Now we are doing a lot more work with static sensitive devices we decided it was time to update our workbench with an ESD antistatic mat and wrist straps to try to ground any static electric build-up before it can damage anything!
The antistatic...
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I have now finished working on the mobile app for the Raspberry Pi controlled central heating controller. This is following from the www.briandorey.com/post/XBee-Central-Heating-Control-via-Raspberry-Pi.aspx blog post which detailed how the...
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It has now been just over 12 months since we installed our Raspberry Pi solar data logger system on the house and it has been uploading temperature readings, battery voltage and current readings every minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The...
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After another cold winter driving our Landrover Defender 90 we decided to try to insulate the roof and exposed side panels in the vehicle and try to track down an annoying water leak which caused water to build up above the passenger door which...
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Our solar thermal hot water system has now been installed for 12 months and has given a good saving on our annual gas bills with the summer gas usage being almost 80% lower than previous years.
A recurring problem with the solar system is a...
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Following a recent update to the new BlogEngine 2.8 version it seems that some of the blog posts have vanished and didn’t transfer to the new system correctly.
I have been able to recover some of the posts but others are no longer available.
The...
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After struggling for some time using homemade stencil holders and bits of tape to hold the stencils down we decided to buy a commercial stencil holder. Most seemed to be around the £2000 mark and only take large framed stencils and then...
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Managed to break the SD card socket on one of my Raspberry Pi boards when fitting it in a PiBow case and found a replacement SD socket from Farnell for only £1.00
Filmed the repair tonight and added to YouTube so other people who have...
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A few weeks ago I ordered a pair of “20W 1600Lm LED Garden Outdoor FloodLight 85-265V Pure White Wall WashLights” at £35 each to replace the pair of 150W halogen outdoor lights in the back garden. The seller claimed to be:...
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I had been looking for a Kent hand key from eBay for some time as I plan to try to learn CW (Morse) to use with my Yaesu FT817 on the HF bands. As the Kent keys are around £100 new I thought that a used one would be a good way to try to...
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The factory fan on my 2 year old Apple ATI Radeon HD 5870 1Gb Graphics Card finally failed last week after over 8 months of rattles and worsening noises before finally stopping and the graphics card getting a bit warm!
As my Mac Pro tower is...
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Following from the Arduino pick and place update blog post video and Automatic component feeders post we have now completed the first version of the Android tablet control software which uses bluetooth to communincate with an Arduino Mega...
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Below is a photo overview of how we make our own PCB’s using a UV box and developing the boards.
Disclaimer: Wear appropriate safety equipment when handling chemicals and when using UV boxes and lights. Don’t try this at home...
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The basic Chinese Vacuum Pickup pump we have been using on the DIY pick and place machine has been giving us problems with its lack of suction when handling larger SOIC components and didn’t hold them still when moving fast or rotating...
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