Q: What is Omega Verksted?
A: Omega Verksted (OV) is a student workshop for hobby electronics and other projects. Members of OV can use our facilities and equipment, as well as buy components and snacks. Omega Verksted is also a non-profit organization, consisting of a very active student group running the workshop (OV-Styret/The OV Board). Omega Verksted is a standalone organization and not a subgroup of Sct. Omega Broderskap.
Q: So Omega Verksted is the workshop for Electronics and Cybernetics students at NTNU?
A: Yes, but it's also open to anyone else.
Q: Who can become a member?
A: Anyone can become a regular member, i.e. a user. See Membership. If you are interested in becoming a member of the volunteer group running OV, see OV-Styret.
Q: What are the benefits of becoming a member?
A: All of this:
- Free coffee as long as you drink it at OV, otherwise cheap coffee to bring with you
- Access to buying from Omega Brus og Sjokolade (OBS), including frozen food, candy and various refreshments
- Access to buying components at reasonable prices
- Access to tools, instruments and equipment at the workshop
- Reduced prices for most Omega Verksted courses and events
- Lots of nice nerding and procrastination
Q: How do I become a member???
A: You pay a one-time membership fee of 200NOK. This will net you a lifetime membership of OV. In order to become a member, please visit Omega Verksted when open and contact a board member (just ask around to find one)
Q: When is OV open?
A: OV is open whenever someone from the board is present. You can visit omegav.no/door to see the current status of the door live, as well as statistics for the lasts day and month.
Q: Why are there always people at Omega Verksted?
A: A combination of lots of lovely people, an active social environment, free coffee, and everything you need in general results in many people preferring OV over their student dorms.
Q: How do I Solder?
A: See How to Solder.
Q: How do I pay for food or components?
A: To buy things at OV you must be a member (see above). However, non-members can buy components (not food) for at least 50 NOK. If you want to buy components worth less than 50kr, you can either add something else to your order or pay extra for what you already have. The main reason for this is that we want to avoid tons of tiny card payments, which cause unnecessary work for our volunteers. Members can make arbitrarily small purchases because they get a pre-paid account.
Q: Can I order specific components via OV that you don't have in stock?
A: Yes, if you are a member or member organization. Please see this page.
Q: Can Omega Verksted fix my tech/design my product/do this and that job for me?
A: In general Omega Verksted as an organization does not take on paid or unpaid jobs. Individual members of the board may decide to help you on their own terms. If you want someone to do substantial work for you such as electronics design, it is appropriate to offer compensation up front.
Q: Can you help me recruit someone for my organization/company/event from the OV community?
A: OV will not send unsolicited messages to its members. However, you can most likely hang up a poster. See this.
Q: Can I get an invoice for my organization?
A: Yes, organizations and companies can request an Invoice Account. However, this is only available if the organization intends to do purchases at OV multiple times. If not, it is probably easier to pay as a member and get a refund from the organization/company.
Q: I'm unhappy with the service/selection/tidiness/etc at Omega Verksted!
A: That's not a question. Also, please keep in mind that Omega Verksted is entirely run by volunteers. They take precious time out of their student schedules, for no material compensation, to make OV an awesome place. You are of course welcome to make constructive suggestions, which may or may not be followed up based on the availability of various resources such as volunteer time.
Questions We Wish Were Asked More Frequently (QWWWAMF)
Q: Is it okay to leave my garbage lying around at Omega Verksted?
A: No. We have all the recycling bins typically found in Norway available, please use them.
Q: Is it okay to borrow equipment or other stuff home or to other places on campus?
A: To borrow equipment outside of the workshop you must ask a board member and provide something valuable (to you) as security to ensure you will come back with it. There are pieces of equipment that cannot be borrowed outside the workshop except in special circumstances. This also applies to kitchen utensils like knives and forks. You are always welcome to use the equipment inside the workshop.