A 1947 Radio Gets A Face Lift
We’ve all done it. We spy an old radio at a garage sale or resale shop. We know someone should bring it back to life, but it looks like a …read more Continue reading A 1947 Radio Gets A Face Lift
Author Archives: Al Williams
Retrotechtacular: Julius Sumner Miller Breaks Lamps with Magnets
If you watched the Mickey Mouse Club way back when, you might remember Professor Wonderful, who was, in reality, physics professor [Julius Sumner Miller]. He also had his own show, …read more Continue reading Retrotechtacular: Julius Sumner Miller Breaks Lamps with Magnets
Matching Transistors
Transistors in some circuit configurations work together and, frequently, need to be matched. This is so common that you can sometimes find ICs that are just a pair of transistors …read more Continue reading Matching Transistors
AT&T’s Unix PC — We Hardly Knew You
Before Linux, there was Unix. It was great, but it was and has been plagued by problems with licensing and proprietary competition. [Vintage Appartus] recalls, for example, the AT&T Unix …read more Continue reading AT&T’s Unix PC — We Hardly Knew You
Electronics Near Zero
Normally, when you design an electronic gadget, you worry about how hot it will get. Automotive-grade components, for example, often have higher allowable temperatures than commercial parts. However, extremely cold …read more Continue reading Electronics Near Zero
Using a VT-100 Today
You may not know what a ADM-3, a TV910, or a H1420 are, but you probably have at least heard of a VT-100. They are all terminals from around the …read more Continue reading Using a VT-100 Today
Digital Signal Processing on the Pi Pico
If you want to dabble in audio digital signal processing, you would probably think of grabbing a dedicated DSP chip. But thanks to [WeebLabs], you could just pick up a …read more Continue reading Digital Signal Processing on the Pi Pico
Ask Hackaday: Do You Need a Tablet?
There’s an old saying that the happiest days of a boat owner’s life are the day they buy the boat, and the day they sell it. For me, the happiest …read more Continue reading Ask Hackaday: Do You Need a Tablet?
A Guide to CubeSat Mission and Bus Design
If you mention the word bus, you might think of public transportation or, more likely for us, a way to connect things together. But in the satellite world, the bus …read more Continue reading A Guide to CubeSat Mission and Bus Design
Why Solid State Batteries Short
Solid state batteries, we are told, are the new hot battery technology that will replace lithium-ion batteries. Soon. Not that we haven’t heard that before. One reason it isn’t dominating …read more Continue reading Why Solid State Batteries Short