this isn’t a hack or anything, you guys are just linking to instructables now. the 3915 has been known for forever as something simple to use as a vu meter. come on post something worthwhile or close doors and shut down. since this new let’s be engadget/gizmodo lite thing happened you guys have really started posting stuff from the bottom of the barrel.

Posted at 8:21 pm on Jul 2nd, 2008 by h_2_o

A hack implies using something for an unintended use, the LM3914/5/6 was *designed* for this exact purpose. If we want slashdot or engadjet, we’d go there, filter a little more please

Posted at 8:55 pm on Jul 2nd, 2008 by aonomus

Yeah…I googled the part number…it returned “The LM3916 is a monolithic integrated circuit that senses analog voltage levels and drives ten LEDs, LCDs or vacuum fluorescent displays, providing an electronic version of the popular VU meter.” ….

Posted at 10:18 pm on Jul 2nd, 2008 by rastapopulous

You could also try pulling one out of an old tape deck- I picked up one for $5 which had a functional VU meter inside (7666p based), along with a bunch of other cool motors and things. Here is a quick write-up:

http://www.cibomahto.com/?s=vu+

Posted at 2:29 am on Jul 3rd, 2008 by Matt

Too right guys…. I’ve already been to Engadget and Gizmodo, I don’t need to read the same articles a third time. How about showing us some hacks ?

Posted at 3:35 am on Jul 3rd, 2008 by quasi

Not only is this not a hack, but the design for such a beast is available at the end of the chip’s datasheet itself! The guy even entered it into the Robot contest on Instructables… hell, I’m going to copy some circuit verbatim from the datasheet and enter it into contests to win prizes against those who put some real blood, sweat, and tears into a custom design.

Posted at 8:15 am on Jul 3rd, 2008 by MacGyver

Unbunch your panties and man up for five minutes will ya?

Save the drama for rendezvous with rama.

Posted at 9:23 am on Jul 3rd, 2008 by strider_mt2k

Golly, a LM3915, it has only been around for like FOREVER!

This isn’t instructables.com! This isn’t I-am-a-electronics-idiot.com

This is hackaday! posts some gorram hacks already!

Posted at 10:06 am on Jul 3rd, 2008 by mace

This can be summed up in one word: LAME. I remember playing with that chip 30 years ago, when I was in high school.

Posted at 10:38 am on Jul 3rd, 2008 by JB

Let’s all use this one opportunity of a poor article to prove our superior intellect by pointing out the weakness in others.

“the day you think you know everything about anything is the day when you stop learning”

i never would hire anybody with such arrogance.

Posted at 11:53 am on Jul 3rd, 2008 by Zero

I suppose I ought to make the obligatory pedantic comment and point out that this is a level meter, but it’s not technically a VU meter. VU meters have a fairly specific dynamic response.

Posted at 11:55 am on Jul 3rd, 2008 by Orv

To be fair the new content has started to improve. Theres been some intersting stuff and some teribly out of place stuff. Lets hope this is just teething, and we’ll level out some where half decent.
This post falls into the out of place category. Its like going up to bunch Head Chefs and saying “Hay check out this egg I boiled!”

Posted at 1:13 pm on Jul 3rd, 2008 by f00 f00

The LM3914 used as a proportional fan driver with optional temperature display.

http://ozvalveamps.elands.com/techsite/thermofan/thermofan.htm

Posted at 2:21 pm on Jul 3rd, 2008 by Roly

Come on, this isn’t a hack at all. Prehaps, the LM3915 it’s very very old, and i think most of we know how to drive it.

If you’ll go this way, you’ve to get a domain like instructable-a-day.com or ad-a-day.com

Juan Aguilar, i don’t know you, but i know that YOU are getting hackaday down and down each day…

Saludos desde Argentina.

Posted at 2:39 pm on Jul 3rd, 2008 by DriX

Yes it is a very old circuit. I even modified this circuit to use as a voltmeter in one of my cars.
Maybe calling it a hack isn’t correct, but it is usefull anyway. Maybe you need another category called “old but fun crap”.

Posted at 2:53 pm on Jul 3rd, 2008 by Stephen Kuhl

Batteries + Wires /= Hack

Posted at 5:33 pm on Jul 3rd, 2008 by Solenoidclock