tegendemuur
Well-known member
Right? RIGHT? 
Y'all only use tantalums 'cause they look good on a board.
- Thread starter tegendemuur
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Mentaltossflycoon
Well-known member
Bricksnbeatles
Member known well
Yeah, the whole conflict mineral aspect of tantalum keeps my from actively buying them if I can help it. No ethical consumption and all that, and I’m sure there’s all sorts of hidden cruelty in other aspects of the hobby, but if I can avoid (to the greatest extent that one can be) being knowingly complicit in the funding of wars, genocides, and slave trades, then I will.
I’ll certainly use scavenged tantalums, but knowing what tantalum mining is responsible for, I don’t feel comfortable buying them new. I read recently that Kemet is a conflict-free tantalum capacitor manufacturer as they source all of their tantalum from mines they own in the US… anyone know if that’s accurate/up to date?
I’ll certainly use scavenged tantalums, but knowing what tantalum mining is responsible for, I don’t feel comfortable buying them new. I read recently that Kemet is a conflict-free tantalum capacitor manufacturer as they source all of their tantalum from mines they own in the US… anyone know if that’s accurate/up to date?
joeyd
Well-known member
I read dancing in the glory of monsters a couple years ago, which is a book about the DRC. It did its best to parse out the modern history of the region. One of the things that stuck with me was the extremely complicated relationship between resource extraction, violence, and poverty. One of the authors conclusions was that cutting off companies that mine for something like cobalt could have disastrous implications for communities that have achieved a degree of stability relying on that extraction, even if the price is pretty horrendous working conditions, after a century of slavery, foreign intervention, civil war, and a catastrophic refugee crisis.
I'm not saying that buying tantalum capacitors is actually the best thing you can do. Just that the ethical implications aren't simple to parse.
I'm not saying that buying tantalum capacitors is actually the best thing you can do. Just that the ethical implications aren't simple to parse.
Guardians of the analog
Papi Fuego
Me buying more tantalum caps to help fund the destabilization of under developed countries and atrocities in these regions
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
Well this is a ten year old article, power seems to change hands every 30 months or so in the region. Also hard to say if even a new source of the required materials could exist by now...... I'm not exactly well versed in mining logistics.
fwiw I have never used one. But from the article I read a few days ago, everyone on the planet has unknowingly bought products from China produced by slave labor.
Dear gawd.....
Nostradoomus
Well-known member
Nostradoomus
Well-known member
Just fyi that was an “everything sucks” post not a “don’t feel guilt about using tantalum caps” kinda dig. I hear you.
Mentaltossflycoon
Well-known member
I did a presentation and big ass paper on international labor practices in college over 20 years ago and somehow these things still surprise me occasionally.Well this is a ten year old article, power seems to change hands every 30 months or so in the region. Also hard to say if even a new source of the required materials could exist by now...... I'm not exactly well versed in mining logistics.
fwiw I have never used one. But from the article I read a few days ago, everyone on the planet has unknowingly bought products from China produced by slave labor.
Dear gawd.....
Guess why I almost never eat chocolate anymore.
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
Oh I don't think I want to know, love my Guittard signature chocolate with caramel overtones....
If it's child labor, most of those countries only have paid education for kids. If Dad picks chocolate, the kids do too and will their whole life....
jessenator
Well-known member
I honestly only heard about this whole controversy today. Sounds awful.
I've heard from my vintage computer cohorts that niobium-based caps are a perfectly acceptable alternative for longevity/stability—though now I question even those, given my exposure today 
what a h*cked up world we live in. We used tants to re-cap old motherboards, but not sure of property differences; if they're good or bad in analogue audio circuits. I do know their specs and values aren't as diverse as tantalum, so that might be a limiting factor. Not even sure if they have thru-hole…
But, just throwing that out there.
edit: yeah, okay, they're just SMD… h*ck
what a h*cked up world we live in. We used tants to re-cap old motherboards, but not sure of property differences; if they're good or bad in analogue audio circuits. I do know their specs and values aren't as diverse as tantalum, so that might be a limiting factor. Not even sure if they have thru-hole…But, just throwing that out there.
edit: yeah, okay, they're just SMD… h*ck
Nostradoomus
Well-known member
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
A TEN POUND chocolate bar. I've been baking since I was a child and have been buying 10 pound guittard bars since the 70's when they were available at Trader Joe's (no longer available there).
It chops up fairly easily and is vastly cheaper than buying chocolate chips. Better too. BTW, white "chocolate" chips contain no chocolate. It's palm kernel oil. So I buy the guittard white chocolate.
Nostradoomus
Well-known member
Okay I didn't see the 10lb part so I was kinda pissed off anyone would buy a 60 dollar chocolate bar at first hahaha
