Hardware Podcasts

It's a Keyzermas Miracle!

The Amp Hour · 19 Dec 2022 · 1h 44m · Episode 613

What this episode covers

Jeff Kaiser, founder of MightyOhm, discusses his 2022 activities, including a resurgence in amateur radio using the ICOM IC705 and the operational challenges of the solar cycle. He details the severe supply chain disruptions affecting his Geiger counter kit business, citing issues with sourcing Russian Geiger tubes and rising costs for packaging materials like ESD foam. Additionally, Kaiser describes his hobby of repairing vintage HP test equipment, specifically the 8753 VNA and 53310A MDA, while lamenting Keysight's removal of legacy firmware and documentation.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
MightyOhm, ICOM, Keysight, Agilent, Stanford Research Systems
Products
IC705, IC7300, HP 8753, HP 53310A, Saluki
Tools
Mid Journey

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 19m

    251: I Agreed at the Time

    Addie and Whisker of the Toymakers (@Tymkrs) discuss the creation of their 2018 CypherCon badge, a functional telephone system that required building a 96-line exchange and sourcing obsolete hardware. They detail the supply chain crisis involving a Korean modem module manufacturer that caused massive delays and cost overruns, forcing them to hand-solder 500 units the night before the conference. The episode covers the technical design of the badge, the interactive puzzles built into the conference infrastructure, and the broader culture of hacker conference badges.

    Sourcing & supply chainPrototyping & iteration
    8 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 03m

    360: Cats Love It!

    Ben Hest of Digi-Key discusses the company's massive warehouse operations, logistics, and the current semiconductor shortage. He explains how Digi-Key manages inventory for both hobbyists and large enterprises, the challenges of part allocation, and the transition from physical catalogs to digital tools like the BOM Manager and TechForum. Hest also highlights new components like the Raspberry Pi Pico and Parallax Propeller 2, and offers advice on navigating supply chain constraints.

    Sourcing & supply chainLogistics & fulfilment
    6 chapters

  • Hackaday Podcast · 1h 00m

    Ep 185: A 2022 Rotary Phone, How AI Imagines Zepplin, Are We Alone in the Universe

    Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi discuss a leaked list of components sought by the Russian military, highlighting the strategic vulnerability of supply chains during sanctions. They review several projects, including Nicholas Roy’s DIY stereoscopic display using reading glasses and a parametric template generator, and Justine Hopp’s 2022 rotary cell phone kit featuring custom injection-molded parts and LTE support. The episode also covers Evalditz’s hi-fi scan software for room equalization, a scientific paper on heat-sealing 3D printed polypropylene for vacuum applications, and Angus’s use of silicone wristbands as robot treads. Finally, they analyze AI-generated imagery from Midjourney, the obsolescence of 3.5-inch floppy disks in government bureaucracy, and Frank Drake’s legacy regarding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

    PCB design & layoutPrototyping & iteration
    10 chapters

  • Oxide and Friends · 1h 23m

    For Want of a Resistor

    Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal host members of Oxide Computer Company’s operations and electrical engineering teams, including CEO Steve Tuck, Robert "RFK" Keith, Eric Aasen, and Scott Tagwerker, to discuss a critical supply chain crisis involving a PCIe clock buffer from Microchip. The team nearly halted production when they discovered the substitute part required a 49.9-ohm termination resistor that was missing from the design, causing clock signals to fail. After a frantic debugging effort involving rework of tiny 0201 resistors and identifying a copy-paste error in part numbers, they implemented a stencil change to integrate the fix into normal manufacturing, saving the production line. The episode highlights the extreme fragility of hardware supply chains and the importance of human engineering judgment in debugging physical failures that AI or automated systems might miss.

    Sourcing & supply chainDebugging & failure analysis
    8 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 23m

    BONUS - That SCOOPshow - Season 5, Episode 2 - Component Shortages with IPC's Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac

    IPC Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac joins host Philip Stotton to analyze the historic component shortages and supply chain disruptions affecting the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry. DuBravac explains that strong demand for durable goods, combined with reduced air freight capacity and logistics bottlenecks, has created a 'historic aberration' in book-to-bill ratios and extended lead times by 8 weeks or more. The conversation covers the resulting pressure on profit margins, the strain on OEM-EMS relationships, and the industry's shift toward digital transformation and supply chain resilience to mitigate risks like stockpiling and counterfeit components.

    Sourcing & supply chainPricing, margins & unit economics
    9 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Amp Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.