Total Noob About to Start his First Project

[Retro Jack]

Hi all,

Recently, I made the mistake of buying a counterfeit JYETech DSO150 oscilloscope with the predictable result - it was pretty much dead on arrival.

As a result, I have now ordered a replacement, this time from the official JYETech store (lesson learned), however, because I am on a limited budget, I ordered the non-assembled version.

I have never assembled / soldered such a kit before and because I don't have a lot of money to spare, I don't want to bugger it up, so this is why I'm asking for your help and suggestions.

I have:

• Pinecil smart soldering iron with both the default pointed tip and a knife-edged tip with a 45 degree angle
• Generic (lost the label) 0.8mm flux-cored solder
• Solder braid
• IPA
• Alligator clip style helping hands
• TC-1 LCR tester
• Multimeter
• Veroboard and sundry components for practice

I have been watching Dave's videos for years and I'm trying to get into electronics as a hobby in my later years, so any help here would be greatly appreciated.



Cheers,
Jack

[ledtester]

You might want to practice first with some inexpensive kits. There was just a recent thread on this topic:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/any-recommendations-for-cheap-soldering-practice-boards/

Here's a cheap LED flasher kit and lower in the listing there are links to other kits:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801518571293.html

For tips on soldering technique, have a quick look through this Elenco kit assembly manual:

https://www.elenco.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LP-425K_REV-E-3.pdf

especially the "Construction" section on page 3.

And this video from the Pace soldering tutorial series:

Basic Soldering Lesson 6 - "Component Soldering"
https://youtu.be/AY5M-lGxvzo

has good pictures of what a solder joint should look like.

[Grandchuck]

ledtester gives good advice.  I will add that beginners often orient parts incorrectly, and/or misidentify leads and ignore polarity.

[Peabody]

You bought the assembled version from Aliexpress?  And you powered it with a 9V supply?  Do you get nothing at all when you turn it on - no display, no anything?

I did this kit some years ago, and I don't know if the curcuit has changed, but one common issue was the little daughter board that holds the rotary encoder.  For some reason a lot of people install it upside down, or backwards, or whatever.

Banggood has always carried genuine JYEtech stuff, and the assembled version was the best deal because it came with the right probe instead of alligator clips.  But I don't see it there now.

JYEtech has a forum with lots of info on this scope.  Also, there are several Youtube videos showing the assembly of this kit.

Edit:  Is the Aliexpress link in your first post a link to the counterfeit, or a link to the genuine kit?

[tggzzz]

Welcome and good luck.

Most yootoob vids are a waste of time: poorly conceived, timewasting etc. The Pace videos are the opposite, since they were made for a professional audience when time was short and making videos was expensive. They show you the theory, the practice, what it should look like when things are going well, and most importantly what they look like when they are going wrong.

Thus the Pace videos are a solid starting point: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837

After looking at those, get to know how to wield your tools by practicing on something unimportant. That, of course, is what you should do with any tool to gain proficiency.

[Retro Jack]

You bought the assembled version from Aliexpress?  And you powered it with a 9V supply?  Do you get nothing at all when you turn it on - no display, no anything?

I did this kit some years ago, and I don't know if the curcuit has changed, but one common issue was the little daughter board that holds the rotary encoder.  For some reason a lot of people install it upside down, or backwards, or whatever.

Banggood has always carried genuine JYEtech stuff, and the assembled version was the best deal because it came with the right probe instead of alligator clips.  But I don't see it there now.

JYEtech has a forum with lots of info on this scope.  Also, there are several Youtube videos showing the assembly of this kit.

Edit:  Is the Aliexpress link in your first post a link to the counterfeit, or a link to the genuine kit?

Sorry, I should've specified. The link I included is to the kosher version. Also, the fake wasn't completely dead, but it may as well have been in terms of results - it displayed a perfectly flat trace which wouldn't respond no matter what I did - also, when I tried to research it online, I found the UI was different from every manual I could find on the subject and as such, I couldn't even do the calibration steps. Usin the same method as the DSO 138 wouldn't work either.

[Retro Jack]

Thus the Pace videos are a solid starting point: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837

Thanks very much for that - I'm downloading the playlist now! 

[Retro Jack]

You might want to practice first with some inexpensive kits. There was just a recent thread on this topic:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/any-recommendations-for-cheap-soldering-practice-boards/

Here's a cheap LED flasher kit and lower in the listing there are links to other kits:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801518571293.html

For tips on soldering technique, have a quick look through this Elenco kit assembly manual:

https://www.elenco.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LP-425K_REV-E-3.pdf

especially the "Construction" section on page 3.

And this video from the Pace soldering tutorial series:

Basic Soldering Lesson 6 - "Component Soldering"
https://youtu.be/AY5M-lGxvzo

has good pictures of what a solder joint should look like.

Some excellent ideas there - thanks very much!

[Peabody]

Well, a flat trace could result from having the switch on the back set to GND instead of DC or AC.

Could you post a link to the counterfeit so people will know what to avoid?

[Retro Jack]

Quote from: Peabody on Today at 01:32:28 am

Well, a flat trace could result from having the switch on the back set to GND instead of DC or AC.

Could you post a link to the counterfeit so people will know what to avoid?

Sadly, moving the coupling switch to different positions made no difference.

Here is the one to avoid: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001451759929.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.45b61802pldeSi
It's sold by FNIRSI which is listed listed on JYETech's forums as a counterfeit seller.

[Terry Bites]

I agree. Kits and trouble shoorting and modding kits is a great place to start.
You will need to get some basic electrical theory under your belt.
Ohms, Kirchoffs, RC ciruits etc. There's plenty of learning material out there.
Get yourself a copy of the Art of electonics. The essential text book with no hard maths.
Also get the art of electronics student manual that goes with it.
Familiarising yourself with expected and unexpected measuments will be very edcucational.

Keep a log book of your experiences and ideas.

[bidrohini]

Hi, have you seen this too?

[Peabody]

For those who might see this thread in the future, I just want to say that I think you should buy the assembled version.   It's only $5 to $10 more, plus with the assembled version you get a real scope probe, but with the kit you just get aligator clips, which is not what you want.  By the time you buy a real probe for the kit you will have spent as much or more.

The other thing to consider is the possibility of converting the scope to battery power, with an internal LIPO battery, charger module and boost converter module.  There's a long thread on the JYEtech forum on various ways of doing this, and I think you may find it easier to do before you have soldered in the on/off switch.  You would need a battery and the two modules (or possibly just a J5019 module, which has the charger and boost converter, but no protection).  The cost of all that would be partially offset by not having to buy a 9V power supply.  And if the scope is battery powered, and therefore not referenced to ground, you don't have to worry about the issues discussed in Dave's video on how not to blow up your scope.

[Retro Jack]

Hi, have you seen this too?

I've watched a few of these - I'll check this out now! 🙂

Thanks!

[Retro Jack]

Get yourself a copy of the Art of electonics. The essential text book with no hard maths.
Also get the art of electronics student manual that goes with it.

Thanks for that - I have found it on Archive.org here with the corresponding Student Manual also on Archive.org here.

Keep a log book of your experiences and ideas.

Also sounds like a good idea!



Cheers!

[Retro Jack]

I can't believe how helpful you guys have been - thank you so much! 

[Glassman]

I too am just starting out and your post caught my attention. I will also be following up on some of the ideas posted in the comments. Hope you get it sorted.

[RJSV]

   I'm not beginner but love getting back to my technician roots, and a favored way is 'study' many of the current Drug Store or department store electronic toy items.
   A little toy piano, $7. 99 and with excellent 'note key proximity' or 'touch' response.  Keyboard responds at 1/4 inch distant (finger from surface).  The 'builds' are often very good, and the cost is negligible if accidentally damaged.
Last toy piano I checked out had TWO plastic 'blobs', as CPU and, perhaps, keyboard controller.  Then, these toy pianos often have a few surface mounted resistors, for the LEDs, and, sometimes, a visible surface mount transistor, for driving the typical little 1 inch speaker.
   A partially Polyphonic feature means that it will respond when pressing more than just one key, so you can try some simple 2-note chords.
Plus many of those 'under $10' toys have pre-canned functions, playing a song when the 'pre-canned' button is pressed
   I liked to hook up my little solar PV cells, as switches, for triggering things, with my flashlight, (instead of pushing button).
The last toy I bought, ($ 7. 99) was excellent construction, and was easy to install a tiny 8 pin solderless breadboard section, for the audio output / speaker output that I added, (first thing!).  Four inch speaker gives nice bass end.

[EEVblog]

ledtester gives good advice.  I will add that beginners often orient parts incorrectly, and/or misidentify leads and ignore polarity.

Yes, the electronic equivalent of "measure twice, cut once" is "check polarity twice, solder once".

[Retro Jack]

Yes, the electronic equivalent of "measure twice, cut once" is "check polarity twice, solder once".

Definitely something to keep an eye out for - thanks! 

[Retro Jack]

   I'm not beginner but love getting back to my technician roots, and a favored way is 'study' many of the current Drug Store or department store electronic toy items.
   A little toy piano, $7. 99 and with excellent 'note key proximity' or 'touch' response.  Keyboard responds at 1/4 inch distant (finger from surface).  The 'builds' are often very good, and the cost is negligible if accidentally damaged.
Last toy piano I checked out had TWO plastic 'blobs', as CPU and, perhaps, keyboard controller.  Then, these toy pianos often have a few surface mounted resistors, for the LEDs, and, sometimes, a visible surface mount transistor, for driving the typical little 1 inch speaker.
   A partially Polyphonic feature means that it will respond when pressing more than just one key, so you can try some simple 2-note chords.
Plus many of those 'under $10' toys have pre-canned functions, playing a song when the 'pre-canned' button is pressed
   I liked to hook up my little solar PV cells, as switches, for triggering things, with my flashlight, (instead of pushing button).
The last toy I bought, ($ 7. 99) was excellent construction, and was easy to install a tiny 8 pin solderless breadboard section, for the audio output / speaker output that I added, (first thing!).  Four inch speaker gives nice bass end.

I'll keep an eye out for those - cheers!

[Terry Bites]

It can be very disapointing when the fail is built in. Chasing down a down a cock up you didnt make can be infuriating Buy from a reuptable source- some one you can actually complain to.
Build up your confidence on the simple stuff with components you can see first to avoid tears, shame and dispair. So not micro-based mystery boxes from which you will learn nothing much about electronics.
Look mum- a mobile phone needs to be downgraded to look mum- a flashing LED. Work your way up and refine your skills and knowlege.