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March 1, 2008
269 Electronics - Canal street, NYC
Tucked away inside a perfume, watch luggage and fake iPod store on Canal street is "269 Electronics" - if you're in NYC and need electronic tools at "ok" prices and selection 269 is one of the few places. They also have kits (mostly velleman kits) as well as some rare parts. Today the quest was for some NT42/44s and while they're not that hard to find they had them, score. More photos here - Link.
Related:
Argo electronics - Surplus electronics in NYC - Link.
Editor's note: This is the second of our "mobile posts" series which will appear on MAKE - sponsored by Windows Mobile. Only the links and voice that appear in the mobile post box (below) are part of the campaign on MAKE - pt.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Mar 1, 2008 03:00 PM
Electronics, MAKE Playlist |
Permalink
| Comments (13)
Turn your broken Rock Band kit around
If you are like most people who play "Rock Band" religiously, chances are you've broken your kit and are debating whether or not to toss it and buy a new one or call Harmonix and ask for a refund. This hack shows a rather complex, but do-able way to fix your ailing plastic musical life.
Fix Your Rock Band Drums - Link
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Mar 1, 2008 05:41 AM
Electronics, Music |
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| Comments (0)
February 29, 2008
MAKE Primer - Electronic test equipment
Electronic Test Equipment by Tom and Wendell Anderson. See and understand what's happening inside a circuit. Page 158 - MAKE 10. Read this article now in the MAKE digital edition.
Or get MAKE 10 from the Maker store and/or subscribe to MAKE (use code CMAKE for $5 off USD).
You can view all our in depth Primers from MAKE here too.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 29, 2008 09:22 PM
Electronics |
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| Comments (3)
Digital Camera Interface
Getting a computer to "talk" with a CMOS camera can be difficult, if not impossible, at times. The site has links to PDF files that contain the schematics and theory of operation. There is also a link containing all the code. It's a nice solution to a common problem.
The aim of this project is the development and construction of an interface between a CMOS camera and a computer. This interface allows a user to get images from the camera, to change some of the properties of the camera as brightness, luminance, etc from a computer. Also some image process is implemented allowing the camera to track white objects and follow them with a servomotor. The interface was implemented using the Atmel AVR ATmega16 microcontroller.
Digital Camera Interface - Link
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 29, 2008 03:00 AM
Electronics |
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| Comments (0)
Arduino compatible breadboard
This is a nice little tutorial on building your own Arduino compatible breadboard. The heeart of the board is an AMTEL8 AVR and breakout board from SparkFun. It is a fairly easy build, but if you just want to jump right into programming pick up a completed version in the MAKE store! - Link
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 29, 2008 02:00 AM
Arduino, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (2)
Wiimote controlled curtains
Controlling your curtains via a Wiimote is either laziness at its best, or a great solution for those with mobility issues. The curtains can be controlled from a wall switch, but even that could be problematic for some people. This could definitely be a great help for some people. - Link
Related:
Track fingers with the Wiimote - Link
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 29, 2008 01:00 AM
Electronics |
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| Comments (0)
February 28, 2008
Simple walking bot
Matt Mets made this simple servo-controlled walking bot which uses a Barebones Arduino to walk, one leg at a time. Source code included. - Link.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Feb 28, 2008 09:00 PM
Arduino, DIY Projects, Electronics, Robotics |
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| Comments (0)
February 27, 2008
Peggy Planner
Mike Biel wrote this handy web app for planning out LED projects using the EMS "Peggy" board. Great for preparing your next big marketing campaign! - Link
Related:
"Peggy," - A Light emitting pegboard display - Link
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Feb 27, 2008 02:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (0)
Sensor squids in the news
Our very own Becky Stern was in the news yesterday, in the ASU State Press, talking about Archie, the sensor squid, a project of ASU's Reflective Living Group in the Arts and Media Engineering program:
The way the squid is set up makes it ideal for group collaboration, Stern added. In most office or research settings, working groups meet hunched over their laptops. Using the squid, which is fun and allows more than one person to work the controls, opens up communication and moves the work along, Stern said.
I don't know about you, but the image of, say Intel executives, sitting around in a meeting manipulating a plushie squid tentacle interface is almost too joyful to bear.
Science, technology and a stuffed squid named Archie - [Thanks, Patti!] Link
Related:
- Sensor squid relation game - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Feb 27, 2008 01:23 PM
Arduino, Crafts, Electronics |
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| Comments (0)
Low-tech plant watering indicator
Here's a twitter-free version of how to get plants to indicate they need water using about $1.50 in parts, thanks Ben! Link.
Related:
HOW TO - Make plants talk! They'll Twitter you when they need to be watered (and more)... - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 27, 2008 10:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (9)
Animal superpowers
Regine @ we make money not art on Design Interactions Chris Woebken and Kenichi Okada's "Animal superpowers" -
Animals have senses beyond human experience, they instinctively feel approaching tsunamis through low frequencies, communicate through pheromones or can navigate through magnetic fields.Animal superpowers - Link.Students of Design Interactions Chris Woebken and Kenichi Okada, in collaboration with MBA students from the Oxford Said Business-school, have been developing a series of sensory enhancements toys for children to experience "animal superpowers." Each prototype allows the kid to change perspective or feel empathy with animals.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 27, 2008 06:00 AM
Arts, Electronics, Virtual Worlds |
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| Comments (0)
DIY - GPS Camera attachment
This is a great how-to on building a GPS system for your DSLR camera. The pictures are tagged with the exact GPS coordinates for later reference. Nice work!
This version eliminates the need for the expensive MC-35 and even the special 10-pin connector. I've opted for a quick GPS receiver and encased everything in a small black box with a flash shoe mount. Because it is powered through the camera's power source, a switch on the side of the box turns off the GPS. Version 3 should include a battery, rechargeable through a USB connection.DIY Camera GPS system - [via] Link
Related:
DIY camera GPS project for Nikon DSLRs - Link
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 27, 2008 02:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Photography |
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| Comments (1)
February 26, 2008
Follow up - DIY metal detector
Thanks to all of you who posted great explanations in the comments of yesterday's post about a dubious way to make a metal detector from an AM radio and a calculator. Mahto submitted his trial video first (shown above), and he gets a Make pocket ref! Some notable comments:
Nick Clark writes:
AM radio operates from a frequency band of 520kHz to 1610kHz. That video suggests that we set our radios to the top of the spectrum, so we'll say 1500kHz or so. Speaking as an electrical engineer, any radio waves generated by an digital device like a calculator would have to be some multiple of the device's internal clock. (e.g., a 200kHz clock would broadcast EMI at 200kHz, 400kHz, 800kHz, etc). Most of the noise would be at the clock's fundamental frequency, with most of the rest of it at twice the fundamental frequency. Thus, in order to be picked up by an AM radio near the upper band a circuit would have to be running a huge IC at 750kHz or so, or a smaller IC at 1500kHz. A metal detector like this _might_ be theoretically possible for a really power-hungry device running at 500kHz or for a not-so-hungry (but still _much_ more hungry than a solar-powered calc) 1MHz device.
CaladanJan writes:
Picking up the internal oscillators of the calculator is not at all surprising. The AM radio will pick up fundamentals or AM tones on any carrier if the signal is strong enough (and inverse squares makes that also read "close enough"). AM radios will also pick up lightning in a storm, especially if you are not on a station.
The real question is if there is any oscillator in the calculator that would be sensitive to the proximity of metallic objects. A self-tuned rod inductor oscillator will be rather sensitive to changes in the magnetic flux path, and this is actually half of how commercial metal detectors actually work. Does a calculator have such a circuit? That would depend on the calculator. A lot of LCD bias voltage generating circuits are built that way, so it's certainly possible.
I'm consistently impressed with the high level of intellect and technical competency of our readers. I learn something new every day. Way to go, guys!
Posted by Becky Stern |
Feb 26, 2008 04:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Telecommunications |
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| Comments (4)
Unzap - USB TV-B-Gone with learning function
Mike writes -
i would like to suggest this site, which presents an advanced infrared hacking tool, using a simple AVR, has a learning function and 2mb of flash for learned tv remote codes. It even has an usb port, all in software on the AVR (no special usb chip required)!An uber TV-B-Gone with learning function/IR receivers - awesome! See the Unzap project page for schematic and software. - Link
Related:
TV-B-Gone Clone - Link
From the pages of MAKE:
TV-B-Gone Hat from MAKE:13 p.169 - Link
In The Maker Store:
TV-B-Gone Kit -Link
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Feb 26, 2008 03:00 PM
Electronics |
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| Comments (2)
DIY Security system calls your phone
Design news latest "Gadget Freak" has a DIY security system that will call you when something is up... -
Gadget Freak Bill Bowden has created a security system that calls you when an alarm is triggered. You can set it up to indicate intrusion into a door, window, office or pool. It can also connect to a panic button. The circuit includes a small PIC microcontroller, an assembly program and a handful of other parts that can be designed to detect the interruption of a switch closure or the connection of a panic button. When the circuit is tripped, the gadget dials your number and indicates what device has been triggered.DIY Security system calls your phone - Link.The construction cost for the security circuit is less than $30. As well as circuit parts, you will also need a PIC programmer to load the program into the microcontroller.
Related:
- MIDAS: Homemade Dorm Room Home Automation System - Link.
- Make - Connecting a hacked wireless doorbell receiver - Link.
- MAKE: Blog: Monitor Hack: High voltage security system - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 26, 2008 06:00 AM
Cellphones, DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (0)
DIY LED matrices
From the MAKE Flickr pool
Member Spikenzie etched his own 8x8 LED matrix PCB. He's also posted helpful instructions and artwork used in his process -
The 8x8 LED matrix is a building block. There is no processor or circuitry other then then LEDs and the copper traces. It is simply an eight by eight 64-LED matrix on a PCB. The 8x8 has 16 pins on one edge, 8 connect to the rows and the other 8 to the columns. This allows the maker to use their preference of controlling circuitry.The way a matrix works can be a bit mysterious at first. Of course building one yourself is the best way to learn - Link
From the MAKE Flickr pool
Auraelius documents his technique for mounting 10mm LEDs on a Modern Devices 8x8 matrix board - Link
Related:
HOW TO - LED Matrix - Link
Spark Fun's Tri Color LED Matrix - Link
HOW TO - Watch futurama on an 8x8 pixel screen - Link
From the Maker store:
LED clock kit - Link
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Feb 26, 2008 04:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (2)
The Polarized Polaroid Camera
Alejandro sent in this very cool device for making physical screen captures of a computer display. The web site has a nice video of the device in action. Just don't forget to stockpile your Polaroid film since it's not going to be around after this year!
The Polaroid sheet camera uses the basic principle of light polarization to mimic the behavior of a camera diaphragm and shutter. LCD screens emit polarized light, which allows a Polaroid sheet in the camera to take on the diaphragm behavior.
A stepper motor controls the rotation of the camera body, from the light blocking position to the fully open position (90 degrees), in which the instant film is exposed for a predetermined amount of time before the whole camera body is rotated back to the blocking position.
The Polarized Polaroid Camera - Link
Related:
No more Polaroid... instant film - and MAKE's look at Polaroid projects - Link
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 26, 2008 03:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Imaging, Photography |
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| Comments (1)
Electric Motorcycle
Todd Stiers has made one awesome looking, and sounding, electric motorcycle. Let's hope this becomes more of a "normal" thing to see riding around the streets. Now, let the debate about the batteries and the source of power begin. - Link
Related:
Make Podcast: Todd Kollin's Electric Motorcycle - Link
Marque Cornblatt - DIY Electric Motorcycle Conversion - Link.
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Feb 26, 2008 01:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Green, Transportation |
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| Comments (2)
February 25, 2008
DIY metal detector
I was really surprised that this simple hack doesn't even require taking anything apart! Just use a calculator and AM radio to make a metal detector - [via] Link.
UPDATE: This one might be plausible, folks. Debate in the comments; the first one to prove it's real/fake gets a MAKE pocket ref!
Related:
Posted by Becky Stern |
Feb 25, 2008 07:00 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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| Comments (19)
Touchkeyer on Altoids-based HF radio
Check out this nifty touchkeyer (for CW or "continuous wave" Morse code) ham operator Jonathan Haynes ( KC7FYS) built into his Altoids-housed ATS-3b high-frequency CW radio transceiver:
I put whiteboard marker on my fingers and pressed them on a piece of paper to get this footprint. The idea of sculpting them from PCB material came to me when I was trying to sleep. Ha ha. Next time I'll use thicker copper with a thicker substrate.
Nice work on the whole project. The labels and green metalflake are swanky.
Touchkeyer Ergometrics - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Feb 25, 2008 06:00 PM
Altoids and tin cases, Electronics, Portable Audio and Video |
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| Comments (0)
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