# Ep039: Elliot <3 Lightning Detector, Ikea Dark Mode, Smartest Watch, Solar Sailing, VAWT Controversy

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2019-10-10
- Length: 1h 02m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-10-ep039-elliot-3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-va
- Listen: https://hackaday.libsyn.com/ep039-elliot-lt3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-vawt-controversy

## Summary

Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss a variety of hardware hacks, including a lightning detector circuit, IKEA Tradfri LED hacking, and a solar-powered RC plane with no battery storage. They analyze the engineering behind a quirky IoT egg tray by the bankrupt company Quirky and debate the merits of vertical-axis wind turbines versus horizontal ones. The episode concludes with a discussion on Pine64's potential open-source smartwatch and the challenges of right-to-repair legislation in the EU.

## Chapters

- [0:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-10-ep039-elliot-3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-va#t=2) Introduction and B-17 Crash News
- [3:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-10-ep039-elliot-3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-va#t=182) EU Right-to-Repair Legislation Analysis
- [10:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-10-ep039-elliot-3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-va#t=624) Lightning Detector Circuits and Blitzortung
- [17:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-10-ep039-elliot-3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-va#t=1071) Diesel Engine Hacks and Indonesian Vespa Mods
- [23:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-10-ep039-elliot-3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-va#t=1382) Surfboard Profiling Tool and Vertical Wind Turbines
- [32:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-10-ep039-elliot-3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-va#t=1969) IKEA Tradfri Hacking and Solar Sail RC Plane
- [39:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-10-ep039-elliot-3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-va#t=2347) Quick Hacks: Camera Remotes, Ham Radio, and Robot Bartender
- [45:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-10-10-ep039-elliot-3-lightning-detector-ikea-dark-mode-smartest-watch-solar-sailing-va#t=2734) Quirky Eggminder IoT Teardown and Smartwatch Discussion

## Topics

- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Hackaday (company)
- IKEA (company)
- Tradfri (product)
- Silicon Labs (company)
- EFR32 (chip)
- Blitzortung (product)
- Quirky (company)
- Eggminder (product)
- Electric Imp (chip)
- Pine64 (company)
- Pine Watch (product)
- Pebble (product)
- TI Kronos (product)
- RigPie (product)
- ESP8266 (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Productive Pi Hacks, Amazing Arduino Inventions, New Hardware Galore!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2023-07-27-productive-pi-hacks-amazing-arduino-inventions-new-hardware-galore) (The Electromaker Show)
- [The Watch that Never Needs Charging, Raspberry Pi 5 Speed Check, Open source Rockchip NPU, and more!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2024-03-20-the-watch-that-never-needs-charging-raspberry-pi-5-speed-check-open-source-rockc) (The Electromaker Show)
- [It Works With Option Number 5](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-06-19-it-works-with-option-number-5) (The Amp Hour)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-07-04-the-spark-gap-episode-36) (The Spark Gap)
- [Projects Overload, New Arduino Giga board, Batteryless IoT, and more!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2023-03-10-projects-overload-new-arduino-giga-board-batteryless-iot-and-more) (The Electromaker Show)

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