The Amp Hour · 13 Dec 2011 · 1h 08m · Episode 73
Dave Jones, Chris Gammell, and Jeff Kaiser discuss holiday wish lists, focusing on test equipment like spectrum analyzers and kits such as the BeagleBone, FunCube Dongle Pro, and Nixie thermometer. They debate the merits of Altoids tin enclosures versus professional project boxes and clarify technical distinctions between conductive and anti-static packaging materials. The conversation also covers the revival of the Micro-B computer kit, ham radio call signs, and the introduction of a donation model for The Amp Hour podcast.
makers and hobbyists
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Hosts Elecia White and Christopher White discuss the intersection of science fiction and engineering inspiration, review Digilent's Analog Discovery 2 and Digital Discovery test equipment, and detail Christopher's experience building a QRP Labs Ultimate 3S ham radio kit for WSPR. They also cover Elecia's struggles with Ubuntu and the NVIDIA Jetson TX2, the choice of programming languages for embedded firmware, and Elecia's appearance on the Jennylyn Show.
Hosts Chris White and Elecia White discuss recent projects and gift ideas, including Elecia's work on the Fitbit Surge and Chris's 'Wordy' wearable ring. They also cover Chris's custom hardware controller for the game Kerbal Space Program, the Chiptronics educational kit, and the broader maker movement, addressing misconceptions about its impact on professional engineering.
Hosts Alvaro Prieto and Jen review the Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast's first three years and launch an annual listener survey to better understand their audience and improve content. They offer an Analog Discovery 2 as a giveaway incentive for participants who provide their email addresses, describing the device as a versatile USB oscilloscope and logic analyzer. The hosts emphasize that while the prize encourages participation, the primary goal is gathering honest feedback on what the podcast is doing well and where it can improve.
Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams review a week of hardware hacks, highlighting a high-fidelity DIY microphone built with brass and an Audio 1512 amplifier, and a monumental 60-tube Nixie clock driven by an FPGA and ESP32. They also discuss a 16x16x16 RGB LED cube requiring extensive jig-based assembly, a cardboard pulp molding process, and a detailed teardown of a 'radionic analyzer' scam device. The episode concludes with an analysis of the physics behind electronic miniaturization and the recent PS5 root key dump.
Hackaday editors Elliot Williams, Al Williams, Dan Maloney, Christina Panos, and Tom Nardi discuss their personal projects, tools, and opinions in a round-table format. They cover topics ranging from Tom's salvaged 18650 battery protection circuits and Dan's Meshtastic mesh network nodes to Al's 1802 emulation on a Raspberry Pi Pico and Elliot's custom 3D-printed 'Springosaurus' keyboard. The group also debates the utility of the 555 timer versus modern microcontrollers, shares hacks that inspired them, and answers listener questions about their daily driver keyboards and favorite fictional robots.
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