Binocular Lens Holder with OpenSCAD

Posted on by RubenFixit

In preparation for the October 14, 2023 Annular Eclipse, I wanted to use my binoculars to get a close look at the sun during the eclipse. I could buy premade solar filter lens caps at $50 a piece, that may or may not fit my binoculars. Or I could buy a sheet of solar filter material for $12 and 3D print lens holders that are the perfect size.

For simple shapes, I found that using OpenSCAD is quicker, especially when making the model adjustable with parameters. I also posted this design on printables.com (https://www.printables.com/model/593894-binocular-lens-holder-with-openscad)

Remote Firework / Rocket Igniter

Posted on by RubenFixit

Have you ever wanted to remotely launch a model rocket, or some fireworks safely? I know I sure have. So I came up with this method using an RC airplane transmitter, receiver, and an Electronic Speed Controller (ESC). By using the built-in ESC safety feature, that requires the throttle to be raised, lowered and then raised again before powering a motor, I could do just that. For rocket ignition, you simply connect the ESC to the rocket igniter. If you don’t have any of those lying around, some low wattage resistors work well. Essentially by overloading the resistor you cause it to get hot enough to ignite a fuse.

To keep all the electronics safe, I placed them in a hobby box, then added a super loud tweeter as an additional safety feature. That way everyone is aware when the system is armed and active.

Happy 4th of July!

Mega Button Remote – Wireless charger

Posted on by RubenFixit

As a simple upgrade to the Megabutton Universal Remote Mk II+ / Adaptive Universal Remote, here is a simple way to add wireless charging to almost any project.

Parts

  • USB Wireless Charger Receiver
  • Wireless Charger

By attaching the wireless charger receiver to your device, you can then use it with a compatible wireless charger. In the instance of the Megabutton Universal Remote Mk III, I carved out a section of the base to ensure the receiver was completely flush, then covered the entire wireless charger receiver with tape to protect it, as it is quite thin. Then I built a tray to hold the wireless phone charger creating a charging station. Now Jacob can slide the Megabutton remote into the charge station whenever the batter gets low.

Pump Sprayer Upgrade

Posted on by RubenFixit

I use this pump sprayer only for water, as it is my water supply for a water bottle rocket launcher. I got tired of constantly having to manually pump the water container when I was already using an air compressor to fill and pressurize the water bottle rockets.

This is when I took on the task of building a threaded adapter that could be glued to a standard PVC coupling. Then I can add pneumatic accessories, like an adjustable pressure valve and a shutoff valve.

Because of the way the threaded adapter was designed, I decided to split it into to parts, so I could print the threads without needing supports. Then by gluing the ABS 3D printed thread adapter parts onto the PVC coupling with PVC/ABS glue, I was able to make a pretty solid pump sprayer pneumatic adapter.

DIY USB-C Hub

Posted on by RubenFixit

USB-C is all the rage these days. Most people welcome it, some people absolutely despise it. And I get it, for the everyday user you only need one cable to rule them all, but it is certainly a headache for engineers to have to deal with all the regulations packed into one port.

I find it fascinating how many products jumped to implement this new standard, but many of them aren’t certified, because with everything USB-C can do, it is a huge undertaking to become USB-C certified. And why bother for something that only needs power and doesn’t benefit from all the extra features that come with USB-C.

Which is why it is impossible to find a truly certified USB-C hub. The vast majority of USB-C accessories are adapters to USB 3, like my USB-C to USB 3.1 hub. However, you cannot find any USB-C to USB-C hub anywhere. A true USB-C hub like that would require all ports to conform to all USB-C protocols and standards, which would be quite an undertaking and cost a pretty penny.

So for now, I’ll just have to make due with plugging in a bunch of USB 3.1 to USB-C adapters into my USB-C to USB 3.1 hub, to make a simple USB-C hub. It works pretty well for my needs, just don’t expect all USB-C features to work with a configuration like this.

Office stop light

Office Busy Signal Stoplight

Posted on by RubenFixit

COVID-19 has forced many of us to work from and practice social distancing to flatten the curve. As a result, I’ve been spending a lot of time in my home office. Since I’ll be working from home for the foreseeable future, I decided it was time to clean and organize my office. When I clean/organize I end up digging up a bunch of stuff I haven’t used in years. Most of these items usually get recycled or donated, and some sometimes I’ll find small treasures that I’ve held on to but forgot about.

This time I found my Dad’s original office stoplight that he used when I was a kid in one of the random-stuff boxes. Essentially, it’s miniature stoplight that was used to indicate my Dad’s availability at any given moment. It was made with incandescent light fixtures with colored light covers. The light were controlled by two toggle switches.

Since my kids are home from school too, for the same reason I’m working from home, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to give this stoplight box new life. Hopefully it will help the kids understand when I’m in the middle of something and can’t be bothered.

While I could have made this from scratch that would have a much smaller profile, I wanted to keep the original look. I did replace the 6V incandescent light bulbs with colored LED’s. This was simple enough to do by cutting the light bulb fixture in half on the bandsaw. Then it was as simple as wiring up the LED’s and programming an ESP8266 thing with a very simple web interface.

Parts list:

  • Red LED
  • Yellow LED
  • Green LED
  • 220Ω resistor
  • Sparkfun ESP8266 thing
  • USB Cable
  • USB power adapter

Code:

/*
 *  Simple web LED control for a stop light.
 *  The server IP address of the ESP8266 module, will be printed to Serial when the module is connected.
 */

#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <WiFiClient.h> 
#include <ESP8266WebServer.h>

//////////////////////
// WiFi Definitions //
//////////////////////
const char *ssid = "your_wifi";
const char *password = "your_password";
const char *hostname = "office-stop-light";
const String title = "OFFICE STOP LIGHT CONTROL";

/////////////////////
// Pin Definitions //
/////////////////////
const int RED_LED_PIN = 4;
const int YEL_LED_PIN = 0;
const int GRN_LED_PIN = 5; // Thing's onboard, green LED

// Create an instance of the server
// specify the port to listen on as an argument
ESP8266WebServer server(80);


/* Homepage Webcode */
void send_homepage() {
  String server_index = "<!DOCTYPE html><html lang=\"en\"><head><meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1, user-scalable=no\"/><title>"+title+"</title>";
  server_index += "<style>.c{text-align: center;} div,input{padding:5px;font-size:1em;}  input{width:90%;}  body{text-align: center;font-family:verdana;} button{border:0;border-radius:0.6rem;background-color:#1fb3ec;color:#fdd;line-height:2.4rem;font-size:1.2rem;width:100%;} .q{float: right;width: 64px;text-align: right;} .button_blue {background-color: #008CBA;} .button_red {background-color: #f44336;} .button_yellow {background-color: #ffdd00; color: black;} .button_dark_grey {background-color: #555555;} .button_green {background-color: #4CAF50;} </style>";
  server_index += "<script>function c(l){document.getElementById('s').value=l.innerText||l.textContent;document.getElementById('p').focus();}</script>";
  server_index += "</head><body><div style='text-align:left;display:inline-block;min-width:260px;'>";
  server_index += "<H3>"+title+"</H3>";
  server_index += "<form action=\"/cmd_red_on\" method=\"get\"><button class=\"button_red\">Red</button></form><br/><form action=\"/cmd_yellow_on\" method=\"get\"><button class=\"button_yellow\">Yellow</button></form><br/> <form action=\"/cmd_green_on\" method=\"get\"><button class=\"button_green\">Green</button></form><br/><form action=\"/cmd_all_off\" method=\"get\"><button class=\"button_dark_grey\">Off</button></form><br/>    ";
  server.send(200, "text/html", server_index);
}

/* Go to http://office-stop-light in a web browser with a device on the same network as this ESP8266 thing. */
void handleRoot() {
  send_homepage();
}

void cmd_red_on() {
  send_homepage();
  digitalWrite(RED_LED_PIN, 1);
  digitalWrite(YEL_LED_PIN, 0);
  digitalWrite(GRN_LED_PIN, 0);
}

void cmd_yellow_on() {
  send_homepage();
  digitalWrite(RED_LED_PIN, 0);
  digitalWrite(YEL_LED_PIN, 1);
  digitalWrite(GRN_LED_PIN, 0);
}

void cmd_green_on() {
  send_homepage();
  digitalWrite(RED_LED_PIN, 0);
  digitalWrite(YEL_LED_PIN, 0);
  digitalWrite(GRN_LED_PIN, 1);
}

void cmd_all_off() {
  send_homepage();
  digitalWrite(RED_LED_PIN, 0);
  digitalWrite(YEL_LED_PIN, 0);
  digitalWrite(GRN_LED_PIN, 0);
}

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  delay(10);

  // prepare GPIO / LED
  pinMode(RED_LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(YEL_LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(GRN_LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(RED_LED_PIN, 0);
  digitalWrite(YEL_LED_PIN, 0);
  digitalWrite(GRN_LED_PIN, 0);
  
  // Connect to WiFi network
  Serial.println();
  Serial.println();
  Serial.print("Connecting to ");
  Serial.println(ssid);

  WiFi.hostname(hostname);
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
  }
  Serial.println("");
  Serial.println("WiFi connected");
  
  // Configure and start the server
  server.on("/", handleRoot);
  server.on("/cmd_red_on", cmd_red_on);
  server.on("/cmd_yellow_on", cmd_yellow_on);
  server.on("/cmd_green_on", cmd_green_on);
  server.on("/cmd_all_off", cmd_all_off);
  
  //get heap status, analog input value and all GPIO statuses in one json call
  server.on("/all.json", HTTP_GET, []() {
    String json = "{";
    json += "\"heap\":" + String(ESP.getFreeHeap());
    json += ", \"analog\":" + String(analogRead(A0));
    json += ", \"gpio\":" + String((uint32_t)(((GPI | GPO) & 0xFFFF) | ((GP16I & 0x01) << 16)));
    json += "}";
    server.send(200, "text/json", json);
    json = String();
  });
  server.begin();
  Serial.println("Server started");

  // Print the IP address
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
}

void loop() {
  server.handleClient();
}

Wiring Diagram

Web Interface

Power Wheel Hacks

Posted on by RubenFixit

We inherited this power wheels ATV from a dear family that moved out of state. It needed some “fixing” before we could have some fun with it. These are the things I’ve done to it since we got it.

New Battery

The original battery had long since died, and my 18V cordless drill batteries were the only ones I had that were remotely powerful enough to make it move. Sure the voltage is a bit higher than the 12V ATV is designed to run on, but now it goes faster! Also, I’ve been running it on 18V for 3 years now and it still runs great. As you can see in the photo’s I used a standard RC battery plug. Then created battery adapter to spade wire terminals. I used bits of wood to keep the right spacing of the spade wire terminals for battery connection and removal.

Bike trailer hitch

The problem with having siblings is you need to share. So I thought they could all have fun together if they could pull each other around. So I came up with this trailer hitch. Get a 3/4 in. PVC 45 degree elbow, and drill a hole clear through one side for the trailer cotter pin to go through. Then place a piece of scrap 2×4 on the inside of the battery bay, and put at least 3 screws through the PVC elbow through the body into the 2×4.

Painted it Metallic Blue

RGB Undercarriage Lights

Simply added some 12V RGB LED strips to the undercarriage of the power wheels, and added the controller that came with it. The LEDs were able to operate just fine at 18V using the LED IR controller that they came with. It also adds visibility at night.

Unfortunately the LED strips eventually fell off even after gluing them down.

Battery Level Indicator

New Treads

Now that the kids are getting bigger I noticed that the wheels tend so spin out longer, and that the ATV wont stop as quickly as it used to. This was especially apparent when they tried to pull a heavier wagon. So I found a hack online on how to take a bike tire (not inner-tube) and apply it to the hard plastic wheels to give it more traction.

Pull a Parade Float

Okay this one isn’t really a hack, but was made possible because of some of the hacks. And it is a neat thing I was able to do with my kids. We had a lot of fun, and they were able to help promote Mommy’s business (pebblebaysoaps.com). We also won 3rd place for best float!

LED RGB Stars

Posted on by RubenFixit

It is nearing Christmas time again.

Last year, I was in an apartment that was doing a Christmas Light Decoration Competition. The first three winner received a discount on the next months rent.

So I decided to order some RGB LED strips from banggood.com and make some really cool IR controllable stars.

The process was simple, if not a bit tedious…

First, I measured the length of the smallest section I could get from the LED strop. Then I made a pattern, on a regular sheet of paper, that would give me the angles and length for each point in the star.

Then, I traced the angles on a piece of cardboard, cut the star out, and placed the sections of LED strips, to make sure everything fit.

Here is a picture of the star, the template, the tools I used, and the LED strips in place.

Now all that is left is to solder all the LED segments together.
This was by far the most tedious part.

And here it is all lit up.

And, why only make one when I can make three!

So Here is our final apartment balcony.

Click to view on YouTube

Toothless Wings

Posted on by RubenFixit

Nothing much to this costume. I just cut up a black fleece blanket into the general shape of toothless wings. Then used a sowing machine to sow the ridges.

I was very lazy with the lights. I hot-glued some RGB LED strips to the wings, one on each side of the center ridge. Then wired the blue lights to a 9V battery plug. Then hot glued a Velcro cable tie to the back side of the wings to hold the 9V battery.