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FrozenGate by Avery

New Boost Driver in Dev

Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

Yep. Google toaster oven reflow and you will get more than enough info. Some people are even making reflow controllers (see Sparkfun). Also, some one-sided boards can be reflown by using a cooking pan, but you need to use a thermometer to control the temperature.
 





Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

Thanks for those ^^ links Piferal.

Interesting reading.. :D
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

Johnyz said:
Yes, it WILL contaminate the oven. DO NOT use a oven that was used to reflow to cook food in. I'm jealous of you Americans... $15 toaster ovens... If I walked inside a electronics shop and said 'toustovací trouba' I would look like a total idiot... Are there any other names that you can find these under? :confused:
Click to expand...

Sometimes I still make cinnamon toast in mine, on the other side of the pan I use for reflowing... Probably shouldn't do that buy I always clean it really good first :thinking:

lasersbee said:
The trick is to slowly ramp up the temperature to just get
the solder to melt and adhere to the components and PCB
pads without going going too high in temperature to thermally
damage the electronic components.

The other thing to consider is thermal shock of the parts
and solder joints if heated and cooled too fast.

There are ramp up and ramp down procedures/sequences
that are followed to prevent this.


Jerry
Click to expand...

The first couple times I used my toaster oven I followed those ramp up and cool down procedures, but I soon found mu toaster oven isn't even capable of coming close to the heating rates or the cooling rates (even with the door wide open) that cause thermal shock. As long as you don't preheat and you are using a cheap oven that doesn't have any forced air or very high power heating elements there isn't much need to worry.

LaZeRz said:
So, if I was to use a normal oven with a thermometer attatched, and slowly up the temperatures and vice versa, do your reckon it will suffice?
Click to expand...

That should work great. The first few times I did it slowly increasing 20 or so degrees at a time following "stages" but once you get to know your oven and your specific paste you can just turn it to the right spot where you it's just about to melt.

I don't think anybody replied to your earlier question, but that paste looks good. You have to be careful getting solder paste, half the time it's just flux in a jar called solder paste but by the reviews and pictures it actually is real solder paste. I never would have thought to look for it on dealextreme, and that's way cheaper than eBay.
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

If anybody here is interested in making their own reflow oven... this is the guide i used to make mine. It is a very effective way to do it and suits all my needs :)
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

brandonhauser said:
If anybody here is interested in making their own reflow oven... this is the guide i used to make mine. It is a very effective way to do it and suits all my needs :)
Click to expand...

I read that same article before building my PID
controlled oven..


Jerry
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

Ok, thanks for the help guys :)

benmwv said:
I don't think anybody replied to your earlier question, but that paste looks good. You have to be careful getting solder paste, half the time it's just flux in a jar called solder paste but by the reviews and pictures it actually is real solder paste. I never would have thought to look for it on dealextreme, and that's way cheaper than eBay.
Click to expand...

Yeh, I looked in the customer pictures and reviews to see if it was flux or solder paste and I came along 2 different products that were actually lead and flux paste.

Heres the second Mechanics Soldering Paste (50g) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

If it was lead-free solder then MAYBE a good cleaning may do the job.
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

Has anyone heard from bobhaha? I'm wondering how that meeting he said he was doing went.
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

Hey sorry for not updating everyone... I have spoken to the engineer again and I am happy with what he says he can do. He is a bit cocky at times which makes it hard to take him seriously. But at other times he is perfectly professional. He says he has taken into account re-design and other such anomalies that may arise from the design to prototype stage. He estimates a 27.5 hour lab time frame (does this sound right?) to get it all done.

The engineer also wants me to pay via Western Union. I have personally never heard of this company... is it legit? Anything I have to look out for (for example do not pay via gift in the case of paypal)

Thanks to every one who has pledged a donation. If all goes well I will start collecting donations at the end of this week.

-Adrian
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

Yes, Western Union is a very big operation. I've sent money with them several times. They've even got actual brick and mortar stores here in the States.

Money Transfer | Western Union
 
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Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

The downside to western union or any other kind of wire transfer though, is that once the money is sent.. It's gone. You have no recourse for getting it back.
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

bobhaha said:
Hey sorry for not updating everyone... I have spoken to the engineer again and I am happy with what he says he can do. He is a bit cocky at times which makes it hard to take him seriously. But at other times he is perfectly professional. He says he has taken into account re-design and other such anomalies that may arise from the design to prototype stage. He estimates a 27.5 hour lab time frame (does this sound right?) to get it all done.

The engineer also wants me to pay via Western Union. I have personally never heard of this company... is it legit? Anything I have to look out for (for example do not pay via gift in the case of paypal)

Thanks to every one who has pledged a donation. If all goes well I will start collecting donations at the end of this week.

-Adrian
Click to expand...

Stay away from Western Union... it is like sending Cash in
the Mail... once it's gone.... It is GONE...:cryyy: and there is
nothing you can do...

If this is one of your buddies as you have mentioned then
why does he need to be paid by Western Union.
Don't you have a signed contract with this person...:thinking:
Will he not accept other forms of payment...:thinking:

I would stick with PayPal even if you need to pay the PP
fees.

BTW... not one cent should be paid out before you see
(with your own eyes) a physical working prototype...
not a simulation... I can give you a simulation of a rubber
band powered flying brick...:eg:

Jerry
 
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Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

Yeh, steer away from western union for large payments...

Your probably better off with Paypal even if you hve to cop a 100 dollar fee
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

Same here, since you can get it all back if something goes wrong, as everyone else said. If he's trustworthy then he shouldn't have a problem if you want to use paypal if you cover the fees.
 
Re: New Boost Driver in Dev *Asking for investors*

As much as I am 150% for new driver initiatives, this strikes me as danger zone.

There was some study, that has been quoted a gajillion times in those Malcolm Gladwell-esque trendy books (you know, the ones about motivation, and tipping points and seemingly counter-intuitive observations about life, etc). Anyway, the study basically found that when you pay someone $50 to do something that they would actually do for free, they end up doing a worse job.

I feel like this is what is going on here. I would gladly put up some diodes, modules, hosts, whatever (laser related stuff) as a prize or some sort of incentive to spur on boost driver design. But to outright pay for a design - I think this is asking for trouble. We're much better off waiting for someone from this community to build this driver out of passion, than to pay an outsider to build it now for cash.

Side-note:
They sell these "emergency cell phone chargers" at the dollar store that use a single AA battery to top off your cell phone in a pinch. Anyone know what boost methodology they're using?
 
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