> On Sun, 18 Aug 2002, jumanji wrote:
>
> > Well... stuff like, don't having to worry that *that* circuitry works,
> > the possibility to program it, make +5V and to decrease the soldering
> > as much as possible(when ported to a project), I guess you are very
> > well trained in soldering & your 300$ high-end soldering station makes
> > it prolly even lots easier.

> My ancient Weller WTCPN/TC201 finally died a few years ago and I haven't
> replaced it, so I use a $15 25W pencil iron.  But, yes, I'm pretty good at
> it having been soldering for probably 30 years or so.

snip

>  I used to keep them set up with a
> 7805 and a couple of .1uF caps plugged in on one end for the 5V supply,
> then switched to either 3x AA batteries or a regulated supply - but I
> don't think there is a PIC that won't run on 4.5V.

snip

> Don't underestimate the average PIC beginner.  They may not be soldering
> aces able to whip up a cheapie programmer from plans of dubious quality
> found on some ages-old web page, but given a few very simple, very cheap
> tools they'll be fine.
>
> Dale

I'm a PIC beginner, I've seen nice PIC projects that I wanna modify & build
myself.

I have a 20$ 25W soldering iron with the sharpest tip I & the thinnest tin I
could find. In total I have soldered together about  4 kits of which I have
tossed 2 in the bin afterwards, it seemed to me they were OK soldered but
they didn't work. I did check them with my 20$ multimeter & the connections
seemed fine. The 500$ oscilloscope I left in the store.
Currently, -to my best of newbie possibilities- I have chosen for a
programmer that connects to my educational board. For the stuff I'm gonna
build, I'll prolly choose the Flashlab system as it has all onboard to run
the PIC & on its free space I'll copy the interface hardware I found the
components listing & schematics for.(I'm not gonna build a breadboard into
project) My main worry is howto program a PIC, for that I have bought &
downloaded courses. I don't have 24/24hr time to learn, design, build,
circuitboards, powersupplies, whoknowswhatallmore AND troubleshoot the whole
lot afterwards. I want as quickly as possible (still a matter of months) get
my project going.

If you make the bill of it all, I'm not sure how many newbie-hobbiests in my
situation would go the same way. It will be either time or cost that will
keep them away imo.

There, that's the last thing I have said about it, just keep in mind the
audience you wanna reach with PBK/PDP/watever

Goodluck & best regards.
Geert

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