21 Jun
2010
21 Jun
'10
1:56 p.m.
On 6/21/10 4:49 PM, Keith M wrote:
Oh good heavens. This sort of stuff really just sounds like nothing
more than knee-jerk automatic hatred of SMT by people who did what I
described in my last message, and it really does become irritating to
those of us who know better. Right now I'm sitting here (well, taking a
break from it at the moment, actually) soldering sixteen boards with
0.5mm-pitch parts for another open-hardware project, and am having no
trouble whatsoever. I find it quite enjoyable and completely
trouble-free, and I'm by no means the smartest, best-coordinated, or
best-sighted person here. The equipment isn't particularly expensive
(despite popular underinformed opinion), and the skills take an
afternoon to develop.
If you were to actually TRY it, with the right tools, and the right
mindset (as in "learning a new skill" rather than trying to treat it
like it's through-hole soldering without the holes), I bet you'd love it.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
It is worth
noting that Dave and I's experience is that the people who
want the P112 kits typically don't want to diddle with SMD
components. Not everybody is comfortable with SMD parts
Amen.
Yeah, if I was buying a kit like this, I'd certainly want the surface
mount stuff soldered. Requiring the skills and equipment to solder a
high pin count QFP device is a barrier to entry. I'd likely
specifically avoid ordering a kit if this wasn't already done.
Especially where the goal is to introduce people to retrocomputing, in
my eyes, there is no other answer.
If there are some people that want to practice self-flagellation, then
let them take their soldering irons and join opus dei.