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PWR ON · GUIDES FOR HOBBYISTS

Build things that blink, beep, and phone home.

Step-by-step microcontroller builds for hobbyists — real wiring diagrams, working code, and part picks I've actually soldered, broken, and bought twice.

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ESP32 · RASPBERRY PI PICO · LORA · SENSORS · 3D PRINTING

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Every guide, torn down to parts.

Each article starts with a full parts list, then walks the build one component at a time — exactly like this.

HECTORLEDGER.BLOGREV 2.6FR-4 · 2-LAYER
ESP32
470µF
The brain
Proof of life
Room to grow
ASSEMBLY0%

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ESP32 Air Quality Sensor (That Actually Works)
ESP32FEATURED BUILD

ESP32 Air Quality Sensor (That Actually Works)

I built a stupid simple, local-only air quality monitor because I refuse to let tech bros lock my living room humidity behind a $15/month subscription.

HECTOR NEAL · JUL 8, 2026 · 2 MIN READ

Best Soldering Irons for Beginners (2026)
GEAR GUIDES

Best Soldering Irons for Beginners (2026)

I've melted through six soldering irons in ten years. The three worth buying in 2026 — best overall, best budget, best bench upgrade — and the ones to skip.

JUN 14, 2026 · 9 MIN

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Hey, I'm Hector.

I've been soldering things I probably shouldn't since 2014. Every guide on this site is a project I actually built, photographed on my own bench, and debugged the hard way — so you don't have to.

Work with me →