IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Fixing the Portobello Police Station Clock

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. TSA security theater and frequent false positives
- “If this was in the US, it's all security theater. Basically if you get flagged, they swab everything in your bag to find what's getting flagged…” — tristor
- “I will be the first to join you on ‘most of TSA is security theater’; the baby wipes are glycerine getting flagged by ion mobility spectrometry.” — jkingsman

2. Satisfaction in repairing/preserving historic mechanical projects and community involvement
- “This sounds like such a fun project, especially to share with like‑minded friends.” — cortesoft
- “Sure it does. The mechanism was no longer functioning properly… and its a repair even more so considering the unknown nature of the system.” — superxpro12
- “I love this. Any advice how to get involved in my local community in a similar way? I’d be so into doing some community project during my free time.” — jdnordy

3. Celebration of the hacker/maker spirit and nostalgia for low‑tech ingenuity
- “What a lovely blog in general: some really fun retro‑computing projects, written up in a very thoughtful, human way. Feels like a throwback to the earlier hacking spirit of the internet.” — timsneath
- “Sometimes you get paid because you know things, sometimes you get paid because you know how to figure things out.” — superxpro12
- “I used to use Morse to blink out status codes in similar things…” — ErroneousBosh

🚀 Project Ideas

PreFlight Scan: Portable Ion Mobility Pre‑Checker for Travelers

Summary

  • A handheld device that uses ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) technology to scan personal items for common false‑positive triggers (glycerin, nitrates, etc.) before airport security.
  • Core value proposition: Lets travelers pre‑test and avoid unnecessary swabs, reducing stress and delays at TSA checkpoints.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Frequent flyers, families with baby wipes/sunscreen, security‑conscious travelers
Core Feature Portable IMS sensor with LED/vibration alerts when glycerin or nitrate signatures are detected
Tech Stack PCB with mini‑IMS sensor (Owens‑Chem), STM32 MCU, Bluetooth LE for optional app, C/C++ firmware
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: $49 hardware + optional $9/yr app for DB updates

Notes

  • HN users complained about baby wipes and sunscreen triggering false positives (jkingsman: “glycerin getting flagged by ion mobility spectrometry”; shmeeed: “Those guys must have a lot of fun with vapes”).
  • Could spark discussion on improving airport security tech and give travelers a practical tool to avoid theater‑style delays.

ClockChime Helper – Morse‑Code Decoder & Restoration Hub for Historic Tower Clocks

Summary

  • A web/mobile app that captures LED flash patterns from antique clock chime boxes, decodes Morse‑code status signals, and provides step‑by‑step repair guides.
  • Core value proposition: Empowers hobbyists and volunteers to troubleshoot and maintain historic clock mechanisms without specialized knowledge.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Clock restoration enthusiasts, maker‑space members, historic preservation volunteers
Core Feature Camera‑based Morse‑code decoder (long/short flashes → text) + wiki‑style repair tutorials + volunteer matching
Tech Stack React Native (or Flutter) app, OpenCV for flash detection, Node.js backend, PostgreSQL, optional Home Assistant integration via MQTT
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby (open‑source) – could accept donations or sponsorships

Notes

  • HN commenters expressed curiosity about the Morse LED on the chime box (SaberTail: “long‑long‑short‑short‑short is 7 in morse code”; oniony: “advance button can be used to advance the time via morse code LED flashes”).
  • Many volunteers want to get involved in local clock tower projects (jdnordy: “Any advice how to get involved in my local community in a similar way?”), so a hub would facilitate collaboration and practical utility.

FixIt Local – Marketplace for Volunteer Repair Events & Tool Lending

Summary

  • An online platform that connects people with broken items (cameras, VCRs, clocks) to nearby maker spaces, repair cafés, and skilled volunteers, and facilitates scheduling of repair workshops and tool sharing.
  • Core value proposition: Reduces waste, builds community skills, and gives tinkerers a place to apply their hands‑on expertise.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience DIYers, maker‑space members, owners of broken electronics/mechanical items, volunteer repairers
Core Feature Item‑posting → match with local experts/events → calendar integration + tool‑inventory checkout
Tech Stack Ruby on Rails or Django, PostgreSQL, React frontend, WebSockets for real‑time chat, optional Stripe for tool‑rental fees
Difficulty Medium‑High
Monetization Revenue-ready: 5% commission on paid tool rentals or premium event tickets; basic listings free

Notes

  • Users shared stories of fixing cameras by “poking at random stuff until it unjams” (robotmay) and replacing batteries, showing appetite for hands‑on repair guidance.
  • Maker‑space enthusiasts mentioned wanting to fix VCRs, clocks, and needing a community to share knowledge (crumpled: “place seemed to attract these kinds of problems... people who could really do anything”).
  • Such a platform would generate discussion on sustainability, skill sharing, and practical utility for HN’s maker‑oriented audience.

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