Surplus Ops & Reverse Engineering - This entails scrounging, rebuilding, and generally doing better for fewer dollars what others pay big bucks for.  Many times, this includes dissecting a successful item, and learning how they did it.  I enjoy seeing value where others don't. I put more time into projects, but my knowledge, opinions, and insights become experience based rather than sterile book knowledge.

Book learning tends to sort knowledge into bins: product packaging, analog design, sensors, digital design, RF, ergometrics, machining, software, operations, etc.  An actual study piece rarely draws the line where one stops and the other starts.  Reverse engineering entire packages gives robust, operational skills across many disciplines.  I appreciate the spirit of the Midnight Engineering magazine (no longer available through the original link at Midnight Engineering.  In it's place, a related conference lives on, called EntConnect.  Web page publication alternatives seem to have stalled.  Back in 1992, I paid for a life-time subscription to Nuts & Volts Magazine, and it is something I continue to value.  Through the years, they have paid me a stipend for authoring original articles.  I bid on government surplus goodies, and pick up all sorts weird stuff for decent prices.  I repair what is repairable, sell some, and tear the rest apart for educational value.

At different times, my interests branch out to contract software and hardware engineering, and technical writing.  Check out the following:

• Zenith Minisport computer - I published two years of a newsletter giving hints, hacks, operating hints, and other goodies.
• Disposable camera salvage - Don't turn in your disposable camera! Salvage usable parts, learn about the flash circuit, and still get all the pictures.  Published in the Nov 1997 issue of Nuts & Volts.
• Defiant Encore Model 2190 Stove Catalytic Box Replacement
• 1989 Dodge Van B250 3/4-ton 5.2L 318ci repair
• 2002 Toyota Camry SE 2.4L repair
  
• 2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Wagon repair
• 2006 Massey Ferguson GC2310 TLB tractor repair
  
• Powering laser diodes.  This resource has been at the same web-site since 1997 (14 years), with my contribution on page 22 of about 94 pages (exact count depends on how you print it out). local copy
  
• Serial communication with the Interlogix NX-8E
• 1994 John Deere 14SB self-propelled walk behind 21" mower repair
• 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ
• 2018 Subaru Outback Premium with 4-cylinder 2.5L FB25 engine