PCB traces. Unfortunately (for
> me), by the time he wrote to me, he had taken the card out back,
> brushed the buggers off and then varnish coated the PCB to help get it
> back to service. I say "unfortunate" because I would have dearly liked
> to have seen images of this and perhaps even secured some samples for
> analysis to confirm composition of the whiskery critters.
>
> So
 I Google "HAM Whiskers" to try to learn if others out there may
> have sent out a "distress call" about "mystery filaments"
 I'd welcome
> any advice you may have as to how to infiltrate the HAM community to
> see what they may or may not know about whiskers.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Jay Brusse
> Sr. Components Engineer
> Perot Systems at NASA Goddard
> 301-286-2019
> jay.a.brusse at nasa.gov <mailto:jay.a.brusse%40nasa.gov> "
> ----------------------------------------------------------
>
> Also, check out these web sites:
> http://www.empf.org/empfasis/july05/whiskers705.htm 
> <http://www.empf.org/empfasis/july05/whiskers705.htm>
>
> http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/failures/ 
> <http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/failures/>
>
> What this means is that these new rigs we're buying may not live to
> achieve 'boatanchor' status, unless we consider that a 6 or 7 year
> old, still-functioning transceiver to be a 'boatanchor'! Could be
> that your 1970's Heathkit rig may be worth more than your 2007 model
> Icom/Yaesu/Kenwood multi-kilobuck rig in 10 years or so.
>
> NASA and other US entities are taking action, but they don't sell
> commercially to Europe, home of RoHS. For the international ham radio
> manufacturers, they have to meet RoHS, or not sell their goods in
> Europe. This concerns me. I have difficulty considering a $1,000 (or
> more) expenditure on a ham radio transceiver and it's needed
> accessories a disposable item.
>
> 73,
> Ted, KX4OM
>
>