Hackaday Podcast · 27 Mar 2026 · 1h 10m · Episode 363
Hosts Elliot Williams and Al Williams discuss a range of hardware hacks, including Vik Oliver's insights on the history of PLA filament and Mark News's DIY pressure advance measurement tool for 3D printers. They also cover Gangix's use of fiber lasers for high-resolution PCB fabrication, Anders Nielsen's low-cost Software Defined Radio (SDR), and the open-source graphics calculator built on an ESP32-S3. The episode concludes with long-form reviews of the failed CueCat barcode scanner and the rise and fall of Iomega's Zip Drive.
makers and hobbyists
Other shows on the same ground, closest first.
The host of The Electromaker Show reviews several maker projects, including Ralph S. Bacon’s exploration of wireless serial debugging, Carl Bugeja’s self-soldering PCB concept, and Ivan Miranda’s giant 3D-printed Lego go-kart. He also highlights the ZS Watch open-source smartwatch, the Puca DSP audio board, the FarPatch wireless debugger, and the newly announced ESP32 C6 module.
Chris Gammell returns from Maker Faire to discuss the proliferation of 3D printers, the Intel Edison development board, and low-cost pick-and-place machines. Dave Jones addresses viewer complaints about his YouTube content, analyzes the technical specs of the Intel Edison, and reviews the new Altium cloud-based design tool. The hosts also touch on the challenges of open-source test equipment and the future of hardware kits.
Tyler Richards, founder of uFab, explains how his company is revolutionizing PCB manufacturing with the PCBee system, a laser-based printer that produces multi-layer boards in under 4 hours without chemical etchants. Richards details the technology's ability to handle materials like FR-4, Rogers, and flex substrates with 2-mil feature sizes, addressing the supply chain disruptions of 2020 that inspired the venture. The discussion covers the economic and environmental benefits of eliminating hazardous waste, the technical challenges of plating and via drilling, and the potential for reshoring production to smaller, localized facilities.
Host Ian discusses two breakthrough maker projects: Charles Law's (CNLohr) 'Lalra' LoRa transmission without a dedicated radio chip, and Green Boy 3D's affordable pellet extruder retrofit for 3D printers. He also reviews Robin Mitchell's guide to the best Single Board Computers (SBCs) for AI, covering boards like the Raspberry Pi 5, Nvidia Jetson Orin, and Arduino Portenta X8.
Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the Amp Hour t-shirt launch via Printfection and upcoming community meetups at Hamvention and Maker Faire. They review a $20 USB software-defined radio (SDR) dongle for visualizing RF signals and analyze the pricing strategies of oscilloscope manufacturers like Rigol and Agilent. The conversation also covers browser-based PCB design tools like PCBWeb, the technical limitations of 'alternate trigger' in modern scopes, and the niche market for desktop PCB mills such as the Other Mill.
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