ALI EXPRESS CLOCK KIT john wells 2023-01-31 | Took about 4 hours to assemble this kit. Lots of very tiny SMD connections to solder. Magically - it worked when I was finished. You can order this kit here: aliexpress.us/item/3256802274304868.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US
MULTI SEGMENT CLOCK PROJECT VIDEO 2 STEPPER MOTORS john wells 2023-01-27 | Took me about 10 hours to get these two stepper motors to cooperate and run a simple synchronized program with a single ESP8266 microcontroller. Pretty frustrating as more times than not, sample sketches I tried to run did not work at all. Had no luck using the Arduino stepper library. Finally found success tweaking a program using the AccelStepper library. I prefer this because of the subtle acceleration and deceleration of the motor movements. I will make all the code available when the project is finished.
BUNNY NUMBER TWO LEAVES THE NEST john wells 2023-01-24 | Barely two weeks old and this baby bunny is ready to go out into the world. The brother (or sister) that came to visit is from the previous litter and just one month older. They grow really fast.
MULT SEGMENT CLOCK PROJECT VIDEO 1 john wells 2023-01-23 | First time diving into the land of Arduino. I am beginning to build a variation of a digital animated clock screensaver as a functioning physical model - complete with moving parts and changing screens. This first test is just getting acquainted with using the Arduino programming language, an ESP8266 NodeMCU microcontroller, and a small monochrome OLED display. I started by loading the sketch of a digital clock that gets "set" upon power up from an NTP server via wifi. Next, I isolated the different segments of code for the clock (hours, minutes, seconds) so I could program individual microcontrollers with them - resized to fill the screen. Here I am trying my hand at a couple of simple blink functions for the OLED displays. The goal is to have from four to six different variations using fonts and effects for each segment that will change as they move through various positions. I have overcome quite a learning curve just getting to this point - and a lot more to figure out as the project progresses. For this iteration, I am just using the SSD1306 OLED display for all the character variations. If the project holds my interest long enough, I may add some other types of displays to the mix. Next, I begin figuring out stepper motors to provide the motion effects for the model. Here is my video of the screensaver I am attempting to emulate. youtu.be/HMVFufdYQoc
WEENED BUNNY COMES BACK TO MOM FOR A SNACK john wells 2023-01-21 | Momma bunny is tending to a new litter of kits. Her weened 6 week old decided to get in on a little nursing while she was at the nest. Correction (weaned).
MORE BUNNIES ON THE WAY john wells 2023-01-16 | Spotted some new action in the nest at 4 AM yesterday. The momma dug it up and was in there for a while. After she came out, she spent a lot of time grooming herself "down there". She came back this morning for what I assume is the first feeding. It will be about 2 weeks before whatever is in the nest is big enough to be spotted on camera.
THE MORNING ROUTINE john wells 2023-01-12 | Slightly dreamy effect provided by an accidental smudge on the lens that I hadn't noticed. Decided to use the video anyway.
ULTIMATE CLOCK SCREENSAVER john wells 2023-01-11 | Very nice animated digital clock screensaver available by download for $9.99. This gives me some ideas for another clock build. Thinking about collecting parts for such an elaborate project, I really miss the Canal Street of the 80's in NYC - especially Canal Surplus, Canal Metals, and Canal Plastics. Back then I could source all kinds of obscure sculptural elements from there and I used to venture down to lower Manhattan every Saturday just for inspiration. You can get this screensaver here: 3planesoft.com/clock-screensavers/digital-clock-3d-screensaver
REPLACING A VALVE ON A FULL TANK john wells 2023-01-10 | Simple way to stop water from shooting out of a tank while replacing a faulty valve. A "ball" of plastic bags blocks the outlet as the water pressure presses against it. When the old valve is removed, the remaining water in the outlet pipe pours out and is replaced with air. You can hear that air bubble up in the tank and see the stick move when I place the new valve in the outlet pipe.
THE GROWING BUNNY john wells 2023-01-09 | This little rabbit has more than tripled in size in just 2 weeks and is certainly living a life of privilege - born in the greenhouse completely protected from any predators and in a burrow made out of food. Spoiled by living in a literal "all you can eat and drink buffet", it should be noted that in the wild desert cottontails rarely drink, and free water does not appear to be a requirement for either their survival or reproduction. They are drawn to moist areas because of succulent vegetation and morning dew, but in the desert without any rain for months at a time (or a provided water bowl), they are sustained simply by whatever moisture content is in the vegetation they eat.
A CLOCK DAY john wells 2023-01-04 | Got all of my new "plug in" clock kits fired up. Didn't bother trying to get them all synced up perfectly. Impulse buy of the year was the Divoom Pixoo64 pixel art display - showing my YouTube stats (with 4096 leds). I have a smart plug coming next week so I can have Alexa turn the lighted ones off at night. Also rigged up and hung a cheap display case for some of my favorite pocket watches. I always keep one clock set on Daylight Saving Time year-round.
NEW CLOCK NEW YEAR john wells 2023-01-01 | First clock kit of the year. This one went together pretty quickly - but I had to go over all my soldering a second time before it worked correctly. You can buy this kit here: usa.banggood.com/Geekcreit-DIY-DS3231-Touch-Key-Precision-High-Brightness-LED-Dot-Matrix-Display-Alarm-Clock-Kit-p-1125204.html?cur_warehouse=CN
aurora led clock john wells 2022-12-31 | Got this clock kit from Banggood a couple of years ago and finally got around to assembling it. This is a time lapse shot over the course of sixty minutes. Took 5 hours to get it up and running. Lots of very tiny SMD's to solder - and I was a bit surprised that it actually worked when I was finished. Telling the time is accomplished by learning what the colors mean. You can order one here: usa.banggood.com/DIY-Aurora-LED-Color-Light-Cube-Chromatography-Glass-Clock-Kit-p-984410.html?cur_warehouse=CNKick Shock by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100523Artist: http://incompetech.com
floating shelf john wells 2022-12-27 | Always wanted to build a floating shelf and can finally check that off my list. Drilled holes into the wall studs and used 2 pieces of 3/8" rebar for the supports and a weathered 2x4 for the shelf.For Mimi by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org
new bunny john wells 2022-12-26 | First time spotting what was in the nest - a single baby bunny (it was only 24° at the time of this video). Litters can consist of from one - up to twelve "kittens". Based on when the nest was built and the size of this baby, I am guessing it is 1 to 2 weeks old. Luckily this little cottontail survived some brutally cold temperatures over the past couple of days - mostly on its own. Rabbit moms bury their young in a nest to keep them warm and protected and only visit to feed their young once or twice a day. Since baby rabbits don't produce any distinct smells, the mother stays far away from the nest for the majority of the time to avoid leading predators there. Cottontails are prolific animals that have multiple litters in a year because few of the resulting offspring survive to adulthood. Those that do grow very quickly and are full grown adults at three months.
one day renovation john wells 2022-12-20 | Time to switch up the hut a bit. I planned this out a couple of days ago so I could get it done in just a couple of hours. The old desk I am using is a bit big for the space. I will live with it for a while before I decide whether or not to go with a smaller one. I am thinking about completely redoing the interior in January.Back on Track - Latinesque by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100426Artist: http://incompetech.com
rabbitat john wells 2022-12-17 | A Field Lab bunny working on a nest where I store Ben's hay and alfalfa.
seth thomas clock strikes twelve john wells 2022-12-16 | Got my hands on another old clock. This one seems to work quite well without any fidgeting. Just needed to position it perfectly level to get it to run consistantly. This is a Seth Thomas Adamantine Mantel Clock manufactured in 1900. Parts of the case have a faux marble celluloid veneer. Working on getting the timing adjusted just right, then I will clean it up.
tfl sunrise john wells 2022-12-14 | Morning sun coming across TFL. Prelude No. 21 by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/preludesArtist: http://chriszabriskie.com
minibear instant digital camera for kids john wells 2022-12-13 | I hadn't seen these instant thermal print cameras until recently. Print quality is not as good as the product photo - but it's still an interesting gadget. Decided to buy one to turn into a coin operated photo booth of sorts for the tourists. This was step one - testing it after taking it apart. Next step is to reorient the parts in a new enclosure for the project. Got it from Amazon. amazon.com/dp/B08FFXP8XC
after the clean up john wells 2022-12-05 | Took just over a month to get to this point in the clean-up. After organizing inside the greenhouse, I decided I was tired of living in what looked like a construction zone and it was time for a change - so I cleared all around the outside of the greenhouse as well. Last effort for the year will be cleaning up the power area where my batteries are located and reorganizing my solar panels. On tap for January is the elimination of my junkyard where all the leftover bits and pieces have accumulated over the past 15 years.
exodus john wells 2022-11-28 | All the stranded tourists are finally unstuck on and their way home - and my road is rutted out the worst it has ever been. When I moved here 15 years ago, I used to go up to 2 weeks without seeing a single vehicle. Now it seems I see at least 2 or 3 a day.
drone road check john wells 2022-11-26 | Forecast called for a 50% chance of less than a quarter inch of rain yesterday. Ended up with nearly an inch of rain, 5 vehicles stuck, and 12 people stranded. They were all staying at a campground NW of TFL where the host yet again failed to warn any of his guests about the coming storm and road conditions. This is the second time this has happened this year.
more tourists in the mud john wells 2022-11-25 | It happened again. The owner of the campsites failed to warn his guests about the road conditions during a rainstorm. Four cars stuck and 10 people stranded. Nearly an inch of rain fell today, and it will be at least Monday afternoon before these folks can go home.
leafcutter ants john wells 2022-11-23 | Leafcutter ants, a non-generic name, are any of 47 species of leaf-chewing ants belonging to the two genera Atta and Acromyrmex. These species of tropical, fungus-growing ants are all endemic to South and Central America, Mexico, and parts of the southern United States. Leafcutter ants can carry twenty times their body weight and cut and process fresh vegetation (leaves, flowers, and grasses) to serve as the nutritional substrate for their fungal cultivates.
fox give and take john wells 2022-11-22 | One of the foxes I put food out for left me a present this morning.An Upsetting Theme - The Descent by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100333Artist: http://incompetech.com
odessa sunrise john wells 2022-11-17 | From my hotel room window this morning...Harlequin by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100635Artist: http://incompetech.com
new power line john wells 2022-11-15 | Decided it was time to replace the old extension cord bringing AC power into the hut from an inverter in the greenhouse. The old one was getting pretty ratty after being out in the elements for over 10 years. Routed the new heavier gauge, 100' extension cord through one of the floor vent pipes that are no longer functional.
goodbye chicken coop john wells 2022-11-13 | Had mixed emotions about getting rid of the chicken coop. Carl and Chupa were good friends and great attack roosters. I built this 10 years ago and don't plan on getting any more chickens since I lost Chupa in 2018.
south side clean up john wells 2022-11-10 | The south side of the greenhouse has been a real mess for over 10 years. I finally decided to do something about it.
before the clean up john wells 2022-10-31 | I just can't take it anymore - so I guess it's time to clean up the greenhouse...again. The mess has really gotten out of hand. Normally I shoot timelapses of the project, but this time it's just going to be a "before and after". The hardest part is getting motivated to begin so I figured if I shot and posted a video, it would force me to get on the ball. Hoping to get it all done by the end of November. Classic Horror - Madness Paranoia by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100471Artist: http://incompetech.com
autonomous rover camera servo john wells 2022-10-27 | Rigging a servo to point the camera went pretty smoothly - although I had to dig a bit to figure out how to get more than 45° of travel out of the servo. Look both ways before crossing the street!
autonomous rover and drone john wells 2022-10-25 | Trying a little drone tracking of the autonomous rover while on mission.
splash of blue john wells 2022-10-19 | Nice to see the first bit of blue sky show up after 3 cloudy days.
fox visit john wells 2022-10-14 | Probably a reason my rabbit population has drastically diminished over the past year.
tourist parade john wells 2022-10-13 | The ranch sent the grader out today due to last night's emergency and all the stranded tourists were finally able to head home. Whoopsy by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Artist: http://audionautix.com
drone road check 2 john wells 2022-10-12 | Day 2 of the dry out. Some of the stranded folks get a gold star for taking on the task of doing some road work so they could get their families out of here. The Sheriff's Department made it out last night with an EMT to transport a sick girl to the hospital - so the trail has been blazed.
drone road check john wells 2022-10-11 | Got another 1/4" of rain last night. Doesn't look good for anyone trying to get out today. Their best chance is late tomorrow afternoon. Good news is we have 3 sunny days ahead and no more rain in the immediate forecast.
tourists stuck in the mud john wells 2022-10-10 | Never fails out here. Someone always tries to drive my road right after a rainstorm (a little over a half inch fell early this morning). Normally I don't even offer to help because it is too muddy for me to even get to them. Fortunately, these folks were stuck in a spot that I could easily pull them out of. While we were setting up for the tow, three other vehicles came along looking to get out and I told them all the same thing - if it doesn't rain again, it will be at least a day (most likely 2 days) before the road will be passable all the way to the highway. Bad news is there is a chance of more rain tonight.
autonomous rover rfd900x telemetry range test john wells 2022-10-08 | Quite pleased with this test of the new long range telemetry radios. The stock radios that came with my Pixhawk kit only had a range of about 350 meters. Wasn't sure how the RFD900x system would handle losing line of sight behind the hill by the highway (2.5 miles from the ground station) - but it stayed connected like a champ. Only had a few brief outages as I turned around by the mailboxes and started heading back (no doubt the front of my truck was probably blocking the signal for a time). I wasn't up for the normal one-hour trip it takes the rover to make on its own so I strapped it into the back of my pickup for a faster trip and took if for a ride. The ground station radio was mounted on top of a 30' mast at the hut. Compass variance for the rover direction was off a bit, but that didn't matter for this test. All in all, it was a rousing success! I couldn't get the system to work with an FrSky Taranus QX7 RC Transmitter - but the system works fine with a slight mod to the ground station end. irlock.com/products/rfd900-txmod-bundle?_pos=2&_sid=9ba115071&_ss=r
