Random prototype LED "thing" (surface mount)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.พ. 2019
- This is one of those spontaneous projects that just happened. I wanted to try a surface mount project with a new micro USB connector I'd ordered, and this illuminated coaster type thing is the result.
I chose to use 1206 surface mount components because they are a reasonable size to solder with an ordinary iron bit. It's actually quite straightforward to put together, although I did mess up a couple of solder joints slightly by not heating the component and pad simultaneously. But it was an easy fix to reflow them and a valuable lesson in proper surface mount soldering technique.
I like the way the light shines through from below, so I may consider getting some PCBs made with no solder resist and a black screen print for the logo. I've not decided the colours yet.
Here's a link to the connectors I bought from aliexpress.
www.aliexpress.com/item/100pc...
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of TH-cam's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I used to use 1206 parts too. But recently my doctor told me not to lift too heavy stuff. So I'm going with 0603 and 0402. :)
I used to hand solder SMDs a lot and became very good at it. Then I found solder paste and a hot air rework station and never looked back.
Watching the paste flow and seeing the meniscus pull the SMDs into position is fascinating.
It does look quite satisfying. Maybe one day I'll follow that route. I did reflow some of the resistors on the first prototype with my hot air pen to see them slide into position.
What you need is a temperature controlled hotplate. I made one from a £10 cooking hotplate, an £13 eBay temperature controller and a 4mm thick square of aluminium.
For smaller boards, and smaller chips, it works a treat. Just don't try doing a 144-pin QFP with it :-)
One day, I may even put up a video on doing it.
@@bigclivedotcom If you want to try reflow soldering, you don't need hot air station right now. If you have a board with one side populated and the other side completely flat, you may use electric iron. Fix the electric iron upside down (i.e. in vice), then lay the board at iron, turn it on and watch.
I am a rework technician and use rework machines. And watching the solder melt is satisfying every time... haha. Especially watching the BGA's reflow and sink lol
The closest I got to that was when I had to get a lot of heat into a large PCB with a lot of copper. It was shunting the heat away and nothing was melting. Eventually I put an iron in a vice and used the hot sole of the iron to heat it up. Worked fine but I'd be interested in making a proper one. Do a video and let us know.
I love Clive's prototype boards. They remind me of the boards you might find in a 1970s Neve console.
Its got to be PINK solder resist!
Pink with *sparkles* would be excellent.
Can you make silk screen from glitter hot glue?
If Clive put the wrong grade of petrol into his car, would that make the engine pink?
You should try soldering the LEDs in upside down so they shine directly through the board...
Half Million CONGRATS B.C.
Should be a million!
@@comm744 fully agree!
@@comm744 It's better this way, since the community feels more connected. But I'm sure Clive wouldn't mind one of those Golden Play Buttons.
@@comm744 - Soon i suspect ;)
It was the introduction of symmetrical screen printed Clive that did it. Anyone else thinking we’ve found a new presenter?
Back around 1980 or so, my buddy and I both built what we called an "ATMCTU". Anything The Mind Can Think Up. Basically a randomly-arranged array of different-coloured LEDs, each driven by a gate-based flasher circuit, with slightly different values, producing a kind of random flasher effect. We had originally seen something like that at a modern art gallery, but based on Neon flashers. I don't know where mine went. It was built on perf-board, hand-wired, etc, etc.
I warm the PCB, then spread flux over the surface of the PCB, then a hot air gun and fin solder runs along the tracks like they are running after coil bars, lol. A quick wipe and Viola! You are ready to lay down components. Been doing this for the past forty years and never a fail.
If you want to find Clive in the airport in winter, watch out for the guy in shorts and t-shirt.
Yeah. He's the tall one. ;)
Incomplete description. He'll be the one fitting that description that's also disassembling something not meant to be taken apart, with his poundland screwdriver.
(how does his last so long btw? Mine started rusting after a few months :( )
@@simaorodrigues6285 rapid troubleshooting and repair skills is sometimes useful in
airport.
Once I had a few hours layother I spent about 5 min fixing a plug next to were I was sitting.
found out a few moments later I ended up with probably the only working plug in the terminal due to the shear amount of people homing in on that plug!
If you want to find him in general, just go to this address, it's highly likely you will find him there.
32 Strand Street, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 2EN, Great Britain
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz It don't think, this information should be here.
The whole issue with those voting for Brexit and the issue with it's impending implementation is that people have been grossly miss informed about what it actually is. Probably the silliest aspect of it is that if the UK is in a position to leave and have that not have major implications it must have also been in a position to negotiate just about any terms it wants as being part of the EU. Issues like immigration which was Brexit voters primary reason will be barely affected by EU withdrawal. Issues like customs enforcement become more incumbent upon the UK while issues like the European single market which deserve legitimate scrutinize was always negotiable by the UK because their economy is enormous.
It was a silly thing to have a "leave or remain" vote, since that "leave" option was a bag full of cats no one was certain about anyway. It was brilliantly done by Brexiteers and pretty much fumbled by every Remainer politician (i.e. most in power) and msot of the media. Setting aside the obvious xenophobic reasons many people voted to leave, some wanted a Norwegian/Swiss style deal when voting leave (without having to pay as much as those countries), some wanted out of the EU in all ways and take power into their own hands again (those who think that Britain is still an empire), some voted leave just to slap the ruling politicians, without believing that "leave" would actually get the majority. So of those 52%, I'm sure you get 10 different answers about what "leave" meant to them. But instead of acknowledging the flawed premise of the vote (and the illegal (?) tampering by outside groups), UK politicians and Mrs. May in particular are going full steam ahead, trying to slam their head through a wall. I'm wondering what will "remain" of the UK in 5 or 10 years time, with the friction between the members already evident years ago now becoming more pronounced (Scotland and Northern Ireland in particular).
@@Gigator "It was brilliantly done by Brexiteers and pretty much fumbled by every Remainer politician (i.e. most in power)" This is an excellent point and a reminder that the new wave of populism around the world typically is a factor of the hubris of those currently in power. Further populism needs a focus and an educated base.
Leavers will oppose May even if that conflicts with their prior stated goals. Ultimately Leavers evaluate "something" changing in politics as better than nothing at all.
48 components fitted in one video, no whinging and not a bit of Bluetac in sight, a pleasure to watch.
I would encourage anyone who has been reluctant to work with surface mount to give it a try. With just a small amount of practice, it's not hard at all. It's actually easier than through-hole in some ways. I have shaky hands and lousy eyesight, but if I keep my hands on the table and use a magnifier, I can deal with components down to 0603 and ICs with 0.4mm pin pitch. I won't say _anyone_ can do it, but if I can, your odds are pretty good.
Congrats, Clive, on taking the surface mount plunge, and on the 500K subs!
Long time lurker here, congratulations on 500k Clive!! Thoroughly deserved!! Thank you for keeping us edutained and inspired 👍🏻
Love these videos when Clive is just building stuff. Nice and relaxing
Fabulous that you have popularised making & learning about the tech of our age in some such an eccentric & loveable way. Thanks for sharing!
The day I run out of 60/40 solder, and can no longer get it, is the day my soldering iron will become forever cold. Great channel Big Clive.
Tip from mikeselectricstuff:
Put the components on a sheet of paper and tap the paper once you've used all the rightside up parts and the upside down ones will flip over
I'll give that a go.
@@bigclivedotcom Here's that video in question: v=pdGSFc7VjBE
@@Okurka. I don't trust YT's overly sensitive censorship bots.
@@Anvilshock They don't censor links to themselves. Using those links gives them one more go at providing you with an ad.
@Undefined Lastname For really tiny parts (0201) I use CA glue to attach a small screwdriver blade as a handle. Soldering makes the glue brittle, I just break away the blade after soldering.
"the carpet is full of surface mount components" - suddenly 'Honey i shrunk the kids' popped into my head, what a remake based on Clive's carpet would tell lol,,,
And so Clive's carpet became self aware, started it's own channel and called itself...SKYNET... Then a terminator travels back in time to kill Clive and stop the rise of the carpets, only to be foiled by a dry solder joint rendering him useless... Clive then uses the terminator as a coffee table with warm white up lighters, and lives happily ever after...
Have you read Terry Pratchett's 'carpet people'. .?
Clive, I look forward to every one of your videos. You have a really varied content, yet all is very interesting. I enjoy watching you build cheap kids, and new designs of your own. The best part is your commentary and your stories told during those kit assemblies. We all learn from your experiences.
I use to love making PCB's when I was a technician in a school. I used to make up the design in a program by Adobe. I then printed it on a postscript laser printer to a clear film. Then exposing the boards to a bright light on presensitised PCB board. Then a quick wash and an etch.
I still come back to your site Clive.
To me it's fascination and meditation in one.
Congratulations on half a billion subscribers, Clive ;)
A "billion"? I know the UK uses the short scale, I didn't expect it to be THAT short, hahaha!
Thanks. Half a billion would make the comments section unmanageable. At 500K it's still got a personal touch.
I'm not sure we use the short scale here in the UK - the Americans certainly do. Anyhoo, Hi Mr Ilett, fancy meeting you here :)
@@lloydgarland4667 If you aren't regularly using the terms milliard, billiard, and trilliard, and if every step from million to billion to trillion and so on only adds three zeros instead of six, then congratulations, you're using the short scale.
500,000 (500k) is half a MILLION not half a BILLION! The world is full of morons!
Congrats from your friends, my family and me, from across the pond on the 500k!
lol
i'd buy this as a kit, but then i'd have to buy a soldering iron too. to be honest i mostly watch these just to listen to clive's soothing voice (and to have my opinions about the proper temperature of rooms reaffirmed).
I popped into our local Poundland as a result of your 'recommendation' of their powerbank. It's excellent to run my H1 as it stays alive even with a minimal current draw.
I'm not sure about on the Isle of Man but certainly in mainland UK 60/40 leaded solder is still widely available to the Hobbyist. The Range stock it (2x17g tubes for £1.49 or 1x100g reel for £8.99).
With regard to solder mask, consider leaving a gap around each LED and then any colour will shine through - see Brian Lough's PCB3 video as an example of this technique in action.
All the suppliers with exception of Rapid are selling. Just checked with JPR Electronics, Farnell, RS Components and there are still selling it as is CPC.
Shame because Rapid was probably one of the best value for money out there.
It's really not up to Chinese sellers to give HMRC (or any other country's customs) "their cut of VAT". In fact, Chinese sellers _can't_ charge British / EU VAT to begin with. It's up to customs to intercept the packages, determine the applicable taxes (generally based on declared value - but they can open them), and charge those to the buyer. Even if the declared value is fake, they'll go after the buyer, not the seller (because they can make the buyer pay a fine; they have no jurisdiction over someone in China).
I think HMRC are trying to get the VAT added at source.
Unless the seller is in the UK, they can't. That's what customs is for - to apply local taxes to stuff coming from abroad (whose seller is not subject to the UK's tax legislation).
Yes, they can definitely get eBay / PayPal to do it, assuming eBay is registered in the UK (and since they have a .co.uk site, they probably are). But that wouldn't lead to "targetting" individual sellers. Sellers outside the EU have neither the responsibility nor the right to charge EU taxes.
False customs declarations are from the seller, not the buyer.
Lost count of the amount of jiffy bags I got from China that were marked as 'gifts'.
Also, a lot of these suppliers have warehouses in the UK and they're not charging VAT. A legit UK supplier hasn't got a chance in hell of competing with them.
In UK consumer sales tax (VAT) is invoiced at source, so down to tax dodgers like amizone who register outside of UK to avoid many tax issues, along with Non Dom registered multi millionaires. All a bit of a mess.
Congratulations Big Clive! Well done for the passing the 1/2 Million mark - you worked for it; you made it; YOU DESERVE IT.
Thank you for all you do.
Stopped ten minutes in to go order some ceramic tweezers. Didn’t know these existed. Thanks, Clive! 👍
The two dead LED's are because you soldered the resistors on backwards... ;)
And upside down...
...making leptons walk long way around ;)
@Martin Pickard You have the best comment on this whole page!
Altogether now: "how did the electron get on the bus?"
@@MarkTillotson don't talk about quantum mechanics on here haha.
I've been working with 0201 sized bits. Not fun! Good tweezers are a major plus. I'll be looking into those ceramic beasties.. And I wish I could use lead solder, but not for product. My own messing, yes! We have various products, some using 70's tech, some using DSPs, ST and PIC micros and so on. So quite a variety. Thru-hole parts thru to teensy SMDs. I have Clive-style paws and am 60+. But manage... Sure is nice tho, using parts that don't all disappear if you sneeze. Thanks for a fun ramble and a useful lead. Keep on Clivin'! Enjoy, Stu
Good GOD! I shall never moan about 0402 ever again. (I will though)
01005s are great so have a little fun with that🙄😉 we use tweezers with 0.10mm tips
You can still get leaded in the UK depending on whos still stocking/sitting on it😉
@@edgeeffect And, as one of the other comments mentioned, there's smaller out there. Just hoping that the engineers don't decide that smaller is even better. As it is, I had 3 caps to replace, so I cut off a tape of 10. First 2 pinged off into space. Ended up with 4 left. May never find the others... Always grab several spares..:)
@@TinkerbatTech a magnet cam help you recover a lot of them (my workbench is edged in magnetic tape so if something does ping they usually catch it...including screws) but yeah I've been working on mobile phones & the likes for a good few years 7+ so i find it just as easy to do 01005 as doing a 5050 package its just down to the tools and equipment & PRACTICE really
Well done, Clive! You hit the half-million mark!
I always thoroughly enjoy your videos and commentary. You’re funny and educational, and I really like the, “let’s be smart about it, but let’s bang a good thing together and refine it rather than eternally-plan a great thing.”
I love watching your videos while Soldering!!!
"Our biggest export these days is fraud". Upvoted.
Even though I disagree with you about Europe. Projections say it'll cost us far more money to leave than to remain. That, to me, doesn't sound like a helpful move.
I've seen one of the darker sides. Bulk immigration-agency workers being exploited for minimum wage and the British workers they replaced losing their homes. There's a huge difference between visiting the UK to work temporarily and living in bulk shared accomodation, and actually living here and having to pay a mortgage and the upkeep of a family. A lot of skilled British workers have been pushed out of their trades. It's strange. The media never mentions that.
@@bigclivedotcom It seems that big money are using this tactic to devalue the workers so they can enhance the profit margins and return us to the days of ruling class over serf class.
@@bigclivedotcom Social dumping is definitely a huge issue that has to be tackled in the EU long term. It is infuriating to see this kind of exploitation of workers anywhere :(
Keeping companies accountable for their labor practices is absolutely required going forward. Putting pressure on companies with shit practices is also something the consumer can affect a bit. I sure as hell would not do business with a company that ran these kinds of bulk-accomodation systems. They can sod riiiight off.
bigclivedotcom
If you consider that the same small group own the media and the companies that deal in desperate foreign - and domestic - workers, it isn’t surprising that it isn’t reported. The UK is as corrupt as any ‘banana republic’, in reality.
@@bigclivedotcom Wait until conservatives, freed from EU "socialism" strip all worker protections, NHS and all other benefits and see the same skilled British workers working the same jobs for half the previous pay and be happy about being able to work at all.
Pre-EU Britain is basically pre-WW2 Brittain - much smaller, much less wealthy with no extensive supply chain manufacturing facilities spanning the single market that will now be snipped by borders. Businesses are already deciding - can we make this thing *just* in UK or *just* in EU (without UK) and later case is true more often than not, and for that case it is cheaper and more predictable long term to just move a factory or two out of UK and make the product entirely within EU single market and never have to deal with borders, tariffs and delays. Multiple such moves have already happened and many more will follow.
Nice to see the 500k..........
I'm trying to imagine this coaster with rainbow LED's. That must look really trippy in the dark!
I work monday-thursday, 10 hour days. It's really nice getting a consistent 3 day weekend, and we also get a good number of paid vacations as well. I work in a factory, where we make handmade snowboards. It's super awesome.
What about building it with a super capacitor and inductive charging so you can encase it resin and it will be a water tight coaster for drinks. And I mention a super cap so the lithium battery wouldn't have to be used and sealed in.
Yes! and with a thermistor that only lets the leds light when its hot enough from a brew! hmm and red leds when its hot and blue when it cools down! :)
@Dave Micolichek Awesome! Send us one if you make a few! :)
Chinese have intercepted this conversation and probably available at bang good.
@Dave Micolichek doesn't have to be in a coaster. Indicator should be embedded in glass itself, and should send information that glass is in need of refill wirelessly. Akmmm... The fact that something can be done, doesn't necessarily imply that it should be done. Because one day you may find out that there's a machine which drinks your beer for you...
@Dave Micolichek well, who said that glass has to be made out of glass? Actually, I meant a joke at first, but suddenly there is interesting vision in my mind of a working, flashing, and colours changing circuit embedded in transparent pmma or polycarbonate glass. Could be interesting to watch inner workings of cleverly designed circuit. I can imagine number of ways it could be realised. Including extreme version with invisible tracks. With those super tiny LED's it could be made to be a display screen. It could show different things depending on the level of fluid. Range of possibilities. From simple to hi-tech. By the way, I just imagined how it could be made out of real glass to give proper tactile impression. Ok. Stop the frenzy. Cheers!
Congratulations on half a million subsribers. I think SMD stuff is best left to those braver than me. I'll sit and watch and feel envious of Clives ability.
It is much easier than it looks here.. Use solder paste and heat gun, even a very sharp soldering iron tip can do it but you have to use paste.
Nonsense. Try and try again. Clive muddles through OK but unless your hands are tree stumps you should be able to surpass his ability in no time.
No disrespect meant to Clive. He's just got gorilla hands.
Clive there’s a reason you see me looking through a scope in my picture. Even those little things are so nice to solder under it.
Watching Big Clive work on a project is a lot like watching Bob Ross paint. Very calm and zen-like. I quite enjoy it.
I KNEW he reminded me of someone!!! LOL
It's not that bad in the US. It can be, but the standard is, in theory, 40hours/week, the lucky get 2 weeks off and a handful of holidays. Folks with decent employers can get as much as 5 weeks off plus out national holidays... Saying that, there are times when 12 hours a day and 7 days a week does happen, and if one is "salaried", like me, one's hourly rate diminishes the harder and longer one works. Not our work ethic, but the corporate "culture" for many over here that absolutely sucks for some.
and about before EU/EEC and after, before EEC, you can add wars to the litany of stuff that used to happen regularly...just saying.
I wanted to say something in a similar vein. Calling it "work ethic" is an interesting take. Most people would of course like to spend more time with their families, take longer holidays and have more than 3 sick days a year, but the reality (or the perceived reality) for them is that they can't if they want to have a job that pays their bills.
Best thing to do next chance you get is shut up your loud-mouthed relative who loves to talk about how hard or how long other people are working. We've given these nitwits too much room to monopolize "work ethic" as a virtue. Leisure is as important as tedium.
@@deniskobozev3916 Well even if they are provided the time off, most Americans don't take advantage of their sick/vacation days, something like 55% of the working population doesn't use them and 658 million unused vacation days in 2015.
When taking the time off is frowned upon and can cause you to not get promotions.. yep, allowed to, just comes with consequences that should not be there.
The initial reason for the EU/EEC was to prevent future wars by tying the economies of France and Germany together. It started as a coal/steel treaty . The idea was neither country would be able to start a war if they depended on each other for the production of those materials.
Sucks that they aren't selling lead based solder to hobbyists any more. The consensus from pretty much everybody in electronics is that lead/tin solder is superior over tin solder for a number of reasons (non-reliability, tin whiskers, etc).
If EU legislators are worried about lead getting into the environment, there's a simple solution: recycle electronics, rather than landfill. If they're worried about people breathing in the fumes, it's rosin flux that you're breathing, not solder (use a fume extractor, and crack a window). Unless you're deliberately eating the stuff, pretty much the only contact is from your fingertips, and gloves take care of that just fine if your that worried about it.
The EU does recycle electronics. Generally. It's not the EU's fault that the respective country doesn't offer or contract or support or otherwise enable the required facilities and/or nobody in the respective country is willing to engage in that business.
@@Anvilshock So the suppliers are just jumping the gun then?
@@BlackEpyon I do not know. I can only make it a point to always direct my own various waste and the waste I have contact with, such as at work, towards the available channels, and one of those channels takes electronics and does so free of charge.
@@Anvilshock Where I am, the local Bottle Depot does assorted recycling (Styrofoam, glass, e-waste, petroleum & pesticides, etc). The e-waste actually makes it harder to collect vintage computers (a hobby of mine), because the local thrift stores don't take them any more.
surely if theyre trying to reduce lead in scrap electrical equipment, it'll help more to ban it for manufacture(i think it is) than for 'domestic' use? as its the mass manufactured dumped equipment causing the problem, not hobbyist gadgets!
Your projects are awesome for their simplicity and audacity. Two thumbs up.
Coincidentally, I just did my own first time SMD project after 45 years of thru-hole component building. Built an active antenna for my shortwave receivers. I found it a bloody challenge for someone whose eyes now require a magnifier just to focus on the tiny components. Pings went everywhere. 0805 seems to be my limit. You may have fat fingers but I envy your ability to grab components and solder in one hand and apply a hot iron with the other with no clamping device in between. Mine tend to cramp in such positions. Finger dexterity is one of those things we take for granted, until we lose it to the medicines of life and the ravages of time.
Don't be so sure that the Chinese are super hard workers. Someone with a factory in China told me that it's a bit of a myth. The factories also have issues when a large proportion of their workers don't return after CNY with no warning.
Working in IT for over 25 years now I have also heard this over a few sources..
That's prolly because someone else offered them a 0,5% raise.
Can't expect people working for pennies to give two fucks about a good work ethic.
They're not paid enough or treated well enough to give a shit.
The West confuses absurd production with hard work, it's only normal when you try to logically math things out from your perspective, but common sense doesn't apply there same as it does here. A lot of Asian folk (across Asia in general) that i've seen come here in Europe work diligently to match to our standards, some, don't make it, none complain tho.
A percentage are jumping as well.
I'm sorry, but, "surface mount" DOES sound like a euphemism.
Frottage?
Congratulations on reaching .5 million, Clive!! As for the buttered toast thing- I finally realized that when I drop the toast and it lands butter side down that I was buttering the wrong side of the toast!
@bigclivedotcom I have got to say; That is about the coolest printed circuit board I have ever seen. If I had to describe it in one word, I would choose the word "Groovy".
The biggest problem with Brext is that no one in Britain can agree what that actually means. There was (at one point) 51% for "Brexit", but even during discussions before that vote pro-Brexit people were advertising completely different things: some were selling a complete separation while others were selling a Norway or Switzerland type deal. Now pre-Brexit public is at around 45% and *every* specific type of Brexit has around 20% approval. So what is happening is UK public (and politicians) are saying "We want Brexit!", then specific variants are developed: A, B, C, D and both public and politicians say that they want none of those. They want some mythical Brexit that will heal the sick and raise the dead and have Junkers give a backrub to every Member of Parliament and not reignite Troubles in Ireland. That was never a possibility, but now the Brexiters are holding a whole country hostage demanding their ice cream. One more month of this and UK is going off the cliff on No Deal, all traffic between UK and EU is closed for a month or so until customs officials can be installed for customs checks mandated by EU law at their outer border, Scotland holds IndiRef2 that will pass with huge margins seeing all this and Northern Ireland votes for reunification with Ireland (banners for that referendum are already up all over Northern Ireland). Most finansial business migrates from London to Frankfurt as they need access to euro exchanges not to loose their clients. And England and Wales are left to mire in their self-made misery. Great victory for Putin propogandists.
I've knownlingly unsuscried from dave at eevblog at least 4 or 5 time!
sometime I just can't stand the guy...
then I stumble into "mainstream" yt!
Fran is for those with a "Heathkit Hard-on."
@@johncoops6897 ive actually worked with Dave on a couple of jobs a few years ago, before he was on youtube.. he is far worse in person than on camera. but, that what works on youtube it seems.
oh gosh I feel quite guilty for not being able to stand eev's voice :/
@@johncoops6897 - I can't stand Dave's voice either, makes him unwatchable (that, and the fact that he's a twat on the forum too). For a (very) long time I assumed Fran was a transsexual... She just has that timorous man-in-a-dress look about her.
@@____________________________.x nothing to do with the voice. I just sometimes gets pissed at all his shillings .
Well done, Clive. GMTA. I worked out exactly the same soldering technique around 15 years ago. Welcome to the SMD club! Even more years ago, I worked for a company that bought one of the very first "pick & place" machines. Unfortunately, it was the PCB that moved - not the component placement arm. Consequently, it quickly got named "The Gritter" as it threw parts everywhere!
Good to see you joining the SMT team, Clive. I jumped in last year and found that using solder paste and hot-air reflow made it a cinch. You don't even need one of those templates for something like you are doing. Surface tension pulls everything into place.
With the solder-resist, you could leave areas for the light to come through and use whatever colour you like.
501K reasons why this is such an entertaining channel, Clive. Very well done!
I've been buying from Bright Components, originally from their Ebay shop then directly, since my interest in Electronics. Their range of components is quite small but their prices are excellent and they have a very low despatch charge that is the same regardless of the size of your order. They also give out 10% discount codes to repeat buyers.
I like surface mount components. No tedious drilling. I even use them on strip board. I tend to use smaller resistors like 0805s, I find them easier to handle, even with my old hands.
Hi Clive you really deserve this milestone having made so many interesting videos for us to see.
The pick up and drop technique is industry standard, well done.
Awesome video, love these longer ones while you tell stories very entertaining and educational. Thanks for posting .
Very cool LED thing and congratulations on half a bazillion subscribers Clive! Well done and weller done!
Congrats on half a mill Clive! And I was surprised and delighted when you mentioned Eric O of SMA! Fancy my favourite electronics channel also being a fan of my favourite automotive channel 😀
Congrats on the milestone! Also, love these videos where you do kits and projects.
I hope your channel hits 1 million before the end of the year!
All your content is great.
Here in Canada we have a chain of dollar stores called Dollarama, and according to the staff it's either headquarters that decided who got what stock, or it's entirely random. Fortunately, there's a lot of stores around so it's easy to browse a wide variety. I've found anything from actual leather tablet cases to plastic decorative trees and lights.
I always learn something watching Clive . What more could you want .
In a previous job, I used to bench test RF equipment and frequently had to replace bad SMD components. We kept our soldering irons at 700F (371C) which isn't far off of what Clive uses. It was about the speed of making the solder joint, as you wanted to keep your heating time as short as possible.
I think your paw tester worked out wonderfully! Congratulations on all those subscribers and keep up the great work!
Congrats Clive. You deserve it. Many more to come!
Looks great. The technology is amazing that you can do this sort of thing at home.Thought you were going to build the ultimate COB light for my pepper plants. ThankQ. TkEZ
EVERYONE loves BC p'cause... the way he talks... Oh so soothing ❤️
Congratulations on the Subs Clive. I enjoy all your videos, keep up the good work.
I was totally digging this project, but was honestly kinda confused about the aesthetics of it, that is until I got to 37:00. My jaw dropped, it looks incredible
I have some ceramic tipped tweezers a lot like those. They're awesome.
Congrats on 500k subs, by the way!
Congratulations Clive, 500,000... wow, well done. Keep doin what you're doin
I love this man. Been watching him since
I'm jealous of the way you hold components with your pinkie/ring or pinkie/middle and feed solder with your index and thumb. I know it's all practice and I've had very little of it. I'll keep at it. I don't see myself doing much manual surface mount soldering in my future, but for my simple-ish microcontroller projects it's not (yet) necessary.
I didn't even realise I soldered that way until it was pointed out to me.
Jeez! It's like watching grass growing. But I like to listen to the guy, so resisted temptation to fast forward. :-)
I like the idea of having a table with say 4 wireless charging pads recessed into the back of it that you could sit your phone on and have 4 of these with perspex on top as coasters like this with wireless charging adaptors on the bottom so they light up when in the right place on the table!
You can always cut out squares in the solder mask layer under the LEDs to let the light shine through, or even put holes there and mount the LEDs upside down (or use specifically designed downward lighting SMD LEDs)
501K Bravo!!!
Many moons ago, in the early 90's i worked for a large Japanese firm, they had a machine that used to place every surface mount component is one go, it was something to see, but a bloody nightmare if it drifted minutely over a run...which did happen quite often sadly
Congrats on the 500,000 subs! Your channel is very enlightening and entertaining. I have spent many hours watching..
Carpet Concealed Components. I once ordered SMD components without noting that the size units. I thought that they were inch... They arrived as metric dust particles, for all that I could tell.
Love the ceramic tweezers.
Surface mount works more easily with solder mask. And you can tell the board makers where to put it... or not. So translucence isn't necessarily compromised.
Congratulations BigClive! I known you at around 120k subs. You well deserve your half a million!
You should consider adding a rechargeable cell and a switch, for a truly awesome led coaster :D
Wow Clive, i have hanging around here that long ? I seem to recall 97k when i came on the scene. Well you have turned out to be one of my very favorite channels Clive. I think it was the disco piss light that drew me in. Hats off to you my friend, i am pleased that you have prospered well.
I look forward to more as time goes by. J
For me it was the Fanny Flambeau review
On DIY boards with no solder mask, you can put a bit of kapton tape to block the solder from flowing down the trace then pre-tin one pad with a bare amount of solder then wipe the tin with a bit of flux and solder the component. Repeat with the other pins. Makes the filet of solder look pro if you don't use paste.
I love this kind of projects. There you have an idea: add a lipo battery in the middle of the pattern, and a small tp4056 to charge-protect it. Also, some kind of capacitive or pressure sensor to trigger it with the battery, or allways with the usb plugged in. That way, it would be iluminated as long as you have a glass over it or you touch it...
Luminescent phosphorus logo would look pretty.
Congrats on 500k subs!
I thought I'd never do SMD, but learned about it a year or two ago. One big lesson: get a stereo microscope, with good working distance. It's "only" 10X, but I can do 0402's with the small angled (0.2mm iirc) or straight standard Hakko tip (not their micro line). They're fiddly though. 0603 and others no problem. If I'm doing more than a couple, I've found solder paste and hot air (and sharp tweezers) best and got pretty fast with them. We moved last summer and I haven't built my lab yet, so I might be out of practice. One of my little projects was doing a hand laid out (no PCB, just protoboard) LED palmtree with 0805's - about 87 of them. The proto board had parallel rows that you can slice up to make your circuit, but for the LEDs, I figured I could do them all in parallel, powered by 3 NiMh AA's and a single resistor. I set it so it wasn't too bright, which worked out to less than 1 ma per "true" green LED. This combination kept the LEDs in the "knee"; barely on, but perfect for our room lighting. Lasted for about 8 days 24/7. No case, just used geeko tape for battery case and a couple of stand-offs point out the back bottom to make a stand. My wife loved it (she's a geek too, so didn't mind the open construction one bit). Loves "true" green LEDs too. I ramble too much! Most importunately, congrats on 500K as of this evening (from central California)!!
Hey Clive, love your videos watch on a regular basis. Watching this one just now.
I have a reflow oven (T962), that’s sitting gathering dust would be perfect for this if your gonna do more surface still. Free to a good home that will use it 😊
Nice! I always assumed you had to fart about with solder paste and heat guns for surface mount - feeling much more confident after watching this, might even have a go at replacing the ASIC in my black +2 (Spectrum)
Congrats on 500K, cool light :)
I recently assembled Dekada substitution resistor, i bought it straight from the author via his eBay account, he's somewhere in Slovenia. It's all made of 1206 resistors packed tightly together, and it is somewhat on the finicky side. Took me an hour. It wasn't unpleasant, but made me wish i'd used the paste and heat method. I have everything i need for it but couldn't be arsed for some reason, decided to just hand solder it. I'm kind of used to doing SMD repairs but don't usually assemble SMD kits.
It's fairly obvious that had you made your light as a through-hole design, it would only take you minutes to assemble it rather than half an hour. Then again paste and heat should take mere minutes too.
One more thing i used to do is that you can cover a PCB in fitting solder paste (lifetime supply about 7€ at a home improvement/hardware store), heat it all up - stove top, heat gun, doesn't matter, and it crackles and pops and tins your whole board, protecting the copper traces and giving you a surface that's even and easy to solder to.
When playing with SMD, my best experiences are with:
- Double-sided sticky tape to hold the SMD carriers on a piece of cardboard.
- A piece of sticky tape to pull back the carrier top plastic. You can pull the whole thing off or just peel it back one component at a time.
Excellent design.. Started as SMD test, but it may be used as night lamp for those, who love electronics.. ;) Very like when light shining through pcb and viewing ic like siluet with traces.. If using transparent plexiglass or light disipation film from old laptop LCD which inserted from LED's side, it may expand side lights or give other cool lights effects.. :)
Congrats with 500k subscribers!!
Congratulations Clive on the half mil,
Awsome channel,
i have learn so much under this man video, so far my knowledge has increase by 40% , thank you again big clive
Congratulations Clive on half a million viewers. That officially makes you as popular as the UK following of Aussie soap, Neighbours. Rippah!
For ESD protection on the USB port you can just chuck a USBLC6 on to your design. They're so cheap I always keep a handful around.
I make a standard plastic model aftermarket accessory that involves a 555 and 4017. Several years ago, I thought to try making that in SMD. Was a lot of exciting fun except as a complete babe in the woods, I wasn't really hep to the wildly different package sizes. For example, I counted on a capacitor to jump a circuit trace and it was (turned out to be) a 0608 size. A nervous tick of the soldering iron tip and it was very hard to see the error. I also tried to use the solder paste approach, going so far as getting a hot tray (like a hostess would keep your food hot with) and it worked great (and by gum, those things will center themselves on the pad!). But I realized that either I built them myself OR I asked my customers to do so. So the scheme is still in limbo.'
But it was thrilling to gain a 1/4 to 1/5 size reduction of the original board AND to get one (ahem, one) that worked.
I too am 6'-3" and possessing gorilla-oid hands.
congrats! 500k is awesome! more random stuff please, this is great! =)
Congtrats on 500k BC, been waiting for you to do SMD for ages