Building David Watts' Crap Badge - ChristMOS Edition

[@DavidWatts]

You did a great job Julian, I like the red and green LEDs. I never really thought about it as a Christmas decoration. That should have been a TS555CDT (marked 555C) but then I bought them from eBay, you got one of the alpha boards with components bought from UK sellers so it may well not be the right IC. The 555s I have for the bulk lot do look a little different but are still TS555 ICs. If they ever make it to Tindie as kits I will make sure the documentation is a little more user friendly 🤣 That pull-down on the 4017 is a breadboard hangover when I was triggering it with a momentary switch, it isn't necessary. Really enjoyed watching you put it together mate.

[@DavidWatts]

That double flash is bothering me, I am fairly convinced it is a propagation delay with the carry out on the 4017 and the 4027 flip flopping but I have never noticed it before. If you take that thing in a very dark park it will take tens of seconds to clock.

[@eddiespencer1]

@@DavidWatts could be interesting to see on the oscilloscope.

[@maicod]

or replace the LDR with some high value resistor

[@JulianIlett]

Thanks, David, for sending the kit. I wouldn't worry too much about the double flash - once I'd completed the circuit, I couldn't see it anymore :)

[@eddiespencer1]

I do enjoy these kits from the community. They're rather satisfying to build and bring to life.

[@Ellipsis780]

Nice blinky badge! Also nice soldering those surface mount devices. I suspect the LED was dim because of narrow clock pulse width.

[@dutchmetalmaniac]

thanks for the link.. again a nice channel to watch. i'm learning everyday with youtube. it's better than tv

[@jack002tuber]

Nice kit. I have never done surface mount soldering. You make it look so easy

[@JulianIlett]

It was actually quite difficult - the reason for all the edits :)

[@MrBBea4]

Great work Julian, Can you please do us all a favor and grab an old toaster oven and your solder paste. It is really quite enjoyable watching all the little soldiers fall into position and flow. My toaster oven came from a second hand shop and works great. Also of note, YES I too am from the 80's...(err 70's) so the years of breathing the fumes from lead based solder/flux whilst soldering with the smoke invariably destroying my corneas has lead me to using readers for everything. Cheerio, and Merry Christmas to you and ALL your viewers. Barry, from Canada

[@GMcarsMAN]

There is a single chamfered edge on the chip that indicates its orientation. Cheers!

[@iamdarkyoshi]

Tip from MikesElectricStuff: Place your SMD components on a sheet of printer paper and tap the paper with your finger to flip components over when they inevitably land upside down

[@Alan2E0KVRKing]

I can agree with the eyesight thing, I damaged one of my eyes when a bungee broke at full stretch and hit me square on in the eye, and vast approaching 50, soldering is very hard unless in good light with some magnification.

[@tourettes4893]

With the flux, you could use the toothpick in a swirling motion mixing up a small area of flux. Once whipped the flux should become soft / fluffy / manageable. That's how I use it anyway.

[@JulianIlett]

Yeah, I ended up doing pretty much the same thing :)

[@TheKazzarry]

Julian if you can get your hands on one you should definitely buy a defcon badge, i suspect you would find it interesting.

[@ecosta]

Cool ChristMOS deco! About SMD LEDs, you can find the cathode and anode by looking really close. There’s a “T” inside the LED to help you.

[@SidneyCritic]

You need a very bright light when you are old because eyes lose their sensitivity to contrast. That's why eye test are done in poor light. I'm the same age and I can't see anything, but shine a bright light on a IC and I can read the writing with my bare eyes. A magnification lamp helps, but shining a torch at something under the mag lamp and I can see everything.

[@gilbertsprojects2954]

David lives just down the road from me but unfortunately I’ve never met him, great bloke tho and makes some good projects 😊

[@malbin23]

Does he sell these badges? looks like a fun project

[@nutsnproud6932]

Thanks Julian.

[@williamsquires3070]

Well, you can’t really call it a christMOS badge unless you replace the two BJTs with MOSFETs! 😎

[@UnexpectedMaker]

That's killed it... That's killed it... oh, there it is working again! Few! Great build Julian! I think you did a better job than me... but where was all the swearing? ;)

[@JulianIlett]

Yeah, the liquid flux temporarily stopped the 555, but it started again once it dried out. I cut out all the expletives and a lot of other waffle, but still ended up with a 20 minute video :)

[@simontay4851]

Why is it the crap badge? Does CRAP stand for something. Its actually pretty good.

[@pileofstuff]

That's just David's self-deprecating view of this projects.

[@thehappylittlefoxakabenji8154]

mmm will have to give SMD another go ! when I get my glasses

[@jaa93997]

HASL means hot air surface leveling. Tin for cheap ass PCBs

[@deathshaker0026]

OoooooH! It's contagious. Well good on you for getting one. :) :) :)

[@techjeff6227]

Links in the description...?

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

I thing if you can get a needle tip it would make surface mount soldering a lot easier.

[@morelenmir]

I am personally trying to get away from using external flux at all if possible. Can you say what made you use the pen here particularly? I really, *really* like that soldering iron though!!!

[@AdamWelchUK]

I have a suspicion David wanted his products to be lead free as he was selling them. Can’t remember when exactly he mentioned it - I could have made that up.

[@JulianIlett]

Maybe I'd have had more luck with lead-free solder - but I hate the stuff - it even smells horrid (the flux is different IIRC).

[@johnnodge4327]

I agree Julian. I cut my electrics teeth on leaded solder, so that's what I use.

[@simontay4851]

I hate lead free solder ae well. Its awful. It just doesn't flow. No wonder BGAs soldered with lead free solder fail so much.

[@johnhamilton1953]

I must admit I nearly gave up dabbling in electronics, when I thought I couldn't solder. When I switched to full-fat lead solder (thanks to Clive and Julian) it was a revelation. Thanks guys, and David as well. I wonder how many more have given up over the years that H & S have been in control ;)

[@mikerhodes9198]

Good video. But - for all the projects you do I am surprised of your choice of soldering irons. There must be tips specifically made for kits you make. Anyway, not a criticism but just an observation. Love all the things you do in your hobby.

[@gbraadnl]

Seems you got your TS-80... the standard tip is horrible. Mine is gathering dust at the moment (even though I was able to find alternative tips here in China), as I take my laptop anywhere anyway, so I use the ThinkPad (20V) power brick to power my TS-100. Slightly more involved to get this properly working with the TS-80 (not impossible, but another cable/battery/sth). Looking forward to your comments in a review video...

[@gbraadnl]

XY-5 is resin (not flux)... and the PD-10 is a very common flux here

[@JulianIlett]

Thanks - I only tried the PD-10 in the end. But I've seen a video where someone sticks his iron tip into the XY-5.

[@gbraadnl]

@@JulianIlett Right, same here. The stuff will actually make weird cracking sounds... on heating up and when it cools down. It can also help with cleaning of your tip, and I remember you mentioned the issue also with the TS100 tips oxidizing quickly.

[@gbraadnl]

Usually I wouldn't need this, as I use multicore branded soldering tin which has a resin core. And I suggest to store the tips tinned...

[@15Minoda]

if there is no cut or dot on the IC there must be a phased side

[@JulianIlett]

Ah, yes, there is the merest hint of a chamfer along the bottom edge, but it's not easy to see.

[@TheChipmunk2008]

Flux Kiddies? How DARE you refer to Louis like that!

[@UserUser-ww2nj]

Someone might have already pointed it out but i will anyway . ''David Watts '' is the name of a song by ''The Jam ''

[@jinjocat]

The Kinks. Ray Davies wrote it. The Jam version is a cover.

[@UserUser-ww2nj]

@@jinjocat Thanks , didn't know that . I wonder which is the most known version

[@jinjocat]

@@UserUser-ww2nj Yes, I wonder. I knew The Kinks version for 20 years before I discovered The Jam had covered it. But that's just me.

[@UserUser-ww2nj]

@@jinjocat other way around for me and I grew up in the sixties, left school in 1970 . Saw The Jam twice in Brighton, great concerts . Some idiots started fighting near the stage at one of them so Paul Weller just stopped the music, told them to behave or take it outside. 😂 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🌻

[@jinjocat]

@@UserUser-ww2nj I grew up in the 70s and 80s, left school in 85. Was never a particular fan of anything Paul Weller did, my preferences lay elsewhere; but have to admit he was/is excellent across a range of styles, and is a brilliant musician.

[@RGjolstad]

Quick question Julian. Which of the TS80 and TS100 do you like the most? I'll probably grab one of them pretty soon, and would love to hear your opinion :)

[@JulianIlett]

Too early to say. I need some more tips for the TS80 to get the best out of it. The TS100 is certainly more powerful. I'll try to switch between them as often as I can in future videos :)

[@1973retrorabbit]

Here's a thing... Why, when using surface mounts do youtubers never use solder cream as we used in the PC motherboard repair industry and in the electronics industry (hand building boards for Linn Hifi). Little bit of flux, the pen is ideal, little blob of solder cream, place component, hold in position with tweezers and heat, ideally with hot air but a fine tipped iron at a push... Absolutely no risk of tombstoning and a quick, clean easy job...

[@Szlater]

Weren’t you experimenting with solder paste and a reflow a little while ago? How come you didn’t give that a go with this project?

[@JulianIlett]

Well, I wanted to include a first look at the TS80 iron in this video, but it soon became apparent that the single tip supplied was way too big :(

[@Szlater]

Oh, I see. I did think that that was a new iron.

[@ronnyvansprengel6740]

Maybe it's a good idea to replace the green leds with blue led. Than it's fitting better with the title. 😁

[@citizensteve6713]

The top is a little larger than you like ? What, you mean you couldn’t find a bigger bolt in the shed ?

[@AndyCallaway]

Good job. What killed it when you put the flux on it?

[@JulianIlett]

There's probably also water in the liquid flux.

[@duncanx99]

At last, I thought, a link to paste flux from someone whose opinion I trust - but no link... Why the two flavours? One for lead free?

[@JulianIlett]

I've added links to the description :)

[@duncanx99]

@@JulianIlett what a gentleman... My tin of Ersin Tinsman Flux (from WWII) has served me well, and has soldered more Oxo tin chassis than I could count, but it's all but gone now.

[@ianhaylock7409]

Use two irons to solder surface mount components. Put the sticky flux on both pads. Place the component. Then touch the irons to each end simultaneously. Of course you need two irons in the first place :-)

[@vgamesx1]

Not the proper amount of flux, you need at least one milipaul of flux.

[@cheetahkid]

your eyesight just as bad as me, we are getting old … lol

[@maicod]

11:39 you're operating on a live patient ;)

[@YTANDY100]

@Maico i would hope all patients being operated on are alive :-)

[@maicod]

LOL yeah

[@HazeAnderson]

Well this was a whole bunch of Crap. 😂

[@jp040759]

Nice crap!

[@jackkingdom221]

I wish I could be like David Watts! I hear he's the new Reggie Perrin. (Yes, I'm that old).

[@SimonCoates]

Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa 😁

[@tinplategeek1058]

"I didn't get where I am today by selling ice cream tasting of bookends, pumice stone and West Germany." - the new CJ

[@maicod]

Jack Kingdom I know Reggie Perrin is a comedy guy who goes to work by train every day. I don't understand why would David resemble him ?

[@jackkingdom221]

@@maicod Reggie made his fortune selling "Grot"

[@maicod]

@@jackkingdom221 ah you were referring to the crap naming

[@ZilinaSK]

Free stamp... break out the pritt stick!

[@JulianIlett]

Don't they cover stamps in UV markings to catch the re-use thieves?

[@ZilinaSK]

Not in the UK... just the franking mark voids the stamp :)

[@Anvilshock]

@@JulianIlett Only one way to find out, and with "one way" I mean "one purchase at Banggood's", and with "purchase at" I mean "sponsored sample from". Looking forward to a Postbag video in six weeks or so!

[@JulianIlett]

Stamp destroyed. Call me Mr. Honest :)

[@Anvilshock]

You'll still be getting that UV light, right?

[@magicwoody]

use hotair ;) Good work with this *hughe* tip

[@MrVasile]

Ran out of light? Huh?

[@JulianIlett]

Ran out of natural daylight for filming. The days get longer starting tomorrow - yay :)

[@odonovanmaol8689]

GR8

[@eriklaken1025]

Nice.:)