Learn soldering and basic Arduino programming in this workshop. The cost of this workshop also covers the materials cost for a freeduino microcontroller kit. Your assembled Freeduino is yours to keep! Use the vast open resources of the Arduino community to come up with your own electronic applications. This workshop is intended to teach you necessary skills for further exploration in the world of Arduino.

Limited Seating!

More information and registration here!

Sign up here! http://wiki.lvl1.org/MintiBoost

Just in time for the holidays! Build a small & simple, but very powerful USB charger for your iPod, iPhone, mp3 player, camera, cell phone, and just about any other gadget you can plug into a USB port to charge! Perfect holiday gift! Only $35 – cheap!

Sign up for the class here: http://wiki.lvl1.org/MintiBoost

Just in time for the holidays!
Dec 6, 7-9pm or Dec 18, 1-3pm
http://wiki.lvl1.org/MintiBoost

Louisville Soundbuilders will be hosting a circuitbending workshop Monday 11/15 8pm at LVL1. It is FREE, but please bring something to circuit bend.

Circuitbending is the art of short-circuiting electronic devices to unleash their hidden potential as new instruments.

This is a hands-on circuitbending workshop hosted by Louisville Soundbuilders. Bring in a cheap audio toy and we will guide you through the art and practice of circuitbending. It is highly recommended that you bring something to circuitbend, as there is no substitute for actually doing it! But all are welcome regardless.

Bring:
-Cheap *battery powered* electronic toy(s)
-Phillips head screwdriver
-Extra batteries

Optional:
-Audio jacks (1/4″ or 1/8″)

We will provide all the rest: solder, soldering irons, wire, potentiometers, switches, tools, etc.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160299714006314

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1000984973

The LVL1 Hackerspace will be hosting a Surface Mount Soldering

Workshop on Saturday, November 20th, 2010 from 1 to 5pm.  This
workshop will teach you the basics of soldering surface mount
components with a standard soldering iron, using a standard soldering
iron tip.   You’ll be given the tools required to build your own
surface mount projects, and during the workshop, you’ll work on
assembling your own Open Balloon CPU (A design of LVL1′s own White
Star Balloon Team).  You’ll solder 0805 Resistors and Capacitors, 1206
LEDs, and TQFP Microcontrollers, among others.  You’ll learn about the
packages  which can be hand soldered, and the packages which cannot,
along with the techniques required to assemble a working board.

At the end of the workshop, you’ll walk out with the knowledge and
skills required to build any reasonable surface mount project, along
with your own Open Balloon CPU.  These tools include small-gauge
solder, flux, non-magnetic tweezers, and a magnifying loupe.  The Open
Balloon CPU you’ll be assembling is a VERY general purpose sensor
platform, which can be used for a variety of projects which aren’t
related to Balloons or UAVs whatsoever.  Aside from the form factor of
the PCB, everything about the electronics design is generalized for
whatever development the user sees fit.  We will be outfitting the
Balloon CPU with a temperature sensor and Microcontroller, along with
all the passive components required to burn code onto the chip.  If
desired, workshop attendees may add additional sensors (a Real Time
Clock and/or a Barometer) for additional cost.

If you can read newsprint, and have a reasonably steady hand, you can
solder surface mount components!  We will also be doing demonstrations
of hot-air soldering and hotplate reflow soldering, to provide a small
taste of even more advanced soldering techniques.  We can provide
soldering irons, but if you would prefer to bring your own, feel free.
We also recommend you bring a laptop.  If you’ve got an FTDI cable
and AVR programmer, you can start hacking at your balloon CPU
immediately!

For a preview of the skills we’ll be teaching, watch this Youtube
video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NN7UGWYmBY

Note:  If we do not fill at least 12 seats by November 10th, 2010, the
workshop will be cancelled, and all tickets will be refunded.  Sign up
early, and sign up often!  Any questions, feel free to send them to
bradluyster (at) gmail.com

Sign up early, and sign up often!  Seating is limited.  Buy tickets at eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1000984973

This is just a reminder to everyone that Denis Oudard, a Project Manager from Solar Energy Solutions, will be at the space this Sunday Oct. 17th at 6PM to give a presentation about solar power systems. He will be hanging around to answer any questions that you may have about grid tied and standalone alternative energy setups, so if you’ve ever thought about a setup like this for your home or business, this would be a great time to ask questions and get some free answers.

I hope everyone can make it!

See you all on Sunday!

http://www.solar-energy-solutions.com/

LVL1 and the IEEE Louisville Student Section are happy to announce that LVL1 will be hosting the University of Louisville IEEE and their soldering workshop.

This soldering workshop will take place at 1PM on October, 16th, at LVL1 (814 E. Broadway).  This workshop will bring in 15 Electrical Engineering students from the University, with 5 walk-in seats held for the LVL1 community.  These seats are first-come, first-serve, and the cost will be $10.

Students in this workshop will be soldering together a small variable frequency sound generator based on a 555 timer IC.  Students will learn basic thru-hole soldering skills, wiring components to perfboard.

The IEEE Louisville Student Section is a University Student Organization which serves as a professional and social network for Electrical Engineering students at the University of Louisville.

Denis Oudard, a project manager from Solar Energy Solutions in Crestwood, KY will be coming to LVL1 on Sunday, October 17th at 6PM to give a presentation about the various components of home solar energy systems.

This should be an interesting presentation for anyone interested in renewable energy systems.  I have asked Denis to show examples of Grid-Tied systems and Standalone systems, but if anyone has any other specific requests for the presenter, please feel free to email me and I will relay the message.

thenovicemonk@gmail.com

Circuit-bending rock band CMKT 4 will be in town for a workshop on contact mics. They manufacture and sell bottle cap contact mics and plan to show how they do it. Bring cash if you want to purchase materials.

From CMKT 4:

We are circuit-bending rock band CMKT 4. We manufacture and sell bottle cap contact mics. We teach workshops about the process we use to make our microphones.

We price the workshops at $15 per person, which includes materials and instruction. Additional DIY kits are available at $10 apiece. We’ll also have finished mics for sale. We encourage people to bring instruments to which to add a piezo pickup or they can make a stand-alone model for use on various instruments.