Got my 1st Controller!

[Jeffl]

I had to take some of may last ones apart as much as I could.  If they did not fit, I did use a drill bit "BY HAND" and took just enough material out to get them in.  The biggest help however was by taking them apart as much as possible an installing them piece by piece.

I would make sure the pin spacing is correct on the part as I would bet it's not a PCB issue.

I stressed by hand because as RJ said if you drill out the hole too much your in trouble.

[Beanbag109]

Got my 4 tonight! Now I need to figure out how to use the propane torch my wife gave me last year to solder some pipes, to work on these small parts.?.?.?    I'll check you-tube maybe...   lol just kidding...

THANKS RJ!!

[Halstaff]

Other than the little problem I'm having, the build went together very well.  The videos were a great help.
Thanks RJ for putting this together.

[pk]

These connectors are much tighter than what I experienced on previous expresses I have built.

[memphislights]

+1 for the terminal strips being unusually tight.  Took me almost 30 minutes to pry them off and put them in in smaller sections.

[SteveMaris]

I had to take some of may last ones apart as much as I could.  If they did not fit, I did use a drill bit "BY HAND" and took just enough material out to get them in.  The biggest help however was by taking them apart as much as possible an installing them piece by piece.

I would make sure the pin spacing is correct on the part as I would bet it's not a PCB issue.

I stressed by hand because as RJ said if you drill out the hole too much your in trouble.

I will be doing this if necessary.  6 le's to build today.

[Halstaff]

I'll wait until some others try theirs before continuing the fight with the headers.
In the mean time, I went ahead and installed the chips and fired it up.  Good voltage leds and the display comes on but seems to scroll slower than in the video and led #6 comes on dimly and stays on.  I ran the test and the led's on pins 10, 11 & 12 don't come on at all.  I've switched opto's with working ones and it doesn't fix it.  Rechecked all my solder joints and don't see anything amiss.
Maybe I'll need to step back and attack it again in a day or so.

[lonewolf41]

Try reflashing the PIC.  I had a slow scrolling display that was due to bad/corrupt firmware.  Reloading the firmware fixed my problem.

HIH,
-Keith

[Halstaff]

I did see in the troubleshooting guide to do that.  Unfortunately, I don't have a Pickit yet.  I'll need one for my Etherdongle anyway, so I'll be ordering one and trying that.
Thanks.

[SteveMaris]

I don't have a drill bit that small. Starting on the right side of the board,  (so the keys can go in from the top on the next piece) I went one piece at a time, using the table top to "press" it in place. some went in a lot easier than others. Only one of 6 boards had this issue.. stressful... but got it done.

[RJ]

So we had a manufactor issue with the pcb. that makes a little more sense. check for excess solder in the hole making it smaller and heat is with an iron and a little solder wick it might help. Sometimes when the Hot Air Solder Level the pcbs it leaves a little too much solder in the holes.


RJ

[bassmants]

Thanks for the feedback and help.  I will be starting mine this weekend and I'll know what to look for. 

[twooly]

So I was curious about mine that I just got (Thanks RJ for the work!).  Its a tight fit on both of them but I was able to get them in ok.

[SteveMaris]

It's as RJ stated above. Excess solder here and there.
 They can be forced in with out breaking anything.
 Or find a drill bit small enough to clean it up a bit, BY HAND.

[Halstaff]

Success with getting the headers in!  I was able to take a small awl and use the grinder to get a very fine tip.  With that, I carefully reamed out the holes just enough to get the headers in one at a time.  It took a good bit of pushing but got them all in and soldered.
Still have my other issues but won't be able to test whether a reflash of the chip solves them until I get my Pickit3.