Like the Smartboard in the electronics classroom? Have an extra remote for your Wii gaming system laying around? Why not make your own multi touch smart board that can be projected anywhere: on a wall, on a table. Maybe you could even make one for your favorite teacher. The setup also works to turn a LCD screen into a touch screen.  Watch this video and see how:

What you need to get started:

• Projector
• Wii Remote Controller ($25)
• LED Pen ($10+ pre-assembled / build custom)
• Bluetooth Adapter (~$10, various vendors)
• Presentation Software – Smoothboard ($29 for registered copy, demo free)
• Other considerations: mount for Wii Remote

For more information, check out the source

Sharpen those pencils, it’s time for a new class! Welcome to Hamilton Tech’s newest class of EET students who will begin class on December 7th.

A group of electronics students toured KLJB Fox 18 studio this week.  They spend most of there time in the control room that houses all the electronic equipment that powers Fox 18.  As you can see in the photos, they also learned about the antennas and dishes that are a part of keeping the station on the air.  Thanks Fox 18 for giving us some insight into the operation of a  local TV station.  For more information about Hamilton Tech visit www.hamiltontechcollege.com .

Fields of Green

Steve’s class toured the John Deere Seeding Factory in Moline on Tuesday.  The plant was bigger then they expected and many students were surprised by this.  The factory builds a variety of planting and seeding equipment that is used primarily in North America.  For more information on the John Deere Company visit www.deere.com .

Robins Industrial classes toured Vizient Manufacturing Solutions  in Bettendorf on August 15th.  Vizient Robotics manufactures robotic work cells for major manufacturing companies around the world.  It is a very modern facility that does all phases of the work cell creation from design to fabrication to programming and installation.  They also provide maintenance and repair services to their customers.  This is a great example of an amazing high tech company right here is the Quad Cities.  Hamilton Tech is proud to partner with them on locating employees with a high level of technical training.  To see examples of the work cells they create go to http://www.vizient.com .  Thank you Vizient, for the fantastic tour opportunity.

On September 7, 2011 a group of students from Tim Edens morning electronics class along with Larry Bradley, visited the VLBA radio telescope near North Liberty.  The students were able to see the control systems that capture the information received by the radio telescope.  As you can see in several of the photos taken on that day, they were able to climb up on the dish itself for an impressive view of the sheer size of the dish (82 feet in diameter) and the surrounding Coralville reservoir and country side.

The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) comprises ten radio telescopes spanning 5,351 miles. It’s the world’s largest, sharpest dedicated telescope array. With an eye this sharp, you could be in Los Angeles and clearly read a street sign in New York City!

Astronomers use the continent-sized VLBA to zoom in on objects that shine brightly in radio waves, long-wavelength light that’s well below infrared on the spectrum. They observe blazars, quasars, black holes, and dying stars. They plot pulsars, exoplanets, and masers, and track spacecraft, asteroids, and planets.  More information is available at http://www.nrao.edu.

On August 24, 2011 Bob and Craig took their morning classes on a tour of the John Deere Harvester Plant. About 40 students and Instructors toured the factory. The tour started with a presentation in the auditorium which presented a brief history of the John Deere Company and a look at the company today. They boarded a tram and want into the factory proper. The tour lasted about an hour and a half and allowed the students to see the harvester’s production from start to finish. The students were able see the raw material coming in the door through the assembly process of laser cutting parts, welding robots assembling those parts, to the extensive robotic painting process. The tour then proceeds to the final assembly including the start up of the huge machines. The students were very impressed with this state of the art factory here in the Quad Cities that make the big green harvesters that are shipped all over the country and the world. For more information about the John Deere Company visit www.deere.com , and for information about Hamilton Tech visit www.hamiltontechcollege.edu

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Interactive Open House – July 21, 2011

We want to thank everyone for attending Discover Hamilton Tech, our interactive Open House. There were many words of appreciation for the information and interactive displays that were available for our guests. We also want to thank all of our “Student Ambassadors” for their help with information about the displays and College. For more information about Hamilton Tech visit us at www.hamiltontechcollege.edu.

Discover Hamilton Tech
Open House

Visit www.hamiltontechcollege.edu for more information about Hamilton Tech!

Have you ever caught yourself complaining about things you don’t have? Whether it’s clothes, fancy shoes, name brand purses, the latest cell phone that just came out, or maybe even something as big as a 2011 Chevy Camaro. In today’s society we are so pressured to keep up with technology and trends that we tend to forget about what is truly important or the necessities in our busy lives.

When I found out we were required to do community service I didn’t think too much of it, but I will be honest and say I wasn’t too excited. A few years ago I had a bad experience when I happily gave a homeless man my leftover change and before I could turn around and feel a little better about myself, he threw it back in my face, started screaming at me, and stormed off down the sidewalk. I was mortified and completely humiliated, and from that moment on I told myself never again. I have, however, volunteered before, but I had never passed out food, picked up trash at a park, or even been to a homeless shelter so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was then assigned to Twin City Pads Homeless Shelter in Sterling, Illinois. I wasn’t even aware we had homeless shelters around our small towns, but I figured it would be typical, filled with a bunch of old, dirty, grumpy people, in a run down building in the bad part of town. I stand corrected.

A few classmates and I pulled up on that sunny May morning to find ourselves infront of this newly remodeled house. We walked into a very colorful office and the director explained to us that there wasn’t going to anybody there because they had just closed for the summer and would open again in October. We got right to it and started cleaning the bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, and so on, but as I cleaned I took a minute to look around. This had to be one of the nicest shelters known to man, but still I took the time to imagine myself in someone else’s shoes and imagine if I HAD to live there. I cleaned bedrooms–what if I had to sleep here with all these strangers? I sorted the donated clothes–what if these were the clothes and “slightly used” undergarments I had to choose from? I helped clean the bathrooms–what if I was sick and had only this little bit of privacy? I was overwhelmed and saddened with these sorts of thoughts. By the end of the day I’m happy to say I did feel a little better. There was boxes and boxes of donated food, hygiene products, new clothes, even an inspirational letter addressed to no one in particular, from a lady who had been there at one point telling them to be strong and they will push through. It made me realize that there are good people out there that want to help and I want to be one of them.

Who cares about what clothes and shoes you have, at least you have them. Don’t complain about what’s for dinner, at least you know where your meal is coming from. At least you have a cell phone and someone to call. Even if you think your car is a hunk of junk, at least you have that transportation. For whatever reason anyone can become homeless, you just have to look past it, try not to judge, and do all you can to help. I am thankful to Hamilton Technical College for setting this ups and giving me this experience. In the future I will do what I can when I can to give back to my community and the less fortunate people in it.

Sarina Venier
Medical Assisting Student