Special shoutout to the repair site iFixit who are now on the Fediverse, you can follow them at:

@iFixit

They provide repair forums and free repair guides for phones, computers, consoles, kitchen equipment, tools, medical devices, cars etc. They also review and tear down new gadgets to see how repairable they are.

Repairing your existing stuff is much, much better for the environment than buying replacements.

This is the Sharp PC-2000, or “Ratecaputer,” from 1979. Only 200 were ever made.

The name is a portmanteau:

Ra for radio
Te for television
Ca for cassette
Puter for computer

More:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/1979-ratecaputer-sharp-wxfef

I'm having a catch-up weekend hence why I haven't posted a project video this week. I've also added playlists on my channel to make watching and catching up much easier.
More details on my catch up blog post here: https://msmadlemon.com/updates-playlists-catch-ups/

Aren't there extension cables for these solar panel connectors? I only find "MC4" cables, which seem to be only the connector on the receiving end but not the panell side. I need an extension for the panel side though. as 2 of the 4 panels are further away.

Do those extension cables even exist, or isn't this meant to be due to some frequency issues? Should I instead get another one of those cables with 4 connectors put them in a row if possible? (Seems to be possible?)
#solar #electronics

(Tagging electronics folks, feel free to respond or not as willing/able.)

I'm doing initial research to design a custom battery mgmt/charge/balance circuit for a prototype. 4S/5S LiPo (nonprotected), 90Wh, 12A discharge. It needs to run the device while charging, like a laptop.

Any advice or resources on circuits/architecture/ICs, key safety req's? I'm a professional circuit designer but not experienced w/Li batteries.

Thanks!

@cmb @gsuberland @chris_gammell

Spotlight on Commown, a FairTEC Member !

@commownfr is a #cooperative for #sustainable and mindful #electronics, based in Strasbourg, #France ! Specializing in long-term rentals, it offers smartphones , laptops , and other devices to fight planned obsolescence and promote durability.

@classicalmusic
@contemporarymusic
@womencomposers

#TyttiArola b. 1990

Heinä (2023)

#AnttiLötjönen #DoubleBass
#AndersPohjola #Electronics

#musik #music #musique #musica #Arola
#contemporarymusic
#womencomposers
#classicalmusic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psPeRYbbgJ0

Jan Beta makes videos about repairing and restoring old computers and other equipment, especially the Commodore Amiga and C64:

@jan_beta

There are already over 40 videos uploaded. If they haven't federated to your server yet, you can browse them all at https://makertube.net/a/jan_beta/videos

You can also follow Jan's general social media account at @janbeta

SparkFun were great at keeping all of the product details for their retired products on their website. But that's all gone with the redesign.

If you've got some old SparkFun kit, you're going to be relying on the Internet Archive a lot now.

So, how much should I be spending on a logic analyser to look at, say, a weird PS/2 mouse's protocol, or some other vintage PC or console controller oddity? AU$8 from AliExpress? $120 on an ES-DLA-16 from Mouser? Surely I don't need an $800 Saleae box for that?

My hobby-focus seems to be swinging back to #Arduino and #Electronics stuff at the moment and I want to take full advantage of it to learn some very niche new things.

Boosts appreciated. #AskFedi

Weird unit of the day: mdBm, or millidecibel-milliwatt

A dimensionless, logarithmic unit that includes no less than three SI prefixes, none of which are redundant.

I did it!!!

Now it can easily simulate 1000 particles (on the ESP32, thanks to floating point math) and it knows about gravity via the MPU-6050 gyro/accelerometer

Japan's Fair Trade Commission warned home electronics retailer Bic Camera Inc. about underpaying its subcontractors in the future. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/03/02/ftc-asks-bic-camera-pay-subcontractors/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #biccamera #fairtradecommission #electronics

My audio player broke and I had an idea for not only a way to fix it but also make it better and more repairable in the future. However it will require the most complex custom parts I've sketched yet and I just lost access to the CAD software I'm most used too.

I was an absolute novice at Autodesk Fusion anyway, but I was getting by and getting better. However, I just switched from macOS back to Linux where Fusion is unavailable and now I'm back to square one. I don't really know where to go from here. I figure it will either be FreeCAD or Blender but I'm not exactly having a fun or successful time with either.

#CAD #AutodeskFusion #FreeCAD #Blender3D #Linux #3DPrinting #electronics

My latest blog post: Simplify VCD

https://mikecoats.com/simplify-vcd/

Simplify VCD is a tool designed to make working with Value Change Dump (VCD) files more efficient and faster. This tool enables users to clip sections of VCD files, trim irrelevant data, and reduce the resolution to a more manageable timescale, significantly improving processing speed and usability.

Bio-hybrid drone uses silkworm moth antennae to navigate using smell
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250219111300.htm #robotics #robot #technology #engineering #robots #arduino #electronics #automation #tech #innovation