Q Alpha paste flux

[Robert Baer]

Help!
Someone recommended Alpha paste flux #UP-28 500 gram bottle, $84.35 .

Seems nobody carries it; not even found on the Alpha site.
What solder is compatible with this flux?
What cleaner is recommended?

....perhaps some other brand/type?

Thanks

 

[Phil Hobbs]

On 7/14/19 4:01 AM, Robert Baer wrote:

  Help!
  Someone recommended Alpha paste flux #UP-28 500 gram bottle, $84.35 .

  Seems nobody carries it; not even found on the Alpha site.
  What solder is compatible with this flux?
  What cleaner is recommended?

....perhaps some other brand/type?

Thanks

What do you want it for?

I use MG Chemicals 835 RA flux. It's the bomb.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

 

[Steve Wilson]

Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

I use MG Chemicals 835 RA flux. It's the bomb.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

The MG site says

835 - Rosin Flux

835 is a rosin-based liquid flux with moderate activity. It is composed of
pure Water White (WW) grade gum rosin in a unique solvent system with
highly effective activators. Post soldering residues are non-conductive,
non-corrosive, hydroscopic, non-tacky, and fungus resistant.

https://www.mgchemicals.com/products/solder-and-accessories/fluxes/rosin-
flux-835

It is available on Amazon for CDN$ 21.34

https://www.amazon.ca/MG-Chemicals-Liquid-Leaded-Solder/dp/B005DNR01Q

I bought a bottle from a local electronics store on your recommendation. It
did not work.

One Amazon customer found a similar problem:

March 21, 2017

The bottle I received did not look like the product image. It did
not say instant wetting and appeared watered down. Worst of all it
did not work or make soldering easier in any way.

https://www.amazon.ca/product-
reviews/B005DNR01Q/ref=acr_dpproductdetail_text?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Mouser lists it but does not sell it here:

"Shipping Alert:
Mouser does not presently sell this product in your region."

https://www.mouser.ca/ProductDetail/MG-Chemicals/835-P?
qs=OuvZCHmSPC8w5muEW3dzmA%3D%3D

I'm sure if I can find a real bottle, it will work just as you say. I think
the Amazon price may be a bit high. Still looking.

 

I bought a bottle from a local electronics store on your recommendation. It
did not work.

Weird--whod'a thunk that you could make money selling counterfeit tree sap?

I'm still using the litre bottle I bought eight or so years ago. (IIRC from DK or Mouser.)

I also have a 4-litre bottle of Kester RA flux, but stuff has crystallized out of it, so I'd probably have to boil it if I want to use it. The MG stuff has been stable for years. (MG 835 is RA not RMA btw.)

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

 

[Steve Wilson]

pcdhobbs@gmail.com wrote:

I bought a bottle from a local electronics store on your recommendation.
It did not work.

Weird--whod'a thunk that you could make money selling counterfeit tree
sap?

Where would they get the bottles and labels?

I'm still using the litre bottle I bought eight or so years ago. (IIRC
from DK or Mouser.)

That's excellent news. Thanks.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

 

[Steve Wilson]

pcdhobbs@gmail.com wrote:

I bought a bottle from a local electronics store on your recommendation.
It did not work.

Weird--whod'a thunk that you could make money selling counterfeit tree
sap?

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

It doesn't make sense that anyone would try to counterfeit MG Chemicals 835
RA flux. Besides getting bottles and labels, they would have to get it
introduced into the product stream. They couldn't ship large amounts as it
would quickly be detected and traced back to them.

It makes more sense that there was a production problem that allowed
defective bottles to enter the product stream. This means if I order
another bottle, there is a very slim chance I would get a dud.

I also owe an explanation to those who may have read your post but decided
against buying a bottle in case it turned out dud.

I wrote MG Chemicals to ask about the problem. If I get a reply that makes
sense, I'll post here.

Another mystery to track down!

 

[gray_wolf]

On 7/14/2019 3:17 PM, Steve Wilson wrote:> Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:


I use MG Chemicals 835 RA flux. It's the bomb.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

The MG site says

835 - Rosin Flux

835 is a rosin-based liquid flux with moderate activity. It is composed of
pure Water White (WW) grade gum rosin in a unique solvent system with
highly effective activators. Post soldering residues are non-conductive,
non-corrosive, hydroscopic, non-tacky, and fungus resistant.

https://www.mgchemicals.com/products/solder-and-accessories/fluxes/rosin-
flux-835

It is available on Amazon for CDN$ 21.34

https://www.amazon.ca/MG-Chemicals-Liquid-Leaded-Solder/dp/B005DNR01Q

I bought a bottle from a local electronics store on your recommendation. It
did not work.

One Amazon customer found a similar problem:

March 21, 2017

The bottle I received did not look like the product image. It did
not say instant wetting and appeared watered down. Worst of all it
did not work or make soldering easier in any way.

https://www.amazon.ca/product-
reviews/B005DNR01Q/ref=acr_dpproductdetail_text?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Mouser lists it but does not sell it here:

"Shipping Alert:
Mouser does not presently sell this product in your region."

https://www.mouser.ca/ProductDetail/MG-Chemicals/835-P?
qs=OuvZCHmSPC8w5muEW3dzmA%3D%3D

I'm sure if I can find a real bottle, it will work just as you say. I think
the Amazon price may be a bit high. Still looking.

Amazon has been known to sell counterfeit products. There's probably lots of
money to be made selling cheap fakes to big buyers like Amazon. I had problems
with their Frontline Flea repellent for my dogs not working for more than a
week. Caveat emptor you know. I wonder what an independent lab test would cost?

 

[whit3rd]

On Sunday, July 14, 2019 at 11:25:48 PM UTC-7, gray_wolf wrote:

[about activated rosin soldering flux]

Amazon has been known to sell counterfeit products.
... I wonder what an independent lab test would cost?

If you had a sample of the right stuff, that worked, AND a bottle of suspect
replacement, they could work with that. Otherwise, what's the 'standard'
you want them to test to?

You know how to heat solder and inspect a joint? Tthe test you want, then,
doesn't require an independent lab.

 

[Steve Wilson]

Steve Wilson <no@spam.com> wrote:

I wrote MG Chemicals to ask about the problem. If I get a reply that
makes sense, I'll post here.

I got a reply, and it makes sense:

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with this product. It's difficult to
say what has happened in your case or with the other review but it doesn't
seem to be a systemic problem so I don't think there's a processing problem
otherwise we would have received many complaints. If you let me know the
batch number (stamped on the bottle or lid) with the format B#XX XXX I can
check out the retain we have here to see if it might be a batch issue.

 

[gray_wolf]

On 7/15/2019 3:29 AM, whit3rd wrote:

On Sunday, July 14, 2019 at 11:25:48 PM UTC-7, gray_wolf wrote:

[about activated rosin soldering flux]

Amazon has been known to sell counterfeit products.
... I wonder what an independent lab test would cost?

If you had a sample of the right stuff, that worked, AND a bottle of suspect
replacement, they could work with that. Otherwise, what's the 'standard'
you want them to test to?

You know how to heat solder and inspect a joint? The test you want, then,
doesn't require an independent lab.

True. Good points! All my soldering was a small production/custom thing that I
had no problems with. Tri-Chlor was the solvent of the day. Never had a problem.
I did run into a board leakage problem once on a low density PCB between the
first and second stage of a high impedance guitar/violin j-fet preamp. Rin was
1.5 M. Adding a ground trace between them stopped that. How much of a problem is
that with today's tight spacing? My main gripes with counterfeits was with my
dogs flea meds. But it could be anything. Counterfeit goods is a billion $
industry these days. Back in the '40s my mom a nice Singer sewing machine.
Probably prewar. Worked good. She found out years later that it was a Japanese
fake.

 

On Monday, 15 July 2019 07:25:48 UTC+1, gray_wolf wrote:

On 7/14/2019 3:17 PM, Steve Wilson wrote:> Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:


I use MG Chemicals 835 RA flux. It's the bomb.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

The MG site says

835 - Rosin Flux

835 is a rosin-based liquid flux with moderate activity. It is composed of
pure Water White (WW) grade gum rosin in a unique solvent system with
highly effective activators. Post soldering residues are non-conductive,
non-corrosive, hydroscopic, non-tacky, and fungus resistant.

https://www.mgchemicals.com/products/solder-and-accessories/fluxes/rosin-
flux-835

It is available on Amazon for CDN$ 21.34

https://www.amazon.ca/MG-Chemicals-Liquid-Leaded-Solder/dp/B005DNR01Q

I bought a bottle from a local electronics store on your recommendation. It
did not work.

One Amazon customer found a similar problem:

March 21, 2017

The bottle I received did not look like the product image. It did
not say instant wetting and appeared watered down. Worst of all it
did not work or make soldering easier in any way.

https://www.amazon.ca/product-
reviews/B005DNR01Q/ref=acr_dpproductdetail_text?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Mouser lists it but does not sell it here:

"Shipping Alert:
Mouser does not presently sell this product in your region."

https://www.mouser.ca/ProductDetail/MG-Chemicals/835-P?
qs=OuvZCHmSPC8w5muEW3dzmA%3D%3D

I'm sure if I can find a real bottle, it will work just as you say. I think
the Amazon price may be a bit high. Still looking.

Amazon has been known to sell counterfeit products. There's probably lots of
money to be made selling cheap fakes to big buyers like Amazon. I had problems
with their Frontline Flea repellent for my dogs not working for more than a
week. Caveat emptor you know. I wonder what an independent lab test would cost?

Fleas have become resistant to Frontline. Advantage is the no 1 recommendation now, and they are taking advantage of that with their pricing.


NT