Birthday Gift Ideas for Female Electrical Engineers

[K.J.Healey]

I need some ideas for shopable gifts for a female electrical engineer turning 25.
She's my girlfriend so I've already bought the sentimental-type gift, now I'm looking for something that actually interests her. What do female engineers/scientists like? The same thing males do? I know her fairly well, but am just out of ideas.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Build her a time machine, and say I'm not sure it if it works but the first time around was so good that we should try it again. Awwww Just be sure to avoid yourselves. Oh actually wait a minute the practicalities are a bit tiresome. Nm

What does she specialise in, not that I know anything, but let's narrow it down?

 

[Math Is Hard]

What kind of price range are you looking at? If you're thinking about a nerdy gift, you might find something over at the thinkgeek site. They have good toys:

 

[K.J.Healey]

Price range is up to $100 probably. If its something that's a great idea than I'd go above.

I'm trying to think of stuff that I don't have to order online, so I can see it myself. That and so I don't have to wait 5 days for it to ship.

She specializes in automotive sensor communication though she's accepting a new job this week that I think puts her into the hybrid design group at a leading auto maker.

 

[ranger]

Post a picture of her and her contact number/email. I'll see what I can find out

She specializes in automotive sensor communication though she's accepting a new job this week that I think puts her into the hybrid design group at a leading auto maker.

Sounds awesome!

 

[turbo]

I'm not an EE (nor a female), but I troubleshoot and repair old tube amplifiers as a hobby, and I'd be lost without my autoranging digital multi meter with frequency and capacitance functions. She's probably got great gear at work, but how about around the house? Does she tinker on stuff at home?

 

[ranger]

Umm, since turbo mentioned tube amplifiers. How about you go hunting for some antique tube amplifier circuits? I'd love to get a gift like that.

 

[turbo]

Umm, since turbo mentioned tube amplifiers. How about you go hunting for some antique tube amplifier circuits? I'd love to get a gift like that.

Unfortunately (especially if you're talking audio gear) that would blow the $100 budget many times over. If she likes music, I bet she'd love to have a nice 60's vintage stereo tube amp or a pair of Macintosh 30-watt monoblocs to refurbish (why, why, why did I sell mine? I was moving a lot and following construction work, and I fell for the "convenience" of a high-end Sansui integrated amp... ), but that goes way over the typical birthday gift guidelines.

 

[BobG]

A Regency TR-1 transistor radio would be pretty cool. If it works, it's a valuable collector item. If it doesn't, it's even better and at a lower price.

Of course, the working ones can go for up to $4,000 if they're in a rare color.

Hmm, just thought about what I said. There's probably only a few types of people that would prefer a broken radio to a working one.

http://www.regencytr1.com/

 

[Cyrus]

Wow Bob, no slide Rule? I am disappointed.

We use a flight computer when flying, which is nothing more than a circular slide rule. Its an amazing invention.

 

[berkeman]

** New calculator? (does she need a new one?)

** Blackberry or other appointment/reminder/etc. thingy.

** Some computer game that you think she might like.

** Subscription to an EE magazine, like the "Circuit Cellar".

** Glider ride (this might be more like $200 for both of you). Pretty fun experience, if there is a gliderport near you.

 

[chroot]

A nice pair of headphones is practically vital for me. If she's got the sort of job that requires her to dig in and work on something for hours (like mine), music can be almost a necessity.

- Warren

 

[berkeman]

A nice pair of headphones is practically vital for me. If she's got the sort of job that requires her to dig in and work on something for hours (like mine), music can be almost a necessity.

- Warren

Awesome idea! Like those BOSE headphones that can be used for music, or just to cancel out distracting outside sounds. Gotta look into getting a pair of those myself.

 

[chroot]

Well, whatever you do, don't buy Bose. They're extremely overpriced, perform poorly, and break easily. Bose is just mass-marketed fluff crap.

Instead, look into Beyerdynamic, AKG, Sennheiser, and other more respected names. Check out your local Guitar Center, they'll probably have a dozen high-quality headphones in the ~$100-$150 range. Don't go to Best Buy or RadioShack or any of the other mainstream consumer electronics retail stores; they don't generally carry any headphones except those that net high profits per square foot of display space.

- Warren

 

[berkeman]

Well, whatever you do, don't buy Bose. They're extremely overpriced, perform poorly, and break easily. Bose is just marketing fluff crap.

Instead, look into Beyerdynamic, AKG, Sennheiser, and other more respected names.

- Warren

Ah. Thanks again.

 

[turbo]

Well, whatever you do, don't buy Bose. They're extremely overpriced, perform poorly, and break easily. Bose is just mass-marketed fluff crap.

Instead, look into Beyerdynamic, AKG, Sennheiser, and other more respected names. Check out your local Guitar Center, they'll probably have a dozen high-quality headphones in the ~$100-$150 range.

- Warren

Good advice, Warren. Bose stuff is way over-hyped. Even back when they were producing critically-acclaimed (and expensive) stereo speakers, most of those couldn't hold a candle to JBL or Klipsch speakers at equivalent price-points, much less compare to Koss's speakers when they made a brief foray into the market. I still have my ~30 year old pair of Koss speakers (10" woofers, passive radiators, a pair of coned mid-range speakers, a tweeter and a high-range tweeter in each enclosure). I thought that they were breaking down about 10 years ago and took them to a local stereo outlet and compared them to their JBL, Bose, and Klipsch speakers and the owner was offering me outrageous trades to try to get them. Turns out the speakers were fine and the capacitors in my old integrated Sansui amp were drying out. I got a massive Denon power amp and a nice preamp to replace it and gave the Sansui to my friend as a birthday present. It cost him about $75 in repairs (I hadn't started repairing electronics at the time) to get it fixed and he was stylin'.

 

[moose]

Instead, look into Beyerdynamic, AKG, Sennheiser

- Warren

I bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 590s two years ago and I use them a TON. They're amazing. I bought them for $100 when they were on-sale somewhere... The sound is just AMAZING, and they're so comfortable!

EDIT: Did I mention they beat the CRAP out of any BOSE headphones I've tried at stores?

 

[chroot]

Okay, okay, let's not turn this into a Bose-bashing thread! I just felt the need to say something when berkeman named Bose specifically (especially since I don't even think they sell anything for ~$100), but I'm glad to hear the Bose marketing machine hasn't fooled everyone.

- Warren

 

[Moonbear]

The headphones are a good idea. If she has to do any sort of traveling for work, they'd be especially appreciated.

And, yes, geeky women will share the same interests in gadgets as geeky men.

 

[Astronuc]

Well, whatever you do, don't buy Bose. They're extremely overpriced, perform poorly, and break easily. Bose is just mass-marketed fluff crap.

Instead, look into Beyerdynamic, AKG, Sennheiser, and other more respected names. Check out your local Guitar Center, they'll probably have a dozen high-quality headphones in the ~$100-$150 range. Don't go to Best Buy or RadioShack or any of the other mainstream consumer electronics retail stores; they don't generally carry any headphones except those that net high profits per square foot of display space.

- Warren

Sound advice!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I need some ideas for shopable gifts for a female electrical engineer turning 25.
She's my girlfriend so I've already bought the sentimental-type gift, now I'm looking for something that actually interests her. What do female engineers/scientists like? The same thing males do? I know her fairly well, but am just out of ideas.

You might consider picking up some fancy IGBTs, or maybe just a nice roll of capacitors.

 

[Moonbear]

Sound advice!

<<<<<<<<groan!>>>>>>>

 

[TheRyan]

She specializes in automotive sensor communication though she's accepting a new job this week that I think puts her into the hybrid design group at a leading auto maker.

How about an Easy Button from Staples? That hybrid design stuff must be really tough!

 

[BobG]

Wow Bob, no slide Rule? I am disappointed.

We use a flight computer when flying, which is nothing more than a circular slide rule. Its an amazing invention.

** New calculator? (does she need a new one?)

A Pickett N4-ES Hyperbolic Dual Base Speed Rule is a great calculator for an electrical engineer. Price runs around $150 for one in good condition, though. (Of course, you might get lucky. I got mine at an antique store for $16. Then again, you might get unlucky. I've seen them sell for as high as $260.)

Happy cyrus?