The last time I had my hearing aids serviced, I discovered that the devices included a T-mode operational feature. The T-mode (or Telecoil) setting allows you to receive audio signals fed to an induction loop, which is just a wire loop laid on the floor around the perimeter of the desired area. Induction loops can be found in places such as concert halls, movie theaters, auditoriums, churches, banks, and public buildings where PA announcements are common. I decided to build an installation for my home. Here’s how it went.
Knowing your pet’s location is invaluable. With modern technology, there are commercial solutions giving accurate GPS location for days on end. However, these options are costly. So, as a useful and educational project, I built my own tracker using a simple radio beacon.
The NixieStar clock is the second timepiece kit I’ve developed. My aim was to have a kit that’s reasonably easy to build with intermediate soldering skills (i.e., minimal SMD components). I also wanted a clock kit that once it was built, any spouse (including my wife!) would accept it on their wall — even with a power cord hanging from it.
In addition to making breadboarding easier, the new Dr. Duino Starter Kit can be a useful tool in learning Arduino hardware and software design. Getting into microcontroller development for the first time can be a daunting undertaking and anything that can simplify the process will be welcomed by many. Plus, there are many other possibilities for how this kit can be used.
The oscilloscope is my go-to measurement instrument in every electronics project I work on, helping me debug and fine-tune hardware and software projects. In this article, I’ll show how you can get started with a simple-to-use scope you probably already have. Best of all, it’s free! When you graduate from this simple scope, you can purchase a more powerful scope using the exact same user interface. I think the free scope control software, Waveforms, is the simplest to use, most feature-rich pro-level software of any of the available options. Using a sound card as the hardware interface with Waveforms puts a simple yet powerful scope in your hands for free.
This project implements a clock/timer device with several handy features other than just a simple alarm. It utilizes a 16-bit PIC, the MPLab Code Configurator, and a serial LCD.
One thing you want to check before you start a long 3D print job is to verify you have enough filament on the spool to complete the print. You don’t want to come back to your printer at the end of a two-day run (as I have!) only to discover that the machine ran out of filament and the top part of the object is missing! This project describes a dedicated “spool scale” that provides a real time readout via an Arduino of just how much material you have left.
Meet the SW-4U: A four-position ham radio antenna switch with PC control via a USB connection. The switch is controlled by an application program running on the PC that allows you to select any of four antennas, ground all for safety, and to power the switch on and off.
There are situations where a low output impedance to A headphones is required. This article discusses three different versions of headphone amps to fit your particular application: a stereo amp powered by the power line; a battery-operated mono amp for a crystal set; and a battery-operated amp for a ceramic cartridge.
Work areas usually have multiple power strips ganged together and connected to the same outlet. Various devices are connected to these strips, including computers, lights, coffee pots, space heaters, etc. Environmentally conscious persons ask, “How much power does my work area consume?” Safety conscious persons ask, “Am I overloading my circuit?” Calculating the answers requires two basic measurements: the voltage supplied to the circuit, and the amperage consumed by the circuit. Measuring AC voltage and, particularly, amperage with a multimeter is a potentially dangerous diagnostic for laypersons.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a self-contained volt/amp meter that displays the values on a webpage?
