I’m Tom Tilmon, a 50 year old Star Wars nerd. Did a lot of vocational classes in HS, PCB etching/soldering, mechanics, small engine repair, etc. Didn’t think I’d go to college. But ended up going to college. So, I’m unique in that I can operate a computer, have an intelligent conversation, but I can also turn a wrench on a car/boat engine successfully. In 2016, I sewed my own screen accurate Kylo costume, and joined the 501st Legion. The Black Series Lightsaber I bought to go with my outfit didn’t cut the mustard. It was pink! I can solder, and have other skills that help me to build lightsabers, so I gutted it, and installed NEC with in-hilt LEDs. My saber was bright, and certainly caught the attention of fellow troopers who are still mostly casting their faith in MR/Hasbro/US/Saberforge. I then saw Ethan ZImmer light up a neopixel crossguard powered by TeensySaber with Fredrik’s initial fireblade. I was smitten. My excitement peaked when I saw those capabilities of TeensySaber combined with neopixel effects. I began asking a lot of dumb questions to Fredrik about TeensySaber, stumbled my way into a couple successful TeensySaber builds, and the rest is history. I gutted my saber, learned TeensySaber, and neopixels at the same time. Got the crossguard up and running with TeensySaberV3, and it still runs that same board!!! I was installing that saber during the infancy of smoothswing, and that saber kind of premiered both techs. Many were quick to dismiss the benefits of open source, neopixel, and the smoothswing effects. Oh how wrong they were. This hobby has been truly a joy to undertake. I’ve tried to help newcomers learn how to do open source boards via my youtube channel. I know a lot of people, like me, learn better via video than reading manuals. I still love lightsabers, epecially when powered by Open Source Sounboards like: TeensySaber and Proffie. I’m very proud to be a part of the Proffieboard community.