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Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

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Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#381

Post by desmondmonster »

I build Tiki Tube Amps - hifi stereos inside carved tiki heads. The tikis are carved from solid logs and hollowed out before I wire up all the circuitry inside. It's all analog vacuum-tube-driven circuits soldered point-to-point.

They're really difficult to make but super fun to listen to. When I'm carving I have to plan out how the circuit will be laid out, ensure there's enough space inside for the transformers, consider grounding schemes, etc. Plus mounting components and soldering inside a cramped log is not easy. But when they're done they have such personality. No other stereo listens to music _with_ you.

I love them because they combine many of my disparate interests - woodworking, tiki, electronics, soldering, music, vacuum tubes, metalworking. They're also an excuse to have friends over and throw parties.

edit: here's a video where I build one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xo-TGkFvOg

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#383

Post by johnthedebs »

HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #336
johnthedebs wrote: post #282

I got into fig (and since then, more broadly, fruit) cultivation. Figs have a rich history, lots of variety, and there are very active online (and in-person) communities where you can buy or exchange plants and cuttings, advice, and fruit. This grew out of an initial interest in gardening, and the long-term goal is to create a food/fruit forest around our house where me, family, friends, and neighbors can walk around…

You've probably already discovered this, but in case you haven't: watch out for the black raspberries if they're in the ground. They spread at an astronomical rate and are practically unkillable after they're established. OTOH, they are delicious.

For sure! We ended up learning this the hard way.

We moved into this house partly bc it had an extra ~acre of space beyond the main "yard" which was starting to turn into a forest. We cleared it of woody stuff but left some black raspberries, maybe 10 plants?

2 years later, it turned into an impenetrable ~1/4 acre thicket of mostly black raspberries with some wild blackberries and wineberries among them. We paid to have it mostly cleared again, and now we are occasionally mowing whatever is not intentionally planted or mulched.

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#384

Post by codazoda »

elevation wrote: post #240

Consider mathematics. If you already know enough math to derive the quadratic equation, you might make a small change, like adding X^3 or X^4. See where your own techniques take you before looking up the answer. With just a few pen strokes, you will be playing with an equation for which there is no general solution, or no known solution. In mathematics it will take you very little time to start playing at the boundar…

Since I was a kid I was fascinated by computer math, such as a projectile in Scorched Earth (wind, angle, velocity, gravity). I turned 50 this week and I STILL haven’t dug into how even the basics work.

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#385

Post by silisili »

SunshineTheCat wrote: post #41

Traditional archery. I started a few years back and have been doing it off and on since. It's challenging but a lot of fun. I shoot a lot of older style "recurve" bows, but the main style I shoot are horsebows, that is, bows that were historically shot from horseback. They're very lightweight and you can shoot much more rapidly than you can with a more modern/mechanical recurve or compound. Right now I shoot around 2…

Interesting, how does the draw weight compare? I have to give up shooting bigger compounds because my shoulder couldn't take it anymore unfortunately.

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#386

Post by Taipan_Enigma »

laydn wrote: post #33

Hydrophonic farming at home. You can play with sensors (acidity, humidity etc), LED lighting (frequencies, intensity, etc), vision processing (maybe throw in some AI buzzword here) to keep track of your plants and do some decision making. Bonus: You get to eat the stuff you grow :)

The increased speed hydroponic plants grow at compared to plants in soil is what really makes it exciting for me. A plant in my basic countertop "indoor garden" unit is growing 10x as fast as a cutting of the same plant sitting in my windowsill.

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#387

Post by Glyptodon »

Just a suggestion as this isn't my hobby, but look into gem cutting. There are some tools for designing new cuts, but I think I lot more is possible than is commonly accomplished. And every gem material is different so that adds to things. Plus, the more precise the cut the better the result. And it's very math and loop driven.

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#388

Post by ex-aws-dude »

Arch-TK wrote: post #298

I don't quite get your point about 3D printers. I spent many months redesigning, improving and rebuilding a prusa clone, not because I couldn't afford anything else, but precisely because I could afford to "waste" time and money learning and having fun. Once I felt like the printer was in a useful state, I spent some more time getting it to a point where it could print nice ABS parts for a Voron Trident. Of course I…

If you're just a regular joe who wants to print stuff it has definitely changed

You used to have to do all that tinkering because you had no choice which is not the case anymore

If your goal is just to print stuff then it doesn't really feel like a hobby, its just another tool in the workshop the same as a tablesaw or welder

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#389

Post by dr_robert »

c0nfusedpengu1n wrote: post #213
dr_robert wrote: post #80

I’m a paraglider pilot and powered paraglider recently. Totally recommended, you get to connect with nature in a meaningful way. Also people who practice this kind of sports are nice. From a tech perspective there are a lot of data generated on each flight you can create your own way to capture that data or use already existing apps.

The best part is when you can combine your love of engineering and flying and work on your own electric paramotor. Highly recommend paragliding as an affordable and safe way to experience flight

I’m curious, are you working on your own electric paramotor?

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#390

Post by dboreham »

SAI_Peregrinus wrote: post #260

My wife & I are Scottish Country dancers. It's a social dance form (it's traditional to swap partners for every dance so nobody has to bring a partner, though not required). Pretty good cardio, there are groups all over the world, so it's often not that difficult to find a class. Other similar social dance forms from the UK are Contra dancing, English Country dancing, and Ceilidh dancing. Square dancing in the US dev…

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