A Series of Tubes

in 1959, GE tried to convince the world that vacuum tubes were better than transistors. besides an advertising blitz, they also published a 66-page brochure "comparing" the two technologies. check it out: https://t.co/F4GRMAm9kw pic.twitter.com/rEfjTT4nJp

— Tube Time (@TubeTimeUS) February 14, 2019

Fluke Deals on Amazon

Normally, I post about the cheap, Chinese meters, but I saw that Amazon is having a little sale on some Fluke meters.

Upgrade!

Pimp my ride - ham radio style...

My Studebaker has five transistors. I almost feel bad about adding a few million more this weekend. pic.twitter.com/wdyZqXDDK9

— Travis Goodspeed (@travisgoodspeed) January 25, 2019

Creating More Work

I enjoy my smart home things and keep adding to the list. I'm not sure they save me time, but I love the convenience of them - especially the voice control for muting the TV while my hands are wet from washing dishes or telling the HVAC unit to turn the air on while I'm in the middle of working out.

The only downside is I keep coming up with new problems to solve - some of which didn't exist prior to buying all these smart devices. For example, I don't have a good place for my Eufy Genie (Amazon Echo Dot clone) in my bathroom. I don't have a spot to put it and we don't have enough plugs to power it.

The solution... $40 to get this outlet shelf and an outlet with USB ports.

Soldering Reference

This soldering reference card from @adafruit is the most to-the-point explanation of good soldering practices I have ever seen: pic.twitter.com/DlKuf44NZV

— Michael Stapelberg (@zekjur) January 14, 2018

Soldering Irons

The Wirecutter reviews soldering irons and recommends the X-Tronic Model #3020-XTS. The venerable Weller WLC100 comes in second.

Friday Funny

Via Dustbury:

Checkout some others at (I kid you not) the Electrical Engineering Memes for Fourier Transformed Teens.

PSA: Don't Buy an Amazon Echo Dot

Don't buy an Amazon Echo Dot. It is a gateway drug. Now I want to buy Alexa-enabled outlets and switches. And maybe I need this battery pack, so I can move the Dot from room to room with me.

It'll cost me a few bucks up front and it will be great when it works. It also means, invariably at some point, I'll have to troubleshoot something that never fails like an outlet or light switch.

Knox Makers

Knox Makers are having a grand opening at their new location on April 1.

InfiniiVision 1000 X-Series Oscilloscopes

Low cost doesn’t have to be low quality. Keysight’s new low-cost oscilloscope series w/6-in-1 instrument integration https://t.co/LJ9pvjiRm9 pic.twitter.com/GIFEg6Dwwq

— Keysight_News (@Keysight_News) March 1, 2017

Via @K0NR

Lady Ada and the TYT MD-380

From the PDF linked in the tweet below:

"Hey everyone! It's me, ladyada! I recently got my Amateur Radio License ('HAM ticket') and I wanted to start out with a radio that's both inexpensive, easy to use, and fun to hack! After seeing some videos from CCC about the MD-380, I thought this radio is the one for me to start with. 

Not only does this radio do FM analog on the 400MHz band, but it can also do DMR - digital encoded radio! This gives you the ability to use an Internet-backed voice network with no static and huge worldwide repeater reach. 

I'm just getting started on my HAM-venture but I thought I'd take some notes on the hacking and programming I've done! Some of it, like updating the Firmware and flashing User DB, is optional - but it's also the most fun!"

You and Your Tytera MD-380 DMRhttps://t.co/yUJNszlDqihttps://t.co/awRnuGfXr4

— F1MIJ PASCAL (@f1mij) September 3, 2016

Podcasts

Arrgh... not enough hours in the day...

BuyTwoWayRadios.com: Is DMR becoming the digital radio standard?

and

Ham Radio 360: Workbench - Meters

Lighter Soldering Iron

If MacGyver had to build a soldering iron...


Via a post to Ham Radio 360 on Facebook

USB Rechargeable Screwdriver with Live Circuit Detector

Kind of cool - a USB rechargeable screw driver with live circuit detector for $22.

• Patented Circuit Sensor Non-Contact Live-Wire Detector for outlets, switches, cords and fixtures
• Safely detects current from up to 1 inch away; communicates with sound and red light
• 2 LED worklights for illumination in low-light situations
• Integrated, rechargeable Lithium battery and USB charging port for convenient charging
• 9-piece screwdriver bit kit and magnetic bit holder

Ladyada - Extra Class

Zero to Extra without missing a question.

Congrats Ladyada – HAM license and getting to amateur “Extra” @adafruit @arrl #HamRadio https://t.co/zyA8fnQinr

— adafruit industries (@adafruit) April 20, 2016

Pi Zero

Pi Zero - or as I like to call it... another option for projects I'm never gonna get around to doing.


Introducing PIZERO from Raspberry Pi Foundation on Vimeo.

Oscilloscopes for Radio Amateurs: Add a Scope to Your Ham Shack

I'm curious if Oscilloscopes for Radio Amateurs: Add a Scope to Your Ham Shack is any good. The description is:

Oscilloscopes are a useful tool in the world of electronics, allowing radio amateurs to “see” the signals inside their equipment. With personal computers and today’s technologies, a variety of analog, digital or hybrid scopes are available to hams for solving problems and testing new ideas in home workshops. 

Oscilloscopes for Radio Amateurs is filled with practical information you’ll need for using a scope. It begins with an overview of the oscilloscope and continues on to discuss characteristics, applications, probes, controls, and input modes. If you’re considering adding this piece of test equipment to your ham shack, there is an explanation of scope specifications and features to help you select an oscilloscope that is right for you. 

Includes:
- Why Get an Oscilloscope?
- A Little History
- Every Scope Has These Elements
- Probes and Accessories
- Scope Sections in Detail
- Input Modes
- Let’s Put a Scope to Work
- If You Are Going to Buy One – Specifications
- Software Oscilloscopes — Capable and Free
- Reviews of Several Current Models

Or does anyone know of a similar text?

Rigol DS1054Z Oscilloscope

Mike's got a new toy. I always tempted by adding tools to my bench... you know, something besides a screw driver and duct tape would be nice to have.

SnapPower Charger

I've looked at face plates that have integrated USB ports, but the SnapPower Charger is different in that it requires no wiring.

Via Uncrate

Bunnie Related Tweets

Nothing to do with Easter...

Check out my article in @IEEESpectrum The Death of Moore's Law Will Spur Innovation http://t.co/ZOHYZi0mS9 #OSH4ever #MooreAt50
— bunnie (@bunniestudios) April 1, 2015

"For example, throughout the 1990s and into the new millennium, programmers were encouraged to abandon hand-optimized assembly language in favor of cramming in more features using ever higher-level languages. Snappy performance, if it wasn’t there on release day, would come soon enough with the next generation of CPUs."

chumby was a former project of Bunnie's. I have a chumby One and used it for awhile, but it was never the smart desk clock on steroids that I thought it would be.

C3 prototypes pic.twitter.com/UPd3tZZnxP
— chumby (@chumby) April 1, 2015