January 2013, the MakerBar teamed up with the Hoboken Public Library’s Hoboken DIY series to offer a class the likes of which they’ve never seen – we taught them how to solder!
But the kits these brave Hobokenites soldered were no ordinary kits… they were custom kits made specially for them by MakerBar member Zack Freedman!
These special-edition kits solder together quickly and easily to create The Joule Thief, a flashlight that runs off of dead batteries! Did I mention that these flashlights are really, really bright? Because they are – far more powerful than any LED flashlight ought to be, even those that aren’t using dead batteries as the power source!
Come to a MakerBar Soldering Night and learn to solder your own Joule Thief for only $10! A beginner can solder this awesome kit in only one hour, and have the most powerful flashlight on the planet that runs off of dead AA’s!
The Joule Thief was based off an Instructables by QS and a design by Guan Yang, member of fellow hackerspace HackManhattan, improved by our master kit-forger Zack Freedman. It’s easy to solder, easy to use, and keeps you safe in an emergency.
This Joule Thief is available exclusively at the MakerBar – come during any Wednesday Soldering Night to claim yours for just $10!
Already got your kit? Read the instructions on how to solder it together. Interested in developing it further? Fork the MakerBar Joule Thief from Zack’s GitHub repo!
These guys beta-tested our Version 0.1. Expect Verson 1 soon, bringing easier soldering, angled LED’s, and your choice of a button or a switch.
We heard that our members and participants love kits they can use right away. Stay tuned for more custom kits to get a jump start in technology, brought to you by Zack Freedman and Hoboken’s kick-ass hackerspace!
