Baltimore Node

The Baltimore Hackerspace.

Pedal Hacking Workshop @ Baltimore Node on Sept 19 1pm-4pm

The Pedal Hacking Workshop is Baltimore Node’s first event at our new space in The Load of Fun Building on 120 W. North Ave, Baltimore. Bring your guitar pedals and parts to work and learn in an open workshop environment. Baltimore Node is supplying the workspace, some basic tools, and soldering instruction.

Examples of projects being worked on during the workshop:

Attendance to the workshop is free for Baltimore Node members, and $15 for non-members. Please register via Eventbrite to reserve a seat.

Where: Baltimore Node 120 W North Ave Baltimore MD 21201

When September 19, 2009, 1pm - 4pm

How Much:$15 for non-members, Free for members

Electronica Fest 2009

September 05, 2009 : The Electronica Fest is going to be a brain bending mash of music, sound, and other unusual electronic fun. Come rep for Baltimore Node and get your bleep on. I uploaded the poster to the wiki and set up an information page for folks to affirm their interest in volunteering or showing off.

Check out the official event page for more detailed information.

First key, first space. Lotta firsts coming up.

First key, first space. Lotta firsts coming up.

Node on the Radio

Tune in to WYPR’s Digital Cafe on Tuesday, July 21st, at 5:30pm. The show’s Mario Armstrong with be talking with the Node’s own Adam Bachman about the Baltimore Node and the burgeoning, worldwide hacker space movement. WYPR broadcasts in Maryland on 88.1 FM in or you can listen to their live online stream.

Next meeting: Wednesday, July 15th @ 7pm

[UPDATE] We had a lively meeting and the big news is that enough funds were pledged to move into the Load of Fun space at 120 W North Ave! See the meeting notes for details.


The next organizational meeting will be on Wednesday, July 15th, at 7pm in 113 W North Ave. (The same room in the MICA building where the Ambient Orb workshop was held). The reason for having it at 113 W North Ave is that we are trying to schedule another walk through of the Load of Fun space at 6:00pm, which is directly across the street. The second walk through is for anyone who didn’t get a chance to see the space the first time around or anyone who wants a second look. I’ll email out Monday evening if the walk through is a go, but regardless, we will have a meeting in 113 W North Ave on Wednesday at 7pm.

There are a few things to talk about at this meeting, but the most important issue is whether or not to lease the Load of Fun space. If there are enough people willing to commit financially to Load of Fun to cover monthly operating expenses (~$800), we’ll fill out some paperwork, make some banking arrangements, double check our solvency, and set up shop! Otherwise we’ll cut it loose, move on to other spaces, and continue to build interest in the Node through projects and events around Baltimore.

There is a core of people ready to make a move on this space, but we can’t do so without broader support. If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Node and you think the Load of Fun space is a good place to start up, come to this meeting. If you can’t make this time, but you’d like to support the Load of Fun space through your membership dues, contact Jon Lesser directly. No one needs to bring any money to this meeting, as we’re just looking for strong commitments at this point. We will, of course, ensure that we have sufficient monies in a Node bank account before signing any leases.

We can email and edit the wiki all day, but from time to time we need meetings like this to gauge financial commitment and see if we’re ready to move on a lease. If you’re ready to get this party started in the Load of Fun building, come on down to 113 W North Ave this Wednesday, July 15th, at 7pm.

First Node Workshop!

July 9, 2009 @ MICA. RSVP http://bmorenode1.eventbrite.com

First Node Workshop!

July 9, 2009 @ MICA. RSVP http://bmorenode1.eventbrite.com

Organizational Meeting, June 11, 7PM @ Red Emma’s

Baltimore node will be holding an organization and planning meeting June 11, 7PM at Red Emma’s bookstore.

The primary goal is to feel out level of commitment from potential members/organizers. Our guiding model for the time being is the Hacker Space Design Patterns document, specifically the section on critical mass.

We’re looking for critical mass.

So far confirmed in attendance will be myself (@abachman), Mark (@mehuman), and Kelly (@kellyegan). Join us, or add your thoughts to the discussion on the mailing list. The events calendar is still shaping up, but I suspect that by the end of the meeting we’ll have settled on a date for our first workshop (end of June, beginning of July), so bring your calendar if you can make it.

In a way, this hacker space is like the MIT media lab without the academic reputation. It draws the best talent in computer engineering and the innovation that emerges in highly valuable. But NYC Resistor - or any other hacker space - does not have the institutional burdens of academia or the profit demands of a company. The main goal is to tinker.

“The Takeaway” - Public Radio International

Up there on the 28th floor, the group’s toys — e-readers torn apart, touchscreen displays, netbooks that bend in every direction — can feel a touch presumptuous for a company surviving debt payment to debt payment. It was just this winter when Michael Hirschorn loudly suggested in The Atlantic that the Times Co. could go out of business, “like, this May.” The Times will endure, in one form or another, and the R&D group is the beta version of the company’s future. The New York Times envisions version 2.0 of the newspaper » Nieman Journalism Lab

Saturday, May 9: Conversations at the DIY Fest

Hey Baltimore node fans and fellow makers, a few of us (@mehuman and @abachman) will be trying to make ourselves non-inconspicuous at the diy fest (http://diyfest.org) this weekend. Come check it out, see what’s happening in Baltimore and figure out how you can get involved with node.

Follow this feed or join the mailing list for updates on events and progress reports on getting situated. Also, if you’re feeling antsy or impatient and live in the north Baltimore County area, check out the Harford Hackerspace group. They’re a bit further along, and will probably have a space secured in the next few months.