Gold plated surfaces are tricky to solder. They are excellent to get wetting and a superior solder job, but gold is a metal that will dissolve in solder as well as many other metals. That is why platers use a nickel flash over copper to plate gold that won't dissolve into the copper. In space applications this is a problem over time and in weightless environments. OK so what this means to you is if you play with the solder too long or prolong applying heat, the gold may actually dissolve somewhat exposing a less desirable surface. You need to work hot and fast with good solder. Personally, I prefer 60/40 over 63/37 eutectic solder because it provides a little temperature range between solidus and liquidus, commonly referred to a paste stage that relaxes the dexterity of the operator a little. You do have to hold the parts steady a little longer as it cools so you don't fracture the alloy while it cools. For this reason some ops may prefer the 63/37. The thickness of gold varies depending on application. 50 u inch is often used on connector pins for lubrication in the contact zone, so you will likely have 50 u inch in the solder cup - unless they are VERY expensive connectors. For corrosion resistance and solder wetting, 15 u inch is usually adequate... JSTD 001D Class 3. . .are you planning on launching it (couldn't help myself there ;p) Of course, now you'll need to regale us with some fine photos. 73 es hop to work u soon AL, WA6VNN
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