I visitedSparkFun Electronicsrecently in Boulder, CO along with Curtis Ellzey ofEngineering TV。我必须与那里的许多人交谈，包括Nate Seidle，Sparkfun Electronics的创始人兼首席执行官(Video. 1)。这些视频有所有详细信息，但我也在这里添加几个花絮。
SparkFun Electronics is aptly named. The production and inventory facility is chock full of boards, components and modules. There are enough dogs and skateboarders roaming around to give the impression of Venice Beach rather than being next to the mile high city. The number of lab benches with projects strewn all around attests to someone having too much fun.
通常，这些项目要测试或开发新项目。Sparkfun出售组件，但套件。他们有各种各样的零件，从机器人到Arduino板和盾牌。
视频1. Sparkfun电子产品 - 让您的极客与Sparkfun Electronics的创始人兼首席执行官Nate Seidle Shine Shine。
开源硬件
Still, SparkFun is a business and it is doing rather well. One of the challenges they made for themselves is using open source hardware (OSHW) in many of their products(Video. 2)。
OSHW由许多开源项目以及具有开发套件和参考设计的供应商使用。后者和SparkFun之间的最大区别是OSHW设计是他们出售的产品。其他供应商希望出售芯片，模块或设计服务。实际的OSHW设计与他们无关紧要。它是出售更多主要产品的工具。
This means SparkFun needs to be quick to market in addition to being innovative. On the other hand, it also makes for very good customer interaction allowing ideas to percolate quickly.
并非所有SparkFun的产品都是OSHW。他们也出售许多组件和第三方产品。这SparkFun目录尽管经验丰富的开发商/讨价还价的猎人可能想检查丁和凹痕部分，但还是很广泛的。
You can pick up SparkFun's scrap for next to nothing. "These boards are a great way to encourage hot-air rework, scoring usable parts, and not having to fret if the rework goes poorly." Then again, it might be nothing.
视频2. Sparkfun电子产品和开源硬件，以及Nate Seidle，Sparkfun Electronics的创始人兼首席执行官。
SparkFun Soldering Competition
Many of SparkFun's products are kits you can build which usually means soldering. Soldering tends to be a dying art from a manual standpoint with the rise of surface mount hardware. It is possible to solder some surface mount components by hand and I have done it. I don't recommend it unless you are very patient or want to practice a lot. It is definitely not for production work but then again hand soldering never was, at least in recent memory.
Still, soldering is a craft that can be useful and fun hence theSparkFun Soldering Competition (Video. 3)。Now what could they come up with for a soldering project? Why SparkFun kits, of course. They have lots to choose from, and they had lots of entries at the first annual competition that was held at Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids. This is a beer and BBQ joint, so the suds were flowing along with the solder.
视频3. Sparkfun Electronics生产总监Matt Bolton与SparkFun焊接比赛。
这soldering competition used a number of SparkFun kits of progressively more complex boards including the Simon PTH Kit, the Big Time Watch Kit and the Mr. Roboto Kit. The first place winner was Thad Larson with a total time of 23:20. John Sherohman was second with a time of 24:16 and third place went to Matthew Capron (31:45). There were a couple of fun awards as well including the Quality Award - Amie Paxton, Safety 3rd - Jessica Campbell, Style Award - Andrew Zirger, Best BYO Equipment - Aaron Rogers and Ugliest Solder Joints - Eileen Egger. I need to get a photo of the last one. The Kids Race winners were Rebecca Brunner, Andrew Zirger and then Alice Rowe.
另一个要注意的比赛是SparkFun即将举行的年度自动驾驶汽车比赛（AVC）。它分为两部分。有一个无人接地车队（UGV）组和一个无人驾驶汽车（UAV）组。抱歉，无人机组不允许四足动物，只允许飞机。
You actually have to buy your slot in the competition because there are a limited number. At this point the slots are filled, but if you are in the area you can watch the competition. We will have it on Engineering TV after the competition is completed this year so stay tuned.
So if you have a project on the back burner or are just looking for some electronics fun then check out SparkFun's website.
