Welcome!

I have decided to try a blog for recording information on projects I am working on (and have worked on), both so that I can refer to my notes and that others may refer to them if they find them useful. Continuing to read this blog assumes that you have read and accept the disclaimer below.

Also, note that the information here we as accurate as I could make it at the time of posting, but things change so always do a bit of research to see if what I am saying is still a good way to go.

If you have any questions on things discussed here, email me at the address in my profile. 

Note that I have "backdated" this as far back as I can, as I want to write some entries on my "early" hacking years.

Eric VA3EP

Disclaimer

Because we live in such a litigious age where common sense seems to be less common than it once was, I feel obligated to point out the following WARNINGs.

All the information and opinions on the www.va3ep.net and this blog are mine (or as credited) and provided without any claim of usability or warranty of any kind and are to be used for informational, educational and/or entertainment purposes only, so please don't flame me or sue me if I said something you do not agree with or you build something I did and it does not work (or injures or kills you or other people). 

When doing electronics and mechanical work, wear eye protection, breathing protection, gloves and other protection as appropriate. 

When soldering do not inhale the fumes from melting solder, and be careful not pick up your soldering iron by the hot end. 

Do not allow hot molten solder to fall on your leg or other sensitive or flammable surface. 

Don't leave the soldering iron on when you leave the work area. 

Don't hit yourself, cut yourself with anything sharp, stab  yourself with with anything pointy or drop anything on your foot (thanks to Dave Barry for the tool tips. Dave also has good instructions on you to make a computer and how to install software :-) 

Use caution when cutting wire or other objects with cutters as the cut end may fly off in a random direction at a high speed and hit someone in the eye or other sensitive body part. 

When drilling use care as to not catch your hair, shirtsleeve, tie or tongue in the rotating chuck or bit, drill through your finger or allow the drill to get stuck in the object you are drilling causing it to spin around at a high speed and hack chunks out of your hand or body. 

When cutting and filing metal so not cut yourself or get metal slivers imbedded in your hands or metal filings in our eyes. Do not eat any small parts as they may cause choking. 

Keep bystanders, especially children back a safe distance, and store tools and materials in a safe place when you are not around.

If you are working with or building a power supply that are powered from the 110 VAC "wall socket" line voltage, be VERY careful when working on the primary side (before a stepdown transformer to below 48 volts) as 110 VAC CAN KILL you, or at least make you yell and dance around and shake vigorously, potentially hitting some solid object and injuring yourself worse than the shock did.

When working with batteries, even AA NiMH cells can deliver enough current to generate enough heat to burn you, and can explode if shorted. Bigger cells are even more dangerous (you can do light welding with a car battery). 

Anyone reading further on www.va3ep.net or this blog or following any links on these pages implicitly agrees that they have read all the WARNINGs here and will follow all of the warnings and any other warnings or cautions that are appropriate to the circumstances and that they take full responsibility for their own actions. Have I forgotten anything? I shouldn't have since I have done most of those things to myself at least once (except for killing anyone). You can learn from my mistakes :-) 



© Eric Pierce and "VA3EP Amateur Radio And Other Geek Pursuits", 1952-2099. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eric Pierce and "VA3EP Amateur Radio And Other Geek Pursuits", with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.