It's 63% tin and 37% lead, but it's probably not worth worrying about.
Better to acheive a good join with any old solder, than a poor one with designer stuff.
I'm afraid i don't know what audio grade solder is.
To be fair though, some solders are nicer to use than others. So you are bound to get some recommendations.
Better to acheive a good join with any old solder, than a poor one with designer stuff.
I'm afraid i don't know what audio grade solder is.
To be fair though, some solders are nicer to use than others. So you are bound to get some recommendations.
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Regular solder with a high price tag and a story.
I'd recommend Kester 44, Ersin Multicore, or (heaven help me) Radio Shack silver-bearing. Really, any "name" brand non-audiophile solder will work fine, some slightly better than others in some applications.
60/40 is the composition of the solder. Normally the default meaning is the Tin/Lead content in a percentage, or with the chemical symbols and the percentage if otherwise. So added together it should be 100, meaning 62/66 does not exist.
Nowadays I'm using Sn95Ag4Cu1 from Stannol. It's leadfree and silver based, so you can use it on almost anything including plating containing silver and it's almost the same as 'exotic' solders while costing much, much less (Mundorf is 95.5%Sn/0.7%Cu/3.8%AgAu (AgAu=99%Silver1%Gold)). Very easy to use, good flow. Very strong joins.
I agree that for anything not requiring silver content you could use much cheaper solders like Sn99Cu1. I would avoid lead based solders, but for DIY it's an obvious choice as you probably have some lying around and even if you don't it's still a little cheaper (but not that much).
Nowadays I'm using Sn95Ag4Cu1 from Stannol. It's leadfree and silver based, so you can use it on almost anything including plating containing silver and it's almost the same as 'exotic' solders while costing much, much less (Mundorf is 95.5%Sn/0.7%Cu/3.8%AgAu (AgAu=99%Silver1%Gold)). Very easy to use, good flow. Very strong joins.
I agree that for anything not requiring silver content you could use much cheaper solders like Sn99Cu1. I would avoid lead based solders, but for DIY it's an obvious choice as you probably have some lying around and even if you don't it's still a little cheaper (but not that much).
I'd love to see any double-blind tests where anyone can "hear" the difference between lead/tin and silver/gold solder. LMFAO, I'm pretty certain that you would need incredibly precise equipment to see any difference whatsoever (and I mean reading thousandths of an ohm).
Electrons probably don't care too much how much you paid for your solder when they're flowing through it.
The only real downside with lead is it's toxicity AFAIK
Electrons probably don't care too much how much you paid for your solder when they're flowing through it.
The only real downside with lead is it's toxicity AFAIK
Silver improves fusion characteristics better wet wires insure higher quality joints (any joints not just electric wires soldering). Just order WBT 250g (better Pb free since it is not healthy to touch) and Cardas flux once it will last forever for DIY projects.
I would say good soldering station is a way more expensive instrument to purchase.
I would say good soldering station is a way more expensive instrument to purchase.
My simple recommendation is not to get caught up in any audiophile hype about solder.
The quote above is exactly correct.
A good joint is the BEST audio joint. Simple as that!
As for getting rid of Lead in solder, let me put it this way.
The MoD in the UK does NOT allow use of Lead free solder as the joints produced with it are not considered good enough for military use.
Sandy
rg....
lead free solder requires special fluxes to work correctly, and cleaning of rest fluxes may be a problem, if you don't have the right stuff, particularly if your PCB have been laying around for some time, and a slight oxide layer. 60/40 or 63/37 ( meaning the tin/lead ratio ) is perfectly OK, and as SY says - the addition of 2% silver in the mix is OK if you deal with silver or silvered parts.
I've been into prototyping / service /repair for 35 years now, and we have tried several of the "modern" soldes at work - and we just don't fancy any of them! And the little arsenal we have now of different flux mixes, sprays etc. really does not solve some of the problems. Modern solders seemingly works best with production soldering machines - although that remains to be proven as times rolls on.
BTW - the toxity of the lead involved has very little impact if you don't chew on the solder - or really love to inhale the fumes..
lead free solder requires special fluxes to work correctly, and cleaning of rest fluxes may be a problem, if you don't have the right stuff, particularly if your PCB have been laying around for some time, and a slight oxide layer. 60/40 or 63/37 ( meaning the tin/lead ratio ) is perfectly OK, and as SY says - the addition of 2% silver in the mix is OK if you deal with silver or silvered parts.
I've been into prototyping / service /repair for 35 years now, and we have tried several of the "modern" soldes at work - and we just don't fancy any of them! And the little arsenal we have now of different flux mixes, sprays etc. really does not solve some of the problems. Modern solders seemingly works best with production soldering machines - although that remains to be proven as times rolls on.
BTW - the toxity of the lead involved has very little impact if you don't chew on the solder - or really love to inhale the fumes..
Flux can go bad, so if it seems like it's not wetting properly then that's probably the case.
1mm is a little larger than I like to use for most parts. I prefer 0.022" (0.56mm) on most stuff and 0.032" (0.8mm) on larger things like connectors.
Pb free solder has higher temperature melting point should be adjusted on a soldering station.
Personally I feel big difference using WBT 4% silver solder, it is a real pleasure to work with (I am still using the one that contains Pb however I cannot recommend it officially nowadays) in compare to old solders silver free.
Silver in the solder does not targeted silver parts/wires it improves fusion characteristics. 4% silver in the solder could not affect the sound, just make it easier to work with.
Вy the way a pure copper electric resistance is only 5% more then pure silver at room temperature, not a major differеnece I would say, they are almost equal.
Personally I feel big difference using WBT 4% silver solder, it is a real pleasure to work with (I am still using the one that contains Pb however I cannot recommend it officially nowadays) in compare to old solders silver free.
Silver in the solder does not targeted silver parts/wires it improves fusion characteristics. 4% silver in the solder could not affect the sound, just make it easier to work with.
Вy the way a pure copper electric resistance is only 5% more then pure silver at room temperature, not a major differеnece I would say, they are almost equal.
It's all pretty simple, but I do get confused about your solder. Is it 60/40 or 40/60? 40/60 is a common type, but isn't recommended for electrical use.
Silver:
If you're working with parts that contain silver you really should use a solder containing silver. If you don't, silver particles will tend to dissolve in the solder during soldering. Especially when working on a silver plated part this is bad, as the plating can come loose. Too much silver in the solder is bad too, as the joint will become weaker. Anything above 4% should be avoided.
Lead:
Lead should not be used professionally. As a rule lead solder is only allowed in life saving equipment and in essential defense communication equipment that otherwise would not be able to function reliably (meaning they're built using older non-ROHS components, which often is the case). Years ago working lead-free was a pain in the .... as indeed the solders often were meant for industrial use, but by now any professional should be able to solder lead-free without problems.
BTW Audio brands tend to overcharge their customers, WBT is no exception. It's roughly 3-4 times the cost of Stannol.
Silver:
If you're working with parts that contain silver you really should use a solder containing silver. If you don't, silver particles will tend to dissolve in the solder during soldering. Especially when working on a silver plated part this is bad, as the plating can come loose. Too much silver in the solder is bad too, as the joint will become weaker. Anything above 4% should be avoided.
Lead:
Lead should not be used professionally. As a rule lead solder is only allowed in life saving equipment and in essential defense communication equipment that otherwise would not be able to function reliably (meaning they're built using older non-ROHS components, which often is the case). Years ago working lead-free was a pain in the .... as indeed the solders often were meant for industrial use, but by now any professional should be able to solder lead-free without problems.
BTW Audio brands tend to overcharge their customers, WBT is no exception. It's roughly 3-4 times the cost of Stannol.
Oh the irony considering the reason why lead is banned.
I find myself using 60/40 more than the lead-free silver-included solder I have lying around simply because the joints of the 60/40 looks more silvery. And if it looks good I can tell people it sounds good, right?
Getting harder to find 60/40 nowadays...
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