Author: Jeff G

Posted on

Hamfest Weekend and Teletype acquired!

Did a ton of walking and shopping this weekend at two back-to-back hamfests. What’s a hamfest? Easiest answer is “an electronics flea market”. They’re called “hamfests” as they’re often hosted by ham radio clubs, and while a majority of the gear for sale is radio related, you’ll find other deals at them as well.

The first was the MARC Hamfest in Kimberton, PA. Got a few goodies there and met up with some regulars.

Next up on Sunday was the Sussex County Hamfest up in New Jersey. This one is a bit of a haul and I attend it both to support some friends, and plugs it’s a bigger event. I found a few goodies here as well.

The biggest item on the loot pile? A Teletype ASR-32! While it’s not the ASR-33 (I’d still LOVE to find one for a decent deal!), its nearly identical in appearance and I’m hoping I can use it for vintage computer fun as well as some ham radio RTTY (radio-teletype) action. As part of the deal I also got a HAL ST-6 “teletype unit”, which is a demodulator (receiver) for RTTY. You can find a picture of it here. This unit receives RTTY signals from a radio, and converts them to serial data thats transferred to a teletype via a “current loop” connection. In this case the HAL ST-6 has been modified with a AFSR board so the teletype can be used for sending RTTY as well. More importantly, it looks techy and has blinky lights. No pics yet, but some will be forthcoming as I mess around with it and get it going.

With weather forecast in the mid to hid 90s this week, I think imma stay in the AC and geek out some!

Posted on

Arcade Monitor Repair Party – November 2010

Life has a funny way of flying by when you’re having fun. I was digging through some old stuff and found these pics of an arcade monitor repair party I hosted back in 2010. Basically invited a few peeps from KLOV to come learn how to cap and repair arcade game monitors.

One guy even brought an entire game (Donkey Kong Jr), which turned out to be a great example, as we really went through it soup to nuts and did a bunch of small things to bring a basket case completely back to life!

I wish I could do these again…maybe some day. Anyway, enjoy some pics! PS – big thanks to my buddy Todd who always seems to go along with my crazy plans 😉

Posted on

Maker Media now Maker Community

Saw an article on Hackaday about Maker Media now becoming Make Community. Seems this will include potentially keeping the magazine going, as well as the Mini Maker Faires, but not the big Maker Faires anymore.

There’s some interesting comments on the article as well. I’m not sure where I stand with all of this, other than lamenting the loss of the Maker Faire (NYC) while Philly’s Mini Maker Faire will hopefully continue to grow. Online social media may be a good way to collaborate on projects, etc, but us humans still need direct interaction from time to time, and things like the Maker Faires, Meetups, and other “real time/real life” events bolster our passion for doing and help us learn how to do.

Maker Media Reboots Itself As Make Community
Posted on

Ham Radio Field Day this Weekend (June 21-23 2019)

“Field Day” is this weekend for ham radio operators. In the radio hobby, this is a set weekend every year where ham guys set up remote operations, usually in a public place such as a park, and operate from there. The idea is so that the public can see how they operate, ask questions, and even try it out without needing to buy gear or even get a radio license.

While anyone can participate, radio clubs usually do it as a group effort, where they pick a location, set up tents/generators/antennas/etc and have multiple radios going. In addition, clubs often designate “cooks” to grill up some food while they’re busy playing radio, and eating good is just as important as getting contacts.

If you see a group, and/or are curious about amateur radio, feel free to approach them and ask questions – thats the idea of this after all! Not only can you ask questions, but most hams/clubs will have a “Get On The Air (GOTA)” station set up for visitors to try out. Also note theres no age limits as well.

Fridays are usually the start of setup, with setup usually finalized by Saturday morning. The official “contest” (who can make the most field day contacts) starts at 2pm Saturday and goes for 24 hours until 2pm Sunday. By then things are usually winding down and the stations are being packed up, so your best bet is Saturday afternoon, or earlier if you can lend a hand setting up.

If you’re interested but not sure where to find a field day setup, use this locator page to find some near you: http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator

Last but not least, this page offers a more detailed explanation of field day and what it entails: http://www.arrl.org/field-day

Have fun and 73!

Posted on

Lansdale Under-The-Stars Car Show 2019

Sorry for the crappy pic…

I had the pleasure of checking out the Lansdale “Under The Stars” car show this weekend, in Lansdale, PA. Lansdale does several gear head events every year, including the big Lansdale Bike Night that attracts thousands of motorcycles from around the area (hosted by Blue Comet Motorcycle club).

That said, I really like this car show as being a night owl, I love the idea of walking around nighttime checking out cool cars, hearing some live music and getting a bite to eat. It mimics the feel of the race nights/track nights, and honestly it’s just a great time in a great town.

You can find the web site and information about the Lansdale Under-The-Stars car show here: https://fairmountfireco.com/car-show/

I didn’t take too many pics, after a long day with my nephew I decided to just enjoy the event and check out some cool cars. I’m sure there’s tons of pics and vids out there for the world to enjoy, but maybe nex year pencil this event in if you’re a Gearhead in the Philly area.

Also to point out – if you missed this one, another nearby town Hatboro PA hosts a similar night time car show that’s coming up on July 27th. You can find info on that car show at http://www.hatborocarshow.com/.

Posted on

Philly Mini Maker Faire 2019 still on despite “Make” shutdown

Maker Faire Layoffs

Got some sad news over the weekend; Make Magazine (Maker Media) has abruptly shut down all operations, which likely includes the “Maker Faire” events, at least the larger events held annually at locations across the US and the world. The New York event (which I’ve attended a number of times) was awesome and huge.

It seems the smaller “licensed” events are likely to continue, depending on each’s situation.

Maker Faire halts operations and lays off all staff

https://i2.wp.com/philly.makerfaire.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/246/2018/03/Philadelphia_MMF_Logo-1.png?fit=750%2C750&strip=all

It seems not all may be lost though; there seems to be efforts to keep the business afloat (as well as possibly some of the Maker Faire events), so I guess we’re in a wait-and-see pattern as far as the NY Maker Faire is concerned. That said, today I received word that the 2019 Philly Mini Maker Faire, which is hosted at the Pennovation Center, is still on and completely funded and organized separate from Maker Media, which is awesome news to hear!

I hope for the best for this organization and hope the NY (and other) Maker Faires continue.

Posted on

Franklin Institute Medal – from 1824?

So while the current Franklin Institute building was built in the 1930’s, most people wouldn’t believe that the institute itself was actually founded nearly 200 years ago in 1824. I managed to acquire this interesting medal that includes FI’s original tagline of “To Promote the Mechanical Arts”.

I actually reached out to FI on this one in case anyone there knows what it really dates to. I have my doubts it’s actually from 1824, but the wear on it has me second guessing myself now. I’m guessing it was a souvenir from around the 30s to 50s but it would be really cool if it really dated back that far!

It’s hard to tell from the photos since I zoomed in, but the actual piece is about the size of a US Quarter. If anyone knows anything about this, please feel free to let me know in the comments (if you don’t see the comments below, click the title of the article to open the actual article first).

Anyway…enjoy what could possibly be the oldest piece of Franklin Institute ephemera yet…

FI’s original tagline was “For the Promotion of Mechanic Arts”
Posted on

Franklin Institute Renovating Train Room!

After many many years of the train room more or less looking the same, it seems today 6/4/2019 the Franklin Institute announced it will be renovating the train room and making it a two story affair!

New article here: https://www.inquirer.com/arts/franklin-institute-philadelphia-locomotive-train-room-renovation-baldwin-60000-20190604.html?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

While it’s awesome to hear the place is finally getting some updates, I really hope they plan to include many actual hands-on exhibits like they’ve done in the past, and not limit them to touch screens. Kids need to feel the weight of a train part, or be able to handle and see perhaps modern technology in modern passenger and freight trains. They can play with touchscreens at home!

Posted on

Crazy Weather in PA for 2019!

Figured I’d do a quick post about this with some cool pics – we’ve had some crazy weather right after memorial day that’s not very common in PA. In fact we usually don’t get many (if any) tornadoes, and just last week alone had at least 2 different Tornado “warnings” (not watches, although we had those too). You don’t have to look far for news articles about the high number of actual tornadoes we’ve had this year, but here’s one to check out: https://www.centredaily.com/news/local/community/state-college/article231032518.html

After commuting for 20+ years, I can honestly say I’m pretty sure the clouds/storms that passed through last Wednesday were likely the closest I’ve come to an actual tornado. While (as far as I know) that actual storm didn’t produce a tornado, I’ve never seen clouds and weather like what I saw that day, and seriously scanned the road for underpasses and other safe spots in case one popped up. Some scary sh..tuff.

Taken Wednesday 6/29/2019 on the PA Turnpike (traffic was stopped)
Photo © 2019 JeffG / Junknet.net

Hope everybody stays safe, and don’t do anything stupid when it comes to the weather!