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Makers Local 256 will run a booth at the local International Space Development Conference (ISDC) and will present the Makers to and advise the conference’s project incubator, the Foundry Workshop.  The conference runs from May 18-22 at the Von Braun Center. We’ll be in the Von Braun Center North Hall Lower. The workshop runs from May 19-20 at the Embassy Suites Huntsville Redstone Boardroom (2nd Floor). Come check us out!

We need volunteers to help run the Makers Local 256 Booth and present to and advise the Foundry workshop! Sign up on the wikipage.  Booth volunteers get to have FREE access to the conference!  Foundry volunteers get to access the workshop as functionaries.  They will not need to pay conference fees.

If you are attending the conference and/or workshop, but not volunteering, you must pay for conference registration and workshop tickets on the online form; ticket purchases on Section VI.

However, Makers Local 256 members can register for the conference and workshops at the ‘co-supporter’ discount rate regardless of his/her NSS membership status. In the online form, under ‘Section I’, select ‘Makers Local 256’ in the ‘ISDC Sponsor/Co-Sponsor’ field.

The conference covers several broad areas of study related to building a spacefaring civilization, including transportation to and through space, technology needed to live and work in space, and Earth-based activities to advocate for or educate others about space development. The overall theme for ISDC 2011 is “From the Ground Up,” emphasizing the tools, resources, and social activities that must be accomplished to make a spacefaring civilization a reality. Participants are encouraged not just to describe an ideal “future state,” but to think about the technical, economic, or advocacy steps that must be accomplished to achieve a specific goal.

The Foundry is a project incubator workshop. The Foundry helps participants turn good ideas into doable projects. The Foundry brings together those who are willing to work for a project of their choice and (or those who want to help), the necessary expertise, and the resources all in one place.

ISDC Brought to you by HAL5, the local Huntsville, Alabama chapter of the National Space Society

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I decided to snag a pair of F8Z942-P A2DP receivers since they’re now cheap ($25 each) on Amazon.  I picked up the Belkin variant because it seemed to be what I wanted with the ability to pair up to 6 devices and a range of 10 meters (around 33 feet).

Everything connected immediately and I had no problem transmitting from my laptop or phone…until I moved more than 5 feet away from the receiver.  At this point, the audio began to break up or cut out completely.  This was certainly not what I expected, so I decided to investigate a little.

What I found inside made me a little angry at Belkin’s marketing department and more so at the company as a whole for not requiring a full test of the hardware in the final enclosure as approved by marketing.  This is what you see upon removing the top of the enclosure.

Yes, that’s a slug of metal in the bottom of a WIRELESS device to give it heft and make it feel not cheap.  Once I removed the slug of metal, the receiver regained its full range and became the device promised by the spec sheet.  That said, I shouldn’t have to modify a device to fix a marketing blunder that breaks its functionality.

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Thanks to everyone who came by the shop for our Tech Expo and Pig Roast. Projects were displayed, technologies were shared, and good food was had by all.


Thanks to everyone who shared their work, brought food, and helped make the event such a success!