Iffy Books | 404 S. 20th St., PHL

👻 Wi-Fi Tricks with Ghost ESP
2025-05-24 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-06 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-06-07 10:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
If you’re interested in learning about wi-fi and Bluetooth networking but you can’t afford a Flipper Zero, this workshop is for you! Ghost ESP is a network analysis/testing tool that can run on a low-cost ESP32 microcontroller, as well as variants including the ESP32-C3. Ghost ESP offers wi-fi scanning, custom SSID beacons, captive portal mode, BLE scanning, and even deauth attacks (for demo/testing purposes).
It’s super easy to get started! In this workshop we’ll install Ghost ESP on our ESP32 & ESP32-C3 devices using the ESPressoFlash web flasher. Then we’ll interact with Ghost ESP using the Ghost ESP web serial console or the Arduino IDE.
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

✏️ The Writing Room
2025-05-27 17:00 - 19:30, 2025-06-03 17:00 - 19:30, 2025-06-10 17:00 - 19:30 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Come co-work with other writers in three 40-minute units of silent writing. Writers and projects of any type welcome. 10-minute breaks and accountability check-ins between units. BYO coffee, water, computer chargers, notepads, etc.

🎸 T̶h̶r̶a̶s̶h̶ ̶B̶o̶t̶ ̶W̶o̶r̶k̶s̶h̶o̶p̶ (Saturday!)
2025-05-28 13:00 - 15:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
This workshop has been postponed ’til Saturday the 31st. Sorry for the inconvenience!

🪐 Speculative Futures Reading Group: 'Piranesi' by Susanna Clarke
2025-05-28 19:00 - 20:30
The Speculative Futures Reading Group meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m.

❤️ Soldering Practice: LED Heart Board
2025-05-29 12:00 - 13:30 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Come out and get some soldering practice! This time we’re making a heart-shaped board with 22 LEDs, using an oscillator circuit to dim and brighten them at the speed you choose.
This project is ideal for folks who have soldered at least once before. Beginners are welcome to join us, but it may take you more than one session to finish. Working with a friend is encouraged!
The kit you’ll need to complete this project costs $5.50. We’re suggesting a $10–25 donation for the class, no one turned away for lack of funds.
➡️ Link to instructions
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

🔥 Solder & Gab
2025-05-29 16:30 - 18:30 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Join us every other Thursday from 4:30 to ̶7̶:̶0̶0̶ ̶p̶.̶m̶. 6:30 p.m. for a social soldering session at Iffy Books! Everyone’s welcome, from dabblers to experts. Bring a project you’ve been meaning to work on, or pick a beginner kit off the shelf and get started. We’ll have a dozen or so soldering irons available to share.
No registration needed for now! We’re suggesting a $5–$10 donation for materials.

🎵 C̶a̶s̶s̶e̶t̶t̶e̶ ̶M̶i̶x̶t̶a̶p̶e̶ ̶S̶e̶s̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ (canceled)
2025-05-30 11:00 - 12:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
̶B̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶y̶l̶i̶s̶t̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶p̶h̶o̶n̶e̶/̶c̶o̶m̶p̶u̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶w̶e̶’̶l̶l̶ ̶h̶e̶l̶p̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶r̶e̶c̶o̶r̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶u̶d̶i̶o̶ ̶c̶a̶s̶s̶e̶t̶t̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶p̶e̶.̶ ̶W̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶p̶l̶e̶n̶t̶y̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶a̶p̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶h̶a̶r̶e̶!̶
Something came up and we had to cancel this one. We apologize for the inconvenience!

📡 Meshtastic 101
2025-05-30 15:00 - 17:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Join us for an introduction to Meshtastic, an application that lets you send private text messages over the air using pocket-sized LoRa radio transceivers. We’ll show you how to flash the latest Meshtastic firmware to the device, customize the settings, and start chatting with your friends.
Here’s a link to our zine on LoRa + Meshtastic.
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

🎸 Thrash Bot Workshop
2025-05-31 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-04 11:15 - 12:30 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
We’re making guitar-playing robots with Pi Pico microcontrollers and 360° servo motors! We’ll provide soldering irons and supplies.
To complete this workshop you’ll need to buy a kit for $10. Here’s what’s included:
• RP2040/Pi Pico board
• 360° servo motor w/ attachments & screws
• tiny screwdriver
• micro USB cable w/data
• 6 header pins
• guitar string (11″)
• twist tie wire (5″)
• pattern for cardboard stand
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

🔁 Cassette Tape Loop Workshop
2025-06-04 10:00 - 11:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Learn to make physical audio loops with used cassette tapes! No experience needed.
For the workshop we’ll be using cassettes with screws in the corners, which are easier to take apart but less common than the ones fastened with glue. We’ll have regular cassette tapes for $1 each if you want to keep experimenting at home.
Register:

Step 1: Choose a used cassette tape.
Step 2: Rewind the tape and record a minute or two of music, your voice, and/or percussion sounds. Then eject it.
Step 3: At the bottom of the cassette there’s a small area where the magnetic tape is exposed. Use a paperclip or pencil to pull the tape out an inch or so, then cut the tape with scissors. The recording you just made is now on the smaller spool, while the bigger spool contains whatever was originally on the tape.
Step 4: If you’re using a glued-together cassette (no screws), carefully separate the plastic shells using a pry tool. Ask the instructor for help. If you have a cassette with screws, use a tiny screwdriver to unscrew all four corners.
Step 5: Print and assemble tape loop template.
Step 6: Cut several 9″–10″ lengths of cassette tape.
Step 7: Wrap a length of tape around your template tube and attach the ends with a tiny drop of superglue. To avoid using too much glue, you may want to apply it using the tip of a needle.
Step 8: Put your loop into a cassette shell and screw the corners together.
Step 9: Load the tape into a tape player and press play!

🔊 DIY Audio Meter Soldering Class
2025-06-04 13:00 - 16:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Join us for another beginner-friendly soldering project at Iffy Books! You’ll assemble a DIY audio meter kit, which you can use to visualize an audio signal’s amplitude.
To complete this project you’ll need to buy a kit for $7.95. We’re suggesting a $5–$20 donation for the class, no one turned away for lack of funds. We’ll provide soldering irons and solder.
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

🎵 Guitar Cable Soldering Class
2025-06-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Join us for a relatively quick and easy soldering workshop, suitable for total beginners! You’ll strip some wires and solder 1/4-inch plugs to the ends, creating your own guitar cable.
You can get a kit with 6 inches of cable for $4.25, or 4 feet for $13.50. We’re suggesting a $5–$15 donation for the class, notaflof.
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

🎲 Pico Game Timer & Dice Workshop
2025-06-05 11:15 - 12:30 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Learn to make a programmable game timer and dice with a Pi Pico microcontroller! First you’ll solder six LEDs, two switches, and a vibration motor to the board’s GPIO pins. Then you’ll install and customize the CircuitPython code that makes it work. No experience needed!
You’ll need to buy a kit for $9 to complete this project. Here’s what’s included:
• RP2040/Pi Pico Board
• 6 LED lights
• vibration motor
• 2 push button switches
• 4 screws
• 4 spacers
• wood base
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

❤️ LED Heart Soldering Class
2025-06-05 13:00 - 16:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Come out and get some soldering practice! This time we’re making a heart-shaped board with 22 LEDs, using an oscillator circuit to dim and brighten them at the speed you choose.
This project is ideal for folks who have soldered at least once before. Beginners are welcome to join us, but it may take you more than one session to finish. Working with a friend is encouraged!
The kit you’ll need to complete this project costs $5.50. We’re suggesting a $10–$25 donation for the class, no one turned away for lack of funds.
➡️ Link to instructions
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

🐍 Open Python + Linux Tutoring
2025-06-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Stay tuned for details!

🏠 Host a Website at Home
2025-06-06 13:00 - 16:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Join us for the workshop Host a Website at Home! You’ll learn to run a web server using nginx on a single-board computer, letting you host a website from your home internet connection.
We’ll have home server kits available for $52. Here’s what’s included:
• Orange Pi Zero 3 single-board computer
• Micro HDMI adapter cable
• 20W power supply w/ USB-C port
• 60W USB-C to USB-C power cable (6″)
• 2 rubber bands
• zip tie (4″)
Here’s what you’ll need at home:
• Monitor or TV w/ HDMI input
• micro SD card (16GB or larger)
• Ethernet cable • HDMI cable
• USB keyboard with USB-A plug
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

💻 Philly 2600 Meetup
2025-06-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
> The Philly 2600 meeting is a monthly gathering of local hackers, phreaks, nerds, geeks, activists, tinkerers, developers, infosec professionals, and other interesting people.

☀️ S̶o̶l̶a̶r̶ ̶M̶u̶s̶i̶c̶ ̶S̶y̶n̶t̶h̶ ̶W̶o̶r̶k̶s̶h̶o̶p̶ (moved to Thursday night!)
2025-06-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Something came up and we had to move this workshop to Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. Sorry for the inconvenience!
##
Join us and build a tiny solar-powered square wave generator on a breadboard. No soldering required! The workshop is free to attend, but you’ll need to purchase a kit for $12.50 to complete the project.
Here’s a link to the how-to zine we’ll use.
And here’s a diagram of the oscillator circuit we’ll build:

🎤 A̶u̶d̶i̶o̶ ̶E̶d̶i̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶R̶e̶a̶p̶e̶r̶
2025-06-11 11:15 - 12:30 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
We had to cancel this class due to a Kindergarten graduation. Sorry for the inconvenience! We’ll offer it again in two weeks.

🎶 Pico MP3 Sampler Workshop
2025-06-11 13:00 - 16:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Create your own digital audio sampler using a Pi Pico clone board! This project requires some soldering. It’s recommended for folks who have soldered once or twice before, but beginners are welcome too. For the programming portion, you can bring a laptop or use one of our lab computers.
You’ll need to buy a kit for $16.95 to complete this project. We’re suggesting a $10–25 donation for the workshop.
➡️ Instructions & example code
Here’s what’s included in the kit:
• RP2040/Pi Pico board
• wood block w/ pilot holes
• 3.5mm stereo jack w/ screw terminals
• 2×4 push button keypad
• 2 push button switches
• 10 screws
• tiny screwdriver
• 20 header pins
• 4.7 uF capacitor
• 9 port to port jumper wires
• 2 port to stripped jumper wires
• 1″ stripped wire
• 3″ tie wire
• 8 plastic spacer rings
• micro USB cable w/ data
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

⚙️ Neo-Luddite Reading Group: 'The Mechanic and the Luddite' by Jathan Sadowski
2025-06-11 18:30 - 20:30 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
➡️ Virtual Meetup Link
Discord: Email neoluddite@victorgom.es for an invite!
Full schedule: victorgom.es/neoluddite
If you’re joining for the first time, I’d suggest you read this before anything else for brief context: What the Luddites Really Fought Against by Richard Conniff.The only expectation is that you read the chapter(s) of the book that’s listed for that meeting. You’re still welcome to participate if you haven’t done the readings as long as you are mindful. For each chapter, I’ve also noted some optional readings for context, so I’d suggest checking those out rather than reading ahead in the book. And remember, if you ever find yourself struggling with any of the readings or concepts, reach out! Either directly to me over email or to the entire group over discord.

🚫 USB Data Blocker Soldering Class
2025-06-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Charging your phone in a public place can be stressful. What if someone is collecting your metadata for marketing purposes? What if they’re copying your files or installing malware? A USB data blocker can help! It’s a little adapter with the data terminals left disconnected, so you can charge your phone anywhere without fear.
This is a relatively quick soldering project, perfect for total beginners. We’ll have soldering irons and supplies to share.
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

📡 Meshtastic 101
2025-06-12 12:00 - 13:30 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Join us for an introduction to Meshtastic, an application that lets you send private text messages over the air using pocket-sized LoRa radio transceivers. We’ll show you how to flash the latest Meshtastic firmware to the device, customize the settings, and start chatting with your friends.
Here’s a link to our zine on LoRa + Meshtastic.
No registration needed for this one!

📻 FM Transmitter Soldering Class
2025-06-12 13:00 - 16:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Come out and get some soldering practice! This time we’re assembling a short-range FM transmitter kit with a built-in mic and a 1/8″ audio input jack.
This project is recommended for folks who have soldered at least once or twice before. If you’re brand new to soldering, we recommend taking a beginner class first.
Register:

• Transmission Distance: 5-50m
• Transmission Frequency: 88-108MHz
• Audio Input: -15dB (max)
• Operating Voltage: DC 2.7V-3.3V
• Operating Current: 5-15mA

🔥 Solder & Gab
2025-06-12 16:30 - 19:00 | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Join us every other Thursday from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. for a social soldering session at Iffy Books! Everyone’s welcome, from dabblers to experts. Bring a project you’ve been meaning to work on, or pick a beginner kit off the shelf and get started. We’ll have a dozen or so soldering irons available to share.
No registration needed for now! We’re suggesting a $5–$10 donation for materials.
