A(n) (im)practical introduction to Hertzian space

First published on (and last modified on ) about radio frequencies, networking, workshop, electronics, hdsa, diy, de waag, amsterdam with dennis de bel version 9c918dc

A 4 day workshop at de Waag in the context of the Hackers & Designers Summer Academy. Basic intros in to working with electronics, radio, signal de/modulation, PCB etching etc. Participants developed their own projects based on that. More info & outcomes on hackersanddesigners.nl

Workshop call

It is time to descend from your Adobe cloud and the very physical Hertzian space of crystal oscillators, electromagnetic waves and solder smoke. Unlock the forgotten (im)potential of your $2000 macbook-facebook machines and reclaim the spectrum!

In this (non-AT approved, https://www.agentschaptelecom.nl/) workshop we will approach radio as a medium for (p2p) communication, power/control and (artistic) self-expression from a non-engineering point of view.

Among the topics covered are the transition from colonial radio to broadcast radio, pirate- and community radio, the utopian promise of the Web, the ‘great digital switch over’, modulating digital data over analog radio, encoding data into analog sound and how all of this fits in the power structures created by communication infrastructures.

Seizing the curriculum of R&D’s low-end rich media publication as means of production, the participants will learn how to utilize cheap electronic components and household materials to create DIY network infrastructures, parallel to the black box modes of communications imposed on us now.

Looking beyond the usual “when the shit hits the fan” and “us versus them” scenarios, we will rather discuss the potentials, relevance and shortcomings of these DIY methodologies and how to apply it to your own practice.