# Road trip to the deep space network

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2017-04-17
- Length: 1h 07m
- Episode: 343
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-17-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/343-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network/

## Summary

Dave Jones of EEV blog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss their recent hardware meetups in Sydney and New Zealand, highlighting projects like a hand-soldered LED matrix and a portable Hakko soldering station. They then debate the future of energy storage, arguing that lithium-ion batteries are unsuitable for grid-scale applications and advocating for flow batteries or solid-state alternatives. The conversation concludes with a critique of US university costs and a proposal for a soldering time-trial contest board.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-17-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network#t=0) Introduction and Meetup Recap
- [2:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-17-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network#t=133) Hardware Projects: LED Matrix and Portable Soldering Iron
- [14:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-17-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network#t=860) Soldering Contest Board and KiCad
- [20:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-17-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network#t=1240) University Costs and Engineering Education
- [42:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-17-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network#t=2577) Grid-Scale Storage: Lithium-Ion vs. Flow Batteries
- [52:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-17-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network#t=3154) Fusion Energy and the Myth of the Lone Inventor
- [1:01:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-17-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network#t=3697) New EEV Blog Products and Showhousekeeping

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Fabrication & craft](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fabrication-and-craft)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Test & measurement](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/test-and-measurement)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- EEV blog (company)
- Contextual Electronics (company)
- Hakko (product)
- KiCad (tool)
- Tesla (company)
- Rigol (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [When will batteries take over the world?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-03-17-when-will-batteries-take-over-the-world) (Catalyst)
- [The Role of Energy Storage Systems in Combating Climate Change with Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-05-09-the-role-of-energy-storage-systems-in-combating-climate-change-with-mike-wieteck) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Ep 369: IR, E-Ink, and Avgas](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-05-08-ep-369-ir-e-ink-and-avgas) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [How to Save a Planet: Spark Tank! How Do We Solve the Energy Storage Problem?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-07-01-how-to-save-a-planet-spark-tank-how-do-we-solve-the-energy-storage-problem) (Catalyst)
- [Ep 256: 0, 256, 400, 100, and 10000000](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-02-09-ep-256-0-256-400-100-and-10000000) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

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