MendalMax, getting close

Bernd is making a digital voltmeter….or something. It looked cool!

A laptop without it’s clothes

Arduino Robot is on Desk….

exterminate!

Freetronics starter kits always seem to make a showing

First, a really cool shot where things are in pieces. You can’t get enough photos like this one:

The bottom side of the board, nothing wrong here.

Ash narrowed the problem down to this optio-coupler on [...]]]> So Ashish has provided some more photos of his previously buggy BMW 3(?) series console control module.

First, a really cool shot where things are in pieces. You can’t get enough photos like this one:

The bottom side of the board, nothing wrong here.

Ash narrowed the problem down to this optio-coupler on the top side of the board. It’s a neat SMT component, actually pretty small and has the label “TCPT1200″.

Here’s another shot of the TCPT1200, from the other side. Note the diode symbol, which is handy for knowing the orientation of the component. Nice job whoever designed this package as that’s handy as!

We managed to remove this guy and replace it with TCPT1300X01, which is pin compatible. A few attempts at the Hackerspace reflow station and it was better than new!

Here’s the board back in it’s case and ready to be installed in the car.

Great work Ash! Thanks for the photos.

An hour or two later, a $1 component, and some surface mount work in conjunction with fellow hackers (including moi) and everything was up and working again!

The kicker? Ashish had previously [...]]]> Ashish came today with an inkling that the optio-coupler for one of the buttons on his BMW dash control was a bit buggy.

An hour or two later, a $1 component, and some surface mount work in conjunction with fellow hackers (including moi) and everything was up and working again!

The kicker? Ashish had previously taken this to a local BMW dealer for a quote to replace the buggy module. That quote came in at, no joke, $1,000! $600 for the module and $400 for labor. Even sourcing it from the US was going to be $300+ for the part alone.

See below for some photos showing wires and one happy hacker!

So next month when you’re considering your membership fees… : )

We just need to get the ventilation shafts sorted and we can witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL battle station! this excellent tool [...]]]> Luke & Rob went to town on the now-functional laser cutter! They got it gobbling G-Code and didn’t stop until the doors closed : )

We just need to get the ventilation shafts sorted and we can witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL battle station!  this excellent tool in more general use!

Lots of different 3d printers on show.

Jen got our sign one step closer to finished, then sat down to do some needlework (not quite ‘sewing’, but alliteration is Important!).

Greg got stuck into the Garduino project.

Shane restrung the seat for his recumbent tricycle.

Bob and Luke made with the lasers. One [...]]]> Quite a busy Tuesday evening general session this week!

Jen got our sign one step closer to finished, then sat down to do some needlework (not quite ‘sewing’, but alliteration is Important!).

Greg got stuck into the Garduino project.

Shane restrung the seat for his recumbent tricycle.

Bob and Luke made with the lasers.  One step closer to a working laser cutter.

Here’s a look at his signed Farnsworth communicator and his Tesla Gun.

Farnsworth!