Basic Saber with LED and Nano Biscotti V3 Soundboard First Build

[Lord Dragon Master 9000]

First saber build plus first post in forum... so yes, massive noob here, know nothing of electronics except what I've read on here and from YT tutorials.

I have followed this youtube tutorial on how to build it so far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sApB7J5JdZ4. However, I was unable to find the same wiring harness as the one in the video so I decided to wire everything straight to the biscotti to what I think is accurate to the diagram attached. None of the functions are working.

The LED was working before I wired it to the biscotti so it can't be that because I tested it, which also means it can't be the battery. I have also attached some images of what I have soldered in case anyone can spot the problem (aside from the shoddy job of soldering).

Red wire: +led/+to battery
Light green wire: -to battery
Dark green wire: -led
white wires: Activation switch
Blue wires: speakers

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Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[darth_chasm]

No functions? As in sound as well?

Wires look like they're in the right places. Although, stripped a bit long on a few. That could lead to problems.

Are you sure you put the battery in the correct direction each time you've tried? Is the battery charged? I know you said you tested with the battery but I would still check to rule out any obvious things.

Examine the board very closely, with magnifier if possible, and make sure there are no stray blobs of solder where they shouldn't be.

[Lord Dragon Master 9000]

Thanks for the info. No sound or light for some reason. I tried unsoldering and resoldering it so it matched the video more closely, but now I think I've definitely messed it up. Probably with blobs of solder this time. I'll give it a look with the magnifying glass. What if the problem is blobs of solder? Is there anything that can fix that and maybe return the board to its original unaltered state?

[TwinMill]

a desoldering wick, placed between a blob and your iron should remove it.
basically it's a small ribbon of tightly woven (or braided) fine copper wire.
here's one on the US amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Steren-400-168-Desoldering-Braid/dp/B004NEUII8/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1478086911&sr=8-14&keywords=desoldering+braid

I think (hope) this link is ok since it's a product that could be used for pretty much any electronics project, not just sabers... that and I don't think I've ever seen it offered for sale here in the 2 or so years I've been a member, so theoretically no conflict of interest with the store to which this forum is attached.:confused:

Also, I agree with Chasm about the wires having a bit too much of their insulation stripped away, which could potentially be a short-circuit hazard.
Here's a picture that kind of shows how I like to solder.

Edit to add: one last question - Did you remove the microSD card from the sound board before soldering? It may seem a silly question to some, but occasionally a saber builder makes the mistake of not doing that vital step, which is one more way a build can go bad.
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[Lord Dragon Master 9000]

Ok, thanks, I think I'll have to give the desoldering wick a try since I have really messed this up. That link works but I live in Au so probs will have to look for a more local source.

So the reason for the board not working could be because the board is constantly short circuiting due to there being too much exposed wire? Or you just mean that it is a potential hazard but not the one that could be causing the problem of it not even activating in the first place?

Sorry about my lack of knowledge on the subject.

[Greenie]

Just gonna echo TwinMill, always remove the SD when soldering. Also, just make sure it's in correctly before you start pulling it apart.

[Lord Dragon Master 9000]

Thanks Greenie, I'll definitely give it one more try before I change anything. Love that Revelation saber by the way. I'm 99% sure that the SD was out the whole time.

[darth_chasm]

It doesn't look like the exposed wires are a problem right now. However, if they break or shift they may touch something they shouldn't.

If all else fails, you can contact plecter labs to see if Erv can repair the board.

[jbkuma]

What is your power source? A cheap knock off battery or otherwise inadequate power source can also keep things for working properly. I tried using a battery from a local shop before I discovered the fountain of experience at TCSS and found that to be the culprit in my first test firing.

[Lord Dragon Master 9000]

The battery is from Battery World, which I'm fairly certain is the only place to get an 18650 battery around here. It was the cheapest one but the shopkeeper said the only difference was the life length, not the quality. TCSS don't ship batteries internationally do they?

[Silver Serpent]

Sadly no, the U.S. Postal Service is still being cranky about such things.

[Lord Dragon Master 9000]

I think I've found what the problem was. It's a silly one. Basically, I detached the LED from the biscotti to double check that it wasn't the battery. It wasn't, because the light was working when I touched the positive and negative ends to the corresponding ones on the battery. However, when I put it into the battery holder, and touched the ends to the corresponding ones, it didn't work. Turns out, the positive end of the battery was not in contact with the positive end of the battery holder. So now I just need to figure out a way to get them in contact with one another. Any suggestions? Maybe I could put a blob of solder onto the battery holder to make contact?

Look at the space between the battery and the holder:

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[Lord Dragon Master 9000]

Also, I really messed up this biscotti trying to fix the problem this thread is about. Is this still usable now that I've found what the real problem was or should I get some solder wick and then try to wire it up again?

Evidence of its condition:

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[PhoenixHawk]

Yes you could try building up the contact point on the battery holder.

Most definitely need to get some solder wick and clean all that solder off from both sides. As long as you didn't short out the board it should still work. Also just a little pointer...your using to much solder...as the old adage go's...practice makes perfect. On the second photo you have solder making contact with the pad next to it....that could also have been your problem.

[Lord Dragon Master 9000]

Alright cool, thanks for the tips. The solder connecting the two pads was a result of me trying to fix the original problem sadly, so I made it worse by trying to fix it somehow :mad:.