[dorkbotpdx-blabber] Urgent help needed

[Thomas Lockney]

So, as most of you are aware, Don has been putting on an excellent
series of workshops around the Arduino platform most recently
incorporating an Arduino-clone of his own design (the Dorkboard) and a
programmer known as the Benito. The next workshop is scheduled for
next Sunday, the 27th.

Unfortunately, I just found out today that Don was in a motorcycle
accident. He has a broken clavicle and can't really use his left hand.
The extra difficulty is that the Benito programmers needed for next
weekends workshop still need to be assembled. Don has already placed
the processors on each of the boards, but they still need the
remaining components soldered.

Don is doing ok and apparently still feels good about being able to
run the workshops next week, but we need to try and get these
programmers ready in time. I proposed two possibilities that came to
mind when I spoke to him earlier, considering, of course, that OSCON
is taking place this week and many of us will be quite busy with
activities related to that.

Option 1 is that we try to get together a good sized handful of those
who feel they are capable of handling this soldering task (a few 805
form SMT components need to be done along with the USB socket and
headers, I believe) for an assembly "party" of sorts. The only good
time I can see for doing this would probably be early in the day next
Saturday -- but that's based on my own personal schedule. If enough
people are available at some other time, that could work out.

Option 2 would be to have similar skilled folks each grab a handful of
boards and assemble them on their own and bring them back to Don
sometime later in the week.The problem here is that Don can't really
debug them until he gets them back -- which is a problem if there are
issues with the boards.

So, I'm leaning towards option 1, myself. But we have some logistical
issues... we need a good place. Someplace with good light, table space
and ventilation. Oh, and of course it has to be available at a time
when enough of us are able to help out...

So, what can you do? If you have the skills to do SMT soldering and
feel comfortable helping out, let me know what your availability is
this week. If you have a good space or know of one that would be
readily available (with little work involved in getting it set up,
preferrably), please let me know ASAP.

Any other reasonable suggestions are welcome. If you have some other
means of helping that I haven't thought of, please let me know.

~thomas

971-322-9408 (feel free to call -- I'll call back when I can)