<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I am sure a bunch of people could get together and run CHM nicely. It works well to have more than one person there for teaching and on the spot helping-out when people get stuck. I can't do it for a while yet as I am not feeling well enough physically.<br>
<br>It works well to get hands on as fast as possible without too much talk first. But a bit of an intro is good! And definitely, encouraging people to talk to and help each other is good to do. Then people who are strangers at first will turn to each other for advice. <br>
</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br>The kits Mitch keeps in stock are pretty awesome. I have felt that some of them are easier than others or take less time for beginners. So I think of some of them as good first kits and some as better for a 2nd kit or for someone who does not mind spending hours. What takes a confident / experienced person an hour to do is going to take many people a lot longer so they have to be ready to stay at NB till 11pm or later working on it. NB itself can be a bit overwhelming and distracting so that factors in as well.<br>
<br>Most of the fun/good/exciting kits are $20. <br><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I like these:<br><br>Dice kit: <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10212">https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10212</a> (simple and relatively fast)<br>
Weevil: <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10723">https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10723</a> (cheaper)<br><br>Firefly jar: <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11833">https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11833</a> (haven't tried it but it looks fun)<br>
<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Drawdio: <a href="http://www.adafruit.com/products/124">http://www.adafruit.com/products/124</a><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
TV B Gone: <a href="http://www.adafruit.com/products/73">http://www.adafruit.com/products/73</a> ( a bit more time, but so awesome) <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Mintyboost: <a href="http://www.adafruit.com/products/14">http://www.adafruit.com/products/14</a> (Harder in some ways, parts are tinier, hard to do in bad light, can be screwed up)<br>
<br>Small simple 2-LED kit, very cheap: <a href="http://www.makershed.com/Learn_to_Solder_Skill_Badge_Kit_p/mkls01.htm">http://www.makershed.com/Learn_to_Solder_Skill_Badge_Kit_p/mkls01.htm</a><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
Blinky lights, a little more expensive <a href="http://www.makershed.com/product_p/mkdw3.htm">http://www.makershed.com/product_p/mkdw3.htm</a><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I can't remember the other kits Mitch has or where they come from but they are all really cool!<br><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
Cheers<br><br><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">- Liz<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
<br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jul 8, 2013 at 9:32 PM, Alex Buie <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:alex.buie@frozenfeline.net" target="_blank">alex.buie@frozenfeline.net</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>I'd be interested in helping out at CHM in the future, and also fronting buying some cool kits for people. Anybody have suggestions for places that have good kits, or specific kits they've had good luck with?<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
<br></font></span></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">-a<br></font></span></div><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jul 8, 2013 at 9:24 PM, Liz Henry <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:lizhenry@gmail.com" target="_blank">lizhenry@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Johny Radio,<br><br>That is how I started doing CHM when Mitch, Rolf, or Miloh weren't able to do it. People would show up from out of town kind of excited and want to do stuff. So I would sell them kits either that I stocked up on myself, or from Mitch's stash of kits, and show them how to solder and go through the instructions. Simple enough. Nearly everyone who shows up has a smartphone at least to look up the kit instructions. <br>
<br>It is not too hard to mobilize others in the space to help lay out some soldering irons and equipment on Monday afternoon. <br><br>When we run out of solder, which we do often, you can take up a collection to buy new solder. I have in the past restocked the solder and other equipment. It is best to buy a big roll but in a pinch just go by Radio Shack. <a href="http://www.mpja.com/" target="_blank">http://www.mpja.com/</a> is good for buying solder in bulk. <br>
<br>People sometimes will buy one kit and take turns doing the bits of it.
So you don't even need that many kits to start off with. If you don't
have the money to lay out for $20 kits you can find cheaper, but less
exciting ones. I really liked having the Maker Faire robot badges since
they are cheap and easy and give people a taste of what is possible. The
last batch I got of them for the Burton High kids were not as good for
explaining circuits though because the instruction sticker covers the
printed circuit, so you don't see that it is one continuous wire printed
on the board.<br><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I never asked Noisebridge to buy the CHM equipment, but sometimes took up collections around for specific needs (like the solder). As long as you have solder, and you can access and properly track the kits already in the space, you can run CHM without having any capital up front. I don't think that $10 a month is going to help you. Batteries are in the kits! Write the kits down on a paper and put it in the plastic tubs then email Mitch which ones people bought and paypal him the money, or get together with someone who can do it.<br>
</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Most of the irons could use a cleaning with tip tinner and those metal brillo things. There are a bunch of extra tips in the red metal bin on wheels. <br>
<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">If you get a lot of people coming to CHM, it is really helpful to sort out who has ever soldered before, and pair them up sitting near the people who haven't, so they can be helpful!<br>
</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">- Liz<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
<br><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div>On Mon, Jul 8, 2013 at 8:27 PM, Johny Radio <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:johnyradio@gmail.com" target="_blank">johnyradio@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
</div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
Hi, <br>
<br>
there are about 5 peeps here at da Bridge for Circuit Hacking
Monday, including a nice lady and her kids visiting from Alaska.
They wanna hack. <br>
Is somebody leading this?<br>
I would run it, but we don't even have known working batteries
(well, i asked the membership for $10/month for circuit stuff, but
no go). <br>
Anyway, is somebody doing Circuit Hacking Monday tonite?<span><font color="#888888"><br>
<div>
<font size="+1"><br>
Johny Radio<br>
<img alt="" width="150"><br>
Stick It In Your Ear!<br>
</font> <br>
</div>
</font></span></div>
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<br></blockquote></div><span><font color="#888888"><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div><br>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<br>Liz Henry<br></div><a href="mailto:lhenry@mozilla.com" target="_blank">lhenry@mozilla.com</a><br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div><br>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<br>Liz Henry<br></div><a href="mailto:lhenry@mozilla.com" target="_blank">lhenry@mozilla.com</a><br>
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