One thing you can count on in my life is change. New experiences, new interests, etc. I’ve been hesitant to post because I feel like I haven’t done much lately, at least not much of note. Well, it’s summertime, and I now have some time to devote to a couple of new hobbies — electronics and vintage consoles & computers.

For electronics, I’m interested in creating new devices, such as connectors for things like NES controller to USB adapters, mega AV switches (imagine having 20x inputs on a switch!?!) LED boards, etc. I’m interested in programming microcontrollers, and maybe even getting into robotics.

Another new hobby of mine is to collect and restore vintage consoles and computers, and maybe even get into modding like one of my own personal heroes — Ben Heckendorn. I’m always interested in building new and exciting things.

One of the things that I need to really be effective with these hobbies is to become more savvy in the electronics dept. Electronics has always been something I’ve been interested in, but just haven’t learned enough to actually do anything meaningful. What I’m doing to learn is getting good equipment and good resources (books, etc.) I have quite a few projects to work on — I will just need to figure out what makes the most sense to work on when. I’m trying to start with the basics and not jump ahead.

I know it will be a while before I actually have anything tangible to show for my efforts, but when I do, I’ll be sure to share. My current “todo” list:

1. Learn basic DC circuits, how to troubleshoot basic circuitry, etc.
2. Learn how to solder and de-solder – my soldering skills suck – I know I need to improve them
3. Start taking apart the consoles and computers and learn how to clean them properly, inside and out
4. Get an Arduino and start learning how to do fun stuff with it.

One thing I’ve noticed is that there’s not a lot of good info online (with images) on how to do console/computer restoration. I’m hoping to fix that. I’ll be sure to document what I do so that others can benefit (as per usual)

Also, I installed Disqus – seems to be a better comment system, with FB/Twitter integration, etc.