9 Nov
2011
9 Nov
'11
2:50 p.m.
On 9 Nov 2011 at 14:57, David Riley wrote:
Agreed. We only worked with RoHS because so many of
our customers
have to see internationally. What RoHS mostly targets, I thought, was
the folks who just toss broken or outdated electronics in the trash
(which, let's face it, is probably most of the people we know because
no one has ever told them otherwise).
By the time it's ready to be permanently retired, I'll probably have
re-soldered every joint in my 90's Volvo "Turbobrick". First it was
the relays (bad joints on the small PCBs inside of them), then the
radio, then the dashboard instrument PCB. All nicely lead-free and
given to turning any joint into an open or intermittent circuit.
On the Turbobrick forum, there are a few guys who resolder all of the
relay PCBs when they acquire a car.
What worries me more, actually, is the mandate to get
rid of
incandescent bulbs before a suitable alternative that's not pumped
full of mercury gas is available. I like CFLs as a light source
(well, some of them, anyway), but I've yet to meet anyone else who
doesn't just throw them in the bin when they're dead.
White LED lamps seem to have about the same phosphor lifetime as
regular fluorescent lamps. I have some LED nightlights in my halls
and I've observed that the output is slowly declining as they age.
Given the initial cost of LED incandescent replacements, I'm a bit
skeptical about the useful life claims being made.
Around here, a lot of the big box stores are offering a credit
(usually $5) toward exchanging a string of incandescent Christmas
tree lights for the LED variety. Horrible, flickering harsh things.
--Chuck