Setting up xBee radios

I begun to set up the xbee radios. I thought that I didn't need an adaptor (and could use the adapter hack), but it turns out I do as the computer is picking up that there is something connected, but cant quite work out what it is exactly!

Also i attempted to solder using my soldering iron, but it appears that the tip is too large for such fine work. It didn't work properly, and the solder dripped through the gaps. I have bought another board and header set and will use this breakout board to practise on. I will also buy another soldering iron or finer tips before the weekend.

These are the xbee development steps so far.

1. Mounted my xBee radio onto the breakout board, then inserted it into my arduino breadboard.
2. Wired up the xBee according to the instructions in the book from pages 12-13. This is an adapter hack and is useful if you don’t have or don’t want to buy an adapter
3. Downloaded the X-CTU program from http://www.digi.com/support/productdetail?pid=3352&osvid=0&type=utilities and installed it.
4. Selected ‘Test/Query’ but it didn’t work even after following the 'troubleshooting' instructions like changing the baud rate.
5. Looked in online forums for a solution to this problem, but supposedly the hack doesn’t work so I will need to purchase a adapter board.
6. Ordered an adapter board from proto-pic alongside a mini-usb, and breakout board and other parts.

This tutorial is useful in how to solder. I've never been taught so i was applying solder to the iron, and i wasn't 'tinning' the tip each time. You are meant to heat up the wire of the component from one side, and apply the solder from the other side. I made the mistake of trying to solder on an unstable surface, with the board tipped over.




This is how the arduino adapter hack looked (radio was not soldered onto the board). This is before it had been wired up, and has just been mounted in the correct place.

This is the X-CTU program. The 'Test/Query' button is visible, and is meant to recognise the board when clicked but it didn't unfortunately.

This is the xBee breakout board with female headers attached. 

This connections have not been made properly, and have dripped down and possibly creating short circuits that I cant see.

In the picture below I have followed the YouTube tutorial about how to solder. I don't believe that I need a new soldering iron as I now know how to do it properly, and it worked perfectly. I soldered 10 of the smallest pins to the board on the left. The only problem is that I soldered it to the wrong side. This doesn't matter electronically, but when i solder next time I will do it the right way up. From the mistakes made earlier on today I  have learnt how to solder small circuits correctly, and will practise further before the next delivery. The connections I have made are strong and there are is no short circuiting. The basic thing was to clean the tip before every component, and to apply the solder to the component instead of the tip!

On the left you can see the small neat 'mounds' of solder. On the far right you can see the solder has dripped down into the gap in three of them and the wires are nowhere to be seen! I tried to heat these up and push the headers through, but it didn't work. If I tried to use this with the xBee radios it simply wouldn't work.