NYC Resistor is Moving!

[Kellbot]

I realized we hadn't posed an announcement here, although it's been on
the blog for a week or so now. NYCR is moving!

Our new space is all of 10 blocks away, near Atlantic Center. It's a
much bigger space, and we'll be making the move during February. Bre
wrote up a blog post full of details: http://www.nycresistor.com/2010/01/18/nycresistor-is-moving/

We'll post pictures once we get the keys!

We're also using Kickstarter to raise funds for the move / build-out,
so if you're interested in contributing check out our plea here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nycresistor/a-hackerspace-grows-in-brooklyn
There are a number of nice thank-yous available for various donation
levels (NPR style!) including the chance to leave a permanent mark on
resistor (in the form of a wall plaque).

WOO MOVING.

-Kelly

[Trammell Hudson]

On Sat, Jan 23, 2010 at 06:26:00AM -0800, Kellbot wrote:
> [...] We're also using Kickstarter to raise funds for the move / build-out,

> so if you're interested in contributing check out our plea here:
> http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nycresistor/a-hackerspace-grows-in-brooklyn

Is there a paypal option as well? I know the overhead of PayPal is
higher than Amazon, but all of my slush funds are there.

--
Trammell

[Kellbot]

Kickstarter is Amazon only, but we can accept Paypal directly at
pay...@nycresistor.com . Your contribution won't shop up on the
Kickstarter widget but you'll still get our sincere thanks and any
applicable card/notebook/etc.
Just put a note in so we know that's what it's for. :)

Thanks!
-Kelly

On Jan 23, 11:24 am, Trammell Hudson <hud...@osresearch.net> wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 23, 2010 at 06:26:00AM -0800, Kellbot wrote:
> > [...] We're also using Kickstarter to raise funds for the move / build-out,
> > so if you're interested in contributing check out our plea here:

> >http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nycresistor/a-hackerspace-grows-i...

[Foxx D'Gamma]

Why the move?

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[Ben Combee]

On Sat, Jan 23, 2010 at 2:29 PM, Foxx D'Gamma <fox...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Why the move?

The new space has a few pluses:

1) it's about three times the space
2) we've got a floor to ourselves and no upstairs neighbors, so
parties are more doable.
3) It costs less per-month to rent
4) We can have heat on the weekends
5) It's in the same building as Makerbot
6) It's close to the Atlantic-Pacific station, so easier for people to
get to on express trains.
7) Landlord is really cool with us modifying the space for our needs
(antennas on roof, for example)

[Justin Kelly]

What are the antennas for?

--

[Zach 'Hoeken' Smith]

mind control.

[Justin Kelly]

seeing as your moving maybe my keys will turn up during the move... They are attached to a 4GB Cruiser flash drive.

[Justin Kelly]

Any hope of you guys getting a GNU Radio?

On Sun, Jan 24, 2010 at 6:26 AM, Zach 'Hoeken' Smith <hoe...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Ryan Micallef]

Very likely if GNU Radio permits mind control and/or enables a baby
grand to play bassdrive.

[Christopher Fenton]

Probably not. I think I'm still the only one that does fpga stuff around here, and I've been way too busy lately. If anyone has one I'd love to hear about anything cool they've done with it!

-Chris

[Pablo Martinez]

Let me know if u guys need help for the move. 

[Foxx D'Gamma]

I do a LOT of radio stuff, from ham radio to wifi. I would love to get
some antennas up there and try to contact the international space
station and other satellites, and do a wifi shootout with my WiFi
Death Ray sometime! I also have a Radio BBS controller here I would
love to get set up, as right now there are no radio BBS nodes in
brooklyn.

For those of you who dont know crap about radio stuff, I suggest
checking out the radio segments on www.BSoDtv.org sometime. Lots of
good info and demonstrations, with more to come (despite the current
cancellation)

If you need some muscle to help with the move give me a shout.

~ Foxx

[mhenstell]

NYCR repeater?

[Michael Jamet]

I do FPGA work but have not yet been to NYC Resistor...

Michael Jamet

===>> FPGA CPU documented at sites.google.com/site/bunchofprojects

2010/1/24 Christopher Fenton <christophe...@gmail.com>:

[Marshall Wilson]

Hello All - 

A friend is planning to do an art installation / community project in the NYC area which involves a low power FM Radio transmission for 8 days later this year. 

Transmitter details are:

The digital FM transmitter our project is using is 5 Watt with the following features:

- 1.5 mile radius transmission
- stereo sound 30 Hz to 15 Khz
- PLL digitally tuned
- broadcasts on all stations 88 - 108Mhz
- long range transmission
- ground plane antenna included 1/2 wave and 32 feet of cabling

Anybody here have experience doing this sort of thing in the NYC area? Any thoughts - specifically about whether she should be worried about the FCC causing a ruckus? Seems like a grey area - since it is such a temporary project it does not make sense to get an LPFM license (not that it would be granted in the NYC area....) and yet the transmission radius is pretty large esp for the urban setting.....

Maybe there are old threads on this topic I may have missed?

tks ahead of time.

-m

Marshall Wilson

Wilsonbuilt, Inc.

o: (646)845-9258

c: (917)776-5414

e: mars...@wilsonbuilt.com

[Jim Cliffe]

Five watts covering the FM broadcast band will shut down any commercial broadcast in the area. You won't have to worry about the FCC, local listeners will be pounding on your door first!! (Though the feds will be close behind.)

Pick a single frequency and stick to it, and keep the power level in the tens of milliwatts. I could quote you the Canadian regulations, but I suspect they wouldn't cut much ice with the FCC.

[Gideon Hirschson]

5-watts across the FM spectrum in NYC?  Not a chance.  You'll be on the air for 30 minutes at the most before you're arrested.  Forget about 8-days

--

[BennettW]

5 watts spread over 20MHz would not be noticed. It is called spread spectrum. It is a way of carrying on a transmission that cannot be heard or jammed. Or received by a conventional radio for that matter. If you want to do a public service broadcast for an event,  pick 1 frequency near the bottom of the dial that is not near any other station. You might get away for the eight days as long as you do not interfere with any commercial station. The FCC has bigger fish to fry, like allowing mergers of corporations so  that all stations are owned by the fewest number of people.

100mW is about the maximum legal power. Your range depends on the terrain. Buildings will kill it. Get your antenna up high.

Bennett AF2RF

--

[Andy Leviss]

On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 8:33 PM, Marshall Wilson
<wilso...@earthlink.net> wrote:

> - broadcasts on all stations 88 - 108Mhz

Broadcasts simultaneously on all stations, or is _capable_ of
broadcasting on any of those stations?

[Marshall Wilson]

Hmm. .. I think it means capable of broadcasting on the full FM spectrum, not broadcasting simultaneously as BennettW described.

[BennettW]

I figured that is what it would do. I cannot imagine anyone trying SS on broadcast FM. Soooo, all the rules apply. Get the antenna up high, in the clear and stay away from any local broadcast freq.

Bennett AF2RF

----- Original Message -----

From: Marshall Wilson

To: nycresistormi...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 20:33

Subject: [NYCR:Microcontrollers] FM Radio

--

[Marshall Wilson]

Good advice. Get antenna up high, choose a low-key frequency, and look out for flashing lights....

I'll pass it along.

thanks.

m

[BennettW]

I like that last point! The FCC gets involved if someone complains, several times over many months. Unless you interfere with air traffic control or some military freq. Most people are clueless, if they hear a station they are not familiar with, they will either listen or ignore it. Unless it interferes with a station they prefer. They are not likely to know how or who to complain to. Just stay low profile. The FCC is a hammer, don't look like a nail.

[Dave Clausen]

There's nothing gray about it. 5 watts is way over the legal limit.
They can and do pursue people for this in NYC.

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/lowpwr.html#UNLICENSED
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/sed/ulo.html
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2009/DA-09-2239A1.html

[Marshall Wilson]

Yeah, you're right. not gray at all.

[c f]

Yeah, i'm with Dave on this one. Transmitting at 5W is a big no-no on a band you don't have permission to.

[Dan Lavin]

This link should be helpful.  It summarizes the FCC rules.

http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/resource/default.asp?page=fcc

[Marshall Wilson]

Thanks all. I've been passing along all your cautions. Not having much experience with radio it is surprising to see how powerful 5W really is. 

[Mauricio Alarcon]

A couple of years ago, I had a tech from Cablevision (Long Island), on a sunday, knocking on my door saying that he had to check on my equipment. He said that he was sent to my house because something was making too much noise. It turned out to be a signal amplifier that I had installed some 3 months ago. He said that the FCC does random drive-by's sampling the airwaves, and reports the data to the appropriate parties for followup. As a result, he was given a map of the area with hotpots, my house being one of them.

I don't know if the FCC themselves do the sampling or cablevision just does it periodically to stay within FCC's regulations.


Mauricio A.

---

From: wilso...@earthlink.net

Subject: Re: [NYCR:Microcontrollers] FM Radio

Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:57:06 -0500
To: nycresistormi...@googlegroups.com

[BennettW]

Cable companies share ATC frequencies. They are required to keep a sealed system that lets nothing in or out.

[BennettW]

Yes 5W is not legal. Odds of getting caught, low.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Clausen" <davec...@gmail.com>
To: <nycresistormi...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 22:25
Subject: Re: [NYCR:Microcontrollers] FM Radio