Hardware, Electronics, Technical Stuff

This is a showcase of various technical things I've done. The most ‘famous’ are probably my electric guitars, but there's other stuff like electronics, speaker cabinets and casemods. Many of these pages don't just describe what I did, but also how I did it, and tips for trying it yourself are included.

Additionally, there are some reviews of gadget-like things I bought. I might add more reviews of specific hardware if it either impresses me, or makes me want to spit my bile.

Music and Audio

• Hand-Made Electric Guitars
  Between 1995 and 1998, I built two electric guitars. This page doesn't only describe the process but contains a lot of advice if you want to build, repair or ‘mod’ your own guitar.
• Speaker Cabinets (coming soon)
  This (will) explain(s) how I evolved from a cardboard speaker in a shoebox to hi-fi speakers and experimental things like a high-quality shoebox-sized boombox with built-in miniature subwoofer, and a 5.1 decoder with subwoofer that fits in a backpack.

Electronics

• Creating PCBs with the toner transfer method
  Instructions for making your own Printed Circuit Boards with a laser printer instead of a photoresist layer.
• Variable Input Voltage LED driver (coming soon)
  I have been interested in LED-based illumination as soon as LEDs started becoming powerful enough to serve as a practical light source. After a few iterations, I constructed a performant 1W switching power supply LED driver that fits inside the enclosure of my bicycle's headlight, powered by the bicycle's dynamo.

PC Hardware

• "Black Box" Case Mod
  This is a report on how I created a custom PC case from scratch.
• Installing an Arctic Cooling NV Silencer 5 on a GeForce 6600GT AGP
  Kind of a 'sequel' on the above. A report with pictures on how I made the impossible possible, so maybe an interesting read if you want to try a similar hack.
• Silly Hacks
  A collection of small ‘hacks’, often more for fun than practical use. E.g. creating a mutant ‘optical USB Apple ADB II mouse’ and a miniature PS/2 keyboard, and overclocking a G3 iBook.

Product Reviews

• BTplug Vortex86DX-based Mini-computer Review
  A tiny headless x86-compatible computer that uses about 3 Watts of power.
• HD Audio Rush 5.1 Decoder Review
  A review of a small standalone surround audio decoder.
• Nova N800 GSM Watch Phone Review
  A review of the “ultimate gadget”: a cell phone that can be worn on your wrist like a watch.
• 3GP DVR Spy Pen Review
  Another gadget that would make movie spies jealous: a ballpoint pen that can record video and take pictures.
• ‘Dr. Hank’ SP-M600 Speakers Review
  Almost a gadget due to their size, these are probably the smallest PC speakers made out of actual wood you can buy.