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Soldered Joints !
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    Posted: 21 Jan 2008 at 7:43am
My technical abilities are poor, so please bear with me.
 
My second ( dining room system ) has Mission 780 speakers. Recently on one the bass/midrange driver stopped working. An electronics engineer told me to check the soldered joints. I took apart and found the soldered joints were really green and manky.
 
I tried in my limited way to clean up the joint interfaces but could not achieve a good soldered joint. Ended up with nothing to work with. I have ordered a replacement unit ( not really expensive at £32.32 ) . The electronics engineer informed that this is common, especially with French units !
 
( I had no way of checking if it was the soldered joints or dead drive unit ).
 
My question is ..Why? Is it poor solder? Poor application? What? 
 
Regards, Adrian.
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Points: 16314 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Graham Slee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2008 at 9:23am
If it was of recent manufacture, for example since July 2006, and being European, it would have had to use Lead-free solder. All Lead-free solders require greater operator skill, often beyond that of the average production line worker. Obviously, this is assuming a poor soldered joint.

I did warn about Lead-free solder problems between 2004 and the start of the European RoHS legislation, but it was a one man campaign while everybody else in the industry seemed to bury their heads in the sand.

Because of our early start on RoHS, we were able to perfect the art of manufacturing without Lead.Hug
That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2008 at 9:45am
Hi Graham,
 
Year of manufacture would be around 2002. The electronic engineer seemed to think it was a fairly common ( with French ? ) problem. So presumably this would be with solder with lead in !
 
The joints were really gross, green, white powdery etc.
 
He has pointed out that it won't be long before I replace the other drive unit Confused
 
Adrian.
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Points: 53 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote leo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2008 at 1:58pm
I have repaired two pairs of speakers made by Mission, both suffering from intermittent bass.
Close inspection of the bass units revealed the copper braiding at one end of the pigtails had corroded,  possibly caused by the acid in the flux

Have a close look at the pigtails endsWink


Edited by leo - 21 Jan 2008 at 2:00pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2008 at 3:36pm
Hi Leo,
 
I did try that Confused but in trying to clean up the "pigtail" ends and trying to resolder, I ran out of pigtail. If you see what I meanCry
 
I solder joints about once every 10 years so am pretty crap at it Dead
 
But the joints were pretty corroded at each end of the pigtail ( I hope the pigtail is the wire from the centre to the tags on the outer edge)
 
Regards, Adrian.
 
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Points: 53 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote leo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2008 at 4:12pm
If your desperate, make yer own pigtails mateWink   you heard of desolder braid/wick?  it works quite well as pigtails, just be sure its not cut too long and no chance of shorting out on anything as its not enamel coated
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2008 at 10:23pm
Have taken the easy route, ordered and now fitted a new drive unit. Cost £32.00 inclusive of P&P and the dreaded VAT !
 
Comparing new with old, revealed just how corroded the joints and pigtails were on the old drive unitConfused.
 
If I am reading the code correctly looks like the new one was made in 2005, so will still have lead in it ???
 
So dining room system now burning in a new drive unit as well as the SOLO still burning in, in the loungeBig%20smile 
 
Adrian.
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