[sdiy] Vactrols [was: RSSM2164 last time buy…]

[Tom Wiltshire]

On 6 Feb 2013, at 19:26, "Lanterman, Aaron" <lanterma at ece.gatech.edu> wrote:

> 
> On Feb 6, 2013, at 12:40 PM, Dan Snazelle <subjectivity at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Btw....i just noticed cool audio sells a vactrol now too!
> 
> 
> They're also (relatively) reasonably priced ($4-$6) at Allied Electronic now too:.
> 
> I say  "relatively" since for a while the price shot up to three to four times that -- no idea why.
> 
> - Aaron

I think it was due to fears about them disappearing for good as a result of European environmental legislation. The EU ROHS directive aims to eliminate any components that contain substances considered harmful, and vactrols are on the hit list. For a while, it seemed like everyone was thinking that they were about to go for good, and prices shot up as people did emergency last-time-buys. But then the smoke cleared and vactrols are still here, at least for the moment.

But maybe that wasn't it at all and I've got the stick by the sticky end. Wouldn't be the first time.

Regards,
Tom