Thank you for visiting!
615-Labs is a small group of makers, hackers, and engineers who are passionate about sharing our knowledge and skills with the community. We host soldering workshops at conferences to help attendees learn new skills and gain hands-on experience. Our goal is to make learning electronics accessible and fun for everyone.
About Us
Alchemmer
Part man, part pick-and-place machine. Alchemmer burns midnight oil like it's jet fuel to bring you most of our pre-assembeled offerings. He has over a decade of experience behind his soldering iron, and has truly mastered the craft. Questions about microsoldering, BGA rework, or any other advanced soldering techniques should go to him.
M-Nelly
Does he run the workshops? Does he travel across the country to run them? Does he make them free? All of the above. Aside from running our soldering workshops and instructing dozens if not hundreds of people per conference, M-Nelly is also our webmaster, an idea engine, & general swiss army knife of knowledge and adapatability.
MLP
The wizard of AUS himself. MLP is a master of embedded systems programming and has a wealth of knowledge regarding microcontrollers, firmware development, and PCB design. He is the brains behind our custom PCBs and is always happy to share his expertise with others.
Support Us
Currently, we are fortunate enough to have the support of iFixit, Wild West Hackin' Fest, and The DefCon Makers' Village which enables us to run our workshops at no cost to attendees. That being said, funding is not guaranteed and the budget is tight. Donations of any amount are appreciated and will help us continue to improve upon our workshops, SAOs, challenge coins, and any future board designs.
The Cost of Business
Printed Circuit Boards
Production of a single PCB from start to finish costs about five dollars. This includes the price of the boards, components, shipping, and R&D costs. Labor is not included in this cost. We buy our boards in bulk and do as much of the assembly as we can ourselves to keep costs down, but the costs add up quickly when you consider the number of boards we need for even a single conference. We have estimated that we spend about $2000 on boards and components for a single conference.
Travel
We estimate travel costs at $2000/person/conference. We usually send two people to each conference, so that is an additional $4000 right out of the gate. This includes airfare, hotel, and food. We try to keep costs down by staying in budget hotels and eating at inexpensive restaurants, but travel costs are unavoidable.
Grand Total
When it is all said and done, a single conference can cost upwards of $10000. We can sell boards, host paid workshops, and seek sponsorships, but each of those things come with hidden costs. Donations are a the cleanest fuel we can use, and serve a bonus purpose of letting us know y'all like what you see and/or the service/knowledge we provide. We're happy to invest in our community and don't count the hours it takes to make things happen, but we can't do it without your support. If you like what we do and want to see us continue to grow, please consider donating. Every little bit helps and is greatly appreciated.
Where to Donate
Venmo: @Alchemmer (Last four digits are 2535, for verification)
If you are interested in sponsoring the workshops or want to see us at your conference, please email mnelly.sec@gmail.com.