Author Topic: Contest idea  (Read 14301 times)

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Offline cwalexTopic starter

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Contest idea
« on: December 11, 2012, 12:06:47 pm »
Sorry if this is already been done but i just thought I an idea for a contest. (I'm not offering the contest)

What about a contest that is like a mcguyver style contest where the idea is that you have to make a project that is made using the parts salvaged from something else like a broken appliance (PC motherboard?) and the coolest entry wins. Could possibly include the option to use some gardern variety components say a maximum of 2 from a list of parts.

What do you think?
 

Offline TorqueRanger

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2012, 12:40:57 pm »
lol
Good idea but I think you would see some crazy stuff ... I use a couple AA batteries ,electrical tape ,and a cell phone jack in order to make a charger for my phone because we had no power for over a week...
 

Offline cwalexTopic starter

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2012, 01:03:43 pm »
lol
Good idea but I think you would see some crazy stuff ... I use a couple AA batteries ,electrical tape ,and a cell phone jack in order to make a charger for my phone because we had no power for over a week...

haha, crazy stuff would be the most interesting entries I would think :)
 

Offline CyberWalker

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2013, 10:55:25 am »
Making sth useful out of an old broken device would be amazingly useful to all the community! I am in for sth like that! Who knows what we all can come up with if we put our minds and time onto it! :-D
I've been messing with hardware ever since I can remember myself... I always loved hacking the science out of stuff but it was not until the age of 14 that I could proudly present something useful out of it! ;-)
I love technology and anything that includes a sophisticated concept or design! :-)
 

Offline Orpheus

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2013, 04:38:35 pm »
This is SO in my bailiwick. I've been doing it so much since I was a kid that I don't even realize it's unusual unless someone comments on it.
 

Offline mjkuwp

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2013, 06:52:21 pm »
edit - posted in the wrong forum originally.

I like the re-purpose contest idea.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2013, 06:55:00 pm by mjkuwp »
 

Offline Greyersting

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2013, 12:19:30 am »
This actually sounds really cool.  A budget limit should be set, though.
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Offline silent

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #7 on: October 24, 2013, 04:32:45 pm »
How about a category for the best misuse of things?
It's always more fun when you use some things for something that was not a destination of this item (like my old video - ). The most funny thing is when it actually works and it's useful (like this - ).
 

Offline c4757p

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #8 on: October 24, 2013, 04:36:08 pm »
I like the "etching machine", but I suspect that could end badly if it started oscillating at the resonant frequency of the sloshing motion... if I were to make something like that I think I'd have to come up with a way to sense that.
No longer active here - try the IRC channel if you just can't be without me :)
 

Offline TMM

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2013, 07:52:57 am »
As much as i like a good hack, i think i prefer contests like the 555 one because the entries are generally more useful/replicable rather than just entertaining.
 

Offline Stonent

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #10 on: October 25, 2013, 10:58:11 am »
5 words..
Tesla Coil Home Security System....

They would make a good proximity alarm  :-DD
The larger the government, the smaller the citizen.
 

Online EEVblog

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #11 on: October 25, 2013, 11:42:14 am »
I've had an idea for a long time of turning a bit office equipment like a photocopier into a something useful or fun, just using the parts obtained from the device. The only thing extra allowed would be fresh solder...
 

Offline ThunderSqueak

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2013, 04:30:12 am »
I built a CO2 laser out of old plumbing parts, washers, some nuts and bolts and other things I found around the house.  First surface mirror reflectors with an icecream salt output lens.



Or does it have to be even more Macguyver then this? :>

BTW, watching macguyver over the last few weeks, when I was a kid, it was amazing... now it is almost a comedy :P
« Last Edit: October 27, 2013, 04:38:51 am by ThunderSqueak »
Currently working with non-binary computing, no reason for it... just doing because I can ^^
 

Offline MITTS

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #13 on: October 29, 2013, 11:13:14 am »
Like the contest idea and it is made for TV like Iron Chef :)
Can see it now
HI...... Welcome to Iron _______ I'm your host Dave Jones ;)

 

Offline ivan747

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #14 on: November 02, 2013, 03:03:54 am »
Like the contest idea and it is made for TV like Iron Chef :)
Can see it now
HI...... Welcome to Iron _______ I'm your host Dave Jones ;)

And it would look like this:

Live audience
 :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 :blah: <-Dave

 :-BROKE :scared: :palm: <- Contestants


Sorry, I was a little bored and felt creative today.
 

Offline schwarz-brot

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #15 on: February 05, 2014, 03:04:19 pm »
BTW, watching macguyver over the last few weeks, when I was a kid, it was amazing... now it is almost a comedy :P

Haha, same happened to me just a week ago. My lady and I got the original movies and we decided to watch them for some good fun. Seems like the movies were even crappier than the series. But well, we had our fun anyways. Pure gold.


For the contest idea: I am not so much for contests as I am a non-competitive guy. But this is one that would fit my mindset. So why not? Not for winning or being better then anyone else but for the cool stuff that might be done!  :-+
 

Offline CaptnYellowShirt

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #16 on: February 15, 2014, 07:38:15 am »
Like the contest idea and it is made for TV like Iron Chef :)
Can see it now
HI...... Welcome to Iron _______ I'm your host Dave Jones ;)

Iron Solder
 

Offline Rerouter

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #17 on: February 15, 2014, 07:41:24 am »
Solderer*  ;)
 

Offline CaptnYellowShirt

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #18 on: February 15, 2014, 07:51:52 am »
For the budget restriction: dumpster diving. The part sources must come from a dumpster or other serendipitous event.
 

Offline firehopper

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #19 on: February 15, 2014, 12:43:05 pm »
the electronic version of junkyard wars... :)
I miss that show..
 

Offline CaptnYellowShirt

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #20 on: February 15, 2014, 03:55:53 pm »
Now you're thinking.

For an online version we could have people search for a week or two, collect what they're going to use, and take a picture to document their loot pile before the objective of the contest is announced.
 

Offline schwarz-brot

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2014, 04:30:53 pm »
Please make it happen! :D
 

Offline PointyOintment

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #22 on: March 29, 2014, 10:30:29 am »
I would be interested in such a contest, though I wouldn't be able to participate until September probably.

I suggest the following rules:
  • A large majority (~80–90%?) of the electronic parts you use must have been salvaged from equipment that was already discarded/decommissioned. (Though as how many parts should we count e.g. an Arduino (new) or a keyboard (salvaged) for the purpose of determining majority?)
  • You may use other common things that you find around the house (bits of wood, screws, etc.).
  • You may use as much solder and flux as necessary.
I further suggest having a "low-end tools" category: for an entry to be eligible for the low-end tools category prize, all tools used must be documented, and the project that accomplishes the most with the least expensive/impressive tools wins. (I suppose a project could still compete in that category if the entrant used higher-end tools as long as they showed that it would be possible to accomplish the same with less.)
I refuse to use AD's LTspice or any other "free" software whose license agreement prohibits benchmarking it (which implies it's really bad) or publicly disclosing the existence of the agreement. Fortunately, I haven't agreed to that one, and those terms are public already.
 

Offline CaptnYellowShirt

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #23 on: March 29, 2014, 05:10:16 pm »

I further suggest having a "low-end tools" category: for an entry to be eligible for the low-end tools category prize, all tools used must be documented, and the project that accomplishes the most with the least expensive/impressive tools wins. (I suppose a project could still compete in that category if the entrant used higher-end tools as long as they showed that it would be possible to accomplish the same with less.)


I'm not sure how one would judge such a thing (e.g. enumerate rules), but certainly the apex of the contest should be one of accomplishment divided by resources.

Maybe we can get Ben Krasnow to sit as a celerity judge:



('cause he's certainly not allowed to enter as a contestant)
 

Offline han

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Re: Contest idea
« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2014, 11:55:32 am »
How about the World most ridiculous/absurd test equipment.


Bad example: Tongue-o meter. measure your tongue electrosensitivity...
 


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