Header banner
Revain logoHome Page
Jamie Behm photo
1 Level
1303 Review
46 Karma

Review on SunFounder Internet NRF24L01 Barometer Photoresistor by Jamie Behm

Revainrating 1 out of 5

Very bad documentation! Cannot complete projects

The most important thing about these kits is the instructions. They should be clearly written, easy-to-understand instructions for creating the first "Hello World" projects. This helps boost your confidence and gives you a shortcut to study. For this reason, this kit fails completely. Given the cost of the items purchased individually, this bundle would not be a bargain (you save over half if you do NOT purchase the bundle). However, I've had great luck with Sun-Founder's code and instructions in the past. This kit is nothing like the old kits I bought. The wiring instructions are wrong and in one case I didn't notice it, until I ran the code and the RF24s didn't work at 5 volts. It'll kill those little radios. This diagram showing the wrong RF24 connector is part of the documentation that came with the product. After fixing this bug and replacing the radio, they still don't communicate (I thought the code worked). Maybe these bad instructions also damaged the Arduino. So if you buy one of these kits, be sure to check the specs for each component before blindly following Sun's founder's instructions. Not a good value given the importance of good documentation. I have written to Sun-Founder and posted on their forums but have not heard from them. Edit: Sunfounder replied. It turned out, that a typo went unnoticed for a while. This has been fixed and two new RF24s are on the way. To be fair, I should have noticed the error in the chart. However, it was my first Mega and I trusted them to connect point to point as instructed. live and learn Second edit: after three weeks of waiting, the spare parts (NRF2) still haven't arrived. Also, the erroneous schematic in their online documentation was not corrected weeks after they agreed that this wiring was killing the boards. Failure to fix the problem online means the documentation that came with the product is unlikely to be repaired. In any case, avoid suntanners. Third and final change: Jake from Sunfounder has now emailed me to reassure me that the package has already arrived. He asked me to check with the local post office. Perhaps you have already seen this offer from some providers. Anyone living in the US knows that this is not a standard procedure "Hi, I'm sick of being lied to! If the nRF24s ever arrive and the kit is ready I will add a star to make this a two star rating. In over fifty years of kit building, this is one of the worst companies I have ever dealt with. And that's very sad, because just a few years ago I would have said exactly the opposite. Something has changed, for the worse! I'm tired of being lied to! If the nRF24s ever arrive and the kit is ready, I will add a star to make this a two star rating. In over fifty years of kit building, this is one of the worst companies I have ever dealt with. And that's very sad, because just a few years ago I would have said exactly the opposite. Something has changed there

Pros
  • Electronics
Cons
  • Not as thick as other picks