I will have more questions for you as time goes on. Thanks in advance!

Also, your description on how to post the zip with all 3 sketches was easy to follow. Even for me. Here it is.

Bill

 "Can you merge these 2 Arduino sketches into one?" I attached the 2 sketches (the ones you gave me) to my question, and , seconds later, I was using the Widget Counter and (almost) crying happy tears.

Ron has asked me to please post the actual code that the machine sent to me to better evaluate it, along with the 2 sketches you directed me to use (from your original feasibility study) all into one zip file, which (watch it, cause I can hear you laughing) I've done for the first time ever today. (Hope it worked!) For that, please see my response to Ron.

Thanks again. Bill 

Now reply to this post or another of the posts in this topic, click Attach Files at the bottom and navigate to your desktop to finish the process.

  Thanks for the update.

I am pleased that you managed to solve your problems, and sorry you had a hard time, before AI stepped in. Perhaps I should have explained that the tutorial was not a quick fix solution, but rather an attempt to explain some of the issues and approaches to consider. Unfortunately, doing this over a forum is tricky, as you were bound to hit a problem, and whilst this can be fixed in a moment when both parties are in the same place, it can easily become impossible when they are limited to a messaging discussion. I had hoped to have a little more interaction, but completely understand how difficult that is, to achieve. However, I hope you learnt some useful hints from the time you spent. In reality, we can all struggle at times, and it can be very frustrating.  However, if you persevere, you will find it gets easier.

As for use of AI, although I have very little direct experience, I can see it is developing very quickly, and will be become as ubiquitous as many other computing and electronic devices. Furthermore, I am sure many people will make a comfortable salary by being capable of utilising the tools effectively, and I wish them well. And of course, that does not exclude amateurs and others, benefitting in their own individual ways, as well.

However, as with most things in life, I am cautious that the commercial, and possibly political, pressures will result in the technology being deliberately misused, over sold and 'over-trusted'. When the machine produces a 'correct' result, then it is obviously very convenient, and may be better than could have reasonably produced by humans. However, we have all seen examples where the same machines have produced obvious drivel. However, the 'obvious drivel' is easy to discard ... the tricky part is who, or what, will be capable of spotting the 'non-obvious drivel'? The latter, may appear highly plausible, but have disastrous consequences.

So whilst, I encourage you to investigate it further, I also recommend you try to understand what it is telling you, and use it as a 'personal tutor', so that you can review its recommendations in a meaningful way, and not just assume it's a convenient sage, providing answers on demand, and hope they are always correct. Used in the right way, I think it may become a very powerful tool.

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As Ron (@zander) has already mentioned, I think you have some valuable experience to share, and whilst I appreciate you have posted some photos, they are not very convenient. In particular, I like to look at code on my own machine, where I can 'poke around', which would mean retyping, etc. So, if you could please help us all by spending a little time supplying the information in a more convenient form, that would be appreciated.

I think at least a few of us on the forum would like 'machine' readable versions, of all the steps, including original source files, the instructions to chatGPT, and the resulting replies, which hopefully, can be directly uploaded as files. Admittedly, the forum sometimes objects to certain file types, but the easy fix is to 'zip' them up, possibly all into the same zip file, prior to uploading, so that we can 'imagine' the sequence you experienced.

Of course, I would not wish you to spend a lot of time on this, so please use your discretion and ingenuity to deal with any parts that are tricky to supply. The intention is to convey the information, not fulfil some bureaucratic requirement.

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Well done for getting this far with your project, and I wish you well in your next phase of turning it into a small and robust product.

Best wishes, Dave

This is the best 3rd hand I have ever seen. I think Bill has it also. Link

At 82 I am not so steady any more so I really appreciate these tools.

In case you have not noticed, like Bill I am in Canada so you may have to adjust the Amazon links by changing .ca to .com.

I got the digital. Just easier to see for me and there are probably a few tricks it can do that I have yet to use.

I have regular paste, special tinning paste, but mostly use liquid rosin flux. Lot's of different size desoldering braid, flux in a syringe, and mixed flux and solder balls in a syringe. Do your research, lots of these products are fake as in terrible performance. If in doubt check with Rossman Repair Group, he is a solder god.

For solder I have two spools, one is 0.8mm for heavy work it is 60/40 Tin/Lead, the other is for fine work and it is 0.38mm Sn63 Pb37 No clean water washable.

My everyday tip is a medium wedge. It is a T15 D16 (see pic) the tip needs cleaning. Here is an Amazon link, but do NOT pay that price, get a set that includes this plus a smaller and bigger if possible and shop around. I just did a quick search on Amazon and found one for about $10. LINK

Let me know if you have any further questions about soldering, tools, and supplies. My tendency is to see what the pros use and then see if I can afford it. If not, check LOTS of reviews, many are paid for so maybe natch up the pro picks with more budget oriented items by the same manufacturer.

Here is a picture of the D16 tip. It is about 2mm wide at the tip. Here is an amzon link to a practice board. Link