Author: tdr

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Soldering Workshop (Engineers Week) – Build a Kit on the Night

We’re running a beginner-friendly soldering workshop at TOG Hackerspace for Engineers Week.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to solder (or just get more confident with it), this is a hands-on session that starts from the basics and finishes with you building something real.

Like our previous soldering workshops, we’ll cover safe tool use, good technique, and the common mistakes that catch people out.

What to expect

In this class, our instructors will guide you through the process of soldering components onto a circuit board. We’ll start with the fundamentals — how to use a soldering iron properly, how to get a clean joint, and how to spot (and fix) issues — then you’ll build your own project.

New for this Engineers Week edition: choose your kit

On the night, you’ll get to pick one of five different kits and build it after the lesson. Each kit is designed to be achievable for beginners, with help on hand if you get stuck.

Workshop details

No electronics experience needed — just come along ready to learn. (If you want an age limit like the last one, drop it in here.)

Why Engineers Week?

Engineers Week is all about celebrating engineering in everyday life — and soldering is one of those skills that turns curiosity into “I can actually build that”. It’s a brilliant gateway into electronics: you learn how components fit together, how circuits come to life, and how to make something solid and reliable with your own hands. You’ll leave with a finished kit you built yourself, and a lot more confidence the next time you open up a project, fix a cable, or start tinkering with electronics at home.

And if you’re in the mood to learn another practical skill during Engineers Week, check out our Learn to Wire a Plug workshop too:
https://www.tog.ie/2026/02/learn-to-wire-a-plug-engineers-week-edition-workshop-at-tog/

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The Salvage Squad came to our Repair Café and the lamp lived to tell the tale

Back in August last year, we had a great surprise visitor at one of our Repair Cafés. The team from Virgin Media’s The Salvage Squad dropped in with a lamp that needed a bit of TLC.

Cameras and curiosity in tow, they joined the usual Repair Café buzz at TOG, with fixers working away on everything from small electronics to household bits and bobs. The lamp landed on the bench with our member Shane, supported by the other volunteer fixers on the day.

With a bit of careful troubleshooting and plenty of know-how, the lamp was brought back to life. The Salvage Squad team headed off with a lovely working lamp, and a proper appreciation for what Repair Cafés are all about. Sharing skills, keeping useful things out of the bin, and proving that “broken” often just means “not yet fixed”.

It finally aired this week

The piece we filmed back in August has finally made it to air this week, which is brilliant to see. If you missed the episode, you can catch up on the Virgin Media One player here:
https://www.virginmediatelevision.ie/player/show/2571/0/0/

A big thank you again to Shane and all the fixers who gave their time and skills on the day.

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Learn to Wire a Plug (Engineers Week Edition) – Workshop at TOG

We’re running our Learn to Wire a Plug workshop again at TOG Hackerspace — a practical, confidence-boosting skill that’ll serve you for years. If you’ve ever looked at a broken plug or a dodgy extension lead and thought “I should know how to sort that”… this is the evening for you.

What’s it all about?

This is a hands-on session where we’ll guide you through safely wiring a 13A plug and connecting it to a 4-gang extension lead. No prior experience needed — we’ll go step-by-step and explain the “why” as well as the “how”.

Each participant will:

  • Wire a 3-core cable into a standard plug
  • Connect that cable into a 4-way socket block
  • Learn about fuses, strain relief, polarity, and safe wiring practice
  • Get their finished lead PAT tested so it’s safe and ready to use at home
  • Take home a working, tested extension lead they built themselves

All tools and materials are provided.

Note: This workshop is wiring a portable extension lead for personal use and does not fall under Restricted Electrical Works (as per Safe Electric guidance).

Booking info

🎟️ Tickets: €25 + booking fee
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/learn-to-wire-a-plug-engineers-week-edition-workshop-at-tog-tickets-1982339639224?aff=oddtdtcreator

Places are limited to keep it properly hands-on — so booking ahead is recommended.

Why Engineers Week?

Engineers Week is all about celebrating engineering in everyday life — and honestly, safe, practical household skills are a brilliant gateway into understanding how things work. You’ll leave with something useful, and a bit more confidence the next time you’re faced with a simple electrical fix.

Workshop details recap

📅 Date: Tuesday, 3rd March
⏰ Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
📍 Location: TOG Hackerspace (see tog.ie for directions)
💶 Cost: €25 + fee (includes all materials + donation to TOG)
✅ Beginner-friendly — no experience needed

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TOG joins the VULCA Network

We’ve some good news to share: TOG Hackerspace is now a member of the VULCA Network, a European network of makers, makerspaces and maker networks getting involved at the European level.

VULCA’s story is very “makerspace”. They started as a bunch of friends travelling around Europe, visiting spaces, sleeping on fab managers’ and hackers’ couches, and building friendships the old-fashioned way by showing up and sharing what they knew. Over time that grew into a wider network, with a goal of helping makerspaces build connections across Europe and beyond.

We joined as a makerspace member, and we did it the straightforward way: we applied in December 2025. (VULCA open membership applications twice a year, in December and June.)

So what does this mean for TOG? In practical terms it connects us into a wider European community for exchanges, collaboration and shared learning. VULCA also supports members around mobility and cross-border collaboration, and runs meetups like the annual VULCA Seminar, a multi-day gathering for members to meet, swap know-how and strengthen the wider maker movement.

We’ll share more as we figure out what we want our first “VULCA chapter” to look like, but the aim is simple: more opportunities for TOG members to connect with other community-run spaces, learn new tricks, and bring that energy back to Kylemore Road.

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Back On Air: Repairing a Broken Encoder on a Yaesu FT-857

A repair story from our own Ben EI9IUB.

Today’s repair is on one of my radios – a Yaesu FT-857. While testing a new headset and tuning around the bands, the select knob twisted its last and came out of the front panel and into my hand: disaster!


This encoder is vital to using the radio, so its breaking rendered it a paperweight. The radio itself has been out of production for a number of years now, but unlike most “consumer” devices, amateur radios have very good technical documentation available to end users.


I dug up a PDF copy of the technical supplement, which contains a complete readout of the
internals, block and circuit diagrams and servicing information. Reviewing the parts layout
showed the front panel PCB and revealed the encoder pinout .

Searching for the Yaesu part number returned a number of retailers offering the part for 30 EUR a piece, and further digging revealed that the original part is an ALPS EC12E24244A4, which is appears to be out of production, but thankfully not an issue.

Breaking down the encoder specification – the replacement part needs to be:

  • Horizontal Mount
  • 24 Detents, 24 Pulses per revolution
  • 30mm shaft
  • with a push momentary switch.

Mouser to the rescue!
A Bourns PEC12R-4230F-S0024 meets these requirements, and comparing it on the data sheet with the layout shows that it is a drop-in replacement.

I ordered 25 to make the shipping worthwhile, but the satisfaction of paying about a euro for a replacement part made up for it and ensured that I have a good supply for when I break it again!

I zeroed in on the exploded parts diagram and planned the repair; only a few screws were in
the way.

After removing it, you can see the remains of the shaft inside the encoder body.

Unfortunately, I did not take any further photos after this point – I was in a rush to make and test the repair. Thankfully, it worked without a hitch, and I’m now back on air at home.

73 de EI9IUB

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TOG Watch Night: The Secret Life of Components (Tim Hunkin)

We’re starting something new at TOG: a bi-weekly Monday Watch Night, where we watch an episode of Tim Hunkin’s The Secret Life of Components together on the big screen, then have a relaxed Q&A and discussion afterwards.

If you’ve ever been halfway through a build and realised the “small” parts are the ones that make or break a project (literally), this series is for you. Tim has a knack for explaining why components and mechanisms are designed the way they are, what typically goes wrong in real life, and how to make better choices when you’re designing, prototyping, or repairing.

What is it?

The Secret Life of Components is a set of practical, entertaining guides for designers and makers. It covers everything from everyday essentials (switches, connectors, LEDs) to the stuff you only think about once it fails (bearings, springs, linkages, motors, relays, pneumatics, and more). It’s full of the kind of knowledge you usually pick up through years of tinkering, fixing, and building.

How the night works

Each session is simple:

  • Watch together (one episode per night)
  • Q&A and chat after: questions, examples, tangents, “how would we do this at TOG?”, and whatever the room gets curious about

And importantly:

  • If you miss a week, no stress. Watch the episode at home and just come along to the next one. It’s meant to be easy to drop in and out of.

Who is it for?

Open to anyone who’s curious:

  • beginners who want a friendly way into “why things work”
  • makers building projects at home
  • repair folks who want more background on failure modes and design choices
  • engineers/designers who enjoy seeing the practical side of components (and the odd bit of Tim’s humour along the way)

You don’t need any prior knowledge. If you can ask “why did that happen?” you’re already qualified.

First session

  • Monday 26 January
  • Free and open to all
  • TOG Hackerspace (Dublin 12, D12 CF6V)

We’ll kick off at the beginning with Episode 1: Chain, and take it from there.

The playlist

If you want to browse ahead (or catch up if you miss one), here’s the full playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JAgXz6xO0s&list=PLtaR0lZhSyANYB0Xxb9OSp47pHuQmj3Ol

Come along

Bring yourself, your curiosity, and your best questions. If you’ve a project that’s currently failing in a way that feels relevant… you’ll be in good company.