My rotator project is starting to get under way and so I’ve set up a little project page which is currently a bit short on detail but hopefully develop as I get going. it can be found here
Posts Tagged ‘Projects’
Learning a different code
Posted 13 Aug 2011 — by Alex
Category Radio
Category Radio
Sometimes you start on a project and wonder if you’re going to get all the resources you’re going to need at a reasonable price. Other times its support from the wider and generally very helpful ham community. Suffice to say that without the internet I would be completely stumped a lot of the time.
In defining my winter project (Arduino satellite rotator) I was going through the background stuff and stumbled across a ham in the US (Nimit, K6XOX) who has clearly got a lot more experience in these things and has produced a rotator controller that works with the Yaesu protocols and works with his set up. A bit of email tennis later and I’m on the cusp of ordering a PCB off him that uses the same microprocessor that’s in the Arduino only without the unnecessary parts.
He has sent through a manual that is excellent and seems keen to promote his gizmo, if a little reluctant to send a PCB outside of the US. This PCB helps to remove one of the issues I had which was likely to be the biggest stumbling block, the software side of the project. I have had some good practice using existing tutorials to turn on and off LED’s, making the Arduino talk to the internet but failed miserably to get it to display a simple ‘Hello World’ on a LCD despite checking, double checking and triple checking the wiring, software and PC based bits.
this project is a long way from being finished and in reality hasn’t really started but so far its been a very good educational experience
Christmas holidays KO’d by germs
I’d planned on doing a fair bit over christmas. Getting out and about with my hand held, finishing off a few made but unboxed kits and making a programming cable for my VX-8. Did I get any of this done? No, none of these even got a look in on account of germs. Hundreds of millions of the little germs that managed to infect my whole family including siblings and in laws. At various points in the whole christams break there were only ahandful of us out of bed and able to communicate.
Nw that christmasis over and I’m back at work the time allowed to do these things is over. Worse still is that some of my colleagues have brought with them a new set of germs to infect us with and school starts back today so bring on round two!
Theres no easy solution but to soldier on knowing that if I get anything then its 20 times worse than anyone elses 
Project Webpad
Posted 26 Oct 2006 — by Alex
Category Radio
Category Radio
Whilst whirring away the hours before missy started up again I found puppy linux (www.puppylinux.org) and it looks like just the thing I need to start on the webpad project. The idea ermains the same:
1. Low carbon impact computer using web based applications through firefox. i.e minimal power drain!
2. CF drive with USB support for data storage off a mini-tx board
3. Wireless or wired connection
4. Thats it
I’ve posted on the puppylinux forums to get some help in stripping the OS down to the bare minimum as I simply don’t have a clue. BUt this isn’t going to happen overnight as I have absolutely zerotime at home. Lunches only!
Invention Corner – Pegasus Presentation
Posted 13 Oct 2006 — by Alex
Category Radio
Category Radio
Its probably about time that I came clean about what Pegasus actually is and how I came to spend 25 hours sniffing fumes from a fibreglass model.
Way back when Noah was in short trousers or so it seems, The old girl showed me a advert in some trade magazine for the concept 2006 competetion run by Bureau Veritas with a prize of ??1000 for the winner. She goaded me to make something seeing I was a bit of a smart arse so the challenge was set.
The Theme – Baby Products….how apt
About 20 minutes of thinking and I came up with something that still needs to be quite secret for obvious reasons. I submitted the entry not expecting anything, I got shortlisted from around 350 entries down to the last 10 and finally down to the last 4. last week i had to present my wonder at the NEC.
So a second challenge was set. Make the item without spending much cash and try and return a profit on the whole proceedings. ??78 later (including fuel) I was down at the NEC competing against products already available and at the back of stand away from the prying eyes.
Needless to say i didn’t win the top prize but after recieving a cheque for ??200 I can safely say I got home just about in profit after deducting all my expenses. Challenge complete.
The twist is that I picked up a few business cards from people who may wish to take this further, hence the secrecy.
more may follow…..
