I've built a GPS tracker with ESP32 | soldering, assembly & first test | makermoekoe

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Content:
0:11 Solderpaste meets PCB
1:10 Placing SMD components
2:13 Soldering on the hotplate soldering iron
2:31 Checking soldering results
2:59 Assembling the bottom layer
3:28 Soldering the FPC OLED connector
4:17 Bugfixing
4:54 Enclosure cutting & assembly
6:17 Videosponsor: PCBWay
6:42 Coding & testing
8:05 Power analyzing with the Otii Arc

This device is the first prototype of a localization system for my old camper van. It is based on an Ai-Thinker A7 GPS & GSM module which is communicating over serial with an ESP32 Pico D4. For input & output I have added two buttons and an 0.96" OLED display, but the main idea is that the device can be control by a smartphone App. As you can see in the end of the video I'm using the Blynk 2.0 App which works great for several IoT projects, even for those which are communicating over mobile radio.

All in all the whole project is working fine, but for the next revision I have to optimize two things:
2. The power path is not yet optimal. When the device is working a while, the battery looses capacity and cannot deliver enough energy for the power-hungry GSM module. This results in a ESP brownout when data is transmitted/received over mobile radio.

I'm very happy with the result of this project. The transparent solder mask looks beautiful in combination with the acrylic glass cover. There will be a second, probably smaller, version of this thing in the near future, optimize for the use inside my van. Maybe it will be a modular solution which can be stacked onto the VanMeter board - but we will see.

The VanMeter project is another project for my old camper van. You will find it here:

I'm now on Patreon! Your little help is appreciated a lot! Check it out here:

Links:

[markyboi]

Can we take a moment to appreciate how CLEAN that first stencil placement was?!

[benevolentintelligence]

Kudos on the camerawork, the footage you achieved in the soldering stage is deeply satisfying.
Really impressive project overall.
Great work.

[NilsBelde]

I like the fact, that you are really taking the time to answer the questions here on youtube. Thanks for that.

And great project of course!

[toystorybro]

For everyone else reading I just want to say this video served as inspiration to go out there and chase your dreams to do and learn the things you've always wanted to. Nothing is out of reach no matter how difficult it might be or how old you might feel. You are your only limitation!

When I first commented on this video I wondered how could someone achieve such an amazing set of mastery. I wondered how did he start and how did he know what to do and where to look. That's when I set out on a path to learn and conquer circuit board design, CAD, 3D printing and computer programming with a goal of creating and designing my very own projects. My interests in robotics was always sparked by this channel and this was the last video I needed to watch to fully light the match!

I've since enrolled myself in a programming bootcamp and my life has changed for the better. Near the end of it I'll have a say of where I work rather than where I can work with a much greater level of compensation.

From April-August 2022 I've dove into HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, SQL, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and AWS. I've fully covered the required study material of a backend software engineer and fully understand it with working projects for each. From August 2022 to Feb 2023 I'll be covering the front end with boostrap, react, react native and expo sdk by designing apps for both the iOS and Android app store. I work full time and I study until bedtime every weekday. I always feel productive and I'm always glad my time at home did not go to waste on a Netflix series. Once this bootcamp is over I'll lean over to CAD and then circuit design.

Soon they'll all fall neatly together and if something ever happens I won't wonder what could have been but instead marvel at all the wonderful work I made.

Now I'm not nagging or anything like it I'm sharing this is because if you're like me and were looking for the final push to finally go out there and do it. This is it! This is the message you've been waiting for! My advice is that life is only one and very short one indeed. Use it to your greatest extent and do what you think was always impossible. I promise you you'll find a way!

[mmtylenol]

I thought you were going to smd solder those components by hand with a quick wipe, the iron was worlds beyond cooler than a heatgun. The cinematography here is phenomenal. I love how simple this project is and I wish I could not only like but also heart this video.

[BrianThomas]

This is pretty freaking amazing. 3:41 into the video. I love how the solder just lays down precisely where it's supposed to go.

[nebster]

Honestly, I didn't understand much of what you did but I am glad YouTube recommended this because this is excellent. Really enjoyed the close up footage, it's so fun to watch! Earned a subscriber :D

[debajyotimajumder]

This is so beautiful...I was captivated the moment I saw it in the thumbnail...I zoomed in and was amazed.

[alexisdrosopoulos]

Great project! You may want to increase the temperature of your soldering iron quite a bit, because some of those connections and especially the through hole ones look a lot like cold solder joints to me. Take a look at the battery terminals for instance.

[arthurfleischman]

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL, a state of art of DIY project, congrats.

[NeverTalkToCops]

AStonishing. You've mastered multiple disciplines here: Hardware design with small components, hardware manufacturing (tweezers and iron), software design and engineering.

[Delali]

This is absolutely impressive work. I love everything from start to finish. The iron reflow station always gets me.

As a maker and fellow youtuber i love and can appreciate the overall effort you put into your videos. Its amazing.

[stack.that.cheese]

I can't believe how much I just learned through analyzing, that was beautiful!

[artrock]

Cool project, great music, and awesome presentation! Thank you for sharing! 🙏

[hoofheartedicemelted]

Sir. You're soldering skills are next level !! Thank you maker.moekoe for this very helpful video.

[JasonWho]

Amazing! Been wanting to design and build one of these and this is very well done already. Looking forward to the next version, would love these for cars, bikes, and such. An option to plug in a simple solar panel might be useful too in case the use case doesn’t charge it often like a long-term parked car.

[audibledonor]

You're insanely professional at your job.

[lukewalker]

Glad YouTube recommended this to me. Really professional looking job mate. Let us know if you plan to release the files as open source or make it yourself. I would love to get one myself assuming it didn't cost more than US$150.

[BEdmonson]

You should use flux on all of the hand soldered parts, a lot of those solder joints look cold. Maybe increase soldering iron temps a little too.

[alanmcrae]

Excellent build! You have a very enviable skillset. There are so many useful things you can create with your skills. Thanks for sharing!