K404

That's cheating, that's a Casa 2.111 :p I was at Hendon a few weeks ago, best day EVER!

No problem at all Practice, practice, practice

I think it's always slightly easier to solder the big sturdy point first, then finish with the small, fragile one so it's handled as little as possible For removing SMC, a little paste over the component, a hobby knife angled gently between the component and the PCB, then take the iron quickly back and forth to the solder points to heat and soften them, then focus on one of them. The component should start to move up or to the side as the solder melts, then you can hold the component with tweezers as you desolder the second point. Floppy (thin gauge) wires aren't so bad, because the wire isn't strong enough to exert much pressure, but still ..... minimise it

A little paste on the spot you plan to solder, a little solder on the tip of the iron and a little onto each thing you're soldering (wire and pad) (this is called "tinning") Place the end of the wire where you want it to be, touch the soldering iron on or near where you want the join to be. Because the solder is still warm/hot from the tinning, the solder join should form very quickly. You are unlikely to ever need much solder for a join. Pre-bend the wire so it "naturally" sits exactly where you want it. The less "stress" on the solder joins and pads, the better (caused by the wire pulling because it wants to sit somewhere else.) The small the solder point, the more important this is. Ideally, if you desolder a wire, it shouldn't "spring" away. It shouldn't move at all. I know i've just said the same thing in three different ways..... One of those instances where a video says it better than words.

2nd place.... 20th.... there's zero difference between them

What would you like to see? Thanks Jimba

Wrong category

Thanks Probably a bit late for this build. I was briefly on a model-making forum.... I wasn't sure what I could post up that would be interesting. A lot of "interesting" things need 2 hands and by the time it's "safe" to take a picture, there's nothing to "see" in terms of problem-solving/perception/technique Most aeroplane model kits have "the usual" selection of detailed areas... cockpit, interior if there is one, wheel wells, engine (if visible,) gun bays (if visible.) The rest is airframe. Technically not interesting, until painting.

Yea, that's a problem. The chances of it happening increase the longer you spend soldering a certain point. It's something else the solder paste helps with. It speeds up the solder join. That stuff is far and away the best £1 you will spend on anything soldering-related, if not electronics of any kind

The flux keeps the solder to where it's meant to be... and the paste part keeps the flux where it's meant to be Practice, practice, practise. Now that the 3870 is trashed, use it as a guinea pig. Practice adding wires to SMC, removing them, removing components, add them back on etc. Fine tips are good, yes. Keep a little solder on the tip of the iron and wipe it off/replace it fairly frequently. You'll be able to tell when it's time to replace the solder because it'll get sooty. A damp sponge is better than a soaking wet one.

If i'd noticed this thread earlier, I would have posted. A 30W soldering iron out of Maplin will do the job. If they have a bundle offer on 30W iron + solder + stand = bargain. If you need spare sponges: Ebay. VR: I buy all my parts from this Ebay seller: http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/lyn3009?_trksid=p2047675.l2559 Buy in bulk, save postage. They're already about 1/4 of what Maplin charge. You'll also need: a multimeter. Don't mod without one. Ever. tweezers. I use thin, square tipped, non paddle ones, but that's a personal preference. wire strippers: http://www.ipatools.com/products/index.php/ipa-7870a.html Wire: despite the price, I buy mine from Maplin. I like to know what i'm getting and a lot of Ebay sellers mis-list or don't know what they're posting (my experience) As long as you buy multi-core, most other specs are user-preference. I use Uhu glue to stick VR to PCB's, but it needs 24hr to set. It's in Poundland et al. NOT supermarket equivalent, because it's crap.... and more expensive. My secret weapon: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solder-Soldering-Paste-10cc-Flux-Grease-RMA223-RMA-223-/181679456588?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a4cf0814c That stuff is **^^&$£ amazing.

Hey! Yea, it's the interior of a He111, in 1/48 scale. I LOVE WW2 aviation. I lose my shhhhhh completely at air museums Hey B! Hope you're looking after yourself? I'm ok. Building model planes instead of benching these days. I gotta have something with details to fuss over I can post up pics when i'm done, sure. Full kit might not be done for months, though.

Sorry, in some ways this is wildly self-indulgent, but i'm pretty happy with how this has turned out The only part supplied in the kit was the medium gray bulkhead. Everything else was scratch-built. Next up.... painting!

Yes, I was going to suggest that the best voltmod for this PCB is to follow the mod guide for a Lightning, DCUII or matrix..... whilst using one of those cards

If there might never be another chance Petri, then I would like to say it was brilliant to meet, OC and drink with you in Madrid Life takes us all in separate directions and I wish you every happiness and success

The 200K milestone approacheth!! Goddy and you are absolutely leading the way, congrats!

Thankee It all contributed to me having a year off. 2014 was the least stressful year of my adult life Before I keep typing, I know.... life aint fair. I'm 31. I get it. I see it every day. How is someone supposed to stay motivated towards great scores when "the other guy" has binned 4x as much hardware (deep wallet or deep vendor connection) and is holding back their best scores "just in case" you edge them out? Of course, the answer is to only do things that are fun.....which is a very personal adjective. Where's the fun in having a great session end with someone submitting a backup as soon as they see you post the score....and know they got the hardware for free in the first place? Why bother spending money on benching high-end hardware, knowing the playing field is skewed and there are people who pretend they don't have connections to vendors. I would LOVE to see some hardware categories reserved for different leagues, to guarantee that there is some "protection" from douche-baggery. Ummmmm....over the last year, have HWB published more concrete rules and are they enforced? Irony alert: I know. I whine about the cost of hardware and I whine about the people who are in a position to reduce the financial outlay a bit. *shrug*

This topic has come up a few times over the years. Getting a proper job in OC is the worlds most expensive "interview" I've never paid (example) £15K for any other job interview in life. We (collectively) shot ourselves in the head when vendors first started taking an interest in us. We were so damned happy to be noticed that we jumped on the breadcrumbs. As soon as we asked for proper conditions and security, we knew we were skating on thin ice because there were 250 people who would be DELIGHTED to be in our position. How to not become a douchebag? Difficult one. Stop chasing money and fame in OC. What we do is NOT changing the world, it's not worth screwing anyone over for. How to take away a lot of the existing douche-baggery? Remove the points. People don't act c**ty over 2-point golds. Way to prove it? Take some 2-point golds and make them 50-pointers. There'll be backups and sniping and accusations of cheating and 3x e-Power cards and, if it's a GPU still in production, there'll be a limited edition "friends of the company only" version dominating the leaderboard in three weeks or less.

I LOVE that submission spree! Team Russia are really pushing the high-value golds at the moment!

+1 Thankyou!

BOOM! Fermi hits 70K in '05! Nice milestone, Shimizu-san

For those who don't already have it, 3DMark is reduced from £19 to £3.79 in the Steam sale

People are more likely to use software that has age/maturity?

Nice hardware bro, keep tweaking!