If we really want this hobby to continue, it looks like it's really getting to be a time to begin learning how to work with SMDs. Perhaps at the next Academy, it might be a good idea to have an extended hands on class on working with theses components.
What it that old quote?
Necessity is the mother of invention
Or should it be, Necessity is the mother of learning?
I taught myself to solder, Army taught me how to do it good, Necessity taught me to surface mount solder.
So many of the good parts are only available in surface mount. I had a project I wanted to try, parts I wanted surface mount only. I hunted for a solution, found adapter boards. OK I can get the parts I want installed on one of these.
How much do you think they wanted, Lets just say that other saying is true "If you have to ask, You probably can't afford it."
I really wanted to do this project, There must be a way.
So I decided to buy the parts, order the adapters, and give it a go. The parts were so small I had to use a file on my soldering iron, to get the point small enough to solder the biggest of them small parts. Now that wasn't so bad.
Grabbed the next part carefully put it into place, moved the soldering iron into place, applied solder, removed iron, took a good close look at my work. What? where did it go? Must have left the soldering iron on too long, and burned it up. Well I have a couple more I can try. I didn't expect to get it the first time.
Take 2. Get that little thing in place, apply soldering iron, What, what is that, stuck there, on the tip of my soldering iron, That's the part that vanished. Oh and this this this is the first part I put on. Half the day gone and nothing to show for it.
I gave up. Don't even know what the project was any more. I thought I would never try that again. A few years later I found a website, They had short movies on it. The first one was of someone soldering, and it was surface mount. I must have watched that video 100 times, I decided to give it another try.
I'm not the best at it, I can get the parts soldered down, and they even work.
The only thing I can say is, You have to give it a try. You really have to. If you enjoy this hobby at all, there is no describing how much joy there is when you get that little led flasher to work.