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I posted to hackaday.com

Monocle fixes webcam farsightedness

http://hackaday.com/2010/03/03/monocle-fixes-webcam-farsightedness/

[Vik Oliver] came up with a webcam focus fix that is so quick and simple we never would have thought of it. He received the webcam as a gift and mounted on an articulated lamp so that it could easily be positioned around his projects. The problem is the camera lacks a focus adjustment so the close-up shots were blurry.

In what we consider a eureka moment, he sourced a pair of dollar store reading glasses to fix the optics. The glasses came with their own mounting bracket. He clipped them in half and wrapped the wire ear support around the camera body. Great hacks don’t have to be complicated, and we need to do a better job of looking at the dollar store for project parts!
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- webcam
- dollar store
- reading glasses
March 3 2010, 3:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

FanWing is like a harvester in the sky

http://hackaday.com/2010/03/02/fanwing-is-like-a-harvester-in-the-sky/

The FanWing aircraft concept has been around for a while but this is the first time we’ve seen working models. It gets rid of the propeller and adopts a rotating cylinder for propulsion. The look reminds us of a combine harvester and in a way it does reap the air, pulling the craft through the sky. We’re not holding our breath for the decommission of jet propulsion in the wake of this method, but we’d love to see some fun-loving death from above whenever you can get your own off the ground. Check out the video clips after the break to see, and hear, this in action.

[Thanks I]
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- aircraft
- fanwing
- plane
March 2 2010, 3:19pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

WRT54GL, meet Alice

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/27/wrt54gl-meet-alice/

When it comes to routers, there is one that is hacker’s favorite, the WRT54GL. But a slightly lesser known company, Pirelli with their “Alice Gate2 plus Wi-Fi”, seems to be a popular choice among our Italian friends.

[Esteban] has done everything from installing serial and parallel ports, to unlocking firmware while installing Debian. Our personal favorite is the creative wiring of an additional USB port, where he had to custom create a power circuit to run his webcam and external drive.

[Thanks Marco]

[Update: It would appear Roleo, Beghiaro, and Zibri did the actual grunt work at ilpuntotecnicoeadsl and Esteban simply wrote the guides. Thanks for your hard work and hacking skills guys!]
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- debian
- usb
- serial
- parallel
- wrt54gl
- alice
- gate2 plus wifi
- unlock firmware
- webcame
February 27 2010, 10:26am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Is that some type of new Kindle?

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/22/is-that-some-type-of-new-kindle/
[Mr C Camacho] picked up an inexpensive digital picture frame hoping to hack into it. He hasn’t had the time to crack open the hardware so that it will do his bidding but he did find a creative way to make it an ebook reader. Using a python script he processes books, creating images of the pages.

The python script, available after the break, takes free books from Project Gutenburg and spits out JPG images. Page turning and bookmarking are not what they ought to be but the process does work. The thought of someone staring at a picture frame on the subway is a bit amusing but we’re sure that sooner or later someone will ask if it’s a new version of the Kindle.

Usage explanation from the developer:

./process.py book.txt 480 234 16 /usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-droid/DroidSansMono.ttf 10 7

param

1 book.txt the file name
2 480 native X resolution of picture frame
3 234 native Y resolution of picture frame
4 16 Number of vertical lines of text required
5 blah.ttf full path and name of a ttf font
6 10 font size to use for lines
7 7 font size for “page no x” at bottom of page

you’ll have to play with it to get it to work right for your size of screen

(its just a hack ;) )
The main thing to get right first is the font size of the width of the screen
from there you can work out the number of lines you can fit…
```
#!/usr/bin/python

import pygameimport sys

# ./process.py book.txt 480 234 16 /usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-droid/DroidSansMono.ttf 10 7

txtname=sys.argv[1]nativeX=int(sys.argv[2])nativeY=int(sys.argv[3])pagelines=int(sys.argv[4])fontname=sys.argv[5]fontsize=int(sys.argv[6])pagenosize=int(sys.argv[7])

f=open(txtname)

def cleanline(l): l=l.strip('\r') l=l.strip('\n') return l

pygame.init()screen = pygame.display.set_mode((nativeX, nativeY))lines=f.readlines()font = pygame.font.Font(fontname, fontsize)pfont = pygame.font.Font(fontname, pagenosize)

for ln in range(len(lines)/pagelines+1): background = pygame.Surface(screen.get_size()) background = background.convert() background.fill((255, 255, 255))

 for pl in range(16): if (ln*16+pl)<len(lines): line=cleanline(lines[ln*pagelines+pl]) text = font.render(line, 1, (0, 0, 0)) textpos = text.get_rect(x=4,y=pl*(nativeY/pagelines)) background.blit(text, textpos) text=pfont.render("Page "+str(ln+1),1,(0,0,0)) textpos=text.get_rect(x=8,y=nativeY-pagenosize) background.blit(text,textpos) screen.blit(background, (0, 0)) pygame.display.flip() fn="page%#05d" % (ln+1) pygame.image.save(background,fn+".jpg")
```
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- python
- digital picture frame
- ebook
- reader
February 22 2010, 12:25pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

RFID tracking system

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/20/rfid-tracking-system/

[Nicholas] built an active tracking system using RFID tags. The system’s tags operate in the 2.4 GHz band and are used to track either people or assets. The readers are on a mesh network and can triangulate the location of any tag for display on a map. His system is even set up to show the travel history of each tag. [Nicholas] shared every detail in his writeup including some background about available hardware options and how he made his final decisions on what devices to use for the job. His conglomeration of software that ties the whole project together is also available for download.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- rfid
- network
- tracking
- 24 ghz
- mesh
February 20 2010, 5:21pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Basement fusion reactor

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/19/basement-fusion-reactor/

Do you ever wonder what projects your neighbors have going on in their basements? [Will Jack's] neighbors might be surprised to find he’s building a fusion reactor. The first step toward completing a Farsworth-Hirsch Fusor is up and running. The picture above shows heated plasma contained in a magnetic field. Next he just needs to up the voltage and inject some deuterium.

Yeah right! Deuterium, aka heavy water, is extremely rare and very difficult to refine. If you’re not familiar with the substance, you should get your hands on the NOVA episode: Hitler’s Sunken Secrets.

We’re glad to see that [Will Jack] is donning a lead vest for protections. [Will O'Brien] cautioned us about the stray X-rays these things produce when he covered fusors back in 2007.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- deuterium
- fusor
- heavy water
- nuclear
- reactor
February 19 2010, 2:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Workshop tour makes us drool; ache with envy

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/13/workshop-tour-makes-us-drool-ache-with-envy/

[Mtneer_man] has a workshop to die for. The slide show that he set up covers the different workbenches and shop setups that he’s had over the years. He’s got a core set of beliefs when it comes to his work area. He prefers to have several different work areas for varying degrees of dirty, greasy, stick, or precision projects. These are luxuries that most don’t have the opportunity to enjoy.

With a setup this nice and this clean it’s amazing he does any projects at all. Wait a sec,his workshop IS a hack. The more recent collections of his prolific Flickr sets he details the building and outfitting of yet another workshop in a new structure on his property. We’re going to keep our eyes on this and see where it ends up.

[via YourlTronics]
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- workshop
February 13 2010, 9:16am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

FAT support for any microcontroller

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/07/fat-support-for-any-microcontroller/

[Rahul Sapre] sent us a guide to porting EFSL to any microcontroller (PDF). The Embedded Filesystems Library adds FAT support to C compiled microcontrollers. It is targeted at the AVR line of chips but can be adapted to any architecture that works with a C compiler. [Rahul's] guide will take you through the process of adapting the latest stable 0.2.8 version to new hardware by using a PIC uC as the working example. The non-stable development branch of EFSL is working toward multiple-platform support so consider lending a hand if this interests you.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- microcontroller
- fat
- efsl
February 7 2010, 6:18pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Altoids upstaged by gift card tins

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/07/altoids-upstaged-by-gift-card-tins/

Nothing Earth-shattering here. Just, dare we say it, really cute!

The venerable Altoids mint tin has become an icon of the maker culture. Browsing through past articles on Hack a Day, Adafruit or Instructables, you’ll find project after project for which these pocket-sized enclosures provided just the right fit. Eminently practical, affordable, but the aesthetics have occasionally left something to be desired.

We recently stumbled upon these nifty gift card holders that resemble miniature versions of current-generation game consoles. They might be the perfect housing for your next microcontroller project…

These were acquired from our local GameStop retail store and unfortunately do not appear to be available online. Each will set you back $2.99 — about a buck more than the mints, and without the added benefit of fresh breath. Such is the price of style.

The shapes are varied, but all are a bit larger than the traditional Altoids tin, allowing ample space for a battery pack, breadboard or microcontroller setup. As with the mint tins, of course you’ll want to insulate your project from the interior metal surface. A bit of contact paper or even some index cards are usually sufficient.

In addition to the Xbox 360, Wii and Playstation 3 tins depicted here, portable consoles — the PSP and Nintendo DS Lite — are also available in miniature form.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- Toy Hacks
- wii
- xbox
- ps3
- case
- enclosure
- altoids
- box
- mint
- tin
February 7 2010, 7:41am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Pre-spun hard drives

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/05/pre-spun-hard-drives/

This device is lovingly called the SPINmaster. [Linux-works] built it to spin up multiple hard drives before the motherboard starts up. It detects the power-up from the PSU and uses a relay to hold the motherboard in reset, indicated by the red LED. Each of four relays then spins up a hard drive and illuminates the green LED when ready. Once all green lights come on the reset relay shuts off and the bios starts up. This type of staggered startup takes a lot of the load off of an under-powered PSU. He’s posted firmware and there’s a schematic available too. We took a look at his video but there’s not much to see as it’s just the inside of the machine while it boots up.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- hdd
- relay
- psu
- classic hacks
- staggered
February 5 2010, 2:07pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

The mechanical diode

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/03/the-mechanical-diode/

A diode allows current to travel in only one direction. With that in mind, [Alex] built a mechanical diode that will only allow gear rotation in one direction to be transmitted through the system. But wait, by connecting two of these devices together he’s built something of a mechanical rectifier. An electrical rectifier converts alternating current to direct current and this mechanical version outputs clockwise rotation no matter what direction of rotation is coming into the device.

There’s video which we’ve embedded after the break as well as many pictures on his site but not much explanation. Here’s what we’ve deduced. The two large gears are inputs. Mounted on top of them is a smaller ratcheting gear that will only turn in one direction. This ratcheting gear selects whether the smallest gear on the left or right will rotate, which then feeds the output gear at the top of this image.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- diode
- mechanical
- rectifier
February 3 2010, 3:10pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

PHP runtime rewritten, by Facebook?

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/03/php-runtime-rewritten-by-facebook/

Yes, its true. Facebook has completely rewritten the PHP runtime to make it faster and more efficient, and its completely open source. Named HipHop, its described as a source code transformer, changing PHP into optimized C++ which is then compiled using g++. Thus keeping the best aspects of PHP while taking advantage of the performance of C++. Using HipHop, the Facebook web server CPU usage has been decreased by about fifty percent! And who would have thought that this and many other cool advances in programming, started at a Hackathon.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- hack
- php
- facebook
- c++
- efficient
- speed
- g++
- hackathon
February 3 2010, 8:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Beginner concepts: 555 push button toggle

http://hackaday.com/2010/02/02/beginner-concepts-555-push-button-toggle/

PIC, AVR, and Arduino are ubiquitous in projects these days and a lot of the time it’s easy to over-complicate things with their use. In this case, [Tod] wanted to use a momentary tactile switch to turn something on and off. Instead of going with a microcontroller he built the circuit around a 555 timer. What he really needed in this case is a flip-flop but lacking a chip for that he went with the 555 because it has one built-in. Three resistors and a capacitor later he’s in business, adding another resistor and a transistor to deal with the load switching. We’ve embedded video of the circuit controlling an LED after the break. This IC ends up in a lot of projects so dig through your parts bin and give this circuit a try.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- 555
- beginner concepts
- 555 timer
- flip-flop
- tactile switch
- toggle
February 2 2010, 10:27am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Frustromantic Box, a reverse Geocache

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/21/frustromantic-box-a-reverse-geocache/

One of the best feelings in the world is when one of our posts inspires a fellow hacker to plan, create, and execute his or her own project.

[Russ] let us know about his Frustromantic Box which he gained inspiration from the original Reverse Geochache we posted about. For those out of the loop, the box is locked and will only open in a certain location. The current distance to the location is displayed on the screen when a button is pressed, and usually there is a limited number of button presses (3 presses for those that know geometry, 50 for everyone else). As soon as the box is at location, it will open.

The Frustromantic Box uses an Arduino, classic HD44780 display, a servo, and the pièce de résistance EM406 GPS. All built in time to frustrate his wife for Christmas.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- arduino
- servo
- arduino hacks
- hd44780
- geocache
- location box
- reverse
- tinygps
January 21 2010, 4:52pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Live high altitude balloon launch

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/21/live-high-altitude-balloon-launch/

[Terry] is planning to launch his high altitude balloon within the next few days. As we’ve seen before he has gone for a general setup – GPS tracking, environment sensors including temperature and humidity and pressure, and 2 on board cameras – all with an expected height of about 100,000 feet. What makes this project unique is the transmission of live telemetry data to a Google Maps or Google Earth interface.

The planned launch date is Sunday the 24th about 00:00 UTC so long as the Civil Aviation Safety Approval for the launch is passed.

As a final note [Terry] wanted to let inspiring balloon launchers to check out the UK High Altitude Society – who have been an invaluable source of information.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- arduino
- camera
- wireless hacks
- arduino hacks
- gps hacks
- pressure
- space
- humidity
- tempurature
- civil aviation safety approval
- high altitude balloon
- uk high altitude society
January 21 2010, 7:10am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Servo hacked linear actuator

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/19/servo-hacked-linear-actuator/

[AntonB] has modified a servo into a powerful linear actuator (think: changing rotational motion into linear motion). The process is simple enough, modify a servo for continuous rotation and then add the custom built actuating shaft. You do of course lose the precision of the servo, but a small price to pay to be able to lift ~20 pounds straight up. Inspiration for such a cheap solution came from his Planetary Surface Exploration Rover. Check out a video of both after the break.

[Thanks Eric]
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- tool-hacks
- servo
- motor
- cheap
- linear actuator
- powerful
January 19 2010, 6:41pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Engineering with magnetic spheres

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/14/engineering-with-magnetic-spheres/

We would imagine these experiments were spawned by a devastatingly boring day at the office. [Sparr] found himself the proud owner of one thousand rare-earth magnets and decided to see what geometric shapes he could build with the spheres. These are gold-plated N35 Neodymium magnets that measure just 6mm across. He discovered that every structure is built from rings of magnets with shapes dependent upon what sequence of increasing or decreasing members are used. What he’s done is visually pleasing but we’d like to try it ourselves to see how resilient each structure ends up being.

[Sparr's] post is from the Freeside Atlanta blog, a hacker space collective. [Curbob], a regular with the group, tipped us off that a few hacker conventions are coming up in their area and they’re looking for speakers for one-hour talks about projects. If you’re near Raleigh or Atlanta this is your chance to show off that ridiculously complicated project you’ve been risking your marriage to complete.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- magnets
- freeside atlanta
- geometric
- hacker space
- neodymium
January 14 2010, 1:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

ProtoDeck – MIDIBOX based controller

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/14/protodeck-midibox-based-controller/

[Julien] let us know about his ProtoDeck. A MIDIBOX based controller for Ableton Live using a Big Max for live patch interface.

One thing that we have seen is less and less hacks for are MIDIbox projects. It is no wonder, considering now a days we have touch screen and multiple other interfaces and sound creation tools – MIDI almost seems like a dying art.

The ProtoDeck uses 87 pots, 90 buttons, and 81 RGB LEDs all controlled by 2 PIC 18F4620s. [Julien] says his main goals where to have lots of color and buttons. We think he succeeded.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- digital audio hacks
- midi
- RGB LED
- audio
- midibox
- potentiometer
- pic 18f4620
- protodeck
January 14 2010, 7:12am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Vacuum tube tesla coil

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/13/vacuum-tube-tesla-coil/

[xellers] may have been in 8th grade when he built this vacuum tube tesla coil, but he did a fantastic job. Unlike most of the tesla coils we have shown, this one doesn’t use a high current transformer from a neon sign. Instead, he’s gone the direction of vacuum tubes. He spent a total of about $125 which isn’t too bad. Most of us could reduce that cost by scrounging from our parts bin.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- tesla coil
- tube
January 13 2010, 12:02pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Neon lamp and other crazy clocks

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/13/neon-lamp-and-other-crazy-clocks/

Quick quiz, what came before transistors? Why vacuum tubes of course. If this clock doesn’t make you thankful for the luxury of integrated circuits, nothing will.

We had never heard of using Neon Lamps as logic circuits, and they definitely produce a much cooler effect when counting.
[Thanks Philippe]

And finally, we’re just suckers for a good Nixie Clock. The scope clock is also pretty interesting.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- clock
- nixie
- vacuum tube
- neon lamp
January 13 2010, 10:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

194 Transistor Clock will blow your mind

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/11/194-transistor-clock-will-blow-your-mind/

It’s nice to have tip put on our desks that we think everyone, yes everyone can enjoy. The Transistor Clock is just as its name implies, A clock that doesn’t rely on ICs. 194 Transistors, 400 resistors, 566 diodes, and 87 capacitors are all that makes this clock tick – no programing, and most importantly no Arduino. The clock is offered as a kit, but there is a complete parts list and manual (including debugging help) so anyone can build (and fix) their own. The Transistor Clock might even beat out the VFD Clock and the Word Clock on the ‘pure awesome’ scale, tell us your favorite in the comments.

[Thanks Hoopstar]
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- clock
- diode
- resistor
- capacitor
- classic hacks
- transistor
January 11 2010, 9:37am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Beginner Concepts: Binary-coded decimal

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/08/beginner-concepts-binary-coded-decimal/

A rudimentary understanding of digital logic and simple integrated circuits is critical if you’re ever going to pull off some really gnarly hacks. [Daniel] put together an explanation about the use of 4511 BCD 7-segment drivers. These chips take binary data in and output decimal data to a 7-segment LED display. In short, they can read 0×1001 from input pins and light the numeral ‘9′ on the display. The best part is that you can build this example circuit in the Atanua logic simulator without ordering parts. We love zero-cost learning!
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- led hacks
- 7 segment
- 4511
- bcd
- beginner concepts
January 8 2010, 2:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Laser-cut puzzle box

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/03/laser-cut-puzzle-box/

One of our fondest memories from the 1980’s is watching Magnum P.I. on television. Higgins, Magnum’s employer, had a puzzle box that Magnum could never figure out how to open. Now you can laser cut a puzzle box for yourself and recreate some scenes from television’s glory days.

The design for the box pictured above is not new. The plans for the Cubey 2 project have been around for a while but relied on your mad-woodworking-skills to turn out the pieces. Since we’re not great with a chisel we were happy to see vector graphic and encapsulated postscript files to robotically aid in production. Once the puzzle parts have been assembled a facade is adhered onto each side to hide the pieces. This means you can go for Higgins’ traditional puzzle-box look or sport the hellraiser.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- laser
- woodworking
- cutter
- puzzle
- hellraiser
- magnum pi
January 3 2010, 3:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Qube, not an Arduino clone

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/03/qube-not-an-arduino-clone/

What allows the everyday user to tinker with microcontrollers, IO, interrupts, serial communication, and even analog readings? How about individual modules that add the ability to communicate over bluetooth or add LCD support? If you were thinking Arduino, you would be wrong. It’s actually [Nilok's] Qube, which at first seems like another Arduino clone however the Qube is based on PIC – not AVR. Another difference is the sweet black anodized case the Qube is planned to be put in.

While all this seems amazing at first, there is of course a catch – it looks like the first models are pre-order only for staunching price of $70! Sorry, but Arduino wins at half the cost.

Regardless, [Nilok] has documented the entire process and it’s amazing to read through; he even includes some guides on solder paste and bootloading USB. And who knows, maybe he’ll release open source. His site seems a little slow, we recommend the Google Cache.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- arduino
- pic
- solder paste
- black anodized
- bootload
- Qube
January 3 2010, 1:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

RFID emulator

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/03/rfid-emulator/

[Alexander] built an RFID emulator. It uses a wire coil (not pictured here) and an ATmega8 to represent any tag that is EM4001 compliant. This iteration requires connection to a computer to send the tag ID information to the microcontroller. In the video after the break it looks like he’s using a DIY RFID reader to test this. If the two were combined, cutting out the need for a computer, he would have an RFID spoofer on his hands.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- rfid
- emulator
- spoofer
January 3 2010, 12:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Making a rail gun (again!)

http://hackaday.com/2010/01/01/making-a-rail-gun-again/

[Rp181] is at it again with version 2 of his rail gun project. The original did have some power with 18 400V 3900uf capacitors, but he’s ramped it up to now using 40! Reaching more than double the amount of joules of energy, 12kJ vs. the 5.6kJ! Some other changes include a new injector solenoid setup and revision 3 of his breakwire chronograph. Sadly, he doesn’t mention if this is as green as his first rail gun. Check out a video of just the injector firing and an animation explaining some new updates after the jump.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- Green
- capacitor
- rail gun
- breakwire
- chronograph
- injector
- rp181
January 1 2010, 9:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Simplest most useless machine

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/30/simplest-most-useless-machine/

[Brett] posted about his most useless machine build. His project gives us a chance to massacre the language in the title because it uses the lowest parts count we’ve see with these machines. The logic is controlled by our friend, the 555 timer. Add to that just one servo motor, two switches, three resistors, two caps, a diode, and a battery pack and you’re in business. The hardest part to find locally is the servo but check at a hobby/RC store. If you don’t have to put in a parts order this can be your next impulse project.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- servo
- timer
- useless
- 555
- most useless machine
- mum
December 30 2009, 2:30pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Shadow buttons

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/28/shadow-buttons/

This art installation uses buttons made of light. A projector fills up the walls and ceiling of a room while a webcam monitors the pattern for changes. When the luminosity of a given area changes due to a shadow, a midi event is triggered. The software that controls the system is written in C# and uses the Emgu CV library to handle the image processing. In the video after the break you can see that creating shadows with your hands prompts changes in the image as well as the sound.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- webcam
- midi
- projector
- shadow
- button
- c++
- emgu
December 28 2009, 3:00pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Better temperature readings using an aspirated thermometer

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/17/better-temperature-readings-using-an-aspirated-thermometer/

Unlike regular thermometers that can get incorrect readings because of the sun’s heat, shading, and airflow, aspirated thermometers isolate the temperature sensor from precipitation and the sun, while providing constant air circulation. Take ten 1-wire T2SS boards and combine them with DS18B20s and you’ve got yourself the start of an aspirated thermometer. A foot of PVC pipe, fans, and the above mentioned parts and you’ll have accurate temperature readings in no time.

[Dave] made his to control a natural gas boiler, pumps, and 11 gas-fired unit heaters for a combined output of 5.3 million BTUs per hour – keeping his greenhouse nice and toasty.

Update: Thanks Firetech for pointing out our silly typo.
- Tags:
- home hacks
- misc hacks
- thermometer
- heat
- aspirated
- DS18B20
- t2ss
- tempurature
December 17 2009, 4:25pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Static Bleeder

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/17/static-bleeder/

When you are in the middle of the desert, pretty much every solution to a mechanical or electrical problem is a hack. [Sgt.M] who was deployed in Iraq sought out the help of radio guru [H.P. Friedrichs] about a static problem he was having. When dust storms would blow in strange things would happen in camp. Humming and crackling could be heard and [Sgt. M] actually had an electrical arc from a lamp to his hand at a distance of about 2 feet.

[Friedrichs] helped him find the problem. Their antennae were acting as static electricity collectors in the dust. All that dust friction in the dry air constantly built up a charge. The solution was simple, discharge the electricity at the antenna when it isn’t in use. Several solutions are outlined on the page, so check them out.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- wireless hacks
- RF
- desert
- iraq
- STATIC
December 17 2009, 10:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Make Magazine – Open Source Hardware 2009

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/15/make-magazine-open-source-hardware-2009/

Former HaD’er [Phillip Torrone] has written an extensive collection of Open Source Hardware projects for Make Magazine. This impressive list covers over 125 projects and kits, broken into 19 categories including 3d Printing, Music, Robotics, and Wireless systems. A number of these projects have been either extensively detailed or mentioned on HaD, so there is bound to be something for everyone here.

[Phillip] is not only detailing these projects for people new to the Open Source Hardware movement, but is also calling for new and unheard of projects to be listed in places like this, as well as central locations such as the OSH Wikipedia page. We are sure that a number of HaD readers will be answer this challenge.

Thanks again to [Phillip] for sharing this with us.
- Tags:
- news
- open source
- misc hacks
- make
- makezine
December 15 2009, 8:28am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

New pet, Project 413

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/14/new-pet-project-413/

[Jacob] sent in his teams final project, Project 413. While sounding like something straight out of an action movie, don’t worry, it’s not the next terminator. Rather a combination of an eBox (in place of an EEE pc), omni wheels, motors, batteries, and the finishing touch – a hamster ferret ball. If this is sounding familiar to a certain web comic, then right you are, as XKCD was their main inspiration. Sadly, the web cam and ‘having a soul’ functions didn’t make it into their version, but being controlled via Wii remote is always a plus. Check out a video after the break.
- Tags:
- home entertainment hacks
- misc hacks
- wifi
- robot
- ball
- wii remote
- ebox
- hamster
- project 413
December 14 2009, 8:50am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

FPGA driver for PSP screen

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/12/fpga-driver-for-psp-screen/

Friends are constantly giving us their old electronics. We love it because our junk box is a never-ending pile of possibilities. We’re really starting to amass a collection of LCD screens that are not easily interfaced and this project gives us some hope for the future. [Philip] has been posting about using an FPGA as a driver for a replacement PSP LCD screen.

Many projects source cell phone LCD screens that have their own driver chip that can be addressed over SPI for use with a simple microcontroller. More complicated screens need a more involved control scheme and this is where the Field Programmable Gate Array takes over. [Philip] lays out the steps he’s using to implement his controller, from setting up the correct voltage levels, to planning for coordinate addressing, and even some of his follies with reverse current. We think this would be a great way to introduce yourself to FPGA projects.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- psp
- lcd
- controller
- fpga
- classic hacks
- playstation portable
December 12 2009, 9:21am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Remote control pellet gun – with scope

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/10/remote-control-pellet-gun-with-scope/

Project Thunderbird is an automated predator and pest control system. It consists of a pellet gun mounted in a motorized base. The icing on the cake is a 60x zoom camera that has cross-hairs superimposed on the picture. This reminds us of the Internet hunting for the handicap we heard about years ago.

In the video after the break you can see how the motorized base works, watch the trigger-pull motor, and observe a demonstration of some target practice. The creator, [Gadgetapodimus], mentions the possible sale of plans and kits as soon as he completes the system. Perhaps it would be better if this was not easy for people to build.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- robots hacks
- camera
- internet
- turret
- scope
- pellet gun
December 10 2009, 5:32pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Bendërbrau now a reality

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/10/benderbrau-now-a-reality/

It appears to be 5 o’clock somewhere as everyone seems to have only one thing on their mind. [Simon] set out to make his own Bender Brewer from the television show Futurama. But he made sure to include some key functions from episodes in the series. First and most notable Bender’s stomach contains a beer brewing kit, we think a coffee roaster would have been better, but to each their own.What we hackers love best is the ‘brains‘ of Bender, a 6502 processor controlled via remote to play a selection of 15 random sayings, including the infamous “Bite my shiny metal”, well, you know.

Finally, yes, we do realize this project was started and finished about 2 years ago. We like to think we allowed it time to ferment.

[Thanks Leo]
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- remote
- coffee
- 6502 processor
- bender
- brewer
- futurama
December 10 2009, 8:27am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Fully-automatic crossbow

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/08/fully-automatic-crossbow/

We received an excited email from [Noah] regarding a gentleman who works with crossbows and crossbow pistols. Begrudgingly, we took a look and what we saw made our day. [TheDuckman666] must have an insatiable love for all things crossbow. His webpage has details and pictures covering seven different models that he built. His YouTube channel shows off three more models, all with magazines for multiple bolts.

Seeing the electrically-cocked, automatic projectile launchers wets our appetite, but we do wish there was more background info about the build process.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- electric
- automatic
- crossbow
- duckman
December 8 2009, 3:31pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

(Remote controlled robot) car vs (solar charged) tank

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/05/remote-controlled-robot-car-vs-solar-charged-tank/

[Matthias] sent in his team’s iPhone Robot (CAR) project in response to yesterday’s iPhone controlled solar charged tank. Unlike the tank, the iPhone car is controlled via Bluetooth BTnode and BTstack, and also isn’t solar-powered. However, both projects utilize iPhones and readily available components. We particularly liked how it not only used a multi-touch input, but also the accelerometer within the iPhone. It seems some competition is stirring, lets see who wins out.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- iPhone
- robot
- bluetooth
- car
- multitouch hacks
- btnode
- btstack
December 5 2009, 8:55am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Eureqa discovers equations

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/04/eureqa-discovers-equations/

While “Software to discover equations and mathematical relationships in data” isn’t at the top of our christmas wish list, we have to admit that Eureqa is pretty cool. Developed at Cornell University, Eureqa uses machine learning algorithms to determine the underlying math behind data sets. It derived Newton’s second law of motion in a few hours on a standard desktop computer, which isn’t bad at all for a cold unfeeling robot mind. There probably aren’t many applications for this in most hacks, but what hacker wouldn’t want Sir Issac Newton’s brain in their toolbox? The software can be downloaded for free from their website.

[Via Wired]
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- Software
- cornell
- equations
- eureqa
December 4 2009, 12:56pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

Make a Mac on the cheap

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/03/make-a-mac-on-the-cheap/

We’re not usually the type for PC case mods, but when we received the tip for the Macbook Mod of hiding a Macbook inside of two Linksys routers, we decided to make an exception on three accounts. [Tyler's] original intent was acquiring a Mac, the total price for a full functioning system was a little over $200, and Macs aren’t PCs.

[Thanks Bluewraith]

But what if you want the mac experience and not the nitty gritty hassle of fixing logic boards, searching for long lost components, and modding a case? Then buy a Mac you might like [Useless Ninjas'] super cheap modification of an MSI Wind into Leopard running brute for only $240.

[Thanks Flyordie2]
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- apple
- mac
- pc
- mod
- case
December 3 2009, 4:59pm | More »
I posted to hackaday.com

McLVDT: a straw-based sensor

http://hackaday.com/2009/12/01/mclvdt-a-straw-based-sensor/

We saw [Kevin's] home-built Linear Variable Differential Transformer in a YouTube video last week and wanted to know more. We’re in luck, he agreed to share all the details as well as a bunch of information on these sensors. An LVDT is used to measure distance along a straight path. Unlike a linear optical encoder, this method uses measurements of inductance between two electrical coils to judge the distance.

[Kevin] used some magnet wire wrapped around two straws of different diameter to fabricate his sensor. A signal generator is connected to the primary coil and the resulting signal induced in the secondary coil is measured to reveal the change in physical position. Check out the video after the break to see the results.

It’s not hard to get your hands on a McDonald’s straw (hence the name ‘Mc’LVDT), a smaller inner straw, and a few feet of magnet wire. This will be a fun one to try when those dark winter days start to get to you.
- Tags:
- misc hacks
- sensor
- classic hacks
- inductance
- LVDT
- McDonalds
- signal
December 1 2009, 1:12pm | More »

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