A few years ago, we brought you a story about a guy building ham radio antennas from aluminum crutches. Now, he's using cable TV coax for his dipoles.
After trying different things to troubleshoot an intermittent problem with my MicroBITX kit (multi-band, software-defined ham radio transceiver), it turned out static discharge was the answer to my problems
Keeping your batteries ready for action in your ham radio hobby is something we all have to deal with. How much does “memory effect” come into play with recharging? Does it really exist? Let’s look at some different failure modes and what might really be behind them.
Are you bored with conventional two-dimensional circuit layouts, or looking for a way to add an artistic flair to your next project? I’ve taken point-to-point construction style a step further by making it self-supporting, which opens up a wide range of physical circuit topologies. (Point-to-point construction usually uses supporting structures like terminal strips that are functional but not pleasing to the eye.) I call this construction style the copper cobweb. Here’s how to do it.
Even when a circuit functions as it’s supposed to, it’s not always easy to tell what it’s doing. Plus, waiting for an output (especially if there’s a long delay involved) is not always practical. Conversely, if a circuit does not function, the only means to find out what’s wrong is to troubleshoot it with either a multimeter or oscilloscope. Wouldn’t it be great if the circuit itself could tell us more directly what’s wrong?
Short of living underground in the wilderness without electricity, battery power, or Internet, exposure to electromagnetic radiation can’t be avoided. The best thing you can do is look at the guidelines provided by organizations like the FCC and ARRL, and use a little common sense.
It took me eight months of part-time work to restore all 168 pounds of a Heathkit “H-1.” I would like to share a few of the trials and tribulations I went through to resurrect this beast.
Surveillance is one of the most effective deterrents against crimes lke burglary and theft. The Raspberry Pi can be the foundation of a great DIY home security system.
Whether you’re building your own electronic drum kit or measuring distance with a 3D scanner, a HAT can give your Raspberry Pi exactly the functionality you need.
I use LCD displays in almost every project. However, in this modern age of steampunk, I stumbled on something much cooler — 1” high seven-segment electromechanical displays (EMDs) that go clickity, click. Here is an ambitious project that features five 1941 vintage rotary phone step-by-step (SXS) switches. These EMDs are the perfect match to display the dialed digits.
