ChrisWx

But what does it have to do with the Equinox? Will it do something special at at 5:37 AM onSaturday, March 20 (US ET)? Or during the Fall Equinox? Don't be upset. I actually asked Bram the same question. He didn't respond. :-)

Do you work for Weaver Leather? The leather maul they sell looks a LOT like yours.https://www.weaverleathersupply.com/catalog/item-detail/65-2500/barry-king-maul/pr_59959/cp_/shop-now/hand-tools/mauls-mallets-hammers

That lid with the needle might seem flexible, but it's pretty stiff to be affected by sound. Drill a bunch of small holes in a circle around the middle to make it more flexible, and the recorded volume should go up.

Awesome work! I admit I'm biased, as I love MIDI projects. Nice layout and neat wiring job, too. Here's an idea for an upgraded version - a ranging sensor that wouldn't need external light. https://www.adafruit.com/product/3316

A photoresistor is an analog device. It changes resistance based on the amount of light it is exposed to. A regular PC has only one "analog input" - the microphone jack. While you could, with a lot of experimenting, make a circuit that would connect a photoresistor to the microphone input, it runs the risk of breaking your computer if you get it wrong.The pad/midi thing is not needed. The Arduino plugs directly into the computer. The Arduino is basically acting as an Analog to Digital converter, which reads the positions of the knobs and fader, and converts them into MIDI messages. It does the same for the photoresistors - sensing their resistance and sending a corresponding MIDI message when they change (I'm guessing here - not associated with the OP).Coding can be easy a…

A photoresistor is an analog device. It changes resistance based on the amount of light it is exposed to. A regular PC has only one "analog input" - the microphone jack. While you could, with a lot of experimenting, make a circuit that would connect a photoresistor to the microphone input, it runs the risk of breaking your computer if you get it wrong.The pad/midi thing is not needed. The Arduino plugs directly into the computer. The Arduino is basically acting as an Analog to Digital converter, which reads the positions of the knobs and fader, and converts them into MIDI messages. It does the same for the photoresistors - sensing their resistance and sending a corresponding MIDI message when they change (I'm guessing here - not associated with the OP).Coding can be easy and fun to learn. There are many free courses and tutorials on line. If you can afford something like an ESP32 development board, or a Seeeduino Xiao, they are great, cheap ways to get started. The Arduino Uno can be a little more expensive - and not that much easier to work with. If you can afford a little more, the Circuit Playground boards from Adafruit are awesome - lots of sensors and RGB LED's to practice your programming! https://www.adafruit.com/?q=circuit+playground&sort=BestMatch

Are you related?

As others have said, there's no way that arrangement will be able to 'roll' side to side. The two servo stacks would prevent each other from rotating in that direction (unless they were strong enough to break the board). Also, why two joysticks when one could do everything needed? You must have tested it before publishing. Maybe focus more on engineering and not how cool it looks.

The title says touch, which implies touch activated, but it's two buttons, which means the title is clickbait. And the thumbnail picture is a do nothing circuit whose only relation to the project is similar parts, so also clickbait. Please be a little more honest with your publications.

I'm not the author, but I believe I understand his reasons. The main reason is a typical USB 'micro B' phone charger only supplies 1 to 1.5 amps - not enough for this. The supply he used is 36 watts, which would be over Seven Amps at five volts. Sure, some USB chargers can supply more than 2 amps (and more than 5 volts), but you'd have to specify a particular kind of charger for it, and those chargers need a USB port configured in a special way to tell it it's okay to supply more power than 'normal' USB can. This project could easily be converted to USB C PD. USB Power Delivery can be configured to deliver 12 volts at 3 amps, just like the supply used here. But though the USB PD "Trigger" boards (would replace the buck converter here) aren't expensive, USB PD capab…

I'm not the author, but I believe I understand his reasons. The main reason is a typical USB 'micro B' phone charger only supplies 1 to 1.5 amps - not enough for this. The supply he used is 36 watts, which would be over Seven Amps at five volts. Sure, some USB chargers can supply more than 2 amps (and more than 5 volts), but you'd have to specify a particular kind of charger for it, and those chargers need a USB port configured in a special way to tell it it's okay to supply more power than 'normal' USB can. This project could easily be converted to USB C PD. USB Power Delivery can be configured to deliver 12 volts at 3 amps, just like the supply used here. But though the USB PD "Trigger" boards (would replace the buck converter here) aren't expensive, USB PD capable chargers are a bit costly. Even 18 watt USB C chargers are still over $30, and you'd need a 45 watt version for this - even though USB C can do 36 watts, there don't seem to be any '36 watt max' chargers. 18, 45, and 60 are the most common, and the price goes up with the power. If you're wondering, a regular 5 volt supply at that power wouldn't be as common (easy to find) as 12 volts, and it might be more expensive than the 12 volt supply. The voltage regulation isn't the best on some of the cheaper ones, either. A 12 volt "wall wart" might start at 13-14 volts with a tiny load, and drop down to less than 10 volts at it's highest load. If this were a 5 volt supply, the voltage at load might drop so low the Arduino wouldn't run. The buck converter makes sure the Arduino gets clean power at a solid 5 volts.

ESP's are great, but I'm not sure the awesome FastLED library has been ported to them.

For this low power, that's probably good enough. But you could add some holes in the top for a bit more circulation and convection cooling. A decorative pattern might even project onto the ceiling. If you do, remember to leave the top removeable, so you can dust it out once in a while.

DC motor, running on batteries. Doesn't the time from start to stop constantly change?

If you use the Gemma M0 instead of the Trinket M0, it will fit in the middle of the Neopixel ring. It's even the exact same microprocessor, so you wouldn't even have to change the code, except possibly for the Data pin number. This would leave space for a small Lipo battery and a the MicroLipo USB charger. A 500 mAh LiPo battery would let it run cordless for hours.

Beautiful speaker. But anyone not familiar with electronics will have zero idea what they're doing with those parts. Not to mention the precautions needed when working with LiPo batteries. Maybe you could add some detail there, including a schematic?

Next version: Micro-Hydraulics! :-)

That sounds like it would work. The whole idea of the ball in the can is to re-mix the propellant (and possibly thinning agent) with the paint. Since they separate by gravity, and the ball has to travel through the layers to assist in mixing them, shaking along the long axis while holding the can at least partially vertical, is much more efficient at mixing everything.

How fast does it cure? Faster or slower than sunlight? About the same? Just curious how that wavelength of light works on the resin.

Where can we get the board? Do you have a link for the display?

Anyone else notice there is Zero detail on the magnet holder? I had to go to Hackaday.io to see on a video that it uses a stepper motor - which isn't even listed in the parts here or on Hackaday. Could you please add that detail?

Oops.. you're right, of couse.. Calculator shortcut translated to burned resistors! Thanks!

I love the appearance. Something I always wondered - Do you have to be careful about the height difference to the nozzles to prevent leakage from the pumps? For the next version, I have some suggestions: Make the nozzle plate thick enough to put 90 degree nozzles in there, so you can run the tubing straight back inside the arm. Cheaper microcontrollers could replace the Huzzah and ItsyBitsy and use SPI to talk to the Pi. A Pi can talk to four devices over the same SPI bus. 33k resistor and a 10k resistor in parallel is about 8 ohms. A single 10 ohm resistor could replace them. If you'd rather stick with wireless, consider a plain 8266, they're a bit cheaper than the Huzzah. Sorry that's so mishmashed, but I was in a hurry...

The Adafruit ItsyBitsy nRF52840 Express should replace the EZ-Key without much, if any, programming changes.

Very nice. But the link for the standoffs is empty, and the only places I can find them want upwards of $10 each! Since they're not being used as standoffs, it would be much cheaper to use actual LEDs or even LED strips. Is there somewhere else to get the standoffs cheaper?

To assist in removal, if the back of the original part is fairly flat, place the original on a long piece of "duck tape". Flip the ends of the tape over onto itself to give you some 'handles' for later, leaving some sticky space between the end and the part, then powder the tape (as well as the part) so it won't stick to anything else. When the clay is all pressed in and ready, use the tape to carefully lift the part out of the clay.

I must have! Sorry about that!

Really would have liked to see how you mounted the computer and routed cables to the monitors, etc.

Agreed.. with no holes in the back or side of the drawer space, it's just going to pull air in around the drawer front, thru the fans and cooler, and back out. I know it's liquid cooled, but other components need cooling, too.

Awesome! I can't imagine the amount of work that went into this, getting all the brass routed and cut to the right length! My hat is off to you, sir!

Nice table! I don't know if it was the lighting / shadows, but it looked like the back/underside of some of it (like the legs) wasn't finished or sealed. If it's not just the light, you'll want to seal those areas to prevent warping.

Can you please be more clear about where the two 'venting' tubes go? The description is a bit sparse on detail, and the only two pictures have the tubes going in different holes!

Changing the gearing, yeah, but it's pretty rare to find inner planets that are larger than ones further out. Might want to swap those, too. Nice job, though! I expected to see two different motors when I clicked on the email.

Most premade acrylic window panes have an additive that blocks UV light "below 300 nm" While this means it blocks most UV-C light, it may not block it all, and will not block UV-B, the wavelengths that give you a sunburn. The 'windows' aren't a great idea.

Umm.. that's "SKC". – • – • should be – • – – Sorry.

Very nice work on the desk. Could you tell us where you got the legs? Or about how heavy the top is, so we know how much the legs need to support? I'm adding a quick correction here for the last paragraph.The slide drawers are concealed with magnetic hinges. Only when you put the magnetic in the right spot will you be able to open the drawers. Correction: The side drawers are concealed with magnetic latches. Only when you put the magnet in the right spot will you be able to open the drawers.

Excellent article and project. I can't believe you fit that battery in there! I also can't believe you got it all working with that 4.5 v requirement! True engineering. Of course, other people duplicating this might have issues, as some parts might be slightly out of spec in the wrong direction. But there are many 3.3 v microcontrollers that are fully compatible with the Arduino programming environment. The STM32 series is very well supported under Arduino. The STM32L0 (That's a zero on the end), for instance, could probably be subbed in with very little change in code.

Second the video request! But also, though I've never seen it done, Sapele is a dense hardwood that mimics the color and somewhat the appearance of a darker mahogany. It's very stable and it's density would, I believe, make it a good alternative to mahogany for a fretboard/fingerboard. Best of all, it's a very popular wood for doors and windows, so if you have a large window/door shop nearby, you should be able to get some scraps from them very cheap. (Like most woods, some pieces are harder/denser than others. Pick through the scraps and find the heaviest one.)

For the corrugated drain tube, pretty sure you meant 3" (inches), not 3' (feet).

Will you ever post the 3d files to print the parts? Some pics of the backs of the rings would be nice, too.

Can the moss be colored? Or maybe choose a different color (I understand it's color can vary quite a bit). The brown background is just a little off-putting in a heart shape.

Very nice, but no pics or description of the placement of the convex mirror?? Beyond, "stick it in the middle" I mean. What kind of adhesive did you use? What size convex mirror? Where can we get one? I can easily imagine this going from and excellent project to looking awful if the convex mirror was off center - or worse, if whatever it was 'stuck' with degraded and it slowly slid down. Some more detail here would be nice.

Screw-type fittings are more expensive, but a screw-on cap with a gasket would definitly be air tight.

Couldn't this be solved with a PVC ball valve? Drill the right size hole in the cap (toward the front edge, so the tree it's attached to won't interfere with filling), glue an adapter in the hole that will fit a 1" PVC valve, then put a cap (no glue!) on the open end of the valve to keep dirt out. The valve alone should provide a good seal, but the cap will help out just in case. I admit that it would only be economical to fill the watering station when it was close to empty - otherwise any extra water in the pipe when you open the valve will just spill out.Take a small section of left over 4" pipe, put a cap on one end and glue in a female fitting that fits the other end of the valve, and you have a 'Funnel' that stays put when you fill it. Drill a small hole near the top …

Couldn't this be solved with a PVC ball valve? Drill the right size hole in the cap (toward the front edge, so the tree it's attached to won't interfere with filling), glue an adapter in the hole that will fit a 1" PVC valve, then put a cap (no glue!) on the open end of the valve to keep dirt out. The valve alone should provide a good seal, but the cap will help out just in case. I admit that it would only be economical to fill the watering station when it was close to empty - otherwise any extra water in the pipe when you open the valve will just spill out.Take a small section of left over 4" pipe, put a cap on one end and glue in a female fitting that fits the other end of the valve, and you have a 'Funnel' that stays put when you fill it. Drill a small hole near the top of the funnel for fastening a vent tube. Use 1/4" or 3/16" flexible tube as the vent. Place it in the funnel so that an inch or two will be inside the water pipe when the funnel is attached, then use a cable tie or two to hold it in place (best to use two cable ties, one around the vent tube, and one through the first cable tie that holds it to the funnel). It might be better to cut the end of the vent tube at a sharp angle. Face the angle opening away from the filling hole when you attach it to the funnel, and it should prevent the water coming in from being sucked into the vent. Be careful not to crush the flexible vent tube with the cable ties, or it won't be able to vent.Filling is a little complicated, but better than removing the watering station from it's support. Remove the valve cap and open the valve (and watch your shoes if there's any decent amount of water left in the pipe!). Thread the vent tubing through the valve and into the water pipe as you attach the funnel. Add water! Depending on how and where the water feeder is fastened and how big you make the funnel, you might be able to up-end a gallon water jug and just let it drain.

This is a beautiful planter. Could you give a little more detail about the self-watering part? How much space is under the pot to hold water, and how often do you need to water it? I don't have a 3-D printer, but there are several shops in the area that would print it for me. Thanks for the inspiration!

This is such a beautiful planter! Could you give a little more detail about the self-watering part of the design? I assume there is space under the planting pot, where the water can collect and be wicked up by the cord, but how much? Is there a hole for filling it with water, or do you just let it percolate through the soil? Thanks for posting such a great design. It's an inspiration.

Where did you get that USB A to micro B adapter on the WiFi dongle? Or did you make it? REALLY need one of those!

Thanks! Yeah, Amazon.US doesn't carry them under ThePiHut, but I found them by using the exact name ThePiHut uses: "USB to microUSB OTG Converter Shim"https://smile.amazon.com/CHENYANG-Ultra-Adapter-Connector-Tablet/dp/B015GZOHKW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=USB+to+microUSB+OTG+Converter+Shim&qid=1575481830&sr=8-3

I Love molasses cookies. Sadly finding GOOD molasses in my area is almost impossible. Anyone have a good brand I can buy on line?

I'm betting it took exactly One launch for your Retriever to figure out what was going to happen the next time! I laughed at how excited he got when you called him over to launch it.

Regarding the water comment - energy cannot be removed from the system. Water would slow the spin induced by the sling, which would affect wind resistance and accuracy, but wouldn't affect the tuning of the trebuchet at all - since tuning is what you used it for, not the competition, it's perfect. With such a short time of flight, the effect on distance would be barely measurable in any case.I would Love to experiment with this design. Some kind of mechanism to fine-tune the finger angle for release time would be awesome. From the slo-mo vids, your release angle was, as close as I can tell, a perfect 45 degrees - great for distance. I have to wonder what it could do regarding projectile speed with a later release. Wouldn't get the distance, of course, but it would pack a mean punch …

Regarding the water comment - energy cannot be removed from the system. Water would slow the spin induced by the sling, which would affect wind resistance and accuracy, but wouldn't affect the tuning of the trebuchet at all - since tuning is what you used it for, not the competition, it's perfect. With such a short time of flight, the effect on distance would be barely measurable in any case.I would Love to experiment with this design. Some kind of mechanism to fine-tune the finger angle for release time would be awesome. From the slo-mo vids, your release angle was, as close as I can tell, a perfect 45 degrees - great for distance. I have to wonder what it could do regarding projectile speed with a later release. Wouldn't get the distance, of course, but it would pack a mean punch closer in! :-)

I'll have to agree with several other people about the encoders, but why pay $30-hundreds of dollars for the hi-res ones? If you're going to 3-D print the mount anyway, go ahead and print some gears! Better yet, since gears can have a little slop, a toothed belt, used in some 3-D printers, works better with less hassle. If you need more absolute position data, use both! Let the analog pot be your rough position indicator, and let the encoder do the fine positioning. That dithering or noise that analog pots do lowers your resolution, so use the encoder for the final 2-4 bits. If you use it in quadrature, meaning you sense all four level transitions, an encoder labelled as '24 ppr' can give you 96 increments per rotation. It wouldn't take much gearing to get that up to a usable level.…

I'll have to agree with several other people about the encoders, but why pay $30-hundreds of dollars for the hi-res ones? If you're going to 3-D print the mount anyway, go ahead and print some gears! Better yet, since gears can have a little slop, a toothed belt, used in some 3-D printers, works better with less hassle. If you need more absolute position data, use both! Let the analog pot be your rough position indicator, and let the encoder do the fine positioning. That dithering or noise that analog pots do lowers your resolution, so use the encoder for the final 2-4 bits. If you use it in quadrature, meaning you sense all four level transitions, an encoder labelled as '24 ppr' can give you 96 increments per rotation. It wouldn't take much gearing to get that up to a usable level.However, if you're going to pay a bit anyway, or just want the best accuracy with absolute position information, look for rotary encoders with Gray Code. They're expensive, but you'll know exactly where in the rotation you are at all times. The linear ones give amazing precision - they use an optical reader like a computer mouse and a strip of plastic with the gray code micro-printed on it.As for your math and program accuracy, it appears you did a fine job. You have to remember to take into account the actual arc resolution of the telescope and total field of view. For a relatively small focal length and aperture like this, the Arduino's accuracy is fine. There are math libraries that could extend the resolution a bit, but they take up a lot of space the stock Arduino might not have available. If you do wish to step it up a bit, the new Raspberry Pi 3 or 4 could be a fine compute engine with full Linux C++ math libraries and all sorts of support. If you want to save a few dollars, the Teensy 3.x line is extremely powerful for the price, programmable with the Arduino IDE, and a lot of memory for those larger programs and libraries.Keep up the great work!