More TBHS soldering fail - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2017, 02:53:07 pm
content: Wow. 12:12: flood the pins with solderso as to transfer more heat to the part…And are those 0805 resistors on pads for 0603 or 0402?https://youtu.be/9jhw9n2gJ2Y

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2017, 12:09:50 am
content: Well to be fair, he did say at the beginning that he was going to "Sod 'er up" and he did properly sod up most of the soldering.Quote from: tooki on October 27, 2017, 02:53:07 pmI got interested in electronics just as transistors were becoming the hobbyist's normal component to work with as opposed to vacuum tubes. There were articles in the magazines for the old hands to get them up to speed on construction techniques for these newfangled fragile components that required you to trade in your old 'fire stick' soldering iron for a new cooler 15W one so as not to damage them by transferring too much heat to them. Perhaps Mr. Heck is a tube enthusiast and older than he looks?On a more serious note, it's a bit of a shame that Element 14 are promoting such amateurish stuff.

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2017, 12:26:36 am
content: Looks like the typical drag technique to me. Looks like people are looking for a reason to hate.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2017, 12:46:40 am
content: Quote from: eugenenine on October 30, 2017, 12:26:36 amNothing like typical drag technique, he deliberately bridged all the pins with a massive excess of solder and then took the excess off with solder wick. Good technique is, just enough solder and just enough heat, no more of either than is necessary.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2017, 01:09:12 am
content: Quote from: eugenenine on October 30, 2017, 12:26:36 amDitto what Cerebus said: this isn’t drag soldering, it’s just a mess. It’s not “hating”, by the way, it’s calling someone out on legitimately terrible technique. Someone whose technique is so bad shouldn’t be doing tutorials. (BH does many things well, or at least OK, but his soldering is consistently atrocious.)

author: bitwelder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2017, 05:47:50 am
content: Quote from: Cerebus on October 30, 2017, 12:09:50 amMaybe in a few weeks they will have a 'feedback' episode where they will admit it was a little sloppy work and show how much better results you can get if you buy <expensive soldering station from E14>

author: vk2amv
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 30, 2017, 09:48:29 am
content: Ouch.I am not the best solderer at times myself, but that was painful for even me to watch.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2017, 10:02:18 am
content: Might Mr Heck be showing what your average kit builder is easily capable of if only they were shown how? Watch a decent tech do precision soldering and you'd be forgiven for thinking you need many hundreds worth of JBC kit. Here, he shows that it's perfectly possible to use a five quid thing from Aldi/Lidl, and I bet more amateurs are more likely to give this a go than if they'd just watched one of those HP films.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2017, 05:08:19 am
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on October 30, 2017, 10:02:18 amUhhh what? He's not using an Aldi light-dimmer-heat-stick thingie, he's using a Weller. He's proving that good tools don't overcome poor skills!Generally speaking, Ben Heck has really great tools, far above his skill set. (I do admire his creativity and overall systems engineering knack.)

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2017, 08:55:14 am
content: QuoteIs it? Looks pretty generic and unloved to meBut I'll go with you on that and ask what the Weller brings to the party that the Lidl stick wouldn't, in practical terms? The tip isn't SMD-specific albeit a little less fat that a plumber might use.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2017, 09:36:13 am
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on October 31, 2017, 08:55:14 amHis Weller base station is readily visible (I mean, they're turquoise…). From this and other of his videos, I believe it's a WESD51:http://www.weller-toolsus.com/soldering/systems/wes-series/weller-wesd51-soldering-station-digital-50w-120v-eta.htmlIt does look unloved — but that seems to be how Wellers look after a few years. They last forever, but they look grungy pretty fast. But yeah, that tip needs to be replaced or cleaned, seriously…That Weller is true temperature-controlled, whereas the Lidl ones are merely power-controllable. So the Lidl lets you reduce the power to the heater manually, while the Weller lets you set a temperature, and it will maintain it, which is FAR better.Have you not watched any of the EEVblog soldering videos, or even better, the ones from Pace Worldwide (old, but awesome)? That'll give you a lot of the basic knowledge on this subject.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2017, 12:52:47 pm
content: QuoteI was just looking at the stick.QuoteSure, but that's not actually relevant for splashing blobs on SMD chips, is it? So long as the stuff is molten and isn't evaporating, the job's a good 'un.QuoteI've seen some (typically stuff like the Pace) but not the EEVBlog ones - after actually doing it for 30 years, basics videos get pretty boring quite quickly.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2017, 01:23:48 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on October 31, 2017, 05:08:19 amIt doesn't really seem to matter it's a Weller, it's a pretty hefty iron for the type of work he's doing. A much more subtle iron or tip would be suitable.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2017, 04:48:59 pm
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on October 31, 2017, 12:52:47 pmI take it then, that you've never looked at the acceptable soldering time versus temperature graphs that appear near the end of many SMD component data sheets?Among other parameters they will specify a maximum lead temperature and a maximum 'time within 5C from peak temperature'. For maximum lead temperature a figure in the low to mid 200 C range is not untypical; randomly flipping through a few data sheets I get 260C as the highest quoted maximum lead temperature (for lead free parts, parts designed for Pb processes are typically lower). Typical times for the 'maximum time within 5C from peak temperature' are 10-30 seconds - I've never seen lower than 10 quoted and I don't believe I've ever seen a figure greater than 30 seconds.Damage from soldering heat is cumulative. Most SMD parts are rated to take 3 reflow cycles, go over that, or solder at too high a temperature for too long and you can expect to see failures. Moreover, you may not see frank failures from overheating parts, you may just see reduced performance or failure to meet published specifications.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 31, 2017, 07:44:22 pm
content: I just watched the video. I would have thought that as much as he solders, he would do a better job. I agree with Tooki--He's proving that good tools don't overcome poor skills! I don't solder a million joints a year but I certainly solder better than that.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 10:52:02 am
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on October 31, 2017, 12:52:47 pmAbsolutely not. For starters, you shouldn't be "splashing blobs" anywhere, which was kinda my whole point in creating this thread: his technique is abhorrent.Quote from: Mr. Scram on October 31, 2017, 01:23:48 pmWell, while I do hate conical tips, the actual size of the tip is fine for drag soldering. But of course, what he did is neither drag soldering nor "classic" soldering. (German has a great saying for things like this: "Weder Fisch noch Fleisch!" — 'neither fish nor meat')Quote from: GreyWoolfe on October 31, 2017, 07:44:22 pmThe thing is, I almost feel bad calling him out on it, insofar as he's got great ideas and creativity, and unlike me, usually sees his stuff through to fruition (whereas I get hung up on some detail and don't finish until everything is perfect). And he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Also, his wire routing on perfboard is truly a thing of beauty, if you ignore his giant "Hershey Kisses" solder blobs.But at the same time, he shouldn't be teaching such bad techniques to novices. They have no way of knowing that his soldering technique can damage chips, or that mains AC on a breadboard or veroboard is insanely dangerous. I wish he would limit himself to the things he's good at, and simply not address the things he's not good at.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 04:03:57 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on November 01, 2017, 10:52:02 amThe standard English version of that phrase is "neither fish nor fowl" which nicely keeps the alliteration and is at least medieval in origin.Quote from: tooki on November 01, 2017, 10:52:02 amThe problem here is amateurism. Many years ago, in a midnight Kaffeeklatsch, a friend and I came up with a classification of amateurism and professionalism (for subjects that can both be hobbies and paying occupations) that, in retrospect, has stood the test of time and I offer here for your consideration.Amateur amateursPeople who do what they do for the love of it, but lack skills and training that mark the product of their work apart from true professionals. They may produce good work, but it lacks subtle features that mark it apart from the work of a true professional. In our endeavours that often comes down to things like fit and finish, soldering quality and so on the mechanical side of things and temperature stability, insensitivity to component values, EMC compliance and so on the design side of things. What they lack in training and experience they often make up for in enthusiasm.Amateur professionalsPeople who do what they do for pay, but turn out work no better than, and often worse than the amateur amateurs. They often turn out work that 'could be better' and also turn out work that is plain wrong or dangerous despite supposedly having the necessary training and experience. This category also includes amateur amateurs who have started taking money for their work, or even started a career as a professional based on their amateur experiences without fully grasping the limits of their knowledge and experience. People from either route of entry are dangerous, even if only to the reputation of the final two classes. The class most likely to fall back on an argument from authority: "I went to MIT", "I"ve been doing this twenty years", "They gave me a seat in the House of Lords because I'm so good*".The worst boss you ever had was probably one of these, and indeed, the original discussion that lead to this set of classifications started with discussing my then boss who had "Twenty five years experience"; unfortunately all that experience was a year of the same experiences, repeated twenty five times in succession.A discussion of this class wouldn't be complete without the obligatory reference to theDunning–Kruger effect**.Professional amateursPeople who do what they do for the love of it, are often self taught, but turn out work that meets and frequently exceeds the standards one would expect of a professional. Most people would have great difficulty telling the work of a professional amateur from a true professional. The biggest fault of this class can be aiming for a perfect result as compared to an 'engineered' result.Professional professionalsPeople who do what they do for pay, and produce work that fully meets the standards of their profession. Sometimes their work will fall short of the standards of the professional amateur, but that is because they know when to stop to achieve a job good enough for the brief or budget.*Yes, I'm looking at you Martha Lane Fox.**I'll just point out that we discussed exactly that effect in the conversation that lead to this homily at least twenty years before Dunning and Kruger put their names to it and somewhere in the Usenet archives is a summary like this one written in the mid 90s by the other party to the original conversation. I'm not going to accuse Dunning or Kruger of plagiarism, but perhaps a name change is in order.

author: pix3l
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 04:16:21 pm
content: Yes he really knows how NOT to solder:https://youtu.be/FO9CHjdqBr8

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 05:03:49 pm
content: Quote from: Mr. Scram on October 31, 2017, 01:23:48 pmFrankly I would do much better job even with 10mm chisel tip and without any solder wick. Actually oversized tip usually is not a problem unless you solder something really tiny. For example, I occasionally use 2.4 mm chisel tip to solder 0603 parts if I don't want to bother with changing the tip. If flux residues are cleaned afterwards, there won't be noticeable difference compared to factory made reflow soldering.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 05:19:24 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on November 01, 2017, 04:03:57 pmThis sounds a lot like the stages of competence and seems to have a large overlap.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_stages_of_competence

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 06:34:01 pm
content: QuoteMy, y'all do like jumping to assumptions. I know full well how soldering issupposedto happen, but this is NOT about what I know or do. It is about what HE does and shows. Did he look like he is maintaining standards with that iron? Is the beginner that copies him going to? Of course not! Splash it, clean up, done.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 06:55:44 pm
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 01, 2017, 06:34:01 pmI can further take it that you don't know what a question mark is. In a rhetorical question it's there to indicate that the question's statement is open to correction.Quote from: Cerebus on October 31, 2017, 04:48:59 pmAnd you're not doing a very good job of communicating that you do know how it's supposed to be done. Here's what you said, in its entirety:Quote from: dunkemhigh on October 31, 2017, 12:52:47 pmIf you choose to display apparent ignorance, then it's a little unfair to rebuke people for taking you at your word. Would you prefer that we treat you as a man who can't be taken at his word? I suspect not.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 08:26:24 pm
content: QuoteThere you go again. That's a statement of your belief rather than an unsure query.But, if you insist... I take it that you're a trolling windbag.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 08:39:01 pm
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 01, 2017, 08:26:24 pmYes, that was the, I think quite clear, intent.Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 01, 2017, 08:26:24 pmMethinks the lady doth protest too much, and is going to be roundly ignored from this point on. It's pretty clear that you're just looking for a fight.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 08:42:16 pm
content: Play nice, lads.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 09:29:11 pm
content: QuoteYou know, a principled person wouldn't attempt to have the last word before metaphorically sticking their fingers in their ears and going "LALALALALALALA". It's often interesting, and instructive, how various people do this

author: Neomys Sapiens
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 10:14:51 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on October 31, 2017, 09:36:13 amHey! My oldest Weller is a EC2000 from '85 and it doesn't look pristine but ok. Also the original LR21, whose Grip is blank and the barrel a bit worn, but it is a spare now. Such things happen always and happen early with toolsoilers.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 10:34:16 pm
content: Is the old married couple done with theiryet? No? Well then I'll show you how not to use a soldering iron!Lobs a large solder gun at dunkemhigh's headStabs cerebus with a hot conical tipThere, now that those two are dealt with, let's continue with how not to solder.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2017, 11:54:36 pm
content: Quote from: Cyberdragon on November 01, 2017, 10:34:16 pmThat is hardly helpful young man. Now go to your room until you have learned how to behave in company.Seriously, I'm quite happy to ignore him. Throwing insults at both parties is hardly helpful, and in the real world is the quickest way to get your head kicked in, just ask any copper who's been to a 'domestic'.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 05:26:05 am
content: Quote from: Cerebus on November 01, 2017, 04:03:57 pmThank you!! You know, that even sounds vaguely familiar, now that you say it!!! (My literary English is somewhat weak, since I went to high school here in Switzerland, at a normal Swiss school, so I didn’t ever have proper adult English literature, it was all German. Being an avid nerd, I did, and still do, tons of technical reading in my free time, though, in both English and German, so my technical writing is excellent.)Quote from: Cerebus on November 01, 2017, 04:03:57 pmI love it!!! Totally agree with it.Quote from: Cerebus on November 01, 2017, 04:03:57 pmI can think of another famous public servant whose actual skills are nowhere near where they need to be, nor anywhere near as good as he thinks they are... I weep for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.Quote from: Cerebus on November 01, 2017, 04:03:57 pmHeheheheh. Of course, Dunning and Kruger really just systematically confirmed and then wrote in a proper academic fashion what everyone (well, except the objects of the effect) has always known: stupid people are too stupid to know how stupid they are!Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 01, 2017, 06:34:01 pmWe make sound conclusions based on what we know about you. What we know about you comes from what you write. (It does not come from what’s in your head. We aren’t telepathic.)Your writing sounded as though you thought Heck’s method was sound. At no point was it clear you were being sarcastic. That’s on you, not us.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 06:57:04 am
content: QuoteNo doubt because I wasn't being sarcastic.QuoteNeither did I say it was sound.What Ididsuggest was:QuoteOK, 'average' should possibly have been 'n00b' but if you couldn't get the gist despite that I think reading comprehension is probably more the culprit than writing. But, just to be clear, I spelled it out explicitly too:QuoteIn no way does that imply that his soldering is any good. In fact, it implies it is not (otherwise it wouldn't be beginner-like, would it).Here we go again: cue the "It's a Weller not Aldi" pedants. Mea culpa, etc. It wasthat, the bloody iron pedantry, that caused the lengthy thread - if y'all had only sussed 'Aldi' == shorthand for 'inappropriately big and messy' perhaps there wouldn't have been much discussion at all.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 01:33:59 pm
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 02, 2017, 06:57:04 amIn which case youwerebeing serious about endorsing his method, and in that case, you don't know what you're talking about."But I didn't say that!!" you cry. Except that that's a lie.Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 02, 2017, 06:57:04 amYes, you did:Quote from: dunkemhigh on October 31, 2017, 12:52:47 pmYour words, not ours.Don't try to gaslight us, making us out to be crazies when in fact we replied toyour words as written. This is all on you.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 05:58:12 pm
content: QuoteSorry to be blunt, but you are talking complete bollocks.QuoteAye?QuoteLet me guess you are not a native English-speaker? You've never heard that expression, or a close likeness, before? If so then I will forgive you your slander.QuoteYou what? Iama born English-speaker, but that's a new one on me!

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 10:38:11 pm
content: Define "English", and all of its official and slang variants, spanning a huge cultural range.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 07:43:03 am
content: Thank you, Mr Scram, for giving an almost perfect demonstration of why threads like this escalate in the way they do. You know very well what was meant, and also know that it is a commonly understoodand usedphrase. But despite that you chose to act the pedant in order to start another argument.

author: hamster_nz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 07:55:09 am
content: I am English and speak English, and 'Gaslightng' is very much a USA expression - it comes from a movie. Something to do with manipulating somebody to doubt their own sanity by denying something happened.It's a bit like how Americans don't understand irony. "It's like rain on your wedding day", but only if you are a weather forcaster....

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 08:04:00 am
content: QuoteThanks very much for the explanation. I figured out the gist just from context, but it's good to know the detail

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 08:32:11 am
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 03, 2017, 07:43:03 amI don't know why you're so belligerent. I just indicated that the English language is spoken in many parts of the world, with many different local and not so local variants that might not be familiar to others, even if they're native speakers. As if to prove the point made, the not quite unknown word gaslighting is apparently not familiar to you, despite it being well known enough to have its own Wikipedia page. Of course, we're also quite familiar with Dave's Australianisms, which often confound people who are otherwise well familiar with the English language.Threads tend to escalte if you lash out at everyone who dares to tread close.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 10:01:19 am
content: Since your reply is so polite I will treat it at face value and apologise for going off on one at you.I accept that there are many dialects and variations, but 'English' is usually taken to mean the Queen's language as detailed by the OED. For something else it would be explicit: American English as detailed by Miriam Webster, for instance, except where some basic element is common. The particular phrase I used probably wouldn't be known away from England, though.QuoteWhen you are slandered in a public forum, you may reflect on that question and know the answer.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 11:51:53 am
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 02, 2017, 05:58:12 pmEnglish is my mother tongue, though I am at near-native fluency in German, Swiss German, and Spanish. (I’m American with a very international background.) I actually worked as a technical writer and translator (in and into English, respectively), and my mom is an English teacher, so I’m pretty confident on my own English skills. That said, there are British sayings I’m unfamiliar with. What does this one mean, exactly, then?

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 01:55:17 pm
content: Quote from: hamster_nz on November 03, 2017, 07:55:09 amAlanis is Canadian, thank you very much

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 07:46:54 pm
content: QuoteAmazingly,wiktionarythe Urban Dictionary gives as good an explanation as I could:Midland exclamation at an unexpectedly good outcome of a bad situationIn this thread, I was noting that despite Heck's apparently atrocious soldering skills, the end result (a working board) was achieved.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 07:58:00 pm
content: As a non-native English speaker I will add that assuming someone understands your slang expression or a cultural reference "because it is English" is really foolish.Assumed nationality aside, it also assumes a certain cultural background which simply may not be there - we didn't grow up in the same environment, we aren't watching the same movies and we often don't have the same cultural norms even if we speak the (supposedly) same language.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 08:07:09 pm
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 03, 2017, 10:01:19 amFWIW, your claim that “English = British English if not otherwise specified” is something I’ve heard countless British people say, but the remaining English-speaking world disagrees, as does the field of linguistics (which was my minor in university). Basically, when discussing a language with multiple major dialects, e.g. English or Spanish, then when you say [language name] without any qualifier, you mean generally for that language, regardless of dialect — the common basis, if you will. So for example, it’s totally correct to say “in English, the word for ‘3’ is ‘three’”, because it applies fully to all major dialects. In contrast, it woulldn’t really be correct to say “in English, the word for the storage compartment is called the boot”, because that’s not universally true.Obviously, there’s no clear delineation for all situations, insofar as the existence of exceptions in minor dialects don’t violate the rules as such. (A linguist being precise might say, for example, that “in standard English, the plural of ‘you’ is ‘you’”, acknowledging that “y’all”, “youse”, “you’uns”, etc exist in various regional dialects, but aren’t considered officially correct.)Anyway, to make a long story short, it’s best to say which dialect of English you mean, because depending on who you ask, “English” alone won’t necessarily be understood as what you think it means.Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 03, 2017, 07:46:54 pmThanks for the explanation! Idefinitelydon’t know most British regionalisms!Indeed, it’s kinda miraculous that any of Heck’s soldered builds work. I have to imagine that many components suffer subtle damage that may affect their performance or longevity, despite working initially.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 08:15:35 pm
content: QuoteYes, hence why I questioned whether he was a native speaker to here, England. However, the expression seems to be more localised than I thought.Nevertheless, the context of my post was in the demonstration that a lack of soldering skills isn't a showstopper (and seeing this encourages begineers). So the 'job' in this context is not the soldering per se but the working board at the end. Understandingthatis surely basic English comprehension - a reason why it might not be appreciated, perhaps, is if someone jumped in mid-thread and commented on only that expression, ignoring the context surrounding it.IMO, anyway

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 08:16:19 pm
content: What was this thread about again?

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 08:17:22 pm
content: QuoteYes, accepted.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 08:29:32 pm
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on November 03, 2017, 08:15:35 pmIs it? I think it’s equally valid to understand the “job” as thetask, not theworkpiece. But that’s neither here nor there. (Indeed, since we were talking about his technique as such, I interpreted “job” to mean that, not the workpiece. Nobody was disputing that the thing worked nonetheless!)Anyway, it’s not obvious at the surface level of the expression that it’sacknowledgingthe badness of the situation, so it sounds like it’s endorsing it. So while it might not have seemed like sarcasm to you, it came across that way to me, because without knowing the hidden meaning of the phrase, itissarcastic!

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 08:36:10 pm
content: QuoteOK. I will bear that in mind in future.

author: kalel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 08:44:14 pm
content: Someone mentioned tools, so I would like to voice my slightly off topic thoughts as a beginner that would probably fail at soldering all of those SMD parts properly (through hole is much more beginner friendly). I always like to see tutorials that mention how to do something that works with the cheapest gear available, rather than the more expensive perfection (expensive both tool-wise and experience wise) left to professionals. The point of the cheap gear is accessibility for beginners, which is different from professional/commercial work.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 09:10:31 pm
content: Yes, through-hole is absolutely the way to approach soldering as a beginner, before attempting surface mount assembly.It's one of the unfortunate consequences of today's high levels of integration that many projects have no practical through-hole form.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 09:32:59 pm
content: Quote from: kalel on November 03, 2017, 08:44:14 pmOh, I absolutely agree. But in this case, it wasn't someone doing poor work with cheap tools; this was someone doing poor work with excellent tools!