Bravo, … once again !
I just received my order of Zynthian V5 to 5.1 minimal upgrade kits and various other Zynthian Labs goodies. My friendly UPS driver delivered it to my door in California, five days after some other UPS person picked it up in Spain. Including a weekend. There were no tariffs/customs issues with the package.
I’m posting about what should be, an otherwise unremarkable event, to provide a counterpoint to the delivery issues elsewhere in the forum. After all, we tend to post when there’s a problem.
And speaking of remarkable, the thermal block inside is astonishing. I thought that the older thermal block was pretty amazing, but the new gold anodizing and part labeling and the Pi symbol are just over the top. It’s really a shame that very few people will get to see the thermal block inside the Zynthian!
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Please get a delivery option that is not UPS. At least for us Europeans, please!
The V5.1 upgrade kit disappears from the cart when you proceed to checkout!
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Hi @jofemodo and @zynthianers,
This is just to confirm that - despite looking a bit intimidating to the not accustomed ones - the cutting part of the 5.1 upgrade procedure comes out quite nicely. Sure, there is little space for error on the mainboard! (as already highlighted by others)
Nevertheless, those interested in embarking in the transition from V5 to 5.1 should be aware that soldering two tiny wires from the new USB-C harness to the underside of the mainboard is definitely not a walk in the park.
The D+ and D- contacts to target are really small and close, and they seem to be made of a resilient solder mixture which is not very inclined to melt with the usual mid-tier soldering iron on the shelf. Moreover, the melted tin on the new wires does not seem to attach easily to the existing contacts, at least in my experience and with my quite rusty soldering abilities, after more than 20 years since the last foray into building DIY audio cables to spare some money 
. I decided to look for professional help for this part, in the end.
This said, I absolutely concur that the aesthetic quality and technological knowhow conveyed by the gold anodised thermal block are just astounding! It is indeed a pity that nobody will be able to see it from the outside of the Zynth! 
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Hi zynthiangang and @jofemodo,
I am getting back to this thread in order to proudly proclaim to the nations that I too managed to complete the V 5.1 upgrade hack successfully! 
I followed slowly and carefully both the Fernando’s instructions and the video by @mr_floydst.
I can tell already, even before having put the system to significant test, that performance of the official kit with 64 bit Oram on Pi 5 has vastly improved, as far as loading times, software stability and device responsiveness go.
I have taken a comprehensive photographic report of the process, and therefore will prepare soon the materials for a detailed step-by-step textual tutorial, for everyone to make good use of. .
All the best to all @zyntianers!
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No Rook Soup for you!
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Hello all.
I still can not get the cart in the shop to add the V5.1 upgrade kit or the angle bracket mount kit to the cart. Are these items out of stock? There is no indication on the main shopping page.
Thanks for your help. @jofemodo
Hi @crcasey934 !
Both items should be available for shopping now. Could you try again?
If you still have problems, please, specify what do you do step by step what the issue exactly is.
Thanks
Will do.
It went through. Thanks for the Assistance!
Will do.
Hey, pi5 upgraders! If you haven’t thrown away your old pi4 thermal block from the original v5 yet, would you mind sending one to me? I would cover (some reasonable) costs, of course, and a pint of beer… 
(Preferably within EU to keep things easy.)
It still does not work: the upgrade kit disapperars from the shopping basket and then cannot be added again as on V5 upgrade KIT | Zynthian Shop the “add to basket” button immediately diappears (FIrefox and Chromium!)
Hi @wanthalf
I would gladly send you my V4 thermal block, if I hadn’t already planned to “recycle” it on a spare Pi4 hanging around the house, inside a bespoke enclosure and with a touch display and audio hat hooked to it.
So, all best luck with your research for a passive cooling solution!
Kind regards
I have similar plans Pi4 from the old DIY Zynthian V4 and a new original (“legacy”) Zynthian V5 board… It just calls for assembling them together into another Zynthian…
When the kit will be available again?
We are awaiting for some parts we need for the upgrade kit. We hope to receive it in 1-2 weeks.
Regards,
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I managed to upgrade to 5.1. It wasn’t difficult because i have some manual skills. Cutting the case with my Dremel was easy but i prefered to finish everything with a file. Cutting the board is a bit more difficult, and i almost made a fatal mistake as you can see in the photo. It’s better to use protective glasses when cutting, of course!
Now i have two different Zynthian 5.1 
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Any news on that? The kit is still listet on your shop but disappears fro the basket on checkout…