**RoHS Countdown - Please Read**
2006-06-27 by Paul Schreiber
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.
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.