TIL: Building a clock in Texas is illegal

[John Connor]

Real bombs, follow...

No collapsible relay!

 

[John Connor]

This is a bomb fer fuck sakes.

 

[mikeymikec]

This is a bomb fer fuck sakes.

Wrong.

 

[Ichinisan]

both him and his brother often take these obtuse points and stubbornly stick to them. I think they are just trolling us.

It's "obtuse" to delude yourself by saying that doesn't look like a hoax bomb. As I said, there's not much else you could do to make it look more like one.

 

[steppinthrax]

No collapsible relay!

I would say the Typical Texan is pretty stupid. You show them a capacitor in a bag from radio shack and they will think that is a BOMB. I would be scared to solder that capacitor to a 555 timer, throw in a couple of resistors and put a blinking LED on it. At that point I might be placed in Guantanamo bay....

Also those who are saying this kid is not a genius, or he did nothing special. Well have you ever built/designed/tested circuits.

Yeah I get it, it's a clock. To many who don't know about this type of stuff, they think of this as simple tech and it should be easy. Many don't realize the magnatues of complication in very simple electronic devices. We live around this stuff every day and think, since it's cheap and common it must be somehow easy.

WRONG

If you look carefully at his design, he did the following.

1. Printed PCB (meaning he had to design the layout, possibly using computer software). He had to plan the board so that stuff didn't run into each other.

2. Solder skills (anybody tried soldering to a board etc).

3. Basic - Advanced understanding of principals of electricity all the way up to electronics, Karnaugh maps, Boolean logic, Discrete math. There is just so much here to describe.

When I was a boy I used to take shit apart and bring parts of it to school (yes literally). I was surprised that when you opened a 9V battery, how there were little batteries inside (was in 2 -3 grade). I used to do so much crazy shit with electronics and electricity as a young child.

I always dreamed to build something like this, but pretty much didn't have the understanding. Main thing is my library simply didn't have the material and there was no fucking internet back then that was usable. If I had the information that I can access today I might have done the same....

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

I would say the Typical Texan is pretty stupid. You show them a capacitor in a bag from radio shack and they will think that is a BOMB. I would be scared to solder that capacitor to a 555 timer, throw in a couple of resistors and put a blinking LED on it. At that point I might be placed in Guantanamo bay....

Also those who are saying this kid is not a genius, or he did nothing special. Well have you ever built/designed/tested circuits.

Yeah I get it, it's a clock. To many who don't know about this type of stuff, they think of this as simple tech and it should be easy. Many don't realize the magnatues of complication in very simple electronic devices. We live around this stuff every day and think, since it's cheap and common it must be somehow easy.

WRONG

If you look carefully at his design, he did the following.

1. Printed PCB (meaning he had to design the layout, possibly using computer software). He had to plan the board so that stuff didn't run into each other.

2. Solder skills (anybody tried soldering to a board etc).

3. Basic - Advanced understanding of principals of electricity all the way up to electronics, Karnaugh maps, Boolean logic, Discrete math. There is just so much here to describe.

When I was a boy I used to take shit apart and bring parts of it to school (yes literally). I was surprised that when you opened a 9V battery, how there were little batteries inside (was in 2 -3 grade). I used to do so much crazy shit with electronics and electricity as a young child.

I always dreamed to build something like this, but pretty much didn't have the understanding. Main thing is my library simply didn't have the material and there was no fucking internet back then that was usable. If I had the information that I can access today I might have done the same....

I don't think he made or constructed, the PCB himself.

It was probably taken out of a bought digital clock, and put into the new case.

We all have to start/learn electronics from somewhere. So I have to congratulate him for starting out in electronics like that.

Clock made out of old clock bits, today.
Breadboarding his own simple circuits, in 6 months.
Designing his own circuits, perhaps next year.

Who knows where he will end up. Some people stop at the early stages (like you seem to be describing for yourself), whereas others make a complete lifetime career out of it.

I would have normally used my crystal ball, to predict when and how his career would turn out. But unfortunately while I was bringing it back home. It got mistaken for a (hoax) bomb, and was confiscated.

 

[Ichinisan]

Also those who are saying this kid is not a genius, or he did nothing special. Well have you ever built/designed/tested circuits.

Absolutely. I was doing it at his age. He did not "design" or "test" electronic circuits. He transplanted the guts of a clock. It seems he didn't even understand how unsafe it was to have 120v AC connected to a transformer that's not mounted, and tumbling around in a metal case.

Yeah I get it, it's a clock. To many who don't know about this type of stuff, they think of this as simple tech and it should be easy. Many don't realize the magnatues of complication in very simple electronic devices. We live around this stuff every day and think, since it's cheap and common it must be somehow easy.

WRONG

You couldn't possibly be more wrong in this regard. We should have much greater expectations for young people. People are simply so stupid they think this kid did way more than he actually did. Even if he had built a clock with actual components (there is no indication of that...none), 14-year-old me (enthusiastic about electronics) would still say it's cheap, common, easy, and completely uninteresting. I was much younger than him when I was building electronic kits. Kids were expected to do much more interesting projects on their very own...like the ubiquitous build-your-own crystal radio kit. Another kit for kids required you to wind the copper wire yourself through the magnets and assemble metal brushes to build your own electric motor that powers a little toy boat. At his age, I would have absolutely zero interest in transplanting the guts of a clock into a metal case. If I had done that, I would not try to show it off to a teacher. I'd be embarrassed that it was so lame / boring.

If you look carefully at his design, he did the following.

1. Printed PCB (meaning he had to design the layout, possibly using computer software). He had to plan the board so that stuff didn't run into each other.

Nope. There's no indication that he even disconnected a single component. He simply transplanted the guts.

2. Solder skills (anybody tried soldering to a board etc).

Sorry. By all appearances, he did no such thing. He simply busted open a clock and transplanted the contents haphazardly.

3. Basic - Advanced understanding of principals of electricity all the way up to electronics, Karnaugh maps, Boolean logic, Discrete math. There is just so much here to describe.

Nope. In fact, the loose transformer is a good indicator that he has no idea what he's doing.

When I was a boy I used to take shit apart and bring parts of it to school (yes literally). I was surprised that when you opened a 9V battery, how there were little batteries inside (was in 2 -3 grade). I used to do so much crazy shit with electronics and electricity as a young child.

You're projecting our childhoods onto this kid. There was a kid in my neighborhood I wasn't allowed to play with because her parents somehow got the idea that I would disassemble her toys (I honestly have NO IDEA why). Perhaps this was after I had already disassembled my own NES many times, repaired shorts in the power cord many times, and replaced rubber pads in my NES controllers with a repair kit -- but I don't recall ever disassembling my friends' toys.

I always dreamed to build something like this, but pretty much didn't have the understanding.

Neither did he.

Main thing is my library simply didn't have the material and there was no fucking internet back then that was usable. If I had the information that I can access today I might have done the same....

I didn't have Internet when I tinkered with electronics as a kid. My family was desperately poor (single, uneducated mother raising twins). Forest M Mims III made a great electronics book for beginners that Radio Shack sold all through my childhood. I still saw it available (probably revised) when I visited Radio Shack earlier this year. As I recall, the book does a good job in the second page describing how current can "flow" -- with doodles that children can understand. I already understood those principles from my 8th grade teacher, but the book helped me learn more about electromagnatism, inductance, and how various semiconductors and other components work.

 

[SlitheryDee]

He took the guts from a clock. He cut a hole in his case so the display faces out and is visible when the case is closed. He mounted the display.

It doesn't appear that he disconnected a single wire or connected anything...except maybe plugging the power cord into the wall.

He must not understand how a transformer works or how dangerous AC electricity can be with that transformer dangling around in a metal case.

One of the photos in the article is of the soldering iron he uses to work on electronics. The caption on another photo mentions that he makes his own radios. The clock in question also features a number of separate boards connected by long wires that I have a hard time believing were necessary in the clock's original enclosure. I'm assuming that at least some soldering was required for the project, which makes it a bit more involved than removing the guts of a clock from one case and putting it in another.

 

[natto fire]

both him and his brother often take these obtuse points and stubbornly stick to them. I think they are just trolling us.

Nothing more hilarious and pathetic than a thread that devolves into an argument with the brothers Newnan.

 

[ControlD]

I'm not sure about you guys, but when I make my hoax bombs I make sure to have a long AC power cord dangling from them as well. Gives everything that extra touch of realism.

 

[Ichinisan]

One of the photos in the article is of the soldering iron he uses to work on electronics. The caption on another photo mentions that he makes his own radios. The clock in question also features a number of separate boards connected by long wires that I have a hard time believing were necessary in the clock's original enclosure. I'm assuming that at least some soldering was required for the project, which makes it a bit more involved than removing the guts of a clock from one case and putting it in another.

Post # 35 was not actually the device in question.

Picture of said "bomb" he carried in the pencil box:

Post # 105 is the actual device:

That's actually the back side of the giant segmented numeric display. He cut a hole on the outside of the case so the display would be visible while the case is closed.

 

[Ichinisan]

I'm not sure about you guys, but when I make my hoax bombs I make sure to have a long AC power cord dangling from them as well. Gives everything that extra touch of realism.

The clock has both AC and DC power. Everything can be contained within the case. See the 9v battery terminal?

 

[ControlD]

The clock has both AC and DC power. Everything can be contained within the case. See the 9v battery terminal?

Isn't the 9V terminal just for the alarm backup?

 

[Ichinisan]

Isn't the 9V terminal just for the alarm backup?

I dunno. I've had clocks that reverted to battery power and maintained all functionality when AC was disconnected.

I'm thinking he actually had a battery connected because teacher # 1 told him not to take it out or let anyone else see it, but it got the attention of teacher #2 when it beeped (or maybe beeped continuously?).

 

[waggy]

I dunno. I've had clocks that reverted to battery power and maintained all functionality when AC was disconnected.

I'm thinking he actually had a battery connected because teacher # 1 told him not to take it out or let anyone else see it, but it got the attention of teacher #2 when it beeped (or maybe beeped continuously?).

yeap Mine upstairs does that. It's in case the power goes out your alarm clock wills till go off.

I also agree that he just yanked everything out of a clock. This is something i expect young kids with some extra cash, tools and a interest of electronics to do. I did the same thing when i was younger. heck my son has done it too..though he couldn't get it back together yet. heh

 

[ControlD]

yeap Mine upstairs does that. It's in case the power goes out your alarm clock wills till go off.

I also agree that he just yanked everything out of a clock. This is something i expect young kids with some extra cash, tools and a interest of electronics to do. I did the same thing when i was younger. heck my son has done it too..though he couldn't get it back together yet. heh

You should call the police on him. You know, just in case.

 

[Enigmoid]

He said he threw it together in 20 minutes.

Which of course begs the question why he thought this was so great that it justified bringing it in to school.

 

[mikeymikec]

He said he threw it together in 20 minutes.

Which of course begs the question why he thought this was so great that it justified bringing it in to school.

It does? Let a kid tinker. Let them show off the tinkering. Their interest might grow into something useful to them in future. No justification required.

 

[Aharami]

So I'm "scared" because I don't blame them for checking it out?

I'm glad they didn't over-react and evacuate the school or call a bomb disposal team to detonate his clock. I couldn't be more pleased with their restraint in the way they handled it.

Talked to the kid. It's over.

WRONG! Talked to the kid, handcuffed him, took him to the police station, denied him his rights to have an attorney or his parents present while being interrogated, and detained him in a juvenile facility without allowing him to call his parents.

Way to ignore the facts when they don't suit your twisted "logic". But like I said earlier, you and your brother likely realize this and are doing it on purpose to troll the forum. In that case, hats off to you sir. But beware that you and your bother are now known as the forum bigots, however logical you think your reasoning is.

 

[Exterous]

Waggy's. Don't blame me if you can't follow. You injected yourself when I called out his contradiction.

WTH are you talking about? YOU interjected yourself into Ichinisan and my discussion. I never quoted Waggy nor responded to any of his posts or your posts about him. I did respond to your post responding to mine. Try to keep up

We're talking about a momentary beaureaucratic administrative status to explain why he wasn't in class while he wasn't simply absent.

Momentary?

The school later suspended Ahmed for three days

Ahmed Mohamed’s three day suspension for bringing a homemade clock to school ended Thursday

:hmm: Do you really consider 3 days momentary in this case or is it that reading comprehension thing again?

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/17/us/texas-student-ahmed-muslim-clock-bomb/index.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/09/18/dad-ahmed-mohamed-wont-returning-public-high-school/72380158/

And you can explain an absence from class without using a status of Suspension. That category would be 'Excused Absence'. A suspension is a disciplinary status.

I've been beaten with a wooden paddle and suspended for talking in the hallway while waiting in line. I was a good kid, but they handed out demerits to me for absolutely nothing. I was suspended more than once for similar circumstances.

Yes because tangentially related anecdotal stories totally belong in this discussion.

 

[steppinthrax]

I don't think he made or constructed, the PCB himself.

It was probably taken out of a bought digital clock, and put into the new case.

We all have to start/learn electronics from somewhere. So I have to congratulate him for starting out in electronics like that.

Clock made out of old clock bits, today.
Breadboarding his own simple circuits, in 6 months.
Designing his own circuits, perhaps next year.

Who knows where he will end up. Some people stop at the early stages (like you seem to be describing for yourself), whereas others make a complete lifetime career out of it.

I would have normally used my crystal ball, to predict when and how his career would turn out. But unfortunately while I was bringing it back home. It got mistaken for a (hoax) bomb, and was confiscated.

I'm speaking from a perspective of a 14 yo kid.....

Yeah, he did solder it. In my case I went on to a Computer Science program (both B.S. and M.S.). I'm making a little over 230K. In the process of starting my own fed contracting company.

I've kept track of most of my H.S. alumni on Facebook.......

I don't need to discuss their lives further LOL...

 

[ControlD]

I'm speaking from a perspective of a 14 yo kid.....

Yeah, he did solder it. In my case I went on to a Computer Science program (both B.S. and M.S.). I'm making a little over 230K. In the process of starting my own fed contracting company.

I've kept track of most of my H.S. alumni on Facebook.......

I don't need to discuss further LOL...

Pfft. 230k? You should be hanging out at Tom's Hardware. This is ATOT.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

I would say the Typical Texan is pretty stupid. You show them a capacitor in a bag from radio shack and they will think that is a BOMB.

I always dreamed this, but pretty much didn't have the understanding.

Fixed

I'm speaking from a perspective of a 14 yo kid.....

Yeah, he did solder it. In my case I went on to a Computer Science program (both B.S. and M.S.). I'm making a little over 230K. In the process of starting my own fed contracting company.

I've kept track of most of my H.S. alumni on Facebook.......

I don't need to discuss their lives further LOL...

Oh shit it makes sense now...you're that guy who was talking about buying property while claiming you make all this money aren't you?

 

[Ichinisan]

When a teacher thinks there's a hoax bomb, the only proper, acceptable action is...do absolutely nothing at all? Any sort of precaution is simply going too far, it seems.

 

[Ichinisan]

... beware that you and your bother are now known as the forum bigots, however logical you think your reasoning is.

Who am I bigoted toward? Anyone that might be accused of making a hoax bomb? For the sake of the kid, I'm very thankful he didn't get into much bigger trouble than he did.