# 74: All of Us Came in Sixth

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2014-10-29
- Length: 1h 10m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-29-74-all-of-us-came-in-sixth
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/embedded-ep74mp3

## Summary

John Shook, a manufacturing engineer and hobbyist, discusses his experience as a semifinalist in the Hackaday Prize with a remote water consumption monitor. He details the technical challenges of sensing municipal water meters using a 3-axis magnetometer and the necessity of rigorous documentation to win over judges. Shook also reflects on his past wins in the Mouser 500 Challenge and Circuit Cellar contests, emphasizing the value of open-source hardware and public domain releases for community learning.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-29-74-all-of-us-came-in-sixth#t=6) Introduction and Contest Motivation
- [2:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-29-74-all-of-us-came-in-sixth#t=121) Hackaday Prize Project: Water Meter Sensor
- [7:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-29-74-all-of-us-came-in-sixth#t=460) Documentation and Open Source Philosophy
- [13:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-29-74-all-of-us-came-in-sixth#t=833) Technical Challenges: RF Link and Magnetometers
- [48:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-29-74-all-of-us-came-in-sixth#t=2930) Other Contests: Mouser and Circuit Cellar
- [1:01:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-29-74-all-of-us-came-in-sixth#t=3701) Future Projects and Community Advice

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Open-source hardware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/open-source-hardware)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Hackaday Prize (other)
- Mouser 500 Challenge (other)
- Circuit Cellar (other)
- Spark Fun (company)
- electric imp (product)
- ChipKit (product)
- Arduino (product)
- Flip (product)
- Cisco (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Spark Gap - Episode 36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-07-04-the-spark-gap-episode-36) (The Spark Gap)
- [Ep 186: Weighing Cats, Slamming VU Meters, Slimmer Skimmers, and Clean Air on the Cheap](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-09-23-ep-186-weighing-cats-slamming-vu-meters-slimmer-skimmers-and-clean-air-on-the-ch) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Our First Call In Show](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-11-06-our-first-call-in-show) (The Amp Hour)
- [Spacing Out On Space - Dave's Dongle Designing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-05-07-spacing-out-on-space-daves-dongle-designing) (The Amp Hour)
- [Ep035: LED Cubes Taking Over, Ada Vanquishes C Bugs, Rad Monitoring is Hot, 3D Printing Goes Full 3D](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-09-12-ep035-led-cubes-taking-over-ada-vanquishes-c-bugs-rad-monitoring-is-hot-3d-print) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

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