my UNO was working ok but now the L and ON leds stay on when i fire it up and it wont receive a sketch any more .
i have tried swapping the 328 chip with a known good one but the problem persists .
any ideas ??
i checked the 5v on the 328 legs and they read ok so power is getting thru to the chip
i guess i can yield the solder sucker and salvage the parts and pu them on another board .
maybe i need to get a Chinese six pack if they screw up so easy 
Have you done the loop back test?
not yet , i will try that
i have other boards that dont work ,and am loathe to spend any more money on faulty boards and parts ,i noticed on ebay complete collections being sold off as the owners got fed up with the hobby .
it could end up a passing fad ..
i am not buying any more shields or boards