Ham Radio Mini Beam
Years ago, ham radio operators more often than not had land, and usually there weren’t any restrictions on what kind of antenna they could erect on that land. These days …read more Continue reading Ham Radio Mini Beam
Author Archives: Al Williams
Aluminum Battery is Sustainable
If you think of metals in a battery, you probably think of lithium, mercury, lead, nickel, and cadmium. But researchers in Australia and China want you to think about aluminum. …read more Continue reading Aluminum Battery is Sustainable
Cold Metal Fusion for 3D Printing
When you see the term cold fusion, you probably think about energy generation, but the Cold Metal Fusion Alliance is an industry group all about 3D printing metal using Selective …read more Continue reading Cold Metal Fusion for 3D Printing
Button, Button, Who’s Got the (Pico) Button?
There is an episode of Ren and Stimpy with a big red “history eraser’ button that must not be pressed. Of course, who can resist the temptation of pressing the …read more Continue reading Button, Button, Who’s Got the (Pico) Button?
Driving a Motor with an Audio Amp Chip
[InazumaDenki] wanted to answer the question: can you drive a motor with an audio amplifier chip? The answer, of course, is yes. The TDA7052 has a single input, and a …read more Continue reading Driving a Motor with an Audio Amp Chip
3D Printing at 100C
Normally, 3D printing with filament takes temperatures of around 200 °C. However, there are some crafting plastics that melts in hot water at 60 °C. You can get spools of …read more Continue reading 3D Printing at 100C
The End of Basic?
Many people, one way or another, got started programming computers using some kind of Basic. The language was developed at Dartmouth specifically so people could write simple programs without much …read more Continue reading The End of Basic?
This Arduino Debugger Uses the CH552
One of the things missing from the “classic” Arduino experience is debugging. That’s a shame, too, because the chips used have that capability. However, the latest IDE has the ability …read more Continue reading This Arduino Debugger Uses the CH552
Cheap LCD Uses USB Serial
Browsing the Asian marketplaces online is always an experience. Sometimes, you see things at ridiculously low prices. Other times, you see things and wonder who is buying them and why …read more Continue reading Cheap LCD Uses USB Serial
Balloon-Eye View via Ham Radio
If you’ve ever thought about launching a high-altitude balloon, there’s much to consider. One of the things is how do you stream video down so that you — and others …read more Continue reading Balloon-Eye View via Ham Radio