I’ve been interested in sundials for ages. Tracking the sun’s path by observing the shadow of a stick is an ancient form of astronomy, and a gateway into geometry (literally “measuring the earth”).
How to watch Tomorrowland, the movie
Because the 2015 movie Tomorrowland is back in the news, I thought I’d offer my ideas of how to enjoy this promising and flawed movie.
Needless to say, this post contains spoilers.
How to replace an ADT sensor battery
Because in-home sensor systems and User Experience are interests of mine, I offer this How To after replacing a sensor in my home alarm system. Continue reading How to replace an ADT sensor battery
Chinchilla Cam: Installing the Raspberry Pi Camera Module and OpenCV
For some time we’ve caught rare glimpses of small, rabbit-like animals who seem to be living under our front porch. We’ve seen little, round ears bobbing past the window, footprints in the snow, and during one hot summer I found a dead chinchilla in the garage – the poor thing couldn’t take the heat. Continue reading Chinchilla Cam: Installing the Raspberry Pi Camera Module and OpenCV
A Highly Fictional, Future Historical Walking Tour of Hillsboro Oregon
Ever wonder what happens when people from A.D. 2100 want to indulge a nostalgia about the early 21st century? Wonder no longer. I’ve posted my Highly Fictional, Future Historical Walking Tour of Hillsboro, Oregon, in which a hapless kid trying to fix his cell phone accidentally eavesdrops on the future.
Continue reading A Highly Fictional, Future Historical Walking Tour of Hillsboro Oregon
Super Glue and 3D Printing: a match made in heaven
Having recently finished reading Clifford Smyth’s excellent book, Functional Design for 3D Printing, I was anxious to try out his method of cutting a design into parts and gluing those parts together after printing. Continue reading Super Glue and 3D Printing: a match made in heaven
Travel is Broadening, 1873
In going through old family papers, I happened on a letter from my great-grandfather, John Foshay, to his wife, Martha (Whealdon) Foshay. It’s a letter composed mid-trip on a journey from Albany Oregon to California along what is now Interstate 5. Continue reading Travel is Broadening, 1873
Dog Water Bowl Scale, Part 3: Final assembly and installation
In my previous post, I covered the mechanical construction of the scale. In this post, I finish assembling the scale, calibrating it, and installing it.
After painting I put feet on the scale so it won’t soak in water spilled on the floor.
…then bolted the Arduino 101, Load Cell, and Load Cell Amplifier to the bottom plate. Continue reading Dog Water Bowl Scale, Part 3: Final assembly and installation
Dog Water Bowl Scale, Part 2: Measure Twice; Cut Once
In my previous post, I started working on the scale. In this post, I finish the woodworking, and painfully re-learn the woodworker’s adage: “Measure twice; cut once”. Continue reading Dog Water Bowl Scale, Part 2: Measure Twice; Cut Once
Dog Water Bowl Scale, part 1: initial design work
Now that my Dog Bed Weight Scale is sending data, I’m going to have a go at a water bowl scale. The idea is that, like the bed, the bowl will periodically send its weight to a cloud. This data should tell me when Pippa drinks, when we refill her bowl, and (maybe) how much she drinks.
The work-in-progress sources on Github, contain the beginnings of the Arduino 101 Sketch, Bill of Materials (Parts List), mechanical design/construction details, and a day-by-day project diary. Continue reading Dog Water Bowl Scale, part 1: initial design work