DorkbotPDX people doing strange things with electricity

you buy a personalized birthday song for your multimeter. Found while looking for a service manual.

UPDATE: due to the new years holiday, I've gone back to the monday deadline at 5 PM to accommodate the fact that UPS does not move ground shipments on Wednesday.

Apparently I can't post to the blabber list right now, so this post is the best way i can think of to get the word out that there is a group order for this week.

sorry for the late notice.

order goes out on Monday at 5 PM to Digikey and Mouser

relevant details, as always are Here

While in Norvac The other day I was browsing in the IC section and came across this little gem: I think it was the Jim-Pak packaging that did it (Jim-Pak was a single serving component vendor that has sadly gone the way of the sort of places that sold it)

I've always made PCB's by the Photo fab method, with varying but never entirely satisfactory results. I was also somewhat put off by the need to buy pre-sensitized boards, at ridiculous prices. at a meeting earlier this year I was talking to Don ( feurig ) about it and he suggested I try the Toner Transfer Method (note reverent capitals).

As part of my clock project (yet to be documented) I needed an accurate real time clock (RTC). I selected the Maxim(Dallas) DS1307. I based the decision mostly on it's popularity and because of the availability of C libraries for the AVR. Sparkfun has breakout board that's similar to this but i didn't feel like paying $20 plus shipping for such a simple board (plus I think that Don's parsimony is rubbing off on me a little). In addition I wanted integrated pull-up resistors in the i2c lines.

I finally have my 6sn7/6v6 based prototype done! I chased down a couple of noise sources and now it plays sweet, sweet music. Now I just have to put in a more permanent container and add a couple more features.