DIY Speaker Build
The ShapeOko has been sitting idle for a while, so I decided to take a stab at making my own speakers. I wanted to do something small that I bring outside and hang on my pergola when entertaining guests on our new patio. After perusing the web and checking out some speakers and online enclosure calculators, I landed on a set of HiVi B3N’s (3″) and tweeters. Given that they won’t be permanently mounted...
Logitech MX Anywhere Mouse – Fix That Click!
The Logitech MX Anywhere mouse is by far the best mouse I have ever had. I currently have 2. However, these mice have a common design flaw – the mouse button that is used most often (left in my case) for clicking dies after a while. Maybe design flaw is a bit harsh. This is the only mouse that I have had for a long time and WANT to keep. I don’t want another mouse...
Quadcopter – Enhanced Lost Model Alarm
Just 24 hours earlier I built my first Lost Model Alarm. Not being satisfied with good enough, I’ve built an enhanced version. Of course, you could just buy one, but where’s the fun in that?! As mentioned in my original posting, Iwanted the alarm to have multiple modes. First, I wanted to be able to have it triggered while the TX is on using one of the available aux controls. Second, I wanted it to...
Fix: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3.0 – Won’t Charge
Let’s cut to the chase. You have a Samsung Galaxy Tab and you are tired of Googling for solutions trying to figure out why your Tab won’t charge. Hopefully this is the last place you have to look. My tab is about 2 yrs old and over the past few months I started noticing it would not charge consistently. I tried all the suggestions; using a different charger, swapping out the cable, disconnecting and...
Easy and Cheap DIY LED RGB Garden Glowies
In a few weeks, we’ll have a new patio. Like any new project I get into, I have to introduce a flavour of something DIY and electronic into the mix. Like most guys, I’m planning for sound. However, I’m also adding custom LED lighting to light up the armour stones, deck and pergola areas. As part of the patio job, we are also planning on having a variety of plants and shrubs around the...
BT Bot Control & IPCam Bot – Android App to control Arduino Robots
BT Bot Control is an Android application that allows you to remotely control a micro controller-based robot using Bluetooth ( Arduino). It also allows you to (optionally) view a video stream from an IPCamera mounted to your robot. This could be any type wireless IP camera or phone that has the ability to broadcast a video stream/images to the web. Example Foscam, Ai-Cam etc. If you are looking to control your robot over WiFi,...
Remote Shutdown using a Foscam FI8918W
As a parent of 2 children and an obsession with cramming my hobbies in whenever I can, I decided to devise a means to remotely monitor my CNC (a ShapeOko) and also provide the ability for me to remotely shut it down if things go arwy during a milling session. I picked up a Foscam FI8918W IPCam at a ‘car boot’ sale (I love that name) when I was visting in England this...
Review – OPTEK – Warm White LED Strip
Lately, I’ve been toying around with different LED strips for my projects. I’ve had the chance to use a variety of LED strips (both RGB, and single colour types). They come in many flavours – water proof, 3m-backed, silcone encased, sealed, non-sealed, exposed etc. All have their advantages / disadvantages.
Nissan Juke – Footwell & Glove Box LED Lightning
Next on the block – adding LEDs to the foot wells and glove box. (Prev mods: LED Tails and Rear Passenger LED mods) This mod can be especially useful this time of year up here on the 49th parallel since we are pretty much in darkness @ 5PM during November. All to often I drop something down near my feet and have to go looking for it. The light that casts from the map...
Nissan Juke – Custom LED Tail Lights
I’m a sucker for not conforming to status quo when it comes to my This includes my new Nissan (2012) Juke. In this mod, I added a set of LED light strips to the tail lights with a twist – I wanted to also monitor and react to braking to enhance the effect. I decided to go with an ATTiny85 using the Arduino core. It only needed 1 input from the 12V brake...