Darko | April 7, 2024

Marian | Dec. 18, 2023

Liana | April 22, 2023

Wilhelm | Feb. 14, 2023

Awesome upgrade

Makes your life MUCH easier, very much recommended! Installation was very easy in my opinion. No issues when using.

Response from RandomHacks | Feb. 15, 2023

Thank you very much for your review 😉

Tomaž | Jan. 22, 2023

How to make a "cheap" hot air station a perfect one

This kind of control board is something this hot air station should already have.
Overall:
- fast shipping
- fast delivery
- great communication (with fast replies!)
- instructions (documentations) are great (PDF and on youtube)
- all fits exactly as it should
- the control board is not cheap but it is worth every cent!
- using the station with an upgrade is a completely new thing (fast settings, no beeping, some new features,...)

TIPS (in case somebody will find them interesting):
- use a wooden drill bit to make a perfect hole (just drill the holes and you are done - but use a sharp drill bit!) - I first use 3 mm and then 7 mm but I would directly use 7 mm if I had to do everything all over
- screwing power wires and heater wires can be done before mounting LCD on board (but check that LCD on the board fits inside the case as it should and then remove LCD, screw those 4 wires, insert LCD board on the control board and then carefully insert control board to the final destination and screw it in, at the end put JST connectors on)

I really love the station now because of the direct change of the temperature or blow speed without any pressing. Beeping... well, that could be removed from the original board. But those changes... so fast and always ready to use them :-)

Something I need to check is real temperature based on different settings (for example on 100 C, 200 C, 300 C, 400 C and 500 C).

Stefan, thank you very much for your support and great product!

Response from RandomHacks | Jan. 23, 2023

Thank you so much for your nice review and all the valuable tips! 😉

Benjamin | Nov. 11, 2022

This Mod is very professional, and I can't wait to try it !

It looks good and I have it installed and also it is ready to go.

One question though ! On the original mainboard there are live brown wire and common blue wire on right side of the case, beside those two wires are the "heater" wires which from the left side is blue wire and brown wire. On your video the wires are brown first (left) and blue second (right) are the original wires correct or should i wire it like you have on your video ? : /

Response from RandomHacks | Jan. 21, 2023

Hi, thank you for your feedback. I'm so sorry for the late reply but tindie does not always notify me of new reviews.
About your question, I'm pretty sure I replied to you on youtube and also through message here on tindie but feel free to contact me again if you have any further questions 👍

Anton | Oct. 17, 2022

The packaging, the delivery, all good. The kit is amazing!

Bought BST-863 at a decent price(see below) from banggood store with a warehouse in EU. Ordered the upgrade immediately after the shipment of the station was confirmed. The upgrade came before the station. Well with the station there was a surprise - it was the 110v version. But no worries - after opening it up I figured out that replacing the transformer and the heater is enough to convert it to 220v. Few weeks later(the heater was ordered from China) I've completed the assembly and it is working as a charm. Have the same issue with the heatsink screws as the other reviewer but nothing related to the kit! The device came with one screw on the triac's heatsink by the factory. So used something that fit from my trusty junk box ;-).

I have a small issue that the temperature is slightly off - the air off the nozzle is 7~9 degree C cooler that the displayed temp. Most probably because of the heater replacement - it is 1000W, against the original marketed as 1200W one. So any hints how to enter calibration mode and tune the temp is welcome. A file with instruction dropped in the github repo or YT video should work.

Cheers!

Response from RandomHacks | Jan. 21, 2023

Hi, thank you very much for your nice review 😉
They seem to be really cheaping out on the screws, I will start including them in the kits.

About the temperature calibration, 7 to 9ºC isn't really much to worry about but below are the steps if you want to calibrate.

(I'm so sorry for the late reply, tindie unfortunately does not always notify me of new reviews)

To calibrate the station you will need a multimeter (or a thermometer) with a thermocouple.
I usually just place a thermocouple in front of the nozzle to read the temperature but some manufacturers heat up an entire box and read the temperature that way. In practice, as long as the temperature isn't way off it doesn't really make a difference as when you are working on a board, the tiniest change in distance or even the angle between the nozzle and the PCB makes a big difference in temperature and with experience you just learn to understand if you are using too much or too low heat and adjust the distance accordingly. A difference of 10 or 15 degrees isn't really an issue.

These are the steps if you want to calibrate the station:

-Insert the nozzle you use the most and set the temperature and airflow at something like 350ºC and 50% air.
-Find a way to hold the thermocouple at about 5mm from the nozzle (it should not move during the calibration, as a tiny movement of just a few milimeters makes a big difference in the reading) you can set the handle on your bench and use a "third hand" to hold the thermocouple in front of the nozzle.
-Let the station reach the set temperature and wait for at least 30 seconds for it to stabilize, this is important because the sensor is close to the heater so it will heat up faster but all the metal surrounding it as well as the nozzle will cool the air down until everything reaches thermal equilibrium.
-Long press the ºC/ºF button to enter the calibration mode, the station will now display the temperature in real time if it is not yet displaying the temperature you have set give it a bit more time to stabilize.
-Now you can use the up and down buttons to make the temperature on your thermometer match the temperature displayed on the station, for example if the station shows 350ºC but you read 355ºC you have to press the down button to lower 5 degrees.
-In the end long press the ºC/ºF button again to exit.

You can always send me a message here on tindie or send an email to the address displayed on my youtube about page if you have any question, I usually reply the same day.

Marc | Oct. 5, 2022

Very useful improvement for the BST-863. Excellent kit.

The kit, the video and the documentation is excellent. Thanks alot. I soldered the kit in about 1h without an issue. The documentation was very easy to follow. I very like the improvement for my BST-863. Thank you, Stefan.

Response from RandomHacks | Jan. 21, 2023

Thank you so much for your review, I'm glad you like it 😊

(I'm so sorry for the late reply, tindie unfortunately does not always notify me of new reviews)

Timo | July 1, 2022

Makes a hot air station even better

Although I had to struggle with missing screws at the heat sink, this is the best improvement I ever had done to a completed device. The look and feel of adjusting temperature and air flow are way better than in the original version. One thing that might be revised is the usage of the old screws to mount the PCB, as the stand-offs take nearly most of the thread to tighten the screw again. And to everyone that wants to do this on their own, really look at the display alignment before tightening the PCB screws, if not you could easily crack your display!

Response from RandomHacks | July 2, 2022

Thanks for your nice review 😉

Not sure what you mean by missing screws at the heatsink, I don't provide any screws, do you mean your heatsink on the original board wasn't secured with screws? It normally comes with three screws.

I initially considered providing screws to mount the board but after testing on my stations I found that the original ones have just enough thread to securely hold the board without issues and so far this hasn't been a problem (or at least no one else mentioned it), I appreciate the feedback and will gladly provide screws in future orders if this proves to be causing issues.

Yep the screen alignment is a very important step, as long as my installation instructions are followed no one should end up with a cracked screen 😊

Thanks 😎

Alejandro | June 14, 2022

The first card was burned destroying a corner of my display.

The first card was burned being in fire two resistors and a cap. I didn't notice then that this accident damaged my display.
The seller sent me a new card free of charge and it worked this time but at the price that the display had been damaged in a corner when the first board burnt.
This investment has been one of the most expensive in many years. I thought that I was doing a clip mounting this board in my unit but it created more problem than solutions. Now my device is working but with a damaged display as result and it's impossible to get a new one as spare part from China.
I can't blame anyone. It was totally my fault for taking such risk. Anyway, I am so thankful that the seller was trying to support me during this issue but the final result is what counts: a damaged display.

Response from RandomHacks | June 14, 2022

Hi Alex, this review kinda disappoints me.
When you contacted me and told the way the board was misbehaving I found it strange but immediately started to message you troubleshooting steps so I could better understand what was happening in order to provide you with a possible fix. You then sent me the pictures of the burnt THT resistors which completely left me baffled as this is something that never happened before and seems very improbable to happen as it is a very simple triac switching circuit and all the components are well overrated, I thought maybe you mixed up the THT resistors when soldering or there was a big voltage spike on the mains power. Nevertheless, since I don't like unsatisfied customers (and don't like pointing fingers either) I immediately fully assembled a replacement board (even though you originally bought the kit version) and sent it to you the very next day free of charge of course.
Today you sent me the pictures of the cracked corner on the display and only now while reading this review I understood that you are trying to blame it on the board... Now here I have to say this makes no sense. From what I can see on your photos the LCD is even cracked on the opposite side of the resistors... In my installation instructions (both in PDF format and in the video) I make it clear you should check if the LCD is well positioned before tightening the screws, unfortunately it appears you skipped this step.
I believe I did everything I could to help you and I am sorry that in the end you are not fully satisfied.

Chris | June 4, 2022

Works great!

Easy to follow video and PDF instructions.

However, I still messed up because I didn't pay attention. I screwed up when I put the triac on the new board. I soldered it and clipped the leads before I added the heatsink and the holes didn't line up between the triac and the heatsink. I desoldered the original triac (and the included triac which I screwed up obviously) and used the original triac instead (its leads were still long enough and the specs are compatible).

I wasn't expecting the knobs for the pots so that was a nice bonus.

Cool project, everything is working as expected. Very satisfied.

Thanks!

Response from RandomHacks | June 14, 2022

Thanks for your nice review. I'm glad you were able to work the woopsie out 😄

Ivor | May 17, 2022

An amazing upgrade to the BST 863. Worth every penny!

I purchased the kit on Tuesday, it arrived on the following Monday (To UK) I assembled and installed it this morning.
Was super easy to install, with great instructions. I had to replace pins on my lcd board as a few were too short.
Using it in afternoon and was blown away with the new speed and simplicity to change temp etc.
Big bonus no annoying beeeeeeep!
Thank you

Response from RandomHacks | May 18, 2022

Thank you for your nice feedback. Yes the spacing between the original board and the LCD is not very consistent that is why I include the extra pin headers in case the originals are too short and need to be replaced. Cheers 😉

Gernot | April 26, 2022

Super upgrade for the Best hotair station

Installed in 1 hour with the help of the tutorial video
Ordered the kit and soldered the tht components myself
Explanation video was very good in explaining everything
Station works as described in the video after the upgrade
Very happy with it.
(Ordered the rp2040 version)

Response from RandomHacks | April 26, 2022

Thanks for your nice review, I'm glad you are happy 😊

Lars | April 18, 2022

Great controller for the station, EXCELLENT support!

I bought this sometime last year, not sure exactly when. It remained sitting on my "to-do" shelf for some time (all of us have one of those shelves, right?? :D ) before I got to install it. Unfortunately, I was a bit unlucky and I had received a "lemon". The pots were unresponsive, with a weird glitchy behavior. The station worked fine using the touchscreen and preset buttons as long as the pots were not moved. I contacted Randomhacks to see if he had any idea of what the issue could be, got some very helpful troubleshooting tips, and after exhausting all efforts we concluded that the issue must have been a marginal or faulty microprocessor. He then shipped a complete replacement kit, which I have received and after installing it, it now works flawlessly! The controller is amazing, and the customer support could not be better, it is simply excellent to deal with a seller who stands by the product even when there is a problem. Highly recommended!

Response from RandomHacks | April 21, 2022

Thanks for your nice review.

Yep I definitely got one of those shelves you mention 😁

I'm sorry that you received a board that was acting weirdly and I appreciate your patience during the troubleshooting phase.
As a consumer myself with a fair share of bad experiences my goal is to always provide the best customer support I possibly can, problems can happen but solutions are always a must for me as I would not sleep well knowing someone wasn't happy with my board.

I'm glad you are happy 😉

Jose | Jan. 5, 2022

Excellent Upgrade Board / Firmware.

Order arrived fast considering shipped overseas, great method offered. Product is excellent and instructions very clear, videos made it simple to follow. I decided to preserve the unit model # etc, so I extended the potentiometer wires and place them on each side instead, cut sticker at half and looks more OEM. I can send picture if anyone would like to see 🙂

100% Recommended if you own the BST-863.
Hopefully we see upgrade for the Soldering station BST-938, it will make a complete elite upgraded setup.. 🙏.

Buy with confidence everyone!

Response from RandomHacks | Jan. 6, 2022

Thank you for your nice review 🙂

If I understood correctly you placed one potentiometer to the left of the LCD and one to the right, this was actually how I initially planned to do it but because the left potentiometer would be close to the mains traces on the board I decided against it, but as long as you added some insulating material or made sure there is a big enough gap this shouldn't be a problem.

I will keep an eye on the BST-938 😉

Jonathan | Oct. 30, 2021

Got it Installed it upgraded firmware Works Great!!

This is a great piece of kit only one piece of advice scrape off some of the existing glue on the old board's jst headers or you might pull out the whole plastic PCB connector or a wire..
I pulled on one and one of the header pin connectors came apart..
I had jst crimp on connectors so no problem! Other than that the firmware upgrade went fast (make sure you use a USB cable that sends data as well as power!)
I played with the unit for over an hour and well IT JUST WORKS! As long as you follow the instructions your good to go..
Umm all I can say is buy it as I think its great and works as advertised!

Response from RandomHacks | Jan. 6, 2022

Thank you! 😎

Scrapping the glue on the JST connectors before pulling is a good advice, not sure why they even felt the need to apply glue, JST's don't usually come apart by themselves.

(So sorry for the super late reply, I somehow missed this 🙄)

Piotr | Oct. 19, 2021

Super !!!

This thing is great. Workmanship and operation at the highest level. This should be the original equipment of this machine.

Response from RandomHacks | Oct. 20, 2021

Thank you! Reviews like this always make me happy 😊

Bernarda | Sept. 6, 2021

The best choice for the Best BST-863

Hello there
Today September 6, 2021, receive "Best BST-863 Improved Control Board", which has an excellent design, very good finish, it is exact as you show in the video.
I am doing tests and I see slight variations in temperatures when changing from 150 ºC, 250 ºC and 300 ºC but surely I will find a middle point.
This update gives new life to this workstation because the temperature and air can be adjusted manually, it is a very well thought out job.

Recommended 100%
Thanks

Response from RandomHacks | Sept. 12, 2021

Thank you for your review, I will try to improve the PID loop for 120v/60Hz as soon as I have the required equipment and 120v heater to test this.

Gulliver | Aug. 24, 2021

Review of original v1 kit (with STM32)

Ah! Sorry so i forgot to come back to leave a review feedback. Summary is: 5 stars basically.

Was very impressed with initial impressions after watching the youtube videos demonstration. It really is exactly like as depicted in these videos. To be very clear: the overall user interface experience and usability level of this device after the upgrade is pretty flawless. And if you are looking for a better experience from any other products on the market (not matter the cost). Then sorry, but you won't find it.

In future, this product might be changed or be different somehow. Due to several practical reasons, but nothing to do with the quality of this solution. If it becomes available again. So I feel very fortunate to be one of the first people to be included and get this 1st batch of kits. Since without it the BST-863 is rather less pleasant to use. And not so upgradable

And thanks to the open firmware, for which I have forked the code to build now more easily on PlatformIO. Then modification to add any new feature is really easy. For example a foot switch. Or to trigger a fume extractor automatically. Or to add extra preset memorie(s) etc. All possible now.

In regards to the open firmware and it's debugging.... I have left some very technical details of my experience on the github repo issues tracker. With also some small fewer suggestions how to improve for future v2 hardware revision. It is all mostly just about realtime debugging on stm32 platform. However future kits may use different MCU and pcb entirely. Which will not apply there. So it is unlikely to actually matter

Clearly it is not possible for me to evaluate anything past this original v1 kit I have received here. However it is already very clear from the initial product... that the experience and quality is impressively complete in this very 1st version. Which can only suggest should be continued in the future, you already nailed it my friend. A great success.

For others: Don't miss out next time! Glad I didn't

Response from RandomHacks | Aug. 24, 2021

You just made my day! Thank you for your kind words.
I really appreciate the time you spent converting the code to PlatformIO as well as your suggestions.
Cheers 😉

Johann | July 9, 2021

very good quality, working great

High quality board, nice attention to detail, can easily exchanged with the old board. Everything works as it should. The BST-863 is much easier to operate now. Highly recommended!

Response from RandomHacks | July 17, 2021

Thank you for your order and nice review, I'm glad you are happy 😉