[Closed] Introduce Yourself

I am new to the area of arduino ide and platformio.  I want to learn to program in micro python, c/c++ and python.  I have the xiao board and arduino uno, raspberry pi 4 and 3b+.  I am looking forward to seeing what I can do with these wonderful micro controllers and sbcs.

Hi everyone, I’m Keven from SW England, an engineering type having spent a fair few years maintaining equipment and working in NDT. I love learning and doing courses hence I got interested in microcomputers and microcontrollers after being given an Arduino UNO and being tasked to automate a simple stepper-controlled machine. Pouring over Bill’s videos and information coupled with a few months of “birds-nest” breadboards it worked well. With added interest, I’m doing it all again with Raspberry Pi and the Pi Pico. I’m really enjoying working (playing) with these devices as it’s taking me back (GOSUB…?) to my days playing on VIC’s ZX’s and BBC’s last Century when a remote control was a younger sister and a wireless project was grandad’s broken radio.

Looking forward to learning more, chatting and seeing the great projects you’re working on.

Hey.  MACE here.  I'm a retired software engineer.  I was always curious about the hardware side, but every time I found an article, it listed obsolete RadioShack parts.  A couple of years ago, I watched a YouTube post by InitialStateTech where Elizabeth presented everything I was going to need to set up a wireless temperature sensing system for every room in the house.  Thanks to the help of the sales staff at MicroCenter I was able to get all the right parts -- at it all worked.  This is fun stuff.

Welcome aboard! I too am a retired software engineer. I am surprised you got someone who knows something at MicroCenter. My local MicroCenter (about 15 mi away) is pretty ignorant about electronic parts. They will claim not to have what I want until I show them it on their website and then it will take the, 1/2 hour to find it. You need to keep supporting that store!

Hello, all! I'm an old-school nerd from when being a nerd was something awful, and breadboards were breadboards and common nails (destructive memory, anyone? Not my memory I mean; I had no problems in school).

   Soared through a military academy, served by making people and the structures that contained them cease to be, and then taught English at an art school.

   From there I worked various publications and dot-bombs until I started my own family and graphic-design business.

   Got a spot of cancer while not covered and the medical "professions" took absolutely everything, because you know, being absolutely broke helps make people better.

   Uncle Sam ran away, the family ran away, and now I am on the downslope of my 40s, still broke, still working the same junk jobs I did in high school ... cancer ran away, too, though, so having absolutely nothing apparently was the cure; who knew? Maybe it was my bitterness.

   One day, 51,674 years from now at my payscale as of Tuesday, the medical people will get their money and I can live my life, finally.

   Meanwhile, I needed an escape this past decade, and being a nerd, I found I enjoyed relearning the things I enjoyed as a child: Calculus, physics and electronics. So grateful for OCW and things like it. Yes, I really spend my Friday nights now poring over improper integrals, for no one else but myself.

   Music is life, because I was fortunate to grow up in a time when MTV played music videos, and I'm trying to put it all together to make a "music box" of my dreams: In a sense, a keytar, but in reverse, so maybe a guit-board?

   Currently it's called Project Green Boots, named after the nameless corpse who is the first landmark you come across while attempting to climb Mount Everest.

   Life-Day-story over, I came across Bill's YouTube channel while in a YouTube rabbit hole, and I find his work refreshing! It is really difficult for me to get past the first stages of even the most advanced, "tutorials" I guess you would say, because I don't need an explanation of Ohm's Law and what the squiggles mean on a schematic. His work is, "Here's what you need - Here's how to do it" and I don't feel my intelligence insulted.

   Likewise, I find it inspiring to see others doing the things I like to do, and I want to regain the momentum I had when I first restarted electrical engineering as a re-hobby. Green Boots has lain dormant for a bit and I want to get it done before I share its namesake's fate.

Thank you all for taking the time to read about me. I will do anything I can to help anyone, if I can help!

Ed.

@ve1dx

There is still plenty of activity in those modes.  Even though CW is no longer required for some licensing, there are lots of hams enjoying it.  Enjoy the "old" modes and new ones as well.

73

Alan

h it really ticked me off when they introduced not a codeless Novice--but skipped to a codeless Tech!!!  WitH did I study (and being as uncoordinated as I am _WORK_ for the keying rate) for multiple licenses those with less invested were just "gifted"?????

That was when I quit building hardware.

Hello, I'm LoLorenzo, and I thrive on Canad's "wet" coast. In the past I thought of myself as a "gadgeteer", because I like making random things to improve my life, or to meet a need (perhaps the modern equivalent is "maker"). I like to play with metal or wood or plastic or little electronic bits. I have some book l'arning, in language and lit and history and electronics. I sing, and play a variety of musical instruments.

Hi!
First. Thanks to Bill for taking me in here.
My name is Bjarne and I am from Norway. Something that often becomes clear through my poor English 🤨 
Electronics and coding are completely new to me.

I have built some speakers and am generally very interested in audio. I came here because I have plans to build a new motorsystem for my turntable. Hence my nick 😉 The old A/C does not run as smoothly as it should and makes more sound than care for. Therefore, I will try to use a microcontroller to monitor a BLDC motor and correct for deviations. We'll see if that's possible! 

Regards

@lolorenzo

Welcome to the forum, I'm also located on Canada's unfashionable "left" coast 🙂

Do you have any specific project(s) in mind or are you just here for the floor show ?

Retired old guy who likes to tinker with new stuff.  Watched an excellent video on raspberry pi cameras and found myself here.  I saw another video on motioneyeos and liked it.  then I found out that you can't add libraries to it (or at least I have failed). Now I am looking at motion eye (not the OS!) but it seems more complicated to start up (slower too).  Came here hoping for pointers.  I will likely spend the next few days reading here while I babysit my grandson, he is 8 months and takes up a lot of my time. lol. Thanks for providing this forum and have a great day!

Just another "Retired old guy" who is always for new things to tinker with. Have been dabbling with a couple Raspberry Pi's the past few months but wanted to do more. Somehow, I stumbled on a DroneBot video and bingo, here I am. Hope to learn more so I can implement a minimal security camera system around my home that is "securely" accessible anywhere I have a connection on my cell phone.

So far, I love Bill's videos. They are some of the best I have seen on the subject. I especially like the accompanying "articles" he puts together for each video - WELL DONE! 🍻 

Hi, Alex Drysdale here. I have been trying to make machines run better for a long time (mostly industrial knitting machines). Programming Arduino Uno's is a recent addition. So I have been using Bill's high-frequency PWM sketch with some modifications to make the LCD Keypad shield a useful control device. Currently, No.1 Uno is running a miniature sample washing machine (select speed, run-up to speed, run-down to stop, small increase or decrease speed and reset. No.2 Uno runs a tensile tester - using a 24 VDC linear actuator. 

Yet another "retired old guy" who enjoys tinkering and learning new stuff.

Been playing with electronics and computer stuff my whole life. Was a field service tech back in the 70's and 80's repairing dictation and word processing equipment. Two absurdly expensive product categories (by today's standards) which have both been superseded by the microcomputer revolution. Been in the computer and I.T. industry ever since.

Have extremely fond memories of Heathkit projects from back in the day. Built their o'scope, multimeter, TV and a bunch of other kits, plus actually learned most of my electronics from their training materials. Too bad that doesn't seem to be a viable business now, or at least not to the same extent where they could create kits of high quality components and superb assembly instructions for high-end electronics at prices roughly comparable to retail.

Ah well. Thanks to YouTube and the Maker movement, there seems to be no shortage of interesting things to learn and do.

Hi.  Yet another retired maker. 😀 This one from Chemainus, BC, Canada
Started life as a car mechanic apprentice.
Then a lineman for the telephone company.
Then a sheet metal worker on small aircraft.
Then a Photocopier repair tech.
Hurt my back in an accident so went to College to be a computer programmer.
The last 30 years as a computer programmer for the government until I retired 2.5 years ago.
3 years ago I built an Arduino controlled dog elevator for my aging German Shepherd.
Built my own CNC machine and have made a few electric guitars.
Playing with Raspberry Pi Retro gaming now.
Next I want to build a Quad-copter/Drone or 2 soon cause I'm getting stupid fast!

I look forward to sharing and helping others and...  asking for help.

Rick Hubka