There’s a new maker space in Sacramento. Though Davis incubator/industrial maker space Area 52 garnered mainstream press coverage this week, MakerHQ, a new maker space located in a small space near Broadway and 16th in Sacramento, has opened to less fanfare but is already making a mark in the community.
Makerspaces, sometimes also referred to as hackerspaces, hackspaces, and fablabs are creative, community spaces that provide equipment, training, and a collaborative environment for those who want to Make.
MakerHQ started as an idea among a group who sees the power of technology and the Maker movement to come together and create wonderful things. They wanted to create a space where like-minded individuals could push the limits in their fields of interest, yet also introduce fresh minds to the possibilities at their fingertips by providing resources and a community to come to in their own education.
The MakerHQ facility
The space exists to exude and spread the culture of the Maker. By providing classes, community workshops, internal projects, and open space, they will show that both the individuals who make up the space and the community as a whole can DO quite a lot.
An example of one of these classes is Project Noiseometer – Noise Pollution Grapher, a 4-week class where participants will learn how to make their own Internet of Things (IoT) device to measure noise levels. This project will use the new Arduino MKR1000 that is natively IoT capable along with the Sparkfun Sound Detector to sense noise level data and send it to a cloud data visualization system. (If you’re interested in signing up for this class, more details and reservation can be found here).
Currently, MakerHQ has a 700 sq. ft facility conveniently located at 16th Street and X in Sacramento’s Broadway neighborhood. MakerHQ specializes in desktop fabrication capabilities with the following tools:
- X-Carve CNC with VFD spindle
- 3D printers
- Hand tools
- Reflow oven
- Electronics workbench
- Inventory of digital ICs and microcontrollers
- Oscilloscope with protocol analyzer
- 50W Laser cutter
- Shared microcontroller/single board computer lab
If you’re interested in joining the Sacramento Maker movement consider joining MakerHQ or sign up for Project Noisemaker to get a taste of what it’s all about.
