for all you "potheads" out there.... ;)

pinkjimiphoton · October 13, 2011, 09:08:50 AM

http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/workshop/puzzler/puzzler11.html?sp_rid=MjM4MTI3MTYwNDgS1&sp_mid=3701283

long live forrest mims!!

Skruffyhound · October 13, 2011, 12:43:03 PM

Interesting role reversal, back in our reality it's the photoresistors that are being phased out by ROHS, possibly by the end of this year if manufacturers don't beg for more time again.

Quackzed · October 13, 2011, 01:24:36 PM

the morley 'pvo' volume pedal uses this trick!

deadastronaut · October 13, 2011, 01:31:15 PM

yep and morley wahs...

harmonic · October 13, 2011, 01:34:03 PM

Quote from: Quackzed on October 13, 2011, 01:24:36 PM
the morley 'pvo' volume pedal uses this trick!

Yup, was just going to post this same thing.

nexekho · October 13, 2011, 01:36:02 PM

I believe Behringer's wah does too.

pinkjimiphoton · October 13, 2011, 02:11:03 PM

digitech multieffects do too.

Quackzed · October 13, 2011, 04:03:35 PM

its better than a pot for a few reasons imho, no pot to wear out, scratch etc... as well as offering a way to alter response or taper.
on the downside its a mechanical headache to diy, but gutting a morely to make something isnt unreasonable...

nexekho · October 13, 2011, 04:42:30 PM

There is another way. Diffuse the LED through some paper and mount one or the other onto the treadle. Would have a similar effect without requiring a precision cut right?

Could a magnet and hall effect sensor be used? I know you can get ones with a "linear" response but I've never looked into it.

DavenPaget · October 13, 2011, 05:23:39 PM

Well , Marshall has applied successfully for a exemption .
More Manufacturers will eventually follow suit , i just hope for a RoHS initiative decision overturn just so we can continue using CdS photoresistors , they rock .

deadastronaut · October 14, 2011, 03:22:17 AM

as you all probably know

, i made a little circuit that gradually lights the led as it gets darker...sort of reversed led/ldr combo...ive used it a lot...and its really smooth..

in fact i made 2...one has a sensitivity pot on it......please dont discontinue ldr's...i love em...

http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/chickpea/darklight2.jpg.html

Skruffyhound · October 14, 2011, 03:48:49 AM

Marshall has just got to the end of the year as far as I know.

deadastronaut · October 14, 2011, 03:57:54 AM

enlighten me, why are they being phazed out?....some environmental blah perhaps?..

Skruffyhound · October 14, 2011, 03:59:23 AM

Cadmium

deadastronaut · October 14, 2011, 04:02:23 AM

thanks: isn't that in batteries too though...Ni-Cad ?...i would think they are more popular than ldr's.. $:-\$

Skruffyhound · October 14, 2011, 04:22:40 AM

They have immunity for now, also batteries for cordless drills etc. It's all a bit silly really. The amount of lead in solder compared to the lead in car exhaust fumes etc.. The fractions of a gram of cadmium in an LDR compared to all those batteries as you say. In principle, I agree with legislating to get rid of toxic chemicals, but the ROHS regs look like a bunch of vicars sat down with a list of "bad" chemicals and a Mouser catalogue. There doesn't seem to be any balance in it either inside the electronics world or in relation to the world in general. Still they probably mean well. If they had the power to do it I'd like to see them regulating the reclamation of used electronics, probably have more effect.
LED's will probably be next, what with all that gallium arsenide in them.... oh no! Rob, not your precious lights! Don't worry, they'll have to find a replacement first and LED tech is booming.

deadastronaut · October 14, 2011, 04:35:52 AM

yeah does seem silly....like you say there's plenty of other stuff they could look at...'green' energy saving light bulbs come to mind

don't take my little lights at the end of the tunnel away.....

Skruffyhound · October 14, 2011, 04:59:31 AM

Yeah, they are full of nasty stuff, now there are millions of them and no-one knows where they will end up.

DavenPaget · October 14, 2011, 06:22:24 AM

I'd rather them phase out the CFL's , that contains mercury

Anyway they are quite stupid , how in the world would you easily get access to a LED innards ? have they seen one before ?
still , that doesn't stop manufacturers from producing non-RoHS products , if they haven't applied for RoHS .
Good news . Just like 60/40 solder , they have phased them out , but it won't stop .

earthtonesaudio · October 14, 2011, 07:04:09 AM

I'm sure you could extract the harmful chemicals from all of our benign, inert components by simply using a highly energy- and labor-intensive chemical and mechanical process. Then after you went to all that work to get the harmful chemicals out you could gather up several kg of the stuff (which would require perhaps all the LEDs produced over the past 5 years) and deposit it into someone's goldfish bowl and it would have ill effects to the parasitic fungi that live on the goldfish's scales.

All I can say is thank goodness RoHS is looking out for those parasitic fungi.

News:

for all you "potheads" out there.... ;)