YouTube Series

I’ve recently finished up a series of videos I’ve uploaded to my YouTube channel, which albeit long I think you may find interesting.

There are a bunch of projects I’ve documented on this blog, most of which show the shiny things at the end, or maybe a couple of the more interesting learning points. None of which really talks about the whole process of making the thing. Mostly because that’s a massive undertaking, even more difficult to convey in text.

I’ve heard enough folks interested in getting started, or understanding how I’m building things, or whatnot else, that I’ve created this “Making Devices” series on my YouTube channel, where I aim to document all the work that goes into a project, my thoughts behind choices, and how it all pieces together.

The series is six videos long, and covers coming up with the concept and initial requirements, selecting critical components, creating footprints for custom components, creating your schematic, laying out your PCB, sending the PCB off for manufacturing, and when it returns, soldering all the parts on it.

Originally, I had thought the videos would be fairly short, maybe four videos, 15-30 minutes each. However, this process has been somewhat eye opening to myself, in terms of actually having a timer on the process. It makes for some fairly long videos, but they cover the reality of the project.

I chose to make a Buck Regulator for this series, as it would be a relatively simple project, relatively inexpensive, but also have some interesting aspects of the design. I may do future projects in the Making Devices series, but at this point I don’t have any next ones planned out.

Posted in Electronics, Projects, Technology | Leave a comment

Kickstarter

No, I’m not going to tell you about some cool project on Kickstarter I backed. Instead, I’m going to tell you about one I helped CREATE!

Some time back, a couple of guys, Casey and Morgan, who had an idea for a project approached me asking if I’d be willing to help out with the project. It sounded like an interesting deal, so I helped them out where possible.

Now we’ve gotten the project to a point where we feel comfortable that we’ve got it in the bag, so we’ve run a Kickstarter campaign! You can see it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/749835103/hamshield-for-arduino-vhf-uhf-transceiver/

Yes. It’s over already.

Honestly, I’m a bit surprised by the level of support we’ve seen. We have a pretty narrow target market, and yet here we are, funded several times over.

For those who aren’t familiar, the project is an Arduino shield that adds Amateur Radio functionality. It’s a tri-band transceiver (2m, 1.25m, 70cm bands), based on the same line of radio chips found in the Baofeng models.

We’ve also started work on a number of example Arduino sketches, and a library to abstract some of the work away. You can find that on our github at https://github.com/EnhancedRadioDevices/HamShield

And yes, it is open source hardware and software.

We’re really excited to take this work the last mile and get it into production and shipped out to all of our backers. I’d love to see what people manage to use it for.

Posted in Electronics, Ham Radio, Projects, Technology | 1 Comment

Commutes

My wife and I recently purchased our first home, in a new area, and as usual when moving, your commute ends up changing somewhat. Mine has gotten a little longer, but that’s not the interesting part. It has also changed mode of transportation. Previously I had been riding a Sound Transit bus down the freeway, which was a fairly enjoyable experience, as far as a commute goes, and now I’m taking the Sounder train.

I’ve long had an interest in trains, and the nearby rail station combined with the rides being covered by my work subsidized ORCA card made it a pretty attractive option. Having been riding for a while, I’ve been very pleased with the service. Traffic doesn’t affect my commute time, there’s always a seat available, there’s a restroom available on the train if needed, and the staff are quite friendly.

Not to mention the views. The route the north line takes comes out of downtown Seattle, along the piers at the waterfront, past a few parks, and follows the coastline northbound to Edmonds, Mukilteo, and Everett. Beautiful seascapes, wildlife, parks and rocky beaches on one side, and waterfront communities on the other.


On the way out of Seattle, we also pass through a BNSF rail yard, which is of itself a point of interest. One doesn’t often get the opportunity to visit a rail yard, much less daily, to see the goings on.

Here’s a small engine on a turntable!

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Posted in Life, Vehicles | Leave a comment

Pagliacci

So, we’ve recently moved after buying our first home, and among the hundred bajillion other things that changed, we also moved out of the service area of one of our favorite pizza places, Pagliacci Pizza.

Naturally, we were disappointed, and I thought I would take a minute to send them an email asking if they had any plans/thoughts on expanding into our new neighborhood. Plus I figured I could have some fun with it and hopefully make the person answering their emails chuckle.

Subject: None (It was a web form without a subject field)

Hey Pagliacci Folks (In lieu of a more awesome term I haven’t come up with for Pagliacci employees),

My wife and I quite enjoy your mealtime deliciousness of much variety. Pizza, salads, and gelatos (is the plural of gelato, “gelato”?) of all kinds are available. Though I must concede that perhaps our simple tastes don’t live up to the grandness of the variety offered.

We recently find our selves blessed enough by <INSERT DIETY HERE (I prefer the Flying Spaghetti Monster, may his noodly appendage reach out and touch you all)> to purchase a house of our own. To our chagrin, we have found we have made the mistake of not checking the neighborhood for a nearby Pagliacci location, and we are verily dismayed at the loss of accessibility of your fine dining establishment.

So, we beseecheth thee, when doth thou plan to open an Everett location?! Thine family and I shall sorrow for many a fortnight until your fine eatery makes the journey to my northern home.

Most sinceredestlier,

Sir. Rev. Mr. Nigel

[Normal Word Zone Follows]

Hey, you guys rock! When are you guys opening an Everett location?! Seriously. We need your delicious delicious stuff.

Love,

Nigel

Not long afterward I got a response from the general manager of their phone center. I’ll strip out the name for their privacy.

Subject: your epistle (Had to look that one up. Bonus points off the bat.)

Sir. Rev. Mr. Nigel,

Your plea for sustenance would seem a quest of unfortunate end, for no Pagliacci exists in such  the Northern world. Alas, it is with heavy heart I tell you this.

But wait, a light appears in the darkness! Even though you must needs venture far to find the food your family cherishes, you are not without merit as a provider of meat and drink, and I have but one request of you.

Send to me forthwith the numbers and street wherein you currently reside, and I will find it in my authority to send hastily in your direction a card of magical proportions, the like of which when you appear in the Southern world again and find your travels once again at Pagliacci, you may present to the shopkeeper there and they will immediately reduce the price upon which our goods are established.

The least this lowly servant can do for someone loyal to the end.

Be safe, and watch the skies as you travel. There are dragons afoot.

PERSON’S NAME HERE

General Manager

Pagliacci Phone Center

Meanwhile, I was away in Vancouver as mentioned in a previous post, so it took me a bit to get them a response.

Dear PERSON’S NAME HERE,

Profuse thanks for your expeditious response, and I beg forgiveness for my untimely delay in responding in due course. The vast journey, carrying thine family’s belongings in my motorized carriage has been a time consuming endeavor.

Your generosity is very kind and greatly appreciated. Thou shalt find that messages sent through the post to POSTAL ADDRESS GOES HERE will find their way to me.

Many salutations and thanks,

Nigel

Sent from my portable computations and communications device.

Shortly there-afterward, another response was mine to be had,

Dear Nigel, 

Plans have been laid and maps have been drawn. I have instructed one of my swift and most entrusted messengers with the route to your familial abode.  Watch the skies, watch the borders of your lands; for before you might expect it one of my guardians of the post will appear, carrying the package so carefully put into their hands on this very day.

May it find you and your family well and good, in the brightest of health, and may the contents of it create for you a future adventure of proportions beyond your imagining.

Your humble servant,

PERSON’S NAME HERE

Before long, a package showed up in the mail, and I was greeted with far more than I had expected.

IMG_2340_Redacted IMG_2341_Redacted

Take particular note of that note and the gift card. There was some effort put into the handwriting there. MUST MAINTAIN CHARACTER!!! Extra Extra bonus points.

So, in closing, thanks Pagliacci! Thanks for the awesome food, occasional free pizzas, bag o’ swag as pictured above, and for being top notch folks! Thanks!

Posted in Life, Random | Leave a comment

Vancouver Visit

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Vancouver, BC for work, and got to spend a bit of time in the city and see some pretty interesting things. The hotel was very near the convention center on the water, and next to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic torch.

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Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have it lit most of the time. Probably to save on fuel…

There were cruise ships coming and going most days…

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And a pixel orca…

IMG_2252

And we caught a lightning storm one evening, though it didn’t rain on us directly.

IMG_2290

All in all a good time. Cool things to see, Interesting things to hear about at the conference, and lots of great food.

Posted in Art, Life, Random, Technology | Leave a comment