second… and cue uppity replies from everyone who can do it better but has never done it in

3

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@ second

Unless your solution of ‘better’ would be running your simple freaking attic fan from a 1024-node beowulf cluster networked to 172 arduinos, I think tommy has it right.
We have done ‘better’. there are functional solutions for a simple attic fan that don’t require a rack of servers.

@stunmonkey

there are those who complain that hackaday has turned into a haven for “pseudo hackers” with their newfangled arduino-this-and-that

i prefer to think of it like Perl. There’s 5 million ways to do something.

Sure, way #5 is not as good as way #29, but, in the spirit of learning and education, explain why without the holier-than-thou attitude that so many hackaday visitors parade on the comment boards.

honestly, this place is worse than slashdot now, and that says a lot – its a giant piss parade where a hack is listed that has some element of “cool” in it and 50 people then bitch that its not documented “well enough” or they whip out their might epeens and proudly proclaim “i can do it better nubcakes”

@ sixth

Quality control is hackadays problem, not the hackers.

I can’t fault anyone for their level of skill or lack thereof, as long as they are trying – that doesn’t mean every amateurs failed project needs accolades however.

There are too many really good things happening out there, if hackaday really wanted to spend any effort to cover them. Instead they just troll instructables and smoke pot.

Every real maker, even the bad ones, have a basement full of common everyday hacks that exceed the crap on here lately. Its about standards. Let the students learn. just don’t try passing it off as cutting edge hacking.

They sell in-line 120v thermostats just for attic fans if you want it simple. they’re not to expensive either.

@mosheen: if you *read* the linked article, he says that that they bought a thermostat, but it was being overloaded by the fan.

@st.jimmy

They make bigger ones.

Hi there,

I really hope this white dogshit inside your attic isn’t asbestos.

I hope there’s a bit of code that says if it’s realy hot up there, it might be a fire & don’t run the fan. [real-world attic fans have a second thermostat that does that].

An extension cord running through insulation is no bueno. I really hope that that setup is for testing purposes and it’s since been changed to something proper. Otherwise I like the project.

Some have said ‘just buy one’, but there are instances when more control is good. A store bought thermostat is likely an on/off @ x temp. Having this type of control one could use much smaller fans (read: less energy use) and turn them on individually. Or having multiple sensors in multiple places and use one control system.

Nice hack. To the nay sayers, this is a good learning hack, plus with more units you could develop a complex system say turn on attic fan, turn off air, and lights, or whatever. neat hack and lots of potential.

Why do people still claim ‘first post’ or ‘second…’ What is this, BBS in 1992?

Hook a motion detector and camera up to it so it can twitter pictures of rats and possums, that would be sweet!

@Stunmonkey – an oldfarttech agrees with that.

My only reservation about this one is – lookit the power wiring! It’s otherwise very high tech, but the fan connection suspended in mid air (etc)? It seems to me that the neatest hack or wonderful power saving comes to nothing if somebody gets electroluxed or the house burns down as a result. 5.5 amps through any connection is not inconsiderable.

*Overall* I worry when I see huge effort put into the code of something, then things go totally pear-shaped when it comes to the hardware and electrics. “Crazy” and “rough” do not have to also mean “unsafe”.