I've got 3 on my list.
- BT-PAN Access Point - Kinda ridiculous, but I'd like to have one. I've also found a few BT-PAN-enabled dial-up modems, but I'd have no way to connect those up. Some of those could even be connected to USB printers for wireless printing. Not particularly useful anymore, I just find those devices interesting.
- Dot matrix printer - This one isn't even as ridiculous. I really love that sound and how the text they print looks. Sadly, if I am looking for new ones, a basic 9-pin Epson dot matrix is around €200. But the ribbons are cheap as chips. In fact, often even cheaper. Just imagine casually handing out a document printed on dot matrix to someone nowdays.
- Nano pocket drone - Something like FQ777-124. Maybe a toy like that is a bit childish, but it still can be fun. In fact I already tried to order this one. From 4 different sellers, twice on AliExpress, twice on Amazon. I never got it :(
A 3D Printer, I think I'd enjoy making small "functional" things.
I like the idea, but I fear that I would quickly run out of things to print that I actually need. After then I'd start looking for applications. And the one thing I don't need in my life are more small (or large) plastic things.
Fixing and adapting things around the house is what I like most about having a 3d printer.
I'm pretty sure the first printer is now paid for itself by doing that. Just because of things I haven't had to pay to replace. As of this summer I'm up to 3 printers and I can't claim I've paid for all 3.
Can you give some examples of things you've replaced? I'm just curious
Sure.
- Feet for my keyboard
- Some shims for an over door set of hooks that were too wide for all our doors
- A knob for my garage door
- A chock for the same garage door
- The screw rings that hold the shades on a floor lamp
- A cap for some antique bellows that my grandfather made (so it can go in storage and not end up full of rodents)
- All sorts of screws and rods and covers of various sorts.
I'm about to design a new ceiling lamp nut for our kitchen, because the original has gone missing after a light bulb change. I'll use a spare metal nut then print a cover to go on it so it looks intentional.
Do it! I recently purchased one and love it. Feel free to ask questions if you have any.
it's not a priority right now, maybe when I get extra money.
I'm looking forward to it though
Check your library. Mine has one available to use at many of the branches in my area. If I ever come up with something to print instead of buying one I'm going to try that out. Then if I decide to get really into it, I'll have practical knowledge to know what I'd actually want to buy.
Instead, I've just never done any 3D printing, which is also fine.
is this a US thing? I don't think we have these in our country.
I don't think it's necessarily universal in US libraries either. I'm not in a big city, but overall our library system is pretty good. They have a number of branches with "maker labs" so there are things like Cricuts, sewing machines, laser cutters, audio recording/production equipment and 3D printers you can rent. I'd recommend at least checking around.
I want one too but I'm scared I won't use it. I'm holding off until I meet someone with one and see it in person
somebody said try your local library (this is probably a US thing)
A Flipper Zero. I probably have the components to make something functionally equivalent, but that form factor, all-in-one nature, and simple UI look nice.
I have no need for it, I just want to tinker.
An electric bike.
Always wanted one. Will never, ever happen though. The thousands of dollars they cost will always be better spent on bills/food/meds/doctors appointments.
You can get kits to retro fit a standard push bike. I think you can do that for a few hundred.
every decent conversion kit I've seen has been around a grand, and still requires you to buy a decent bike to put it on, plus puts the onus on me to not fuck everything up.
Ah fair enough. I had second hand info from my partner who was looking into it. He already had a spare bike to convert and he didn't think it was too expensive to do - favoured the option over buying an actual E bike that he wasn't positive he'd use much.
- Vintage typewriter - still looking into brands and such as there are so many up for sale on the market. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
- Reed diffusers - a not-too-expensive splurge. Lavender would be nice.
- A pretty suncatcher to hang on my window and take advantage of all the sunny days we’ve been having
Thermal Camera.
They're just so cool. Super useful for checking the effectiveness of stuff like insulation or heat sinks, and can be used to find hot spots you didn't know existed.
I just have trouble justifying dropping $300 on something I would only get maybe an hour max of usefulness from before it sits in a box for years.
I got to use a thermal cam for research out in the desert for a summer photographing rattlesnake ambush sites, it was awesome.
(From what we could tell the snakes in fact did not use thermal cues for their ambush sites, just their eyes. But I got to play with a thermal cam)
I did this but with an infrared thermometer gun. As far as everyday use goes, it's super helpful for cooking.
As a retro computing enthusiast, I have a lot of systems with little practical value.
Fun level through the roof though.
A (mechanical) typewriter. I have a cork board next to my desk and I've fancied replacing my handwritten cheat sheets and notes with typewritten ones. There's just something about typewritten stuff that makes it "official" to me.
A scooter/bike (electric would be fine). Never learned how to ride one, but I'd love to just take it for a ride up/down quiet mountain roads. Sure, I'd need to ride for a long time to reach somewhere quiet, but I feel that it'd be worth it.
Ever since my father passed I've got his old motorcycle standing around. So first thing would be a driver's license for motorcycling. But I'm already taking classes so that's that. And the biggest lesson is what a money sink this hobby can be.
Then I'll need a motorcycle - either get the old thing working again or get a new one. Or why not both? Because the old one's 30 years old and doesn't have ABS.
And the third thing would be a Bambu Lab P1 3d printer. I don't need the speed but damn do they look good.
Right now, probably a Google tablet with a keyboard cover, but I'm broke and can't justify it when I have a perfectly good laptop.
A tattoo on the inside of each forearm: On my left wrist, a wine key, all tools fanned out. On the right, a pocketknife, all tools fanned out. I'd specifically want my wine key and my (official BSA) pocketknife.
Yeah one of those little drones is definitely on my list. Also one of those big wide curvy computer monitors. I don't even know what I'd do with it, I just think they're neat lol
Edit: Oh yeah, also one of those giant Wacom tablets.
But I’m not a developer (at least not yet…maybe later).
We can do it! Or at least you can, I am too dumb.
A bunch of raspberry Pis to do cool stuff with. Like putting pihole/adguard home on one to set up a custom DNS server to block all ads, another one with some cool sensors, etc.
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A custom gaming pc built by Digital Storm to replace my HP Omen laptop. I've done quite a bit of research. I looked at Digital Storm, AVA Direct, Maingear, Falcon Northwest, and System 76. For a while I was eyeing Maingear, then Falcon Northwest, but Digital Storm has most of the options that I'd want.
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An 85 inch 8k tv for enthusiast purposes.
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A three set bookcase for my room so that I can replace my old bookcase and to better store the books that I have and more.
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A Purple queen-sized mattress with an adjustable base to replace my old bed and twin-sized mattress and also my incline pillow.
I'm curious, if you've done that much research into gaming PC prebuilts, what's keeping you from building your own?
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