John Calhoun
@engineersneedart.com
Old Macintosh shareware author. Making things I wish existed when I was a kid.
engineersneedart.com
github.com/EngineersNeedArt
engineersneedart.com
github.com/EngineersNeedArt
In 2025 I finally got serious about creating a scale model of an experimental NASA lifting body—from balsa. So I got close to finishing it on this iteration…
#nasa #balsa #modelaircraft #liftingbody #alwaysbeiterating
engineersneedart.com/blog/m2f3202...
#nasa #balsa #modelaircraft #liftingbody #alwaysbeiterating
engineersneedart.com/blog/m2f3202...
Balsa M2-F3 Lifting Body
engineersneedart.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:04 AM
In 2025 I finally got serious about creating a scale model of an experimental NASA lifting body—from balsa. So I got close to finishing it on this iteration…
#nasa #balsa #modelaircraft #liftingbody #alwaysbeiterating
engineersneedart.com/blog/m2f3202...
#nasa #balsa #modelaircraft #liftingbody #alwaysbeiterating
engineersneedart.com/blog/m2f3202...
Reposted by John Calhoun
31 December 1995. Still the perfect goodbye.
December 31, 2024 at 12:21 PM
31 December 1995. Still the perfect goodbye.
Thinking about the year that is ending…
I put together a small post about the balsa “2001: A Space Odyssey” model that I built in early 2025. I will probably try to do some write-ups of a few of the other projects I completed.
engineersneedart.com/blog/orion20...
#balsa
I put together a small post about the balsa “2001: A Space Odyssey” model that I built in early 2025. I will probably try to do some write-ups of a few of the other projects I completed.
engineersneedart.com/blog/orion20...
#balsa
Balsa “2001: A Space Odyssey” Model
engineersneedart.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Thinking about the year that is ending…
I put together a small post about the balsa “2001: A Space Odyssey” model that I built in early 2025. I will probably try to do some write-ups of a few of the other projects I completed.
engineersneedart.com/blog/orion20...
#balsa
I put together a small post about the balsa “2001: A Space Odyssey” model that I built in early 2025. I will probably try to do some write-ups of a few of the other projects I completed.
engineersneedart.com/blog/orion20...
#balsa
A power module for a breadboard analog computer. On left: prototype board, on right: 1st iteration from JLCPCB.
December 16, 2025 at 6:49 PM
A power module for a breadboard analog computer. On left: prototype board, on right: 1st iteration from JLCPCB.
Analog computer project in progress. Breadboard first. Circuits that are okay move to prototype boards…
Parts get harvested along the way. IC's are easy because they are socketed. (I can't be bothered to harvest sockets). Switches, large caps… (I have a bunch of crap resistors I'm happy to lose.)
Parts get harvested along the way. IC's are easy because they are socketed. (I can't be bothered to harvest sockets). Switches, large caps… (I have a bunch of crap resistors I'm happy to lose.)
December 11, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Analog computer project in progress. Breadboard first. Circuits that are okay move to prototype boards…
Parts get harvested along the way. IC's are easy because they are socketed. (I can't be bothered to harvest sockets). Switches, large caps… (I have a bunch of crap resistors I'm happy to lose.)
Parts get harvested along the way. IC's are easy because they are socketed. (I can't be bothered to harvest sockets). Switches, large caps… (I have a bunch of crap resistors I'm happy to lose.)
Still prototyping analog computing modules. Moving stuff from breadboard to prototyping boards ("ElectroCookies"). (Red & blue "cookie" seen here.)
An article from a 1970's hobbyist electronics magazine inspired the project. I've gone past that circuit now though. (Unsure where I'll land…)
An article from a 1970's hobbyist electronics magazine inspired the project. I've gone past that circuit now though. (Unsure where I'll land…)
December 4, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Still prototyping analog computing modules. Moving stuff from breadboard to prototyping boards ("ElectroCookies"). (Red & blue "cookie" seen here.)
An article from a 1970's hobbyist electronics magazine inspired the project. I've gone past that circuit now though. (Unsure where I'll land…)
An article from a 1970's hobbyist electronics magazine inspired the project. I've gone past that circuit now though. (Unsure where I'll land…)
Playing with analog computing (but digital metering, so sue me).
Last night (after several hours of hair pulling) I learned that a 1% 10 kΩ resistor color bands is indistinguishable from a 1% 120Ω resistor—that is flipped around.
Breadboarding is messy. Will make up a PCB for part of it soon.
Last night (after several hours of hair pulling) I learned that a 1% 10 kΩ resistor color bands is indistinguishable from a 1% 120Ω resistor—that is flipped around.
Breadboarding is messy. Will make up a PCB for part of it soon.
November 26, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Playing with analog computing (but digital metering, so sue me).
Last night (after several hours of hair pulling) I learned that a 1% 10 kΩ resistor color bands is indistinguishable from a 1% 120Ω resistor—that is flipped around.
Breadboarding is messy. Will make up a PCB for part of it soon.
Last night (after several hours of hair pulling) I learned that a 1% 10 kΩ resistor color bands is indistinguishable from a 1% 120Ω resistor—that is flipped around.
Breadboarding is messy. Will make up a PCB for part of it soon.
Scored my copy today. Limited run, FWIW.
Chronic Town together with Murmur, the band’s earliest IRS releases, are now available via the Definitive Sound Series–a meticulous One-Step vinyl process renowned for its superior sound quality. Pre-order here: interscope.com/products/chr...
November 19, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Scored my copy today. Limited run, FWIW.
I put together an electronics kit + book intended as a gentle introduction to transistors and early computer logic gates (resistor-transistor logic or RTL).
I set up a Tindie store page for the little over a dozen I have readied. (I'll create a web site soon.)
www.tindie.com/products/jca...
I set up a Tindie store page for the little over a dozen I have readied. (I'll create a web site soon.)
www.tindie.com/products/jca...
Transistor Logic Pixie by EngineersNeedArt on Tindie
An educational kit to learn about transistors and simple logic gates. Easy for beginners and a stepping stone to more advanced electronics.
www.tindie.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:55 PM
I put together an electronics kit + book intended as a gentle introduction to transistors and early computer logic gates (resistor-transistor logic or RTL).
I set up a Tindie store page for the little over a dozen I have readied. (I'll create a web site soon.)
www.tindie.com/products/jca...
I set up a Tindie store page for the little over a dozen I have readied. (I'll create a web site soon.)
www.tindie.com/products/jca...
A second analog (integrator) channel breadboarded (top). Both channels are tapped and displayed on the ESP32 "software meter" in the center (showing two needles at once).
The new channel uses dual op-amps instead of singles. I may make another analog channel and have a go with a quad op-amp.
The new channel uses dual op-amps instead of singles. I may make another analog channel and have a go with a quad op-amp.
November 11, 2025 at 11:10 PM
A second analog (integrator) channel breadboarded (top). Both channels are tapped and displayed on the ESP32 "software meter" in the center (showing two needles at once).
The new channel uses dual op-amps instead of singles. I may make another analog channel and have a go with a quad op-amp.
The new channel uses dual op-amps instead of singles. I may make another analog channel and have a go with a quad op-amp.
From breadboard (left—wires can be bumped loose) to protoboard (right—wires soldered).
One channel of an analog/digital hybrid computer experiment.
An op-amp acts as an analog-computer integrator, 3 more op-amps scale, offset & invert the voltage so it is within 0.0-3.3V range for the ESP32 ADCs.
One channel of an analog/digital hybrid computer experiment.
An op-amp acts as an analog-computer integrator, 3 more op-amps scale, offset & invert the voltage so it is within 0.0-3.3V range for the ESP32 ADCs.
November 10, 2025 at 11:16 PM
From breadboard (left—wires can be bumped loose) to protoboard (right—wires soldered).
One channel of an analog/digital hybrid computer experiment.
An op-amp acts as an analog-computer integrator, 3 more op-amps scale, offset & invert the voltage so it is within 0.0-3.3V range for the ESP32 ADCs.
One channel of an analog/digital hybrid computer experiment.
An op-amp acts as an analog-computer integrator, 3 more op-amps scale, offset & invert the voltage so it is within 0.0-3.3V range for the ESP32 ADCs.
Each year the wife hand-carves a multi-color X-mas card. A destructive process: inking/printing a color before carving for the next color.
This year I suggested she make just one print at each stage (in black ink) for me to scan digitally—print on the Risograph.
Seems to be going well.
This year I suggested she make just one print at each stage (in black ink) for me to scan digitally—print on the Risograph.
Seems to be going well.
November 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Each year the wife hand-carves a multi-color X-mas card. A destructive process: inking/printing a color before carving for the next color.
This year I suggested she make just one print at each stage (in black ink) for me to scan digitally—print on the Risograph.
Seems to be going well.
This year I suggested she make just one print at each stage (in black ink) for me to scan digitally—print on the Risograph.
Seems to be going well.
Dialing back to the 1990's and the first commercial Glider (4.0) game…
Ward Hartenstein blew my mind when I downloaded his "Hands-Off House" from AOL. You don't touch the controls to play—the house itself takes care of moving the glider along.
B&W version playthrough:
youtu.be/nIzy_Fmjexs
Ward Hartenstein blew my mind when I downloaded his "Hands-Off House" from AOL. You don't touch the controls to play—the house itself takes care of moving the glider along.
B&W version playthrough:
youtu.be/nIzy_Fmjexs
Glider 4.0 || Hands-Off House
YouTube video by James Howell
youtu.be
November 9, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Dialing back to the 1990's and the first commercial Glider (4.0) game…
Ward Hartenstein blew my mind when I downloaded his "Hands-Off House" from AOL. You don't touch the controls to play—the house itself takes care of moving the glider along.
B&W version playthrough:
youtu.be/nIzy_Fmjexs
Ward Hartenstein blew my mind when I downloaded his "Hands-Off House" from AOL. You don't touch the controls to play—the house itself takes care of moving the glider along.
B&W version playthrough:
youtu.be/nIzy_Fmjexs
Just having some fun at Pioneer's expense, I guess.
#SpacetoberChallenge #sciart #spaceart #illustration
#SpacetoberChallenge #sciart #spaceart #illustration
October 26, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Just having some fun at Pioneer's expense, I guess.
#SpacetoberChallenge #sciart #spaceart #illustration
#SpacetoberChallenge #sciart #spaceart #illustration
Sweep meter is better. (Here it is responding to potentiometer acting as a voltage divider.)
October 23, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Sweep meter is better. (Here it is responding to potentiometer acting as a voltage divider.)
Working on an "analog" voltage meter for a project. (This slide-rule version will not make the cut.)
October 23, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Working on an "analog" voltage meter for a project. (This slide-rule version will not make the cut.)
After all this iteration, I placed an order for (I hope) the final board. Finishing up the instruction manual as well. I should have the boards for sale on Tindie in November. They're a kind of "breadboard helper" for playing with (learning about) transistor logic circuits.
October 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM
After all this iteration, I placed an order for (I hope) the final board. Finishing up the instruction manual as well. I should have the boards for sale on Tindie in November. They're a kind of "breadboard helper" for playing with (learning about) transistor logic circuits.
Reposted by John Calhoun
I've just posted a video that *tries* to document the overwhelming nature of the event (overwhelming in a good way, of course).
And I think I only covered like 1/3 of the show floor!
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF0N...
Blog post: www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/vc...
And I think I only covered like 1/3 of the show floor!
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF0N...
Blog post: www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/vc...
Resurrecting old tech at VCF Midwest
YouTube video by Jeff Geerling
www.youtube.com
October 16, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I've just posted a video that *tries* to document the overwhelming nature of the event (overwhelming in a good way, of course).
And I think I only covered like 1/3 of the show floor!
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF0N...
Blog post: www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/vc...
And I think I only covered like 1/3 of the show floor!
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF0N...
Blog post: www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/vc...
History of Glider for Macintosh
YouTube video by Classic Mac Gaming
youtu.be
October 11, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Prototyping my first learning-electronics project kit is winding down (I am finishing up the manual as well). Top is through-hole, bottom my first go at surface-mount (I learned a few things and have changed it some).
(Hard to find a domain name these days. Went with CircuitPixies.)
(Hard to find a domain name these days. Went with CircuitPixies.)
October 2, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Prototyping my first learning-electronics project kit is winding down (I am finishing up the manual as well). Top is through-hole, bottom my first go at surface-mount (I learned a few things and have changed it some).
(Hard to find a domain name these days. Went with CircuitPixies.)
(Hard to find a domain name these days. Went with CircuitPixies.)
September 20, 2025 at 12:35 AM
My oldest daughter and I each have refurb'ed Riso machines. But she has a blue ink drum and I do not. With her visiting for a few days, she brought her drums and I was able to test a few Riso ideas out.
#riso
#risograph
#riso
#risograph
September 17, 2025 at 5:35 PM
My oldest daughter and I each have refurb'ed Riso machines. But she has a blue ink drum and I do not. With her visiting for a few days, she brought her drums and I was able to test a few Riso ideas out.
#riso
#risograph
#riso
#risograph
Thanks, @ronscompvids.bsky.social for your midwest hospitality at #vcfmw this year. (And so many Mac laptops!) See you next year.
September 15, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Thanks, @ronscompvids.bsky.social for your midwest hospitality at #vcfmw this year. (And so many Mac laptops!) See you next year.
The process of prototyping an electronic project/PCB (from top to bottom). (I'm finishing up the project book now.)
September 7, 2025 at 9:45 PM
The process of prototyping an electronic project/PCB (from top to bottom). (I'm finishing up the project book now.)