0000 0000 1001 0001

Inline through-hole fuses

For some reason I cannot remember (isn't that always the way) I ordered a series of inline through-hole fuses that look like little inductors:

I suppose that they could be used in the lab PSU project - maybe on the output to each voltage (3.3V, 5V, 12V and variable) - so that if there is a short circuit or runaway current somewhere that somehow gets past the switching power regulator (ZK-4KX) then these little guys will throw themselves in front of the ruling monarch burn out and save the day.

So this week in the circuit I test a few to destruction for the good of Science and my amusement. There are a few more in the bin than you get to see me destroy in the video below - it was a bit of fun (who doesn't love magic smoke) but now I need to order a few more!

0000 0000 1001 0000

Mailbag #11

A few items arrived recently and so I've cobbled together some video of me mumbling my way through opening them up!

The really interesting one was a water solenoid valve - it is pitched at 12V but opens fine with 9V - very handy if there is a 9V battery available.

The plan is to maybe build a hydro-based power station on the property (which is very steep!) - if I can hook up an ESP8266 or an ESP32 to control such a valve the possibilities are very very interesting.

Of course, there's a bit of experimentation to go first - I'm no engineer, just a tinkerer.

Enjoy!

0000 0000 1000 1111

5V to 240V conversion

All of my early projects were 5V - a legacy from my Arduino days. When I ditched the Arduino in favour firstly of the Nano and the Pro Mini, and then later for "raw" ATMega 328/168/88 chips, I kept the 3x1.5V AA power delivery configuration that had served all of those projects so well.

For a few recent projects however, it was more appropriate to use some old phone chargers to deliver 5V (or otherwise) to provide power, and thus no switching of batteries required!

For instance - the Cat Laser Toy and the Rowing Exercise Clock are both plugged in via 5V adapters.

I have been making PIR activated digital clocks for some time (pre-blog and pre-YT) which have been chugging away quite happily in many homes over many years.

The clocks sit around sleeping most of the time, but when they detect a warm presence via the PIR, they poll a DS3231 module for time and temperature, display these on a TM1637 display, and then go to sleep again.

The downside is that those 3xAA batteries need to be replaced from time to time depending on the frequency of sleep interruption. In a high-traffic area such as our kitchen/dining room, this could be as often as once every 3 months - too much!

I have tried using NiMH - but it is difficult to find high capacity versions that give more than a few weeks of service - inconvenient!

So for this project I am taking one of my "high traffic" clocks and putting in a 5V conversion via an AC/DC converter and a USB module.

Is it successful - time will tell (pun intended)?

0000 0000 1000 1110

Mailbag 10.5 - the leftover bits

The last mailbag went forever, mainly because of some very cool charger/boost modules that I spent W-A-Y too much time testing.

They are a very handy module and I can definitely see a use in a project using solar panels to charge an 18650 battery, but then having the output boosted for example driving a bright LED.

So to save everyone's sanity I split this bit off and it is now a separate (10.5) mailbag - enjoy!

0000 0000 1000 1101

Audacity Puppy Cam combo

A couple of videos back some feedback on my YT channel requested info on post production of video and audio to remove annoying background "white" noise such as fans etc from my vids.

The resulting explanation only went for a few minutes so for this video I have also stuck on some info about the puppy cam project which is an old Raspberry Pi 3B+ running some video software that lets me look at the puppies when we're out of the house.

The project has been fine so far, but I needed to "widen" the field of view and as well make the bodged 5V fan adjustable in a "crudimentary" way.

 

0000 0000 1000 1100

Solar Powered WiFi Mesh (I)

I have it in mind that I can extend the WiFi coverage at home into the paddocks (~100m), chicken yard (20m), front gate (80m), greenhouse (10m), dog yard (6m), goat/sheep paddock (70m), etc., etc., but I don't want to wire up power to supply extender units.

I've been wondering if solar power is a viable option. Certainly there are a few projects on the InterWebs that seem to suggest it might be possible.

I've started looking at ESP8266 options, but also lately have been more interested in ESP32s with their low current sleeping ability and WebServer possibilities (e.g. setting hours for operation, monitoring traffic, etc).

We don't get that much solar down here in Tassie, so whatever set up is implemented needs to be efficient if I'm going to succeed with a solar powered option.

To that end I've been trying out some different solar panels arriving in the mailbag in terms of voltage, current (hence power) and it came to pass that one boring day I exceeded the design specs on a solar panel tester.

Ridiculous as you will see in the video! Once I've decided on the solar panel I'll switch to the power delivery and control systems. Interesting project, with a few more installments to come - watch this space.

0000 0000 1000 1011

Mailbag #10

The flow of orders into the mailbag has slowed considerably, due to many factors.

Certainly the need has dropped off as the buckets are brimming with project fodder, and as well the cost of both new items and their freight is becoming prohibitive for a humble home hobbyist.

Nevertheless, here is the latest haul!