Electronics

RE-LAPSE: Resin Printer Time-Lapse Recording with ESP32 CAM and Blynk

For years I've been using FDM printers as my go-to for 3D printing, but recently expanded my horizons into resin printing. I like my LuzlBot Mini 2 but can never get it dialed to the point were I can achieve quality similar to resin prints. An aside to all this was the desire to record time-lapse videos - which is challenging on FDM printers as you need to integrate into the controller / g-code, and…
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Electronics

Mazda Miata MX-5 Rear LED Strip Console Controller

Who wants one? Saddle over to this page for more info on how to get your hands on a flavour of this. May 2022 Phase IV: Just finished what I hope to be the final iteration of this project. I've been searching for a wider colour IPS display and found one that will do (for now :-). Ideally, I'd like to fill the full area below in order to properly display the seatbeat and airbag…
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3D Printing

Mazda MX-5 Miata: Funky NeoPixel LED Light Strip

Who wants one? Saddle over to my dedicated page for more info on how to get your hands on one of these kits. It's only been a few weeks since I've had my new 2021 Mazda Miata MX-5. Already added sequential LED turn signals & side markers all around, but not being the type to leave well enough alone, I needed a little spice to make it my own. Combining that with my passion of…
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Electronics

ESP8266 Window Sensor with OTA and Deep Sleep

I was looking to boost my home security by adding window sensors. Something small and obscure so it would not stand out. I landed on this axGear sensor unit. It is small (70 mm x 20 mm). However, there was only one problem - it comes with proprietary software that I'm not sure I can trust. I also intended to integrate it with the ecosystem of devices I've created which I manage using Blynk. Of…
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3D Printing

LulzBot Mini 2: Fan & Lighting Controller

I was so impressed with my Lulzbot Mini 1, that I decided to buy a Mini ; Holding true to my mantra, whenever I get a new toy, I can't leave well enough ;  So, I decided to re-create my original Mini 1 custom fan and lighting controller with some tweaks and enhancements for my new Mini ; Two key drivers were to a) reduce fan noise, and b) add lighting with control. How it…
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ESP8266

ESP8266 Fancy OTA Form

If you are a user of the ESP8266 OTA web update feature you're likely familiar with the above form when doing updates to your project over the air. Well, I'm going to show you how to spice up the form visual (hint - it's easy!). I just added this to my WIoT-2 Weather Project, which now makes updating a breeze. Background: There are a number of ways to do OTA updates on your ESP8266 (or…
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DYI, Mods, Hacks & Stuff

Drift Trike Electrified!

Tag along on my journey electrifying this Triad Drift Trike with an e-bike motor and battery pack. You'll also get to hear about my experience as a first time noob MIG welding. When I first got the drift trike, it was really just for myself and my son to scoot around on. With few hills and no access to those mountainous roads you see in most videos made the fun became more of a workout…
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Electronics

Review: Newwear Q3 Smartwatch

I was recently sent this Newwear OLED Smartwatch from Banggood to try out. It has a number of features including heart rate, sleep, step counter, sedentary reminder etc. Checkout the video below for my thoughts on the watch. The Good: Nice quality screen, heart rate seems accurate, great battery life (note that screen turns off after preset time). The Meh: Can barely read the screen in the sun; forced to navigate through all items one-by-one.…
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3D Printing

WeatherCloud – IoT

So, my son's been bugging me to get him some of those LED strips for his room.  You know the ones that you see on Amazon with the remote controls.  I couldn't just go with status quo, so instead with a little grit and some free time I got on the LED cloud bandwagon and built him something a big puffy cloud with lights - what every teen wants right? ;-) What is it? It's…
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ESP8266

COVID-19 Daily Stats on a Nextion HMI using ESP8266

While Covid-19 picks a fight with humanity, keeping busy and your mind clear is important for all of us. In addition to getting out on hikes and biking with the family, what better way to pass the time than to built IoT stuff! Since I had a new 7" Nextion HMI screen sitting around just waiting for a project, and had some vacation time, I decided to buffer up my skills and get to work.…
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