The Electronic Engineers garage.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the types of projects and activities that Electrical Engineers engage in as hobbies, particularly in a garage setting. Participants share their personal experiences and projects, highlighting the creative and experimental aspects of electrical engineering outside of professional work.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to learn about interesting hobby projects that Electrical Engineers can undertake in their garages.
  • Another participant shares their experience building BLDC electric motors and restoring an old electric motor, indicating a blend of technical skill and historical interest.
  • Suggestions are made to search for microcontroller projects, implying a wealth of resources available for hobbyists.
  • A participant describes designing an audio 'fuzz box' with their son, highlighting the educational aspect of their hobby.
  • Various projects are mentioned, including a CO2 ejection system for model rockets, a remote control guidance system, and a biofeedback EEG machine.
  • One participant reflects on the stereotype of Electrical Engineers as tinkerers, questioning the lack of shared "super-secret" inventions.
  • Another participant mentions working with a superconducting magnet system and a friend's modification of a remote control car for a foam dart launcher with automated features.
  • A participant discusses tinkering with solid state Tesla coils and building associated circuits and components.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants share a variety of personal projects and experiences, but there is no consensus on a specific type of project or approach that defines the hobbyist activities of Electrical Engineers. The discussion remains open-ended with multiple perspectives presented.

Contextual Notes

Some projects mentioned may depend on specific technical knowledge or resources that not all hobbyists may have access to. There are also varying levels of complexity in the projects discussed, which may influence participation in the conversation.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in electrical engineering, hobby electronics, DIY projects, and those looking for inspiration for personal projects may find this discussion beneficial.

MacLaddy
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I have been asking many questions trying to really get a feel for what someone in the field of Electrical Engineering really does, but now I realize I have been asking the wrong question.

What I really want to know is: What kind of cool stuff can an Electrical Engineer build in his garage for a hobby, or for fun?

What kind of projects do the members of this forum have going on? I would love to hear some of the hobby's.
 
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I guess that's actually "The Electrical Engineers Garage." Pardon my mistake.
 
I recently built several BLDC (brushless dc) electric motors using neodymium magnets for rotor, a Hall Effect sensor, and an H-bridge for commutating stator coil current.

I recently restored a 100-year-old repulsion-start 1/6 HP electric motor, with a radial commutator (for repulsion start only- brushes retract).

Bob S
 
Search microcontroller projects and you will find a lot of stuff!
 
Bob S said:
I recently built several BLDC (brushless dc) electric motors using neodymium magnets for rotor, a Hall Effect sensor, and an H-bridge for commutating stator coil current.

I recently restored a 100-year-old repulsion-start 1/6 HP electric motor, with a radial commutator (for repulsion start only- brushes retract).

Bob S

Wow, that sounds very interesting... I, um, don't understand any of it; but it sounds really cool.

bassplayer142 said:
Search microcontroller projects and you will find a lot of stuff!


That's it? I always took electrical engineers to be more of the tinkering type. Tim Taylor meets Nikola Tesla type thing.

Or is it that nobody wants to discuss their super-secret-mega-invention that is going to land them in riches and fame?
 
With my son, I recently designed and built an audio 'fuzz box', with remote foot switch. Fun project and got to teach some electronics along the way.

Some other projects: A CO2 ejection system for model rockets, remote control guidance system for model rocket recovery, etc.

Slow as hobbies. Work life interferes. :-)
 
Last edited:
Power supplies, laser light show deflector, biofeedback EEG machine, other fun stuff.
 
Its probably beyond the budget, but i got to play with a superconducting magnet system for my honours thesis which was pretty awesome.

A friend of mine just modded a remote control car to include a foam dart launcher with automated face recognition and target tracking.
 
Recently I have been tinkering with solid state tesla coils. I've made a 0-200VDC smps for it, oscillator with tl494, a "burst mode" circuit for it, and a large 8000uf 200vdc capacitor bank for operating in burst mode.
 

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