Vactrols Gone?

[pucho812]

Not sure hoe ROSH is applied outside of europe. For us it's much easier just to do everything rosh compliant as much as possible.  Although in the U.S. you still can use the leaded stuff.

 

[gyraf]

As far as I know, ROHS applies (in some indirect way) to California as well. And it's intended/expected to gradually widen coverage on to global status at some point.

this company claims to supply the pro audio market:
http://lunainc.com/market/pro-audio/

Yes, but notice that they claim ROHS compatibility for everything BUT their photoresistor range..

Harsh-use photo-Rs were in a metal can with a glass window. If you can get (or make) such packaging today, and put the clear-dip-coat photo-R inside, will it pass the sharp knife test?

Sadly no, the legal wording is something like "mechanically separable" meaning anything you can rip apart in any way - only really excluding alloys.

Some say that you can't  use ldr's, others say that a tiny % of the design can have none rosh stuff. For example you can't sell an LDR in europe if it is none rosh but you can use  a none rosh in a design.

There really are no unclear lines here (unless you wish there to be) - limit says 0.1% Cd in whatever part you can separate a component into mechanically. And no longer an exemption for LDR's for audio, which EXPLICITLY prevents circumventing by claiming incompetence and trying to file under another exemption (like e.g. the  for contact materials in high-voltage switches)

It would be interesting to read official statements of the bigger manufactures still using them (Avalon, Manley, Millenia Media).
My guess is they either don't know, or don't care.

In AES/Paris this summer I asked each and every manufacturer that I could find. The people from industry whom I discussed this with (more than 20 total) had following three pieces of advice, in order of popularity:

1: Pretend nothing changed. Ignore the problem away.

2: Claim ignorance. Make claim for exemption that you know is wrong, like calling the opto "a high-voltage switch".

3: Lie about it. Who's gonna check anyway...?

In Paris, I also talked to a guy from AES's technical committee about this (can't remember his name now) - he was completely unaware of the problem.

So the whole industry is trying to ignore the problem away - and this was why I decided to start designing the G24 passive/Agressive CadmiumBeast, in order to stir up the soup a bit and get some reaction to this.

Basically, I really don't think it's fair to pull the plug on an entire "flavor" of audio processing like this.



Jakob E.

 

[[silent:arts]]

Thanks for your detailed explanation Jakob.

 

[Lee_M]

this company claims to supply the pro audio market:

http://lunainc.com/market/pro-audio/

Digikey seems to have a few of their optocouplers in stock, Nice prices too.

http://www.digikey.com/products/en/isolators/special-purpose/905?k=&pkeyword=&v=209&FV=ffe00389&mnonly=0&newproducts=0&ColumnSort=0&page=1&quantity=0&ptm=0&fid=0&pageSize=25

 

[husky]

That is only because you haven't been caught yet.  And if you are caught, you won't like the fines, they are very severe.
They do have point and shoot meters that will identify the cadmium, lead etc.
Vactrols are NOT Rohs and havent been for years, end of story.  It forced me to redesign all my amplifiers and other designs.
Marshall and Boogie are also not using vactrols anymore for the same reason, an exemption was discussed for years but eventually shot down.
Vactrols can only be used in a permanent installation like a studio desk.

I hear different interpretations on rohs and what it means from different people...
Like most government paperwork it's hard to follow.  From my experience we have yet to run into an issue with our optical compressor designs. we are using vtl5c1's across the line  and have yet to have any issues with stuff going across the pond and points beyond in Europe.

Could it be that this is due to designs that would have been grandfathered in, i.e. old designs? We try to be as rosh compliment as possible but we still use  the above mentioned vtl5c1 ldr's

Having talked with various engineers I get the impression that  anyone from the U.S. is not real clear as to what the law states other then use lead free solder and lead free components. 

Some say that you can't  use ldr's, others say that a tiny % of the design can have none rosh stuff. For example you can't sell an LDR in europe if it is none rosh but you can use  a none rosh in a design.

I have no idea what it really is supposed to be, can't say it's been a problem as of yet but you never know.

 

[husky]

Europe is only a small part of the world market. I believe I am right in saying that ROHS does not apply outside Europe.  Farnell certainly has large stocks of CdS optocouplers and this company claims to supply the pro audio market:

http://lunainc.com/market/pro-audio/

Cheers

Ian

No that isn't correct, it isn't just EU
http://2016.export.gov/europeanunion/weeerohs/weeerohscountry-by-country/index.asp
There are also similar restrictions around the world including Asia

 

[ruffrecords]

No that isn't correct, it isn't just EU
http://2016.export.gov/europeanunion/weeerohs/weeerohscountry-by-country/index.asp
There are also similar restrictions around the world including Asia

That link only lists European countries. Did you post the wrong link?

Cheers

Ian

 

[husky]

That link only lists European countries. Did you post the wrong link?

Cheers

Ian

It says there that  Croatia, Norway, and Switzerland are not part of the EU
There is also this
http://blog.actio.net/regulatory-updates/rohs-and-rohs-esque-regulations/