Basement Disco: NeoPixel Music Sync with MSGEQ7
I didn't have a lot of time in 2019 for projects as much of it was dedicated to finishing the basement. A year ago it was nothing more than concrete, storage and dustballs. Took the job on myself and did everything except hanging drywall and mudding (I hate that part). Best part of doing your own basement is you get to hack in all the bits and pieces necessary for future projects - like LED…
Finito! MX-5 Rear LED Strip Console Controller
Wanting to have more control of the Miata's rear LED strip sequences and features (see my Phase I build), the next step was to build a controller into the center console unit that allows me to control them and also display state and status info. As I didn't want to run wires through the car, the Master controller communicate wirelessly to the Slave unit. The details documented here builds on Phase I by adding the…
Nissan Juke Annoying Rear Creak Fix
For over a year I lived with an annoying creaking noise coming from the back of my 2012 Nissan Juke. Symptoms were a creaking noise that sounded like really bad hardwood creaking in a house. Happened when turning, going over bumps or anything that caused twisting of the chassis. I first tried checking the rear area including removing all the bits in the trunk including the spare, foam parts and side panels, it was still…
Mazda MX-5 Miata: Funky NeoPixel LED Light Strip
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 microcontrollers and LEDs ( see similar ) and taking inspiration from others before me (this) , here's what I ended up with. Update…
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…
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…
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…
Personalized Vinyl Decals – Check it out!
Get yours: PBStuffCo at Esty
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…
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.…
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…