Forecast for November: cozy, with a chance of collapse. The national outlook changes by the hour. Here, the rain is back, the leaves are turning, and the lights are on at 7608 N Interstate. October brought new work on LED badges, the start of a sewing training program, and the BSidesPDX afterparty. Here’s where things stand, and what’s coming up.
Local conditions
Gratitude Day: Saturday, November 28
On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we’re getting together in the back yard at the space for Gratitude Day, from 3 to 6 PM. It’s for members, plus family and friends invited by a member.
Two turkeys are covered and the chafing dishes are coming out. Everything else is potluck: bring a dish to share. RSVP and tell us what you’re bringing at potluck.pdxhackerspace.org.
New Espresso Machine
A member’s espresso machine lives in the storage room and comes out in the kitchen for special occasions. It’s built to pull a lot of shots in a row.
LED Badges
You may have seen scrolling LED name badges around the space. Members have been building on them:
- FrogAlert, open firmware that keeps the nametag, counts nearby Bluetooth devices, and shows short alerts when it detects likely police body cameras, camera glasses, or Flipper Zeros. It runs entirely on the badge and flashes from a browser.
- A badge guide covering firmware that lets newer badges work with the open-source Badge Magic app (F-Droid, Google Play, and the iOS App Store), flashing instructions, and a patched Android app.
- A Home Assistant integration that sets text and animation, checks the battery, and can use a badge for notifications, plus firmware that drives two 64×32 LED panels as one large badge over Bluetooth.
- A web designer for badge images and BlinkenBadge, a desktop app for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Members can join the conversation in #nyx-badge on the member Slack. Everyone else can start at badge.nyx.ms, or ask about badges at a Saturday open house.
Craft Lab: Sewing Training
The Craft Lab’s steward is finishing a Sewing Machine Basics curriculum: threading, winding a bobbin, changing needles, and choosing settings for a project, taught to up to three people at a time. A dry run with a couple of beginners is planned for a Wednesday evening in early November, and events for the workshop and a weekly Open Sew are being set up, so watch the calendar. Four or five members have offered to teach.
The T-shirt press on its new rolling stand, built from used materials.
Other work in the Craft Lab in October: the T-shirt heat press is working again on a new stand, a projector now displays sewing patterns down onto the tables, and the electric typewriter is back in working order. The Craft Lab is also collecting writing for a zine: any topic, any length.
The sewing machines require training before use. Members who want to learn, or can teach, can say so in #craftlab on the member Slack. If you’re not a member, come see the Craft Lab at a Saturday open house.
Star Trek Night
Every Sunday from 5 to 8 PM, members are watching all of Star Trek: every series and every movie, four episodes a night. That works out to roughly a five-year mission.
Each night is three episodes of classic Trek in original air order, starting with the 1966 Original Series, plus one episode of modern Trek, starting with Discovery. Shows that overlapped are woven together the way they first aired, so crossovers land where they should. Fifth Sundays are flex nights for catch-up, movies, or bonus episodes. New to Trek? The order is built so nothing gets spoiled or skipped.
Star Trek Night is members only. The conversation is in #star-trek-night on the member Slack.
Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard, died this week at 86.
November at PDX Hackerspace
| Date | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesdays, November 4, 11, 18 & 25 | Exploit Workshop | 6:30 to 10:30 PM |
| November 7, 14 & 21 | Work Party + Open House | Noon to 5 PM |
| Sundays, November 1, 8 & 15 | Star Trek Night | 5 to 8 PM, members only |
| November 1 | Portland Area Robotics Society | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM |
| November 7 | Home Assistant Community Day | 2 to 4 PM |
| November 9 | DorkbotPDX | 6:30 to 9:30 PM |
| November 11 | Hack Lunch | Noon to 2 PM |
| November 21 | Locksport Meetup | 2 to 5 PM |
| November 28 | Members-Only Work Party | Noon to 5 PM |
| November 28 | Gratitude Day | 3 to 6 PM, members and their invited guests |
All times Pacific. There’s no public Open House on November 28 and no board meeting in November. Check the full calendar for updates.
See You in November
Thank you to everyone who set up, ran, and cleaned up after the BSidesPDX afterparty on October 24.
Bring a project, help someone get started, or bring a dish on the 28th.
The end times have been rescheduled again. Gratitude Day has not.
