Geeky/nerdy content alert: If you just yawn or go blank at the mention of capacitors, LEDs, breadboards, dead drops, and Raspberry Pi, this is not the post for you.
A while back I came across Make Magazine; today we're going to explore what it offers in the area of electronics. (There are also many do-it-yourself projects that are not related to electronics.) While looking around Make, I came across two topics that are particularly intriguing: Arduino -- a type of circuit board with an 8-bit Atmel AVR microcontroller or a 32-bit Atmel ARM -- and Raspberry Pi -- credit-card-sized single-board computer. Arduino's home site offers many boards and components for a sale, free download of the Arduino software, and a large community of enthusiasts. Note that there is a selector for currency at the top of the store listings. (Make Magazine has a section on projects related to Arduino, too.) Raspberry Pi (love the name!) has its own site as well; you can also buy a starter kit at the Maker Shed.
Now, on to today's projects: The first one is "How to Make a Capacitor from Scrap Aluminum," posted by John Baichtal. Be sure to read the comments on this project, too.
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Next we have "Weekend Projects – Hot/Cold LEDs." This project uses an Arduino -- there's some nice technology here. Calculating the resistance needed for an LED has tripped me up in the past, so try this nifty online calculator at Linear1.org.
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You might be surprised to learn there's such a thing as a USB dead drop. Learn more about them and how they're used in the project "Create a USB Dead Drop in Nature," posted by Jason Poel Smith. You can learn where there are other dead drops and register your own at deaddrops.com. Seems to me the drop should be placed somewhere relatively sheltered.
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Happy tinkering.
-- Marge
A while back I came across Make Magazine; today we're going to explore what it offers in the area of electronics. (There are also many do-it-yourself projects that are not related to electronics.) While looking around Make, I came across two topics that are particularly intriguing: Arduino -- a type of circuit board with an 8-bit Atmel AVR microcontroller or a 32-bit Atmel ARM -- and Raspberry Pi -- credit-card-sized single-board computer. Arduino's home site offers many boards and components for a sale, free download of the Arduino software, and a large community of enthusiasts. Note that there is a selector for currency at the top of the store listings. (Make Magazine has a section on projects related to Arduino, too.) Raspberry Pi (love the name!) has its own site as well; you can also buy a starter kit at the Maker Shed.
Now, on to today's projects: The first one is "How to Make a Capacitor from Scrap Aluminum," posted by John Baichtal. Be sure to read the comments on this project, too.
***
Next we have "Weekend Projects – Hot/Cold LEDs." This project uses an Arduino -- there's some nice technology here. Calculating the resistance needed for an LED has tripped me up in the past, so try this nifty online calculator at Linear1.org.
***
You might be surprised to learn there's such a thing as a USB dead drop. Learn more about them and how they're used in the project "Create a USB Dead Drop in Nature," posted by Jason Poel Smith. You can learn where there are other dead drops and register your own at deaddrops.com. Seems to me the drop should be placed somewhere relatively sheltered.
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Happy tinkering.
-- Marge
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