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My Clockstar is not working!

Applies to the original Clockstar kit, not Clockstar 2.0. What to check when a Clockstar will not start, and how to tell a good solder joint from a bad one.

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Written by Albert Gajsak

The most common problem why your Clockstar isn't working is poor soldering.

Please ensure all the pins are correctly soldered, without any soldering bridges or residual solder on the board. Also, keep in mind that the solder must cover the bottom of the pin.

You can see some good and bad examples of soldering in the picture on the left side.

Look for the ones marked ''OK''.

Once you fix your soldering joints, try again and see if the display is now working.

If you cannot see the picture, here is what a good joint looks like: a small shiny cone, a little volcano shape, that completely covers the round pad and hugs the pin all the way round. A bad joint is dull and blobby, sits on top of the pin like a ball without touching the pad, leaves bare metal showing, or bridges across to the pad next to it. Solder must also come through and cover the bottom of the pin, not just sit on the top surface.

If this does not work out, reach out to us at [email protected], and we’ll help you out.

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