[chbot] Robotics Group meeting, 5 Idris Rd, 6-30pm, Monday 21 Feb 2022

[Mark Atherton]

Hello everyone,

First robotics meeting under traffic-light red. All attendees had their 
vax passes scanned as required without any fuss. Thank you everyone who 
attended.

Good turnout with 19 attendees, and lots of huddles-of tech-talk. $21 + 
change (in gold, and flat-money) collected and transferred into the 
robotics loose-change jar (for later banking).

All sales from the trading table should go into the brown box on the 
wall, and are directly for the benefit of our host club, Christchurch 
Amateur Radio Club, NZART Branch 05.

Equipment donations are welcome for the trading table, but no CRT based 
product, printers, toner or items that are likely to be a disposal burden.

With thanks on behalf of the group,

Mark Atherton

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Mark started off by illuminating a laminated sample of Red, Green and 
Blue phosphors, as well as a mineral containing Hardystonite, Willemite 
& Calcite. Light source was a 10W (?) short-wavelength (365nm) UV LED 
torch.

Mention was also made of some amazing lectures on YouTube from MIT, 
covering Nuclear Physics (Michael Short), and Neurology (Nancy Kanwisher).

David C talked about his home-made Regenerative Receiver, fabricated 
using surface mount. Unit has ‘Wheatstone bridge’ antenna protection.

Andrew E talked about his 3D printed Morse key. He also mentioned the 
issues of leaving PLA printed units in direct sunlight, which can result 
in a wonky-product.

Andrew D talked about his latest venture designing the new escape-room, 
complete with plasma-cut switch.

Graham C talked about acquiring some of his space-memorabilia purchased 
from ‘NS Aerospace Props’ in California. Items included various pieces 
of real hardware, along with the ‘Haynes NASA Workshop Manual for the 
Saturn V’.

William brought in some home-made serial-controlled lights, including a 
UV variant. These were packaged in a plastic Wish enclosure. Units are 
built using completely custom PCBs, and software.

Richard demonstrated an electric-vice powered using on old DeWalt 
drill-drive, and a small pile of 18650 cells. Control switch may have 
been marked ‘open’ and ‘crush’ :)