During the last meeting at Kat's house there had been discussion about maybe doing a "build your own TV-B-Gone".
I'm happy to order some kits for this, they cost $20 each plus shipping (and since $20 adds up pretty quick I think I'm going to have to ask people to pay for the kits, though I'm happy to do a bulk order, and I'll try to source replacements for the common parts incase some don't survive the assembly and I can eat that cost).
Post here if you're interested, and once we get a rough idea I'll order some kits and see if I can order a few cheap-but-not-crap soldering irons (hint: if you bought it at radioshack for $10, it's both cheap, AND total crap.)
These kits are designed to be easy for the novice solderer. If you've never soldered before and you want to learn, this is a fun way. If you've tried before and think you can't, you probably used a shitty soldering iron and should try again.
These are all through-hole soldering, which is the "biggest" components there are and it doesn't generally require much finesse.
Since I realized I didn't post it before, the kits all arrived tuesday.
So we're go for saturday!
Ah, yes. I will also be bringing solder, helping hands, and cutters. I don't have a proper board vise, though.
I think we currently have 4 irons (if yours arrives).
If you have an iron, please bring it. But please note - there is a HUGE difference between the $8 irons you get at radioshack, and irons that don't suck ;)
If you have a 10W iron or something, bring it incase we're desperate, but hopefully we'll be able to show people the difference between bad irons and good irons. Most people who think they can't solder have only ever used bad irons.
I'll also bring some perfboard and some wire for people to practice through-hole soldering on before they go right to the TV-B-Gone boards.
If anyone has solder (small diameter stuff, like 0.022, not plumbing solder) to bring, that'd be great. If anyone has small diagonal-cut wire cutters, that'd also be great. If anyone has third hand devices, or small portable vises, those would also be phenominal to bring ;) I have basically one of each, if we find ourselves really stuck I'll make a radioshack run for some stuff, but hopefully we can distribute.
Chime in if you can bring supplies!
If my new iron arrives in time, I will bring it. Anybody else have a decent iron you can bring?
FYI all -
Ordered friday
Shipped yesterday
Out for delivery today (ie on the UPS truck coming to my house).
There's still time if you weren't on the original order (everyone who posted on the forum or talked to me IS on the original order), but you'll need to order fairly soon (like the next day, maybe two) to get it by Saturday, especially considering the possible storms this week.
Simplified directions at:
http://durandal.kismetwireless.net/~dragorn/tv-b-gone-simple.pdf
These are much simpler to print.
We'll have 5 or 6 sets of the simplified instructions printed out. If you want to print your own copy or a set of the full 30 page version, by all means, bring them!
Order placed (8 units, the 6 mentioned here plus the 2 people who threw in thursday night for them).
They're shipping from NYC so they should be here next week in plenty of time for the saturday activity.
For those who missed the order but still want in:
http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=20
is where you get them if you want to order your own to build with us saturday.
If anyone has access to a color printer at work and wanted to print off 8 or 9 copies of:
http://www.ladyada.net/make/tvbgone/solder.html
That'd be great. (I'd suggest coordinating on the forum so we don't get 2 people printing them all).
OK - I see 6 so far, I'll wait until tomorrow (friday) morning and do the order for however many are posted here, plus probably one incase someone shows up at the last minute who is interested.
If you're coming to the thursday night meeting and wanted to bring the $20 for the kit, that'd be great. If you know anyone who wanted in who didn't speak up here yet, get them to post today. I'll put the link up at the end for anyone who missed the bulk order to order on their own, too.
What the heck - I'll build one too
I'm in. (-1 soldering iron)
im in should be fun
AL wants in.
I will also throw my hat in on this.
Would that there had been a v2 kit remaining at the makerfaire.
I shall delay my tv-off-shutting no further!
I'm in.