Wiardgroup

Perhaps our path is to somehow establish Wiard modules as works of art
 - which would change their status, associating them with other
artifacts that have banned substances (leaded crystal, stained glass,
ivory carvings, etc.).

I hear what Doc is saying about SOIC based electronics - they are not
built for the future.  Even my friends at Apogee Electronics (makers
of fine ADCs and DACs) admit that the state of the art is "disposible
electronics," designed for obsolescence in a few years....  The chief
designer at Apogee is also a synth enthusiast who appreciates the
longevity of this through-hole, descrete topology design that ROHS
seems to be aiming at ridding the planet of.

We have already seen our Kurzweil 2500s turn into giant doorstops when
the run of LSI chips designed for it ran out.  We will see this with
other devices made with custome LSI technology.  People like Grant
know better than to use this technology (aside from the monumental
initial expense) because it shortens the fixable life of the
instrument when compared to simple opamps and transistors that can be
found most anywahere.

So, the issue is now how to establish a special status for this
stuff...  I know that the US allows digression for art objects - but
getting Wiard products to be listed under art objects will be a
challenge meant for a legal expert, not a musician...! 8~)

gary

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "drmabuce" <drmabuce@...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>  In my day job, i work in the Aerospace Hardware racket and we are
> wrestling with the slippery slopes of Rohs (and WEEE)implementation
> schedules.
>  First off here is a page that outlines a '50,000 foot' overview:
> 
> http://www.newark.com/services/rohs/rohs_facts.html
> 
>  It's more informative in how much it DOESN'T say. IMHO it appears
> that the regulations are still in the 'make it up as we go along
> phase' which means, in hard-nosed practical terms, that customs entry
> points will polarize for a while:
> Some will become lax while the poor overworked and underpaid customs
> officers try to decipher and comprehend the reams of conflicting
> directives. 
> Others are going to take a -'kill 'em all and let god sort 'em out'-
> approach in order to avoid making a mistake (this has happened to my
> company a few times since December.
> 
> Regarding the current USA export policy. My reading of the bulletins
> is that the shipping declaration may, at the sellers option, label a
> shipment as Rohs compliant. If that shipment is inspected at the
> destination and the compliance claim is false the exporter risks being
> put on an import ban list. If the exporter simply declines to indicate
> whether a shipment is compliant the burden of proof is shifted to the
> importer. This varies from nation to nation and the risk is that the
> shipment will be shunted to a lengthy 'pending-inspection' queue. 
> 
> Thus the bottom line is that after July 1 2006, if a shipment is
> declared as electronic equipment, the risk of non-Rohs-compliant gear
> being stopped at the border is high and likely to get higher.
> Exemptions exist (ie for military hardware) and others are being
> discussed for "vintage" equipment but that will be based on the date
> of manufacture, and thus a new Wiard would not qualify. Some of our EU
> customers have been able to successfully appeal customs decisions but
> the process takes time.
> 
> On a personal peeve note: Rohs compliance favors robot-assembled SOIC
> boards over hand-wired PCBs .... at the risk of sounding like a
> luddite (transistors are for babies! Tubes are the only choice for
> Real Men!) Artisanal electronics is truly threatened by this policy.
> The lead-free alernatives touted by the importer nations are all
> designed for the manufacture of disposable appliances (ie cell phones,
> computers & ipods) and they exempt their own militaries because the
> best and the brightest in their own research departments know
> full-well that lead-free alternatives are a decade from being
> equivalent in function and durability. 
> Green technology is a worthy cause and that makes this an authentic
> dilemma. But i think it's a mistake to accept the propaganda being
> circulated that cost is the only reason to resist the current
> lead-free technologies. The alternatives just aren't ready to stand in
> for the old technology yet... not in any device that you hope to use
> 10 years from now.
> i've been a vegetarian for 30 years but there's no getting around the
> fact that a little lard still makes a better pie crust than anything
> else, it takes a just pinch of compromise to make real life work.
> 
> (sorry for the screed)
> -doc 
>  
> 
> 
> --- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "mrboningen"
> <darkflametwentythree@> wrote:
> >
> > i'm still worried too :( what are the new US export policies regarding
> > shipping to japan or europe grant? are you allowed to do it? i
hope so!
> > 
> > best wishes,
> > 
> > gregg
> > 
> > --- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, Ingo Zobel <synaptic_music@> wrote:
> > >
> > > 
> > > as you can imagine i really don't know much about
> > > US export policy, i just have a little panic actually.
> > > i can understand if you don't care about those few modules
> > > going to europe, but you bet that i care about it, because
> > > i'd be one of those buyers. looks like i have to check the
> > > EU import policy in greater detail now.
> > > 
> > > best wishes
> > > 
> > > ingo
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > --- Grant Richter <grichter@> schrieb:
> > > 
> > > > It is the responsibility of the BUYER to comply with local
> > > > regulations.
> > > > 
> > > > Wiard is governed by US export policy, not the import policy
of the
> > > > country of destination.
> > > > 
> > > > --- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, Ingo Zobel <synaptic_music@>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > 
> > > > > hello grant,
> > > > > 
> > > > > so you stopp selling things to your european customers?
> > > > > i don't hope so, because i love your work and i really want
> > > > > to add more of your stuff to my system everytime when you
> > > > > come up with something new. i there a workaround for
> > > > > europeans like me?
> > > > > 
> > > > > best wishes
> > > > > 
> > > > > ingo
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > --- Grant Richter <grichter@> schrieb:
> > > > > 
> > > > > > There are no plans to remove the lead content from any Wiard
> > > > > > electronics.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Wiard modules are museum pieces and are designed using
> "archival"
> > > > > > techniques with the goal 
> > > > > > of having a useful life of 100 years. The use of lead
solder is
> > > > > > intrinsic to this process, since 
> > > > > > the life span of lead solder connections is know from
experience
> > > > to
> > > > > > last this period of time.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > The life span of lead-free solder joints in not know at this
> > > > time.
> > > > > > There is a known failure 
> > > > > > mode in lead-free solder which prevent it's use in
military and
> > > > high
> > > > > > reliability electronics (tin 
> > > > > > whisker growth).
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I can assure you the lifetime ground water lead pollution
of all
> > > > > > Wiard modules ever built does 
> > > > > > not approach 1/1,000,000 the number of lead molecules
leached by
> > > > acid
> > > > > > rain from all the 
> > > > > > leaded glass windows in churches during a single rain storm.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> > > > > > --------------------~--> 
> > > > > > You can search right from your browser? It's easy and it's
> free. 
> > > > See
> > > > > > how.
> > > > > > http://us.click.yahoo.com/_7bhrC/NGxNAA/yQLSAA/QnLolB/TM
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
>