# Ep 313: Capacitor Plague, Wireless Power, and Tiny Everything

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2025-03-21
- Length: 55m
- Episode: 313
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-cb8186ab
- Listen: https://hackaday.libsyn.com/ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything

## Summary

Hosts Elliot Williams and Jenny List recap Hackaday Europe, detailing the logistical chaos of delivering 4 SAOs and badges, including customs delays and last-minute programming jigs. They analyze a retrospective on the 2000s capacitor plague, discussing how thermal design failures and electrolyte chemistry issues led to widespread component explosions. The episode also covers innovative uses of PCB spring connectors in resistance boxes and bendy PCBs, and explores the potential of extracting rare earth elements from century-old coal fly ash.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-cb8186ab#t=1) Introduction: Hackaday Europe Recap and Badge Logistics
- [10:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-cb8186ab#t=615) Capacitor Plague: Thermal Design and Electrolyte Chemistry
- [16:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-cb8186ab#t=1014) Thermal Microscope: Germanium Lenses and IR Imaging
- [21:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-cb8186ab#t=1281) Wireless Power: Inductive Coupling and Tesla's Legacy
- [28:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-cb8186ab#t=1711) PCB Spring Connectors and Decade Resistance Boxes
- [32:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-cb8186ab#t=1966) World's Smallest Blinky and PCB Fab Techniques
- [36:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-cb8186ab#t=2193) Quick Hacks: Synthesizers, 6502 Emulation, and GPS
- [42:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-cb8186ab#t=2572) Can't Miss: Smallest Microcontroller and Coal Fly Ash

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Hackaday Europe (other)
- Xane Hacker Space (other)
- Rubicon (company)
- Asianometry (other)
- Hyperspace Pirate (other)
- Decimo (company)
- Mike Roller (other)
- Texas Instruments (company)
- Chris Dobble (other)
- RTLSDR (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Assembly Chat](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-10-11-assembly-chat) (The Amp Hour)
- [Magical Fire Bags](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-12-09-magical-fire-bags) (The Amp Hour)
- [Discovering Cursed Connectors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-06-19-discovering-cursed-connectors) (The Amp Hour)
- [Boeing, PCBs & Startups - Awful Airplane Aeration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-01-29-boeing-pcbs-startups-awful-airplane-aeration) (The Amp Hour)
- [Voltnuts for Flashlights](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-06-17-voltnuts-for-flashlights) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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