Subj : Re: Homebrew antenna questions
To   : alt.ham-radio.vhf-uhf
From : Ralph Mowery
Date : Fri Sep 30 2005 12:45:34

From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.vhf-uhf



> A seemingly silly question comes to mind.  When soldering the 1/2 in
> copper pipe together, should I use plumbers solder or electronics
> solder?  I'm guessing electronic solder.
>
> Carl

In this case it will not mater.  You just need to clean the paste off the
pipe when finished.  The differance are two things.  The plumbers solder
used to be a mix of 50 % lead and tin (lead is less expensive than tin).
Now it is something that is lead free.  The electronic solder is 60 % tin
and 40 % lead (may find some 63, 37% that is even beter).  This lets it melt
at a lower temperature and also has a shorter 'plastic' state as it cools.
The other is the flux.  Electronic solder is usually rosen flux and the
plumbers flux is acid flux.  The rosen will not absorbe moisture from the
air like the acid and over a period of time eat away at the circuit or cause
short circuits on a printed circuit board.

YOu may find some of the newer solders that do not have any lead in them and
also some special solders that have silver or other materials in them.
There is a big push to eliminate the lead in the world.  I have not looked
at the newer solder as I have plenty of the old standby.

OH, one more differance in the solders is that usually the electronic solder
has the flux in a hollow core of the solder and the plumbers is just the
tin/lead and no flux.  YOu have to put the flux on the pipe before you heat
it.

.