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Repurpose Hacking

Proposed Q&A site for those who test the limits of hardware, who modify electronic devices or combine together separate components to create new inventions, and those who like to void warranties; for those who like to make gadgets do things they were never intended to do!
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11
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4
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Rename “Repurpose Hacking” to something else

may 9 at 8:52 Polynomial 156
12
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2
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Should Hacking and Repurpose Hacking be merged?

apr 13 at 22:33 Chris Nash 415
8
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1
answer

Should we try to unify the fabrication and manufacturing proposals?

mar 5 at 1:16 Mark Booth 2,857
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0
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Anything not covered by Repurpose Hacking and Digital Fabrication?

jan 21 at 11:59 Mark Booth 2,857
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1
answer

Difference with Electrical Engineering

jan 17 at 18:08 MDMoore313 286

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64 Example Questions

active oldest votes
up vote 13 down vote
How can I repurpose two of my smart phones (especially the transmitters & receivers) to a walkie-talkie of my desired radio-frequency band?
added by Ϛѓăʑɏ βµԂԃϔ Dec 24 '12 at 11:38
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up vote 12 down vote
How can I extract my old Nokia phone's screen for use with Arduino?
added by ohblahitsme May 25 '12 at 2:57
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up vote 12 down vote
What are some parts from commonly used appliances I could use to construct a sun tracking device?
added by Highly Irregular Jun 21 '12 at 1:13
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1  
Nice question, especially the intent. Personally, I'd like to see somewhat more specific questions, like, "I'm building a sun-tracking device; where can I find a good worm gear in common appliances?" – KDN Sep 8 '12 at 15:17
1  
I wanted to leave it open as there are lots of different designs for achieving sun tracking – Highly Irregular Oct 2 '12 at 22:49
There was this clever design: motor+solar cell; as solar cell gets sunlight, it powers the motor to turn it, till it loses sunlight. – SF. Feb 13 at 9:43
up vote 11 down vote
How would I control a DC motor from a toy using Arduino?
added by tyjkenn Mar 12 '12 at 23:31
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2  
+1 I would expect to see quite a bit of Arduino discussions here. – SASS_Shooter Jul 11 '12 at 20:17
3  
There is already an Arduino tag on the Electrical Engineering site. – Flimzy Jul 16 '12 at 2:05
Also see the Arduino proposal: area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/41127/arduino – Highly Irregular Sep 8 '12 at 19:41
Yup, -1 on this. It's entirely an EE question. – Polynomial Apr 14 at 12:10
up vote 11 down vote
I have an old woofer that has a hole in it, and I have a same-sized woofer with a bad magnet. Can I use the parts from both to make a good one? How?
added by jmort253 Aug 7 '12 at 7:20
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up vote 11 down vote
I want to make an Airsoft gatling gun. Would a household fan motor be strong enough to power it? How can I calculate how much power I need?
added by RustyTheBoyRobot Aug 7 '12 at 15:45
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Isn't this covered by the Mechanical Engineering proposal? – Polynomial Apr 14 at 12:11
up vote 11 down vote
Where do I start to reverse engineer [device x] firmware ( which is not open source )? What info and tools do I need?
added by A.J. Aug 9 '12 at 5:35
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1  
What sort of device is X? A phone? A Furby? An automobile? – Shog9♦ Nov 14 '12 at 16:52
1  
Specifically, a generic router – A.J. Nov 15 '12 at 1:12
up vote 11 down vote
How can I convert my DSL modem into a DSLAM? [A DSLAM is a device for the other end of the connection]
added by ObsessiveSSOℲ Aug 13 '12 at 15:59
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up vote 11 down vote
Can I take the hard-drive (or other part) from one iPod an put it into another? How?
added by Gaffi Aug 14 '12 at 13:38
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I actually did this myself. One HDD was bad, one battery was bad. I put the two together and it worked great! – Gaffi Aug 14 '12 at 13:38
up vote 11 down vote
DIY solar water heating panel from plastic windows - what are the caveats?
added by SF. Jan 19 at 19:04
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up vote 11 down vote
How can I modify an [FM radio] to listen to [air traffic control]?
added by Renan Mar 5 at 14:03
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up vote 11 down vote
how could I use an old optical mouse camera as a light sensor for regulating the intensity of a computer screen?
added by Randall Williams Apr 1 at 10:41
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up vote 10 down vote
How can I disconnect my dead laptop's monitor and use it with a desktop computer?
added by ZagNut Mar 17 '12 at 15:58
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2  
List questions aren't a good fit for SE. – Flimzy May 25 '12 at 6:34
5  
This could be reworded as "How can I get a picture to appear on my dead laptop's monitor?" That's actually how I would interpret the question anyway. – Highly Irregular Jun 20 '12 at 22:38
1  
@ZagNut- You should edit your question and make it sound like what Highly Irregular suggested. It is a better SE question, still builds upon your great idea, and will get you (and the proposal) more upvotes. Good luck! :) – jmort253 Jun 24 '12 at 17:43
The questiosn would be better if you said what you said what you intened to use it with (Adruino, your PC), or what you want to use it as (As a screen like it is, it couuld also be used as a floodlight bu using the backlight), and the kid of laptop it comes form, for example "How can i use the screen form my Dell Latitude D610 as a second screen on my PC" or "How can I use the screne fom my iBook G4 as a floodlight". – CodyCode Jul 17 '12 at 0:26
been a while, sorry...updated per @CodyCode – ZagNut Oct 5 '12 at 23:43
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up vote 10 down vote
How would I control my laptop with a TV remote?
added by tyjkenn Mar 22 '12 at 3:22
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4  
Why did this get a -1? It is about trying to repurpose a TV remote to control something other than what is originally intended. It could get a helpful answer explaining how to use an infrared receiver and send the data through the serial port, how to figure out the different button codes, and example code for reading serial data and performing a desired action (change volume, mimic a key, open YouTube, etc.). – tyjkenn Apr 14 '12 at 4:08
1  
There are already 124 questions with the remote-control tag on Superuser. – Flimzy May 25 '12 at 6:35
3  
@tyjkenn: Re-purposing a remote control to be a remote control is hardly re-purposing. – Flimzy May 25 '12 at 6:36
@Flimzy think of it perhaps as re-purposing a television controller to be a personal computer controller. – chao-mu Jul 16 '12 at 0:51
2  
This si a great question because it deals with using 1 commonplace thing (TV Remote) to interface wiht another (Computer) which is repurposing, and it has potentioll to be usefull to many people. – CodyCode Jul 17 '12 at 0:17
up vote 10 down vote
How do I convert a Nokia 6700 for use as a kitchen alarm?
added by Agnel Kurian Jun 12 '12 at 4:59
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1  
It would be nice to see some more advance planning done here, and a more specific question asked, e.g., "I'm trying to convert an old phone to a kitchen alarm. Does anyone know if there an SDK for the Nokia 6700?" or something like that. It narrows the scope of the question, and lessens the burden on the answerer, so they don't have to solve the whole problem for you. – KDN Sep 14 '12 at 16:31
What's a kitchen alarm? A timer? – Shog9♦ Nov 14 '12 at 16:51
That's right! A kitchen timer. – Agnel Kurian Nov 14 '12 at 19:13
up vote 10 down vote
Can spare phone/camera Li-ion batteries be re-used for simple power supply, or is additional controller circuitry required?
added by Highly Irregular Jun 21 '12 at 1:19
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5  
Probably on topic at Electrical Engineering. – Flimzy Jul 16 '12 at 2:05
up vote 10 down vote
Can I use an old computer power supply as a general regulated voltage supply, and what voltage inputs does it require? (e.g., Power-on, reset, etc...)
added by KDN Jul 12 '12 at 4:06
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up vote 10 down vote
Can I convert my old NES/SNES controller to connect to a USB interface? How?
added by Gaffi Jul 13 '12 at 13:43
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1  
Great question. I've been wanting to do that for years and could never got around to figuring out how. – tyjkenn Jul 21 '12 at 4:44
Probably something having to do with drivers... I would love to see this answered, especially if some has already done it. – KenB Aug 22 '12 at 18:28
I used to have an SNES controller connected to a parallel port.The circuit was very simple, just a few diodes. I guess it should be possible to do the same with a Parallel-to-USB adapter. There used to be a free win9x driver at the time, and most of the SNES emulators I know about can detect the controllers without any driver installed. – yms Oct 12 '12 at 0:02
Parallel-to-USB adapters are a huge pain in the neck. Probably the easiest way would be to get a cheap USB gamepad and use it as the adapter. – SF. Jan 21 at 11:52
2  
Just in case anyone is interested... – CC Inc Apr 12 at 3:24
up vote 10 down vote
How can I properly give power to a [hard disk motor/other device] without burning anything out? [referring to the pinout]
added by ObsessiveSSOℲ Jul 19 '12 at 14:32
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up vote 10 down vote
How can I use LED's as photovoltaic cells, and what sort of output can I expect from them?
added by Highly Irregular Jul 20 '12 at 10:09
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2  
That is highly "irregular"! Is it even technically possible? – Arlen Beiler Dec 24 '12 at 22:57
1  
@ArlenBeiler, after looking into this a bit more, I think the question ("How can I use my 15" LCD monitor as a solar panel, and what sort of output can I expect from it?") needs rewording. It's LED's that can work in reverse and create a voltage (not the LCD part of the display), so somewhere along the way I think I got mixed up. Modern LCD screens may be LED backlight (hence perhaps my mistake), but older ones probably use CFL's. I've reworded it. – Highly Irregular Jan 23 at 10:07
up vote 10 down vote
I want to write a program to control my TV from my computer. What kind of hardware would I need to use to interface with/control my TV (model # here)?
added by RustyTheBoyRobot Aug 6 '12 at 16:49
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up vote 10 down vote
I have an old Peavey amplifier with blown tubes. What do I need to do to use the tubes from a Fender tube amp in the Peavey?
added by jmort253 Aug 7 '12 at 7:19
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up vote 10 down vote
What components can I use to hack together a makeshift fuse for a vintage Peavey JSX guitar amp? (Stores don't sell the fuse anymore)
added by jmort253 Aug 7 '12 at 7:24
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up vote 10 down vote
My Sony Vaio VPCF136FM CPU died. It has a working 600GB hard drive that I made a case for, what do I need to do to connect to a desktop computer?
added by jmort253 Aug 7 '12 at 7:38
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Not off-topic for this proposal, I think, but this is also fit for SU. – Iszi Nov 16 '12 at 15:32
up vote 10 down vote
How to create a direct GSM/UMTS-Connection between two mobile phones?
added by Floern Aug 9 '12 at 15:56
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up vote 10 down vote
What one project would you make out of the unused items in this list? I'm just looking for a project for my daughter(son) and I to work on.
added by Everett Aug 9 '12 at 18:59
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Subjective questions like this lead to non-exhaustive lists, and are not suitable for StackExchange. – Polynomial Apr 14 at 12:15
Not really a subjective question. I've given a list of materials. There is a finite group that will use the components listed. It's similar to a "Here's a list of computer parts I have, do I have what I need to build a computer?" My question is, "here's a list of items I have, do I have what I need to build something?" Since the subject is repurpose hacking, there'd HAVE to be space to allow this question. I may not know WHAT to repurpose something into. If that question isn't allowed, the whole idea of this stack is academic. – Everett Apr 14 at 16:08
Further, as an example, the list wouldn't be much longer than the list that accompanies this question: I'm cannibalizing an inkjet printer; what kind of input and output should I expect from the position readers (optical sensors with lined discs)? Since it would be based on the type of inkjet printer cannibalized, you'd still end up with a list. A list answer does not always indicate a subjective question. – Everett Apr 14 at 16:14
up vote 10 down vote
How to build an energy-efficient WLAN-connected monitoring camera with my old smartphone?
added by Floern Aug 10 '12 at 18:16
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1  
This is an awesome question (I'm out of votes, though) but it's way too broad. This is a fairly big issue. I think its important to keep the scope of the questions somewhat narrow. This doesn't mean they can't have big intent, but the specific questions should be narrowed in focus. for example, "I'm trying to use an old smart phone as a WLAN-connected camera; Does anyone know if an app has been written for this? (or, I'm trying to write an app to stream the video, but I can't get permission to access the camera; is there a manual that covers program interface with the camera?) – KDN Sep 14 '12 at 16:38
up vote 10 down vote
Can I build an USB charger for my phone with an USB cable and (AA) batteries?
added by Floern Aug 11 '12 at 16:00
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I don't see why this would be out of the scope of electronics.stackexchange.com. – Camil Staps Jan 10 at 19:01
up vote 10 down vote
How can I connect my laptop's Wi-Fi card to my PC (or other device)?
added by Gaffi Aug 14 '12 at 13:36
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This is very interesting. Usually all this requires is a mini-PCIe to PCIe or PCI adapter as laptop wireless cards are standardized. (I can''t seem to resist the impulse to answer!) (I don't have any upvotes left, sorry.) – WindowsEscapist Nov 30 '12 at 17:29
And I'm sure there's some consideration needed for drivers (for a PC), but I'm curious to see how that might work in say, older, non-Wifi mobile devices. – Gaffi Jan 25 at 13:32
up vote 10 down vote
I'm cannibalizing an inkjet printer; what kind of input and output should I expect from the position readers (optical sensors with lined discs)?
added by KDN Sep 7 '12 at 14:27
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up vote 10 down vote
Is there a way of powering up an old BlackBerry (Curve 8310) without a battery?
added by RLH Oct 11 '12 at 11:55
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I posted this question at what was originally a "hacking" proposal, which morphed in to "Computer Security Hacking." (See here: area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/40927/…) After some discussion on this proposal, I concede that it belongs here. Thanks for the inclusion of this question within the scope of this site. – RLH Oct 11 '12 at 11:57
up vote 10 down vote
How can I receive signals from a TV remote with my Arduino? Can I re-purpose a tv reciever to do this?
added by Vreality Nov 29 '12 at 1:07
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This would be on-topic on Electrical Engineering. – Camil Staps Jan 10 at 19:02
@Camil Staps Perhaps, but so would many of these examples. This example incorporates repurposing along with electrical engineering. – Vreality Jan 10 at 21:05
up vote 10 down vote
How can I power the laser diode from an old CD player, model XXXXXX ?
added by woliveirajr, edited by Renan Apr 15 at 0:40
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up vote 10 down vote
I have a device but no power adapter, and no docs (not online). How can I use a voltage meter to see what power rating is required for the device?
added by Gaffi Jan 18 at 13:48
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up vote 10 down vote
What modifications are required to use common electric motors as wind/water turbines?
added by Prymaldark Feb 1 at 14:25
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up vote 8 down vote
I have a USB 2.0 laptop PC Card. How can I connect the USB ports to my car cigarette lighter and use with my phone USB charger while on the road?
added by jmort253 Aug 8 '12 at 6:40
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up vote 6 down vote
Low-friction piston from commonly available parts for wind-powered Stirling cryocooler?
added by SF. Jan 19 at 19:07
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up vote 4 down vote
How do I make a rapid fire mod for my <Console Controller>?
added by John Aug 19 '12 at 2:27
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up vote 3 down vote
How to control an AR.Drone over mobile network (instead of WiFi) with additional harware (e.g. old smartphone)?
added by Floern Aug 10 '12 at 18:21
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up vote 3 down vote
How I can make a electronic door lock using pieces from my CD-ROM drive?
added by woliveirajr Dec 5 '12 at 13:20
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