While it doesn’t seem so bad out there from where I’m sitting…in my sweats and robe in front of my space heater…the general consensus is that the cold temperatures are enough to convince the powers that be that they’d prefer to stay home rather than brave the mean, icy streets tonight.

Legion is also unavailable for Locksport! this evening so it seems like it’s a good night to cancel all around.

Stay home. No one will be at Denhac.

If you haven’t been out for one of our Saturday afternoon Open Houses, you really ought to make a point to come by. The weather has been beautiful the last couple of weeks and we’ve had lots of members and visitors hanging out, asking questions, and socializing before, during, and after class. It’s a lot of fun!

Now! This is what we’ve got going on this week…

Tuesday, April 9, 8 p.m:  Weekly Open House. RSVP on Meet Up. Please note: They are predicting yet another spring snowstorm will hit Denver on Tuesday producing a significant amount of snow in the area. Please check to make sure we have not canceled before heading up to the space.

Tuesday, April 9, 8 p.m: Locksport! Our monthly gathering of lock enthusiasts led by the infamous Legion. Never picked a lock and afraid to try? If I can do it, you can too! RSVP on Meet Up.

Thursday, April 11, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m: Work from Denhac Day. RSVP on Meet Up.

Saturday, April 13, Noon – 5 p.m: Open House and BBQ. Everyone welcome!

Saturday, April 13, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m, in the classroom: Intro to Personal InfoSec Basics with Hoopes - More and more, people are putting personal information out onto the internet in a variety of places and in different ways. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn are just some of the frequently used websites on which we’re exposed and potentially vulnerable. This class is designed to help you learn ways in which you can protect yourself and your information from harm while still enjoying the chaos of the web. RSVP on Meet Up.

Saturday, April 13, 5:30 – 7 p.m: All Member Meeting - Our regularly scheduled monthly meeting to give our members a chance to mix, mingle, snack, and talk business.

Unless otherwise noted, all classes and events are free, open to the public, and kid friendly. Come check us out! We’d love to meet you!

Last week, during our weekly Tuesday night open house, a reporter and photographer from The Denver Post came by, took photos, and interviewed several people about what we do. The subsequent article and photos can be found here.

It was a lovely write up of what we’re all about. Check it out!

And thanks, Denver Post, for coming by and keeping an open mind.

Denhac = Not Scary.

Denhac = A Really Cool Place to Be.

Now that March has, hopefully, taken its lion-like self and made a hasty exit, it’s time to get down to spring business including the re-schedule of some March events that got postponed.

April special events / classes:

Tuesday, 4/2: Radio Heads, 8 p.m, in the classroom – This installment of Radio Heads includes a special presentation by Tvoid who will give an SDR 101 overview. So if you’re new to software defined radio and want to get involved but are afraid you don’t know enough to jump right in, this is a great opportunity for you to get your feet wet.  RSVP on Meet Up.

Saturday, 4/6: Intro to Asterisk with Acr0nym, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m, in the classroom – What is Asterisk? Asterisk is a free and open source framework for building communications applications. It is “like a box of Legos for people who want to create communications applications. It includes all the building blocks needed to create a PBX, an IVR system, a conference bridge and virtually any other communications app you can imagine.”

In this 2-hour course, Acr0nym will give us an introductory look at what it is, what it does, and how to get started. He may even regale you with the story of how he took down the entire call center on his second day of the job. (I’ll probably be in trouble for mentioning that.) RSVP on Meet Up.

Sunday, 4/7: Denhac Dojo: Coding Club for Kids, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. - RE-SCHEDULED FROM MARCH 23! The result of our organizational meeting in March and inspired by the code.org project, we’ll be having a hands on workshop for all student age kids during which we’ll be demonstrating the MaKey MaKey and then teaching kids how to code a program in Scratch to apply to the MaKey MaKey. All students 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. RSVP on Meet Up.

Tuesday, 4/9: Locksport, 8 p.m, in the main room – Our monthly gathering of lock enthusiasts led by the infamous Legion. Never picked a lock and afraid to try? If I can do it, you can too! RSVP on Meet Up.

Locksport!

Saturday, 4/13: Intro to Personal InfoSec Basics with Hoopes, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m, in the classroom – More and more, people are putting personal information out onto the internet in a variety of places and in different ways. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn are just some of the frequently used websites on which we’re exposed and potentially vulnerable. This class is designed to help you learn ways in which you can protect yourself and your information from harm while still enjoying the chaos of the web. RSVP on Meet Up.

Saturday, 4/13: All Member Meeting, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. - Our regularly scheduled monthly meeting to give our members a chance to mix, mingle, snack, and talk business.

Tuesday, 4/16: Radio Heads, 8 p.m, in the classroom – A group created to explore different aspects of software defined radio. Topics to be addressed include both the reception and transmission of RF signals, the processing of data captured from the ether, cell phone networks, and ham radio. This is a group, not a class. There is no instructor. Just a handful of similarly minded people trying to learn something at roughly the same time. If you have a pet project you think might apply to this group feel free to propose it. RSVP on Meet Up.

Friday, 4/19: dc303, 7 p.m, in the classroom – The local defcon group for Denver. I dunno exactly what they do. They’re very serious. They kinda scare me. Naw, they’re good guys. Uh…I think. Mostly. Tilver’s nice in any event. So if you’re interested in Capture The Flag (CTF) type stuff, stop by. I’m fairly certain no one there has eaten a human liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Uh…fairly certain.

Saturday, 4/20: Intro to Video Production, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m, in the classroom – RE-SCHEDULED FROM MARCH! One of our fabulous members, Andy (aka Toast), has graciously offered to give a crash course on the basics of producing quality video. Whether you want to learn how to capture your cat in the next viral LOL video or how to edit your master’s thesis presentation down into a TED talk, Toast is your guy. He’s also the guy who can teach you how to master the art of aggressive inline skating…but that’s another class for when it’s warmer…and for when I’m way braver. RSVP on Meet Up.

Saturday, 4/27: Intro to Guitar, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m, in the classroom – RE-SCHEDULED FROM MARCH! Madstringer is back for another go at fulfilling our dreams of becoming the next greatest rock god…or, you know, at least give us a fighting chance at Rock Band. If you’ve got a guitar – accoustic or electric, either is fine – bring it with you. If not, Stringer’s got a number of guitars people can use during class on which to learn. RSVP on Meet Up.

Saturday, 4/27: Costuming Basics with Bete Noire, 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m, in the classroom - Part one of an irregular series. It’s coming up on Con season! And to help us get in the spirit of costuming, Bete Noire, the Tiny Dynamo, will be in the house to give us a crash course on costuming. She’ll cover basic costuming awareness, repurposing/recycling, and how to steal like a pro. She’ll also have some kind of make-and-do project that’s small and hands-on, so people can have something to take home. Whether she’s dressing up for a steampunk masquerade, a post-apocalyptic warrior as part of the entertainment for Wasteland Weekend, or a USO entertainer for the WWII ball, Bete is a world-class costumer. This class is bound to be good! RSVP on Meet Up.

Tuesday, 4/30: Monthly Denhac Board Meeting, 7 p.m, in the classroom – The monthly board meeting where we make business decisions and try not to talk over the top of each other. Open to the public.

As usual, the calendar is subject to change. There are nearly always additions throughout the month and we’ll be updating the calendar and the website with more information as it becomes available so be sure to check back each week for new announcements.

Please note: While we are very excited for CiGDA, we are sad to say they have moved their meet ups to a larger space at the north campus of Westwood College due to a huge increase in participation. We wish them well and hope to collaborate with them often in the future!

Weekly events:

Every Tuesday: Open House. A night for members and non-members alike to come hang out with like-minded folk, take a tour, and find out what Denhac is all about.

Every Thursday: Work from Denhac Day. Do you work from home and need a break from your partner, your kid, your cat, and/or the deep, dark recesses of your idle mind? Come work at Denhac where there’s a water cooler and company but no cubicles or cats.

Every Saturday afternoon: Open House. Another opportunity for members and non-members to come hang out with like-minded folk, take a tour, and find out what Denhac is all about. Plus, every Saturday through the warm months, we’ll be throwing open the bay door and firing up the grill through the afternoon.

If you want to stay abreast of all things Denhac, consider liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, joining us on Meet Up, or circling us on Google +.

Yesterday afternoon, Denhac received some highly anticipated, fabulous news!

In the mail, there was a letter from the IRS…an official letter awarding us the highly coveted 501(c)(3) charitable organization designation. While Denhac has always been a not-for-profit organization, we’ve been subject to income and sales tax on our day-to-day operations. Early on, we joined with School Factory – an amazing organization created to support and organize spaces just like Denhac – who was able to help us receive tax deductible donations over $250…for a fee. We gladly accepted their help and are grateful for the support they’ve provided us during the first few years of existence.

But now! Now we are able to solicit and receive tax deductible donations ourselves. We are able to qualify for sales tax exemption. We are able to do so much more because we have been recognized as a legitimate charitable organization! This means that every penny we receive through member dues and donations goes right back into the space! It goes toward equipment, classes, and events. Every cent goes back to you guys…our community…in making Denhac even better.

WOO HOO!

Consequently, we’re in the mood to celebrate! And there seems to be no end to things we should celebrate lately…the 501(c)(3) designation, the new options for membership, the lack of snow predicted for this weekend, the start of spring and sunlit hours later. Pick a reason!

SO!

This Saturday, March 30, during open house from noon to 5, Denhac will throw open the bay door, let the spring air in, fire up the grill, and get our first grilled grub on of the season. We’ll have burgers, veggie burgers, dogs, chips, dips, and cookies plus the refrigerator will be stocked with condiments and drinks. Bring a dish if you’d like to contribute a BBQ party fave. Or don’t. We’ve got the basics covered.

Of course, donations are encouraged but not necessary.

What we really want is for you to come! We would sincerely just love to have you join the festivities around achieving this latest, greatest milestone.

So…come by! What are you waiting for?

PS I’d like to apologize for my overuse of the exclamation point in this post. I am just so excited!!! Heh.

After several lengthy discussions, the board of directors at Denhac, are pleased to announce, for the first time ever in Denhac history, the introduction of two new membership types in addition to our standard membership!

Effective immediately, Denhac has the following membership types available:

Student: $25 per month with a valid student ID. You must be 18 years of age or older and enrolled at a college, trade school, or technical institute in order to qualify.

Standard Individual: $50 per month. This is our standard membership fee.

Household/Family: $75 per month. This membership type allows all family members living at the same address who are 18 years of age or older individual access to the space. Family members include immediate family members and significant others only. Each person will need to complete and sign membership paperwork in order to qualify.

What do these memberships include? Members get the benefit of 24 hour access to the space; use of shared equipment including the Lulzbot 3D printer, the sewing station, soldering equipment, and more; input on future purchases, station creation, classes, and events; inclusion on the members only e-mail list; eligibility to serve on the board and make major decisions for the space; and dedicated storage for ongoing projects.

Other membership types are under consideration and we hope to be able to offer even more flexible options in the future. For now though, we hope these added membership types will give more people an opportunity to join our growing community!

If you have questions, want a tour, or would like more information on becoming a member,  stop by any Tuesday evening after 8 p.m, any Saturday afternoon until 5 p.m, or e-mail us at contact (at) denhac (dot) org.