Author: Al Williams

4537 Articles

Retrotechtacular: Computer-Generate Video 1968 Style!

November 8, 2024 by 11 Comments

[Classic Microcomputers] read in a book that there was a computer-generated film made in the late 1960s, and he knew he had to watch it. He found it and shared it along with some technical information in the video below.

Modern audiences are unlikely to be wowed by the film — Permutations — that looks like an electronic spirograph. But for 1968, this was about as high tech as you could get. The computer used was an IBM mainframe which would have cost a fortune either to buy or to rent the hours it would take to make this short film. Now, of course, you could easily replicate it on even your oldest PC. In fact, we are surprised we haven’t seen any recreations in the demoscene.

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DIY Digital Caliper Measures Up

November 8, 2024 by 15 Comments

You might wonder why [Kevin] wanted to build digital calipers when you can buy them for very little these days. But, then again, you are reading Hackaday, so we probably don’t need to explain it.

The motivation, in this case, was to learn to build the same mechanism the commercial ones use for use in precise positioning systems. We were especially happy to see that [Kevin’s] exploration took him to a Hackaday.io project which led to collaboration between him and [Mitko].

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Teaching A Pi Pico E-Ink Panel New Tricks

November 8, 2024 by 13 Comments

We’ve noticed that adding electronic paper displays to projects is getting easier. [NerdCave] picked up a 4.2-inch E-ink panel but found its documentation a bit lacking when it came to using the display under MicroPython. Eventually he worked it out, and was kind enough to share with the rest of the class.

These paper-like displays draw little power and can hold static images. There were examples from the vendor of how to draw some simple objects and text, but [NerdCave] wanted to do graphics. There was C code to do it, but it wasn’t clear how to port it to Python.

The key was to use the image2cpp website (we’ve used it before, but you can also use GIMP). Instead of C code, though, you get the raw bytes out and place them in your Python code. Once you know the workflow, it isn’t that hard, and this is an inexpensive way to add a different kind of display to your projects. The same image conversion will help you work with other displays, too.

We aren’t sure what driver chip this particular display uses, but if you have one with the UC8151/IL0373, you can find some amazing MicroPython drivers for those chips.

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DIY Lock Nuts

November 7, 2024 by 19 Comments

If you have a metal lathe just looking for some work, why not make your own lock nuts? That’s what [my mechanics insight] did when faced with a peculiar lock nut that needed replacing in a car. We can’t decide what we enjoyed more in the video you can watch below: the cross-section cut of a lock nut or the oddly calming videos of the new nut being turned on a lathe.

The mystery of the lock nut, though, isn’t how it works. The nylon insert is just a little too small for the bolt, and the bolt, being harder than nylon, taps a very close-fitting hole in the nylon as you tighten it. The real mystery is how that nylon got in there to start with.

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Reviewing The World’s 2nd Smallest Thermal Camera

November 7, 2024 by 27 Comments

A thermal camera is a very handy tool to have, and [Learn Electronics Repair] wanted to try out the Thermal Master P2 for electronic repair, especially since it claims to have a 15 X digital zoom and 1.5 degree accuracy. The package proudly states the device is the “World 2nd Smallest Thermal Camera” — when only the second best will do.

The camera is tiny and connects to a PC or directly to a tablet or phone via USB C. However, it did look easier to use on the end of a cable for probing things like a PC motherboard. The focus was fairly long, so you couldn’t get extremely close to components with the camera. The zoom somewhat makes up for that, but of course, as you might expect, zooming in doesn’t give you any additional resolution.

He also compares the output with that of a multimeter he uses that includes an IR camera (added to our holiday gift list). That multimeter/camera combo focuses quite closely, which is handy when picking out a specific component. It also has a macro lens, which can zoom up even more.

We’ve looked at — or, more accurately, through — IR cameras in the past. If you are on a tight budget and you have a 3D printer, you might try this method for thermal imaging, but it doesn’t use the printer the way you probably think.

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Check Your Clip Leads

November 6, 2024 by 53 Comments

[Matthias] bought cheap clip leads online and, wisely, decided to check them. We’ve had the same experience that he’s had. Sometimes, these cheap leads are crimped and don’t make good contact. However, you can usually solder them and completely fix them. Not this time, however, as you can see in the video below.

The resistance for the leads was a bit on the high side, which is usually a sure sign of this problem. But soldering didn’t really make a big difference. A homemade clip lead, for example, read under 20 milliohms, but a test lead from the new batch read about 260 milliohms even after being soldered.

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Random Wire Antenna Uses No Wire

November 5, 2024 by 40 Comments

Ideally, if you are going to transmit, you want a properly-tuned resonant antenna. But, sometimes, it isn’t practical. [Ham Radio Rookie] knew about random wire antennas but didn’t want a wire antenna. So, he took carbon fiber extension poles and Faraday tape and made a “random stick” antenna. You can check it out in the video below.

We aren’t sure what normal people are doing with 7-meter-long telescoping poles, but — as you might expect — the carbon fiber is not particularly conductive. That’s where the tape comes in. Each section gets some tape, and when you stretch it out, the tape lines up.

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