Highland Ham wrote:
60/40 solder is no longer officially sold in the UK

Yes, it is - by the suppliers already quoted and many more.

The main reason is to support the continued use of tin/lead solder for
repairs to existing tin/lead soldered equipment. This also ensures a
continuing supply for home construction, which is specifically excluded
from the RoHS regulations:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/faq_weee.pdf
(see question 1.15).

An amateur constructor is only *required* to use lead-free solder when
repairing a product that was put on the market after July 2006, and was
therefore 'born lead-free'.

The only significant UK electronics distributor that doesn't sell
regular tin/lead solder is Maplin. That is because they jumped to
conclusions without reading the regulations, and still haven't realised.


--

73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

The main reason is to support the continued use of tin/lead solder for
repairs to existing tin/lead soldered equipment. This also ensures a
continuing supply for home construction, which is specifically excluded
from the RoHS regulations:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/faq_weee.pdf
(see question 1.15).

An amateur constructor is only *required* to use lead-free solder when
repairing a product that was put on the market after July 2006, and was
therefore 'born lead-free'.
=========
Does the above mean that all CE labeled equipment put on market after
July 2006 has been constructed with Lead free solder ? Also for example
equipment from outside the EU , like American made TenTec equipment (now
CE approved), because it would be a requirement for CE labeling , or has
this type of labeling nothing to do with actual construction methods ?

The only significant UK electronics distributor that doesn't sell
regular tin/lead solder is Maplin. That is because they jumped to
conclusions without reading the regulations, and still haven't realised.
=============
Tnx Ian ,very useful to know.

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

" =========
Does the above mean that all CE labeled equipment put on market after July
2006 has been constructed with Lead free solder ? Also for example
equipment from outside the EU , like American made TenTec equipment (now
CE approved), because it would be a requirement for CE labeling , or has
this type of labeling nothing to do with actual construction methods ?

Yes, in order to put the CE mark on equipment it must meet all of the EU
requirements for that type of product.

Jeff

Highland Ham wrote:
The main reason is to support the continued use of tin/lead solder for
repairs to existing tin/lead soldered equipment. This also ensures a
continuing supply for home construction, which is specifically
excluded from the RoHS regulations:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/faq_weee.pdf
(see question 1.15).
An amateur constructor is only *required* to use lead-free solder
when repairing a product that was put on the market after July 2006,
and was therefore 'born lead-free'.
=========
Does the above mean that all CE labeled equipment put on market after
July 2006 has been constructed with Lead free solder ?

What we can say is that all equipment put on the market in the EU since
July 2006 *should* contain no lead or any of the other banned substances
(eg hexavalent chromium used for metal passivation).

The CE label attests that the product meets all relevant standards, but
I don't know absolutely for certain if that now includes RoHS
compliance. (We might imagine it would be, or should be - but that can
often be a trap. The only thing that counts is what the regulations
actually DO SAY.)


Also for example equipment from outside the EU , like American made
TenTec equipment (now CE approved), because it would be a requirement
for CE labeling , or has this type of labeling nothing to do with
actual construction methods ?

As I said, I'm not sure. You'd have to ask the manufacturer.

(Officially there is no such category as "CE approved" - it's another
one of those imagined things.)


--

73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

Thanks to all for the many replies

Cheers,

Nick

"Does the above mean that all CE labeled equipment put on market after
July 2006 has been constructed with Lead free solder ?

What we can say is that all equipment put on the market in the EU since
July 2006 *should* contain no lead or any of the other banned substances
(eg hexavalent chromium used for metal passivation).

The CE label attests that the product meets all relevant standards, but I
don't know absolutely for certain if that now includes RoHS compliance.
(We might imagine it would be, or should be - but that can often be a
trap. The only thing that counts is what the regulations actually DO SAY.)


Also for example equipment from outside the EU , like American made TenTec
equipment (now CE approved), because it would be a requirement for CE
labeling , or has this type of labeling nothing to do with actual
construction methods ?

As I said, I'm not sure. You'd have to ask the manufacturer.

(Officially there is no such category as "CE approved" - it's another one
of those imagined things.)


Our club certainly had to wait for the delivery of a Kantronics tnc whist
they re-worked it to meet RoHS, before they could CE mark it and get it into
the EU.

73
Jeff