So...what did Santa get you?

1000 leds. Now to use them for next years decoration

Don't forget to use current limiting resistors with them. :wink:

forget the resistors, hook em up to ~48 volts and use them for new years :wink:

1000 leds. Now to use them for next years decoration Wink

I got my brother something similar a few years back, the year after we got our Wii's and we were all like "OMG WIIS R AWESOME" I was going to buy him the stuff to make a wireless sensor, but at like 2.75 a IR led at Radio Shack I was like screw this and went looking elsewhere, found a site that sold them at a much more reasonable price, but there was a min order limit, so I ended up buying like 800 IR LEDs

Shortly thereafter we got bored with the Wii, they still haven't been used... lol

Also, thanks for the advice from before, sorry for derailing the thread a bit, the other gift I got was a cheapo soldering iron

I have pleasant experience with a cheap-o soldering iron

it was given to me as a "craft kit" which featured wood burning, hot knife and soldering iron, never used it as a soldering iron, but as a wood burner and more importantly a hot knife (depending on what tips you screwed to the soldering iron) its still in my collection

also came with a crap set of helping hands that is my "other" pair on the bench today

;D

couple years ago I bought myself a XYtronic 379 soldering station for 45 bucks on my birthday, its comparable to the HAKKO's we use at work at half the price, and I love it

I got 'Electrics for dummies', which I wanted. I'll read it when I go away shortly.

Oh, my grandma gave me a mini doughnut maker.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas

Mikey C

my grandma gave me a mini doughnut maker

Now to make a robot that will go to the store and buy the stuff needed, dump it into the doughnut maker, and make a fully automated process :wink:

I got a hunting cap, a gun case, and a beer making kit. I think the universe is trying to tell me something. :stuck_out_tongue:

256 mb of RAM on the board gives my mpc 128 mb, the maximum. The mpc only reads one side of the RAM board, so you need to buy twice as much memory. Akai also makes an official RAM upgrade, a custom board that only has the RAM chips on one side, but they charge $160!

It's for sample space, because 16 mb (default) is hardly anything, in uncompressed wav files.

  • Arduino Ethernet Shield
  • Ripleys and World Record Books
  • Ebay Gift Cards

I mainly got money, so I have already bought:

  • Ultrasonic rangefinder (for arduino, of course!)
  • The old arduino MEGA (the new one streched my budget too much, and I had no one to share the buy with)
  • Possibly some RGB LEDSs
  • And hopefully, an oscilloscope [smiley=tongue.gif]

Got myself a large radio controlled monster truck from the Shack. I am in the process of converting it to an automated vehicle of some sort...

After many unsuccessful attempt of trying to build a model wheeled platform myself, I figured it is probably a lot cheaper to buy a toy one, use the driving/turning mechanisms and re-do the electronics myself...

so I ended up buying like 800 IR LEDs

You could use them to make Christmas lights for special ops troops. Or for pit vipers. :sunglasses:

After many unsuccessful attempt of trying to build a model wheeled platform myself, I figured it is probably a lot cheaper to buy a toy one, use the driving/turning mechanisms and re-do the electronics myself...

Next time, try your local area Goodwill stores first; generally at any such given store you can find 1-3 radio/remote-controlled toys that could possibly make excellent platforms for robots (I've even found $25 roombas, and $5 robosapiens). Most such toys run around the $5.00 mark, but if you can wait for the half-price Saturday sale, things most people won't touch become an experimenter's lab part quickly!

Sometimes, you may get really lucky, and find a good quality Powerwheels ride-on toy for $50 or less; these can make an awesome robot platform - if you have the room for something that large, and you are willing to put in the money and/or work needed to implement a steering control system. I'm currently in the process of building such a platform, actually - and the steering system has been a lesson in creativity!

Goodwill should be on your list of places to check out for interesting bits of gear for electronics experimentation. You can find all manner of strange stuff there (much of it in perfectly working condition), for very little money. You might be very surprised at what people and companies donate.

:slight_smile:

Good idea on checking Goodwill Cr0sh

Hi Cr0sh,

That's an excellent point! It just never came across my mind before... I'll have to locate the good will nearby...

Ripleys and World Record Books

Heh I got the Ripley's too :stuck_out_tongue:

Also no electronic stuff (apart from a 'stocking filler' - had no stocking) solar torch and as I now have 3 of them, I'm going to take one apart and use it for something :stuck_out_tongue:

I also have loads of stuff already so I had no need for more electronics.

Mowcius

I got a dog. ;D

are you going to take it apart?

Make a RGB led collar for it :smiley: Going to make something like that for my parents when they get a dog, so it can be seen in the dark :wink:

I got a dog. ;D

you hacked it yet? or have you took it apart for anything?? ;D ;D