Everyone is familiar with paracord bracelets – the cleverly woven wearable survival device that instantly unravels into many meters of useful and super strong nylon cord in case of necessity. These are useful for outdoorsy types, but what if you are an indoorsy type with a lot of electronic emergencies? Or a geek in need of a bright wrist decoration that shows off your geekness?

The Solarbotics Repairacord™ Electronics Survival Bracelet is what you need (complimentary pun included). Woven using traditional quick-release paracord weaves, it unravels in seconds, but instead of a regular electronically-inept nylon cord, it packs about 1.2m (4′) of a high-quality 24-gauge 40-strand silicon wire. It can easily carry up to 2Amps, is wonderfully flexible and surprisingly wearable against the skin.

But should we say (infomercial style) wait – there’s more! What good is wire if you can’t utilize it properly? For ultimate electronics confidence, you’ll find inside of each bracelet’s core a payload sleeve containing a 15cm (6″) length each of 3mm heat shrink and solder.

bracelet-IMG_1301

Now the only thing that you need is something to solder with. Out in the urban (or not so urban) jungle it could be a coin or a bare nail, which we have successfully tried.

So with Repairacord™ on your wrist, you are ready to repair the world – if you need to.

Features:

choice of 17.8, 20.3 and 22.9cm lengths (7″, 8″ and 9″ respectively)
3 styles:
- All wire
- Hybrid (combination wire/paracord weave)
- Armoured (wire is safely protected within the woven paracord sleeve)
2 quick release designs: sinnet and snake
… and endless color combinations!

Each bracelet features:

1.2M (~4’) of 24AWG, 40-strand tinned wire in a super flexible silicone insulator
Up to 1.4M (~4.5’) of 550 LB Type III paracord (depending on the style/weave)
16cm (~6”) of 1/8″ heat shrink and lead-free solder in hollow paracord payload sheathe.

Wearability:

We’ve been wear-testing several models for many months with great success, with each style offering their own set of characteristics:

The “All-wire” version is the most compact, but the silicone does start to show minor signs of abrasion after approximately 3 months continuous wear. And there’s only the 16cm paracord payload sheathe to use for rope-work.

Advantages: Lots of wire in tidy package
Disadvantages: Only a minimum of hollow paracord for rope-work. Takes most effort to disassemble due to silicone’s friction. Exposed wire shows signs of wear sooner than other models.

The “Hybrid” version blends the two different diameters of media together in a very visually appealing combination. It sits on your wrist with more visual presence than the “All-wire” version, taking advantage of the additional colors paracord offers. It also protects the exposed silicone wire much better, as the full type-III paracord makes up most of the exposed area.

Advantages: Over 1M of true 550lb paracord available in addition to 2M of wire. Is visually the most pleasing.
Disadvantages: Bulkier than “All-wire” model.

The “Armoured” model takes the most effort to create, as we replace the internals of the paracord with the silicone wire. This makes for a bracelet almost indistinguishable from a traditional paracord survival bracelet, and fully protects the wire from any abrasion.

Advantages: Most traditional in appearance. Most robust. Disassembles into strands the quickest.
Disadvantages: Bulkiest bracelet. Takes an extra step to extract the wire out of the paracord sheathe after disassembly. No full paracord used – only the 200lb sheathes for paracord applications. No obvious “geek factor” visible!

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. “But you were just closed for, like, a bajillion days for Maker Faire!!” And yes, you’d be right. Except for the bajillion part – that’s just getting carried away.

Solarbotics (and HVW Tech) will be closed tomorrow (July 1st), and Friday (July 3rd). Standard rules apply – you can still place orders, send email, and leave phone messages while we’re closed. Shipping and correspondance will resume on Thursday and then again on Monday.

And what’s the reason for these crazy, crazy schedules? While Canada Day and the annual Cowboy Hick Fest make convenient excuses, the truth is that we’re taking this opportunity to do some major organizing and renovations around the office. We apologize for any immediate inconvenience, but these improvements will benefit everyone in the long run. Just you wait and see – once Monday rolls around, we’ll be a leaner, meaner ~~Oscar Meyar Weiner~~ robot sellin’ machine. In the mean time, we wish all our fellow Cunucks a Happy Canada Day and all our friendly neighbours to the south a fantastic July 4th.

Hey there every peoples! Just a quick heads up for you – We will be closed on Monday, May 18th for Victoria Day. The standard rules apply – go ahead and place orders and send emails and leave phone messages. Normal hours will resume on Tuesday the 19th, when we’ll process/ship orders and respond to any correspondence we’ve received. Have a great May Long Weekend, everyone!

We will be so emotionally moved by the celebration of GPS Day tomorrow (the 14th) that we’ll be taking Monday, February 16th off to recuperate. Go ahead and place orders or send emails – we’ll get right back to you and continue shipping on Tuesday when we resume all business as usual. If you want to phone us up on Monday to say hello, however, you’ll be directed to our answering machine. It likes to have a good conversation every once in a while too, you know.

Have a good weekend everyone!

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the shop
Not a creation was stirring (except the Turbot!).
All robots had been packed and shipped with care,
With hope, to their destination, they soon would be there. The bosses and staff were heading home straight
To settle down to gift wrapping, probably ’til late.
When out in the alley, there arose a great a noise
A man in a red suit yelled, “We need some help boys!” “You see Rudolph here,
Is a mighty fine deer,
But the light in his nose
Has gone out I fear!” “We made it as far as your shop
Before his nose stopped.
With all of your parts and ‘bots
Maybe you could help us a lot?” So Dave in his hat (set in determination),Made calls to suppliers across the nations.The deliveries of parts came by couriers of fameAnd he whooped and cheered and called them by name.“On Fed Ex! On Canada Post! Go Purolator! Go UPS!” While the couriers helped Santa loosen his load,Solarbotics worked to fix Rudolph’s nose(trust us…load and nose rhyme)But what could we use, what would it be? “Eureka!” Kathy shouted, “We’ll convert a PummLantern LED!” Work on Rudolph’s solar powered nose had begun.As everyone knows reindeer fly with the sun.With design commenced on the nasal replacement,The laser cut out the LED encasement. With the laser finished humming and the lantern now “pumming”Santa leapt to his seat and grabbed hold the reins,Shouting “Happy Holidays to all, we’re on our way again!” From the crew at Solarbotics,Happy Holidays and a Peaceful New Year.

Hey everyone – if you’re still scrambling to find that certain something for that certain somebody we might just have what you’re looking for.

For a limited time when you purchase a HexPummer Lantern we’ll throw in a bonus shell for FREE. You’ll get to choose the colour and theme for two lantern shells/sleeves so that you can have one for different moods or seasons or whims.

We’ve also brought back the popular Solar Cell Bundle! This neat pack includes two each of the SCC3766, SCC3733, and SCC2433B-MSE. At $31.50 for the six cells, you’ll save 20% off of buying them individually. This too is a special deal and won’t be around forever, so nab it while you can.

If ye`re wonderin’ what be goin’ on at Solarbotics today, ’tis “Talk Like a Pirate Day“. We`re big fans o’ this holiday, so if ye want a 5% discount on yer order, call ‘t in an’ TALK LIKE A SEAFARIN’ HEARTY!

Remember, ya gots to be talkin’ like a an ol’ scalwag to get the booty! And it be only fer today, me heartys!

Solarbotics and HVW Tech will be closed Monday June 30th in lieu of Canada Day.We will be open again on Tuesday July 1st, and will be answering your calls, emails and general supplications – but will not be shipping as our couriers will not be picking up or delivering that day.

Solarbotics and HVW Tech will be open on Friday July 4th with limited staff in the morning as we make our annual trek to the world famous Calgary Stampede parade!

Well, a tax break, who would’ve thought…. Though I did see a pig flying recently.

For all you Canadians, you can now order and pay only the 5% GST – even before January 1st!

Oh, and we won’t be open on the 31st as we’ll all be too busy preparing for our respective New Years bashes!

Happy New Year to all our customers, distributors and suppliers from the Solarbotic/HVWTech staff!

Check out the Videos!
and the new Vivisection Page at Solarbotics.net

NEW B.I.O. BUGS FROM HASBRO’S WOWWEE TOY
MIMIC REAL BUGS

Advanced “Nervous Networks” Technology Creates
Next Generation of “Intelligent Toys”

NEW YORK – February 12, 2001 – The WowWee Toy division of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) today introduced the first toy line to incorporate advanced “nervous network” technology. New B.I.O. Bugs (Bio-mechanical Integrated Organisms), the hit of last month’s Hong Kong Toy Fair, are robotic bugs that can autonomously act by themselves, come and go as they please, identify friend or foe and have the ability to avoid or climb over obstacles in their path.

“B.I.O. Bugs is the most innovative product I’ve seen all year,” says Mike Normann, buyer at Toys ‘R Us. “Its advanced technology will enable the line to grow every year.”

‘Nervous network’ technology was developed ten years ago and is used by the U.S. government to create robotic living creatures. ‘Nervous net’ is to a body what a spine is to an organism, serving to connect functions together.
B.I.O. Bugs marks the first time that the technology will be used in a toy. ‘Nervous networks’ takes your basic toy bug to the next level and enables B.I.O. Bugs to mimic real insect behavior. They give kids the power to play with other bugs, other toys and unsuspecting humans.

B.I.O. Bugs will react to outside stimuli – a wall, another B.I.O. Bug, even your foot – and change or modify its behavior accordingly. Will it turn right or left, move forward, climb or retreat? B.I.O. Bugs are always in motion and determine what they want to do. Just like real bugs, Bio Bugs are unpredictable.

“B.I.O. Bugs decide what they want to do because they are just like real bugs only without the tissue, with a battery as a heart and ‘nervous network’ technology acting as its brain,” says Peter Yanofsky, president of WowWee Toys.

BIO BUGS FACTS

Left to their own devices, B.I.O. Bugs first instinct is to survive – at all cost. B.I.O. Bugs adapt to surprising changes in situations and environment. However, if you don’t want to let your B.I.O. Bugs act autonomously, you can control their action with a wrist transmitter. Special ‘follow me’ technology even enables them to follow you around.

There are four different B.I.O. Bugs species. Each one is a different color – red, blue, green or yellow – and comes with its own transmitter. Color is key in this “21st century eco-system” because it defines the specific characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of each bug. For example, a green B.I.O. Bug has the ability to operate over rough terrain while a yellow bug moves quickest over smooth surfaces.

To keep their strength and power, B.I.O. Bugs have to occasionally ‘feed’. To do so, they return to their transmitter which acts as a feeding station, homing beacon and manual control. And, they can ‘snack’ off any household item which emits infrared technology like a TV remote or florescent lighting. So, if you’re watching TV and go to change the channel with the remote, any B.I.O. Bug in the vicinity will follow the source and move toward you. Imagine mom in the kitchen using the microwave finding her swarmed by a herd of Bio Bugs!

Ages: 6 years and up
Approximate Retail Price: $ 39.99
Availability: September 2001

Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, SUPER SOAKER, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.