Fidgety parts

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Phillip Porch, MD

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Oct 7, 2025, 11:20:37 AM (3 days ago) Oct 7
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As Oscar indicated, getting the Otto panel on took a bit of fidgeting, but it was not horrible. My issue was after putting the switches in, trying to get the true front panel on was a lot more fidgety than I expected. After getting the front panel in place, I was trying the method of putting something over the switches and turning the board over. Each time I did this, one of the switches managed to move a bit. The solution for me was after placing the switches through the Otto board and fidgeting to get the true front panel in place, to put tape across all the switches to keep them in place. Then when I turned the board over with the board in place, nothing moved, and everything looks good. I also used tape to secure the front panel, Ottoman board sandwich to the electronics board so it would not fall down, making me have to start over again. I don't know if anyone else has had this issue, but it solved it for me, and I hope it helps someone.

Oscar Vermeulen

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Oct 7, 2025, 2:14:25 PM (3 days ago) Oct 7
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Philip,

On Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 5:20:37 PM UTC+2 ppp...@gmail.com wrote:

As Oscar indicated, getting the Otto panel on took a bit of fidgeting, but it was not horrible.


Glad to hear it! 

Before Otto came up with the Ottopanel (what's in a name), getting LEDs and switches through the front panel was very fidgety. Now we can have the LED holes in the Ottopanel a tiny bit wider, so the LEDs go through mostly peacefully. Then the front panel has narrower LED holes for the desired cosmetic fit. And with this approach, mroe importantly, we could do the LEDs in step 1, the switches in step 2. Getting LEDs and switches all together through just the front panel before soldering them up was frustrating.

Anyway --
 

My issue was after putting the switches in, trying to get the true front panel on was a lot more fidgety than I expected. After getting the front panel in place, I was trying the method of putting something over the switches and turning the board over.


The idea is, quote:

"
At this point, the switches are put in position, but of course not yet soldered up. If you would flip over the panel to solder their pins on the back of the PCB, they would just fall out. There are two ways to solder the switches; we prefer method #2, it is fast and has good results - even though it might seem a bit crude:

1    Hold the PCB set, pressing a finger against a switch whilst soldering its middle pin only.
2    Or, place a flat bit of cardboard (better, a wood cutting board from the kitchen) on the top of the switch handles, so they’re all pressed into place.
     Flip over on the table and solder them all – just their middle pins.
"

So, method #2 didn't work out because switches still fell out? But how can they if they're all pressed against the wood cutting board before you flip the whole thing over? 
Or, you mean, they shift a tiny bit horizontally?

If it's the latter, that turns out not to be a visible problem once soldered up and you look at the front panel. As a precaution (suppose the horizontal shift is visible) I recommended to only do the middle pin of each switch, then do a visual check. Because at that point, you can reheat & reseat any offending switches.


I'm asking for details because maybe I need to make this more clear in the Building Instructions? It works for me and the 3 'test pilots' that tried. If not for you, is that because the instructions are not clear? The idea is you put the wood cutting board (or whatever flat sturdy thing) on top of the 'sandwich', then flip everything upside down. Unless the wood board is not pressed against the switches, how could they move?

Important question for me, because this is one of the two places where building the kit can become frustrating!

 

Each time I did this, one of the switches managed to move a bit. The solution for me was after placing the switches through the Otto board and fidgeting to get the true front panel in place, to put tape across all the switches to keep them in place. Then when I turned the board over with the board in place, nothing moved, and everything looks good. I also used tape to secure the front panel, Ottoman board sandwich to the electronics board so it would not fall down, making me have to start over again. I don't know if anyone else has had this issue, but it solved it for me, and I hope it helps someone.


You recommend adding to the Instructions to use tape to hold the switches, as an extra keep-in-place with the wood board?

Kind regards,

Oscar.
 

Oscar Vermeulen

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Oct 7, 2025, 2:22:50 PM (3 days ago) Oct 7
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I added this to the Instructions:

"Put some tape over the tops of each row of switches now, so they are somewhat held together in the right position - they can now only wobble together."

...then proceed to put the wood cutting board or whatever flat thing you have on top, and flip over for soldering.

I think that is what your feedback was, right?

Kind regards,

Oscar.

R Clark

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Oct 7, 2025, 2:41:23 PM (3 days ago) Oct 7
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I solved my frustration by only soldering one row of switches at a time (just the middle pins).  Much easier to get lined up.  Then finally  all the switches on the right.  

Phillip Porch, MD

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Oct 7, 2025, 5:44:48 PM (3 days ago) Oct 7
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I think that is perfect. The problem is probably just from a 71 year old guy trying to do this. I used a small cutting board ( for electronics) and it maybe wa a little too flexible? Im not sure but one of the switches dropped down for enough to come out of the circuit board holes. 

Thank you Oscar, I am really enjoying the process.

Adam Thornton

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Oct 7, 2025, 7:19:18 PM (3 days ago) Oct 7
to Phillip Porch, MD, [PiDP-1]
Yeah, I had the problem of the switches moving a lot relative to the cutting board too, and I ended up tacking them in place and then going back for a second pass where I pushed firmly on the other side of the switch to get it seated well while soldering (I just put a piece of tape on my index finger to slightly slow heat transfer, and it worked fine).  These switches just snapped into place for me: much more authoritative when they were seated than I remember -8 or the -11 being, although the -10 also was very good for knowing when the switch was correctly seated.

The -1 toggle switches are much more tactilely satisfying than any of the rocker switches on the other PiDPs.

Adam

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R Clark

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Oct 7, 2025, 8:25:52 PM (3 days ago) Oct 7
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"The problem is probably just from a 71 year old guy trying to do this" ... Ahhh, no. I'm 61....  I littered the floor with switches and the main board the first time I tried it set it up with ALL the switches when I went to lift the assembly and turn over.... That is when I installed/soldered just two switches one on each side of the board.  Slept on it...  I then got the bright idea to just install one row at a time, and put a nut on the two 'soldered' switches to hold in place while I soldered the row.  Repeat for next row, and repeat for the right side.  Worked out perfectly.

Phillip Porch, MD

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Oct 7, 2025, 8:51:26 PM (3 days ago) Oct 7
to R Clark, [PiDP-1]
I didn’t think of one row at a time. Strong work! 

Oscar Vermeulen

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Oct 8, 2025, 3:40:55 AM (3 days ago) Oct 8
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So, 
-put tape over each row of switches before putting on the wood board and flipping the whole thing over
-consider doing one row of switches at a time.

Thank you! Added to the Instructions.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

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