Custom Motorcycle Creator Shinya Kamura.

Shinya Kimura from Adam Richards on Vimeo.

When he started this beautiful machine it sent shivers down my spine.

572B Breadboard Linear Amplifier

This is why HAMs are analog badasses.

The Amp Hour

Listening to the Amp Hour on an old Silvertone radio that a buddy of mine gave me.

New Device May Revolutionize Computer Memory

Traditionally, there are two types of computer memory devices. Slow memory devices are used in persistent data storage technologies such as flash drives. They allow us to save information for extended periods of time, and are therefore called nonvolatile devices. Fast memory devices allow our computers to operate quickly, but aren’t able to save data when the computers are turned off. The necessity for a constant source of power makes them volatile devices.

But now a research team from NC State has developed a single “unified” device that can perform both volatile and nonvolatile memory operation and may be used in the main memory.


Full Release

Railroad Gin Episode 4 "The Leaving of Liverpool"

Tetrad Transformers HighRes Photos

These are the Tetrad Transformers that I purchased at Apex. Like I stated before they are not the exact right values but I am going to try them out none the less.

Hackers Are People Too (Complete)

Altec 1566A Day One

So today was spent primarily in preparation for building. The bench was a true mess and needed to get cleaned up, but I have started work on the Pre. The output tube stage is complete it was just a few jumpers that needed to get wired up so not to bad very quick to do. Also now I know what parts I need to go out and get, and that the transformers that I picked up yesterday are not to speck of what I need. I am going to do some research and see if I am still able to use them, if not they were all of five dollars and I need to get a power transformer from APEX as well. The Primary windings are in the 250ohm range, which is not perfect, but it just means 100 ohms would load down the microphone? The Secondary is were the problem lies, its only 1.89k, which may be to low of an impedance for the tubes. Even if I ran both the Secondary in parallel I would still be 6k under the speck of the original.

Altec 1566A

Tomorrow I am going to start building an Altec 1566A.  I got the schematic form here.  I scored input and output transformers at APEX today hope they are the right values. They are made by Tetrad Co. Inc.

Input is a LEAR#91881  T 102
Output is a LEAR#91934 T 106
If anyone has anymore information on these transformers that would be great!

Ill keep the blog updated on progress. Also anyone want to start a Hacker/Maker space in Huntington Beach with me?

Tube Powered Flash-drive

I came across an image of a vacuum tube with a flash drive sticking out of it tonight and I thought to my self well my flash drive is stupid looking in its plastic black case so here it is. After breaking it out of its black case I realized that the flash drive its self is really small and would fit right over the pins of the tube so its just wedged onto the pins. Works great!