SpaceExchange

Objective

Our goal is to learn from other hacker & maker spaces, fablabs, computer clubs and other nerd assemblies of all sorts around the globe. That's why we like to visit those locations whenever we get a chance to while being abroad. Ideally this may lead to a return visit, the exchange of good ideas and lasting friendships. If you're visiting the Frankfurt/Rhein-Main metropolitan region or if you're an exchange student, please consider dropping by. You're also welcome outside the official open space hours, please drop us a line on IRC (#schaffenburg @ irc.hackint.org), Facebook, WhatsApp, E-Mail. We've experienced very warm welcomes, interesting conversations and great hospitality in other spaces and we indend to provide the same! And bring your hackerspace passports :)

Our foreign affairs officer is Fraxinas

Guests from abroad

Makerspace Nanaimo's Chris Gerlinsky

Visited us: 2018-08-16

• from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
• a friend of naxobyte who invited him to our space
• works as a self-employed reverse engineer
• recognized for his research in cracking pay TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhbSD1Jba0Q
• https://twitter.com/akacastor
• https://makerspacenanaimo.org/ https://twitter.com/NanaimoMakers
• about 60 members
• weekly electronics, software and game nights
• keyless entry with personalized FOBs and presence logging
• https://schaffenburg.org/?p=618&preview=true

Alex and Nico from Project Vulca

• https://schaffenburg.org/visit-from-team-vulca/

Spaces we've visited

Abroad

Brmlab Prague

Visited by: Fraxinas, 2011-10-26

Make Riga

Visited by: Fraxinas, 2017-12-30 Situated in an engineering institute 30 minutes (by tram) outside Riga city center. Very notable activity: A hacking olympics in 2016 which consisted of multiple quests to solve, ranging from theoretical computer science, hacking, amateur radio, mechanical puzzles. Thank arsenijs for the tour!

Hacklab Helsinki

Visited by: Fraxinas, 2018-03-01

Helsinki Hacklab resides in a basement of a crafts business building 20 minutes (by car) outside Helsinki city center. They have 400+ m² which divide into

• a storage area (1 plastic box per member)
• a metal workshop (incl. lathe, drill press, welding equipment, smelting furnace...)
• a big lounge / seminar room with adjacent kitchen
• small library room
• CNC workshop with adjacent paint spraying room
• electronics workshop
• a room sublet for the "Finnish Space Agency" / builders of model rockets
• a very big wood workshop with adjacent sublet workshop for a professional joiner

Hacklab Tampere

Visited by: Fraxinas, 2018-03-02

It is situated in a commercial area 10 minutes (by car) outside Tampere centrum.

• Over 300 members
• 150W laser cutter
• plasma cutter

Entry system by a GSM module which recoginzes caller IDs

Thanks to Ketturi & Otto for the tour!

All the Finish hackerspaces are part of the http://hacklab.fi/ collective. This is a very interesting approach which reminds us a bit of some of the ideas of Chaos Computer Club (CCC) which we are losely associated with. It gives the Finish hackerspaces a concerted voice when it comes to political discussions. This is something that in Germany the CCC raises the claim of, our hacker spaces really aren't really a political discussion partner yet because they lack an umbrella organization.

Altlab Lisboa

NOT visited by: Fraxinas, 2018-05-08

• Altlab is the only Portuguese Hackerspace listed on https://wiki.hackerspaces.org
• supposedly still active, despites few members
• twitters technews compilations on a weekly base
• public open day is tuesday (who would have guessed) 21-23h
• I went there, met 2 other hackers from Germany & Holland in front of the closed door. We waited for >1h, no reply to our twitter message and e-mail (still no reply after a week)
• pretty poor user experience

Edinburgh Hacklab

Visited by: Fraxinas, 2018-10-26

• Exists since 2010
• ~100 members
• The space is located in Summerhall, the former veterinary college of the University of Edinburgh
• Split into mainly 4 rooms (are hoping to get additional rooms on the floor to grow)
  • "Main" Room: Conference Room, "Shop" Board for common parts / Arduinos etc., small fridge, minimalist kitchen (only source of Club Mate in Scotland), Hamradio Station, Electronics & Measurement equipment
  • "Metal Workshop": Lathe, Circular and Band Saws, Sanders, Big Router, Welding Equipment
  • "Laser Room": 2 Laser cutters (one is 100W, 2x our size) plus filters and cooling, smaller cnc router
  • "Storage": 2x 3D Printers (Prusa 3, Ultimaker), Member Boxes, Server Rack with their own ISP Endpoint

What I liked best:

• All rooms and big machines are access restricted with personalized NFC tokens (e.g. Oyster card)
• "Shop"-wall for often needed electronics items
• Location in an arts exhibition center / independent conference center / coworking place
• centralized, laser-cut cash box with separate slots for shop, drinks, donation, laser cutting, 3D printing

Robots & Dinosaurs Sydney

Visited by: virengos 2017-10-07

VisitRobotsDinosaurs07102017

Germany

Code for Heilbronn

Frequently visited by Fraxinas (+ byteturtle, Robert, Hendi)

• very well equipped spacious premises
• very low membership fee (30€ annually, due to subsidised rent)
• most of all: they're an extraordinarily good team
• i've invited their board members to come visit and tell us about their secrets
• have helped us out with 5 members for the repair café 2018-09-29 !!

CCC Frankfurt am Main

• Counter-visit from Franz T. 2018-09-4