# Ep 223: Smoking Smart Meter, 489 Megapixels, and Unshredding Documents

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2023-06-16
- Length: 1h 07m
- Episode: 223
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents
- Listen: https://hackaday.libsyn.com/ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents

## Summary

Hosts Elliot Williams and Dan Maloney review recent hardware hacks, including a debunked Flipper Zero smart meter hoax, a 489-megapixel camera built from a scanner, and an all-transistor HP 5245L frequency counter. They also discuss the challenges of restoring Stasi documents, the decline of smart speakers, and various community projects like FreeCAD tutorials and ultrasonic sensor arrays. The episode highlights the gap between theoretical ease and practical difficulty in reverse engineering and document reconstruction.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents#t=1) Introduction: Podcast hosts and software news
- [8:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents#t=522) FreeCAD tutorials and workflow discussions
- [16:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents#t=960) Flipper Zero smart meter hoax debunked
- [23:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents#t=1427) 489-megapixel scanner camera build
- [31:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents#t=1868) HP 5245L frequency counter restoration
- [35:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents#t=2130) Arduino sonar-aimed turret project
- [43:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents#t=2615) Analog TV test pattern generator recreation
- [48:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents#t=2892) Quick hacks: USB sniffer and plastic welding
- [50:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-16-ep-223-smoking-smart-meter-489-megapixels-and-unshredding-documents#t=3036) Smart speaker decline and Stasi document reconstruction

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Flipper Zero (product)
- FreeCAD (tool)
- Eagle (tool)
- KiCad (tool)
- HP 5245L (product)
- HCSR04 (chip)
- Arduino (product)
- Raspberry Pi (product)
- WireShark (tool)
- Alexa (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [053 - It's Hammer Time!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-12-16-053-its-hammer-time) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [050 - Four Years In](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-08-22-050-four-years-in) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [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)
- [004 - 0x0FF the Rails](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2017-10-13-004-0x0ff-the-rails) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [73: That's a Waste of Bits](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-22-73-thats-a-waste-of-bits) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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