Month: September 2013

Students with computers

My Eagle Project: Using Raspberry Pi to Deliver Education to Afghan Schools

As my Eagle Project, Iโ€™m using the Raspberry Pi platform to build computers for students at a girlsโ€™ school in Afghanistan. Weโ€™re raising the money online at Indiegogo, and will be building a special, pre-loaded Linux distribution with educational software. Trust in Education, a non-profit aid group, will be setting up a computer lab with the Pi-based computers.

Component of the Month: Relays

Component of the Month: Relays

A relay enables a signal or pulse of electricity to switch on (or switch off) a separate flow of electricity. Often, a relay uses a low voltage or low current to control a higher voltage and/or higher current. The low voltage/low current signal can be initiated by a relatively small, economical switch, and can be carried to the relay by relatively cheap, small-gauge wire, at which point the relay controls a larger current near to the load. In a car, for example, turning the ignition switch sends a signal to a relay positioned close to the starter motor.

Celebration: A 122-Pipe Handmade Organ

Celebration: A 122-Pipe Handmade Organ

New York-based electronics engineer Michael Falco set out on a unique mission four years ago: to scratch-build a carousel band organ based on a Wurlitzer 105 Military Band Organ, circa 1919. He based his build on a 1978 spiral-bound publication titled, “Wurlitzer Building Plans and Voicing Tips, Model 104/105,” authored and self-published by R. M. […]