# The Focus Knob Works

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2026-08-05
- Length: 55m
- Episode: 730
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-08-05-the-focus-knob-works
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/730-the-focus-knob-works/

## Summary

Dave Jones and Chris Gamble celebrate 16 years of The Amp Hour by launching a new static website built with Hugo, Claude, and Cloudflare Pages, featuring searchable transcripts and an animated SVG scope. They discuss the importance of startup naming for SEO, citing examples like 'X Trainer' and 'Drop Bear', and review new hardware including the RIGOL DNA 800 VNA and spectrum analyzer. The conversation also covers the free release of Microchip's PIC32 compiler, the debugging capabilities of the $10 RISC-V CH32V003, and the growing influence of AI tooling on hardware development.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-08-05-the-focus-knob-works#t=0) Introduction: 16th Anniversary and Website Launch
- [1:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-08-05-the-focus-knob-works#t=69) Ace's Hardware Meetup and Startup Naming Failures
- [11:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-08-05-the-focus-knob-works#t=666) Building the Static Website with Hugo, Claude, and Cloudflare
- [17:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-08-05-the-focus-knob-works#t=1041) New Employee Dylan and Shipping Logistics with Star Shipper
- [24:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-08-05-the-focus-knob-works#t=1485) J-Link Pricing, ESP32 Ecosystem, and Microchip Compiler
- [33:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-08-05-the-focus-knob-works#t=2018) $10 RISC-V Debugger and AI Bot Traffic on EngineerBlogs
- [45:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-08-05-the-focus-knob-works#t=2711) RIGOL DNA 800 VNA and Home Solar Battery Systems

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Test & measurement](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/test-and-measurement)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Hugo (tool)
- Claude (tool)
- Cloudflare Pages (tool)
- Star Shipper (company)
- J-Link (tool)
- ESP32 (chip)
- Microchip (company)
- PIC32 (chip)
- CH32V003 (chip)
- RIGOL DNA 800 (product)
- Nordic (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [200: Oops](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-05-17-200-oops) (Embedded.fm)
- [197: Smell the Transistor](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-04-26-197-smell-the-transistor) (Embedded.fm)
- [31: If You See a Dongle Run Away](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-12-19-31-if-you-see-a-dongle-run-away) (Embedded.fm)
- [223: Gregorian Chants and Things](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-11-16-223-gregorian-chants-and-things) (Embedded.fm)
- [233: Always the Wrong Way](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-02-09-233-always-the-wrong-way) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-08-05-the-focus-knob-works. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.