Homebrew PCBs

> Steve wrote:

> <snip>
> I removed -all- the solder right down
> to the bare copper, then used that
> electroless tin plate. Cleaned the
> lead oxide off of the spring contacts
> in the connector, and the game was
> golden after that.

Steve - Was the electro-less tin plate
a particular brand ?  The generic stuff
I used from out big yellow and black
woolworths stores over here (DSE) was
shocking for corrosion.  It would turn
grey almost straight away and then
sometimes almost go black.

> <snip and out of order>
> that solder is a terrible thing on edge
> connectors. The lead surface oxidizes
> very fast and causes terrible connection
> problems.

Agree - any thickness of solder is very 
bad for connectors.  Thats why I advocate
wicking the solder up.  I suspect that it
only leaves what tin/lead has alloyed with
copper when doing a good wicking.  Though
I may be speaking carp here and it might
leave a much thicker layer of tin/lead
that has not alloyed with copper.  In any
case it is more reliable than a thick
layer.

When I tried to use my desolderer it left
too thick a film on the connector and it
was extra unreliable (as opposed to just
the standard unreliable the wicked version
gave)

Either way the solder version is probably
not reliable enough for an arcade or any
other comercial installation.  Maybe good
enough for a home made S100 bus - but if
a better quality tin plate works then that
is easier than solder.