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.

Trike Project

A while back I saw a picture of a really cool three wheeled vehicle on the internet.  As I looked at it I said to myself, "I could make one of those."  I was bored and needed a project to occupy myself so it began to happen.

I started by going out and buying a 1000cc Kawasaki motorcycle.  I found it online at a motorcycle shop across town.

I had never ridden one before so I had to get it delivered.

I didn't even have a motorcycle license yet but remedied that by taking a course.  A trike is classified as a motorcycle so I had to get that taken care of anyway.

I started by striping the front wheel from the cycle and built the chassis to connect to a Volkswgon Beetle Front end.

The best thing about this set up is the difficult part of the engineering is already done.  The front and back suspensions already exist. 

All I had to do was connect them together.

The next step was to build the body.

I chose tubular steel that I was able to bend myself.

I followed the design I saw in the picture on the internet but did it my own way.

When I do something I enjoy starting with a basic overall plan and then engineering on the fly.  It keeps my brain active.

 After the body frame was complete I covered the frame with a woven wire cloth to form the surfaces.

A few layers of fiberglass was then put on top of that and finished off with a Bondo skin that I could work smooth.

I almost designed the cockpit to fit one seat but decided it would be a great way to pick up women so I opted for two.

Headlinghts, Mirrors, turn signals and marker lights were easily found on the internet.

I used pre-formed trailer fenders and modified them to fit perfectly.

A nice coat of yellow paint finishes it off.

It took about three years of spare-time work to build this machine. 

I actually enjoyed building it more than driving it. 

It is totally street-legal.

Solar Power Project

Always having been interested in solar power, I decided it was time to spend a little money and time on a do-it-yourself installation.  Sure I could PAY someone to install it and all that but then I wouldn't be enjoying the best part. 

In the beginning I bought one 250 Watt panel and a cheap Chinese grid-tied inverter off of eBay. I used an old clothesline pole and a couple of clamps to mount it.  A simple extension cord plugged it into the wall.  Using a Kill-A-Watt meter I was able to see the power being fed into the house.  It wasn't a whole lot so I bought another panel and two higher quality micro-inverters.

 

Solar Tracker

 The clothesline pole couldn't hold two panels so I sunk a metal fence-post into the ground and designed and welded together a tracking system that follows the path of the sun during the day for maximum power generation.

Still, solar is like candy, more is better.

I bought four more 240 watt panels to put up onto the roof.  Each with it's own micro-inverter.

To mount the panels I would need some rails.  You can't just go to the store and buy rails so I decided to make my own.  Using parts from the electrical section at Home Depot and a little welding, I put together an excellent system.

Rail feet

Panel Rails mounted on roof

The feet of the rails slip right under the shingles and are screwed down for a watertight seal.

Four 250 Watt panels

Next the panels are installed and the wires connected to the inverters then down a trunk line to the breaker box.

The chart above shows the power generated.  The smaller bars indicate the 2 KWh per day generated by the two original panels.  With the four new roof panels added, power jumps up to 8 KWh each day.   It is quite satisfying to watch the power meter turn backwards during the day knowing all the power you are currently using in the house is being provided by the sun.

This has been a very enjoyable project and I wish I had unlimited funds and roof space to become completely self sustaining.