MOTM

--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Schreiber" <synth1@...> wrote:

>
> As you know, July 1st is the day that RoHS takes effect in the EU.

If you don't

> know what I'm referring to, go to www.newark.com and read the RoHS

section.

>
> a) if you are in the EU, and you want to continue building MOTM

kits in the

> future, PLEASE ORDER TODAY at least 1 spool of Kester 331

(organic) and Kester

> 245 (no-clean) solder. 1 roll of each will be good for at *least*

50 kits + misc

> DIY and synth repair. Both spools + shipping should run you ~34EU.
>
> b) I *cannot include* solder with kits shipped to the EU for the

time being

> after July 1.
>
> c) Eventually (but it would be later in the fall) I *may* be able

to use the new

> SnAgCu solder *if* all of the parts are RoHS. This would mean I

have to "flush

> out" and leaded resistors, caps, etc and build RoHS kits. I doubt

it would be

> worth it. Most, *but not all* parts shipped right now are RoHS.

It's not clear

> if the AD MAT02EH used in the VCOs will ever be. I still have many

pc boards

> that are leaded (although about 80% of kits shipped the last 8

months have been

> lead-free finishes).
>
> The problem is: using leaded solder on lead-free or leaded parts

is fine

> (everyone has been doing this for ~12 months anyway). What is *not

fine* is

> using lead-free solder on a leaded part. This can cause bad solder

joints. So,

> for the immediate future, the best solution is to require EU

customers to use

> leaded solder that they themselves provide (if you have a lot of

MOTM kits,

> chances are you have TONS of extra solder anyway).
>
> d) I am soldering like crazy to ship assembled modules to the EU

this week. I

> doubt I will be able to ship all of them. But it will be close :)

Unfortunately

> most of the modules left to ship are the most time-consuming

('480/'320/etc) but

> if you are expecting modules
> (Barnes/Grezelak/Bartz/Richardson/Artmeyer/Weisser/???) please* be

sure* I have

> up-to-date payment info.
>
> e) what about assembled modules to the EU after July 1st? Chances

are, for

> several months, I will not be able to. There is a possibility that

I can ship

> *some* models to the EU and some I can not (the MOTM-300 is

potentially

> 'black-listed'). The economic reality is: assembled module as a

*whole* are ~ 8%

> of revenue, and EU customers are probably 35% of that. I can't

afford to

> replenish literally 10s of *thousands* of

resistors/caps/diodes/whatever AND

> toss of $2500 of pc boards.
>
> I think the RoHS is *foolish* not to exclude low volume shipments

(say <10pcs to

> a single address in a single shipment). The law is designed for

*consumer*

> things like cell phones, iPods, etc that when they break, get

tossed. Has anyone

> tossed a MOTM module in the dustbin?
>
> I don't want to cause widespread *P A N I C*. If you are a EU

customer and want

> to email me off-line, please do so.
>
> Paul S.
>

I must check RoHS import regulations in european not EU countries
like Switzerland and Norway...any swiss customer there ?

Martin