An Internet Doorbell

Our photography department takes photos of new employees but the photographer's offices were not right next to the studio.  They needed a way to be easily notified if someone had arrived to have their portrait done.

I came up with an easy solution using an old keyboard and and old computer that was not being used for anything else.

I disassembled the keyboard and removed the circuit board.  All I had to do was solder a wire pair to the circuit board to represent one of the keys then run the wire to a doorbell button placed on the wall near the door.

I used some simple macro software to detect the push of the selected button on the keyboard and run a program to send a system message to the photographers who all got a pop up on their screens indicating that someone was at the studio door.

It was a simple solution costing only the price of a doorbell button.

I love doing this stuff.

20 Terabyte Video Storage Server

Our Multimedia department was in need of a place to store oodles of high definition video for easy access.  I put together a 20 Terabyte server composed of SATA array raid system with hot swappable disks.  

Backing up 20 Terabytes is not convenient so a second identical machine was set up to back it up nightly.

Giving new life to an old wooden tube radio

Being a big fan of days gone by when life was just better, I decided I would get myself one of those old-timey tube radios.  I found an old Philco on eBay for a great price.

I was thinking of restoring it but after opening it up and looking at the old style rats-nest electronics, I decided maybe I would try something different and a little easier.  These old radios also use a lot of power and I'm into conservation anyway.

I started by buying a pair of USB speakers.  They are cheap and easy to take apart.

Just Google "USB Speakers" and you'll find what you need.

I took the speakers apart and found a small circuit board and two little speakers.

After cutting holes for the volume control buttons I mounted it to the back cover.

I made another hole for the second speaker so I would get some stereo sound.

Here is the back of the cover.

You can see the volume buttons and speaker.

I wanted to use the original speaker from the radio but speakers were very different back in those days.  There were at least four wires running to it so I decided it had to go.

I found a similar sized speaker and mounted it to the front behind the grill.

I wanted the dial to light up so I removed the blue power led from the circuit board and soldered a pair of wires to that point.  I ran the wires to the location of the old bulb and connected a yellow LED.  A little hot glue holds it in place.

That's pretty much all there is to it.  I reassembled the radio and connected it to my computer.  I opened my browser and went to live365.com to listen to an old-timey radio station.  It was SOO cool!  The soft glow of the dial and the big band music made me feel like I was back in the 1920s.

This project was totally worth it.  I use it all the time.

Planetarium Exhibit

In 2014, Southwest Research Institute put together a space science display at the new Scobee Learning Center built at San Antonio College. The display, intended to inspire local kids to reach for the stars, includes flight hardware, a poster and movies showing past, present and future missions to capture the imaginations of young minds, and stories about young people brought up in South Texas who are now working on space projects at SwRI as adults.

My task was to design a six-screen self-running multimedia experience to highlight different aspects of the Institute's involvement in space.  I used a single computer system to drive the four main displays which show a sequence of videos from left to right.

A second computer drives a touchscreen monitor which allows children to learn about space.  A third computer drives a monitor that displays a live solar wind chart that is updated every few minutes with data from the ACE satellite.

All equipment including PA speakers and a sub-woofer fit neatly under the display stands requiring no additional server room.  All operations including pause, stop, start and volume controls can be managed remotely via network or WiFi on portable devices.

Pretty cool, huh?

Take a look at the installation video:

 

Stop by the new San Antonio College Planetarium building to see this display in action.

TARDIS Storage Shed

Back in the late 90′s after I bought my house I was bored so I built a TARDIS storage shed.  It was in the between time of Doctor Who after the old series had stopped filming and the new series hadn’t be invented yet.   Still I was a fan.  I built the Police Box from my own design.  I even sold the plans on the internet for $20.00.  I made quite a bit of cash.  The box paid for itself.

It lasted probably 10 years before the bottom rotted away and as I started to fix it it just fell apart.  I’ve been without TARDIS for about 5 years and it was time to build a new one.

Here is the finished product.  Pretty cool huh?  It even lights up just like the Doctor's.  My lawnmower and most of my garden tools fit right inside.

1982 Holiday Rambler Imperial RV Fixup

Last year I bought myself a 1982 Holiday Rambler RV.  It was in darn good shape considering its age and it cost me only $4000.

It is based on a Ford E350 van front end with a 7.2 liter engine.  Boy that thing is massive compared to the little import cars I've owned in the past.  At 8-10 miles per gallon it drinks the gas at an amazing rate compared to my 54 MPG Prius.  Even my 1971 Porsche 911 got 20 MPG.

I could have bought a new RV but there is not much challenge in that.  I wanted a fixer-upper that wasn't too far gone.  This was the perfect machine.

This Holiday Rambler RV was high-end for its day.  It had all the bells and whistles of 1982 and was well made using aluminum to last a long time. It even has a hydraulic leveling system that is totally awesome.  You don't see that on many RVs except the expensive ones.

Though it was totally usable, there was much to do to get it back in tip top working condition.  The first project was to replace the workings on the back of the refrigerator.  This amazing system cools using the evaporation and condensation process of ammonia.  No moving parts.  The old one had sprung a leak causing all the ammonia to leak out.  I bought reconditioned workings and swapped them out. 

Mission accomplished.  We have coldness!

My next project was to reseal the roof.  The old roof was not leaking but looked like it was getting ready to. 

I scraped off all the old sealant and replaced it with a sealing tape made especially for RVs.  It is supposed to last longer than the usual goo and was easier to install.

You don't want a leaky roof or the insides of the RV could be damaged.

 I decided to convert the old, inefficient incandescent bulbs to LED.  One day I might add a solar panel and batteries and live off the grid.  In that case using less power is better. 

By replacing 12 bulbs I reduced my power consumption from 180 Watts to only 36 Watts. 

The equivalent of just one incandescent bulb.

Is that awesome or what?


I don't have a picture right now but my next project was to remove the old green shag carpeting and replace the floor with vinyl tile.  That came out really nicely.  A huge upgrade.

Another project I don't have a picture for is my entertainment center table.  I built from scratch a table from which my TV can raise or lower when not needed.  It includes shelves for my satellite receiver and my Western Digital TV Live box holding ALL my movies and TV shows.

The hydraulic leveling system is a bit unreliable.  I tracked the problem down to a tired relay.

Fortunately it uses just a standard cheap starter relay that I can swap out in just a few minutes. 

I have it on order and will put it in as soon as it arrives.






One great thing about having a Ford based RV is that engine parts are easy to find and inexpensive.  It is so nice to be able to go to a auto parts store and walk out with whatever you need instead of having to order it.

There is still more to do and that's the way I like it.  Who wants a new RV with nothing to do on it?

So far I've taken it out four or five times to various campgrounds and lakes.  It is really fun and I am getting the feel for it.  I believe I chose wisely in spending the $4000 for this portable project.  So much fun and so much awesome!

Backup Generator System

It is always a good idea to be prepared.  Whether it be a tornado, hurricane, or financial disaster, having backup power is a great way to weather the storm.

I started my backup power project by purchasing a 4kW gas generator.  Since gasoline may run out or be unavailable in a disaster I added a natural gas adapter.  I wondered if natural gas would continue to flow in the event of a large scale grid outage so I contacted CPS Energy.  Their engineer confirmed that gas service would be likely to continue because the natural gas pumping stations run on the natural gas in the line.  That's a damn good idea!

In order to ensure that the generator is operational I run a test at least once a month.  It is a good idea to run gasoline engines often because if the gas sits in the carburetor too long it will gum up the float valve or the main jet.  If this happens then you will spend a lot of time cleaning the carb when you really need power most.

To bring the power into the house I installed a six circuit changeover switch. This switchbox allows me to toggle between line power and generator power and includes two power meters to show how much energy is being drawn..  These meters help me to ensure I don't overload the generator.

I chose the most important circuits in the house that will need power in an emergency.  The kitchen circuit includes the refrigerator and microwave.  The Entertainment circuit includes the TV and Satellite box.  Other circuits include lighting and accessories. 

The environmental circuit includes the central heater blower.  This generator cannot run the central air conditioner but can operate the gas heater should the outage occur in the deep winter.  It CAN run my emergency portable air conditioner in case summer is beating down on us.

I'm all set.  If there is ever a large scale outage, come to my house.  We'll watch TV and be comfortable.