#717 – Back on the road in ’26

#717 – Back on the road in ’26

From The Amp Hour Electronics Podcast by Dave Jones & Chris Gammell

March 4, 2026 · 60 min

About this episode

The episode discusses upcoming travel plans and various electronics topics including solid state transformers and battery testing.

Chris will be having a meetup in London March 8th, 2026 click here for more info . He will also be at Embedded World the following week at various events. Dave is also headed to a meetup in Sydney that he has presented at in the past. The “lazy man move” for meetup organizers: scheduling events within walking distance of home to simplify travel logistics. Chris provides details on his latest high-density hardware project, a 22mm circular board packed with 0201 components, Bluetooth, and a suite of sensors, noting a move from BGA to QFN for better assembly reliability. There is significant skepticism regarding “solid-state transformers” and tech articles claiming they will replace the traditional power grid, with the hosts citing efficiency losses that become massive at megawatt scales. A fascinating look into global supply chains reveals how a single AI prompt can be traced back through layers of manufacturing to sugarcane fermentation and high-purity quartz mines in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. The creeping normalization of biometric face scanning in public spaces, from water park lockers to international airport terminals. The marketing tactics behind…

People in this episode

Hosts: Dave Jones, Chris Gammell

Topics covered

  • travel
  • solid state transformers
  • battery testing
  • circuit boards
  • electronics

Keywords

  • travel
  • solid state transformers
  • battery testing
  • circuit boards
  • electronics

Mentioned in this episode

Products: solid state transformers, battery testing, small circuit boards

More episodes of The Amp Hour Electronics Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Amp Hour Electronics Podcast podcast page.