Arduino Weekends: Rescheduled to 1/15/2024
Posted 4 months agoThis weekend has been a pretty busy one for me, so I thought I would get this journal entry out while I have a little bit of time.
On Monday, January 15, 2024, I will upload the Arduino Weekends project that I had lined up for this weekend, and then I will resume my normal schedule on Friday, January 19, 2024.
On Monday, January 15, 2024, I will upload the Arduino Weekends project that I had lined up for this weekend, and then I will resume my normal schedule on Friday, January 19, 2024.
37 Solar Orbits - A Very Nerdy Journal
Posted 5 months agoThe amounts of time that have passed since December 13, 1986 (accurate as of 11:11 PM Eastern Time):
- 37 years
- About 451 months
- About 1,929 weeks
- 13,505 days
- 324,120 hours
- 19,447,200 minutes
- 1,166,832,000 seconds
These numbers have been calculated with Joshua F. Madison's freeware "Convert" utility, which is compatible with anything from Windows 95 up to Windows 11. The utility can be used with Wine on Linux and UNIX systems.
- 37 years
- About 451 months
- About 1,929 weeks
- 13,505 days
- 324,120 hours
- 19,447,200 minutes
- 1,166,832,000 seconds
These numbers have been calculated with Joshua F. Madison's freeware "Convert" utility, which is compatible with anything from Windows 95 up to Windows 11. The utility can be used with Wine on Linux and UNIX systems.
Taking a break until December
Posted 6 months agoElly and I will be out of town for Thanksgiving, so there will be no uploads next week. I will reconvene on the weekend of December 1st.
Stay safe, everyone, and have a Happy Thanksgiving. And be sure you're wearing that comfy pair of sweatpants if you plan on eating a lot of turkey.
- Rin
Stay safe, everyone, and have a Happy Thanksgiving. And be sure you're wearing that comfy pair of sweatpants if you plan on eating a lot of turkey.
- Rin
Arduino Weekends: Canceled for October 20-22, 2023
Posted 7 months agoElly and I will be out of town for the weekend of October 20, 2023, so there will be no Arduino Weekends uploads. I will resume uploading on the weekend of October 27th.
Stay safe, everyone.
- Rin
Stay safe, everyone.
- Rin
Uploads Canceled until Mid August
Posted 10 months agoElly and I are currently traveling, and due to limited car space, I will not be uploading any Arduino Weekends projects or music for this weekend. I will resume uploading on or after August 11th.
- Rin
- Rin
Upload Cancellations for This Weekend
Posted 10 months agoDue to family commitments and limited car space, I will not be uploading any Arduino Weekends projects or music for this weekend. I will resume uploading on July 8th.
- Rin
- Rin
Arduino Weekends: Canceled This Weekend + Father's Day
Posted a year agoFirst order of business:
Arduino Weekends will be canceled for this weekend, not only because of Father's Day, but also because I'll be on the road a lot, and I won't have a chance to upload anything new. I hope to resume the weekend of the 24th.
I would also like to give a shoutout this weekend to all of the world's fathers - those who have gone before us, current fathers, and soon-to-be fathers. Without you, life would be very dull.
Peace,
Rin Elyran
Arduino Weekends will be canceled for this weekend, not only because of Father's Day, but also because I'll be on the road a lot, and I won't have a chance to upload anything new. I hope to resume the weekend of the 24th.
I would also like to give a shoutout this weekend to all of the world's fathers - those who have gone before us, current fathers, and soon-to-be fathers. Without you, life would be very dull.
Peace,
Rin Elyran
Arduino Weekends: Canceled for This Weekend
Posted a year agoI know it's a bit late in the weekend, but it's better late than never...
Elly and I had to go on a trip this weekend (and I almost forgot about it), and I forgot to bring my Arduino kit along, so unfortunately, there will be no Arduino Weekend this weekend. I will pick back up over the weekend of May 26th (next weekend).
Stay safe, everyone.
Rin Elyran
Elly and I had to go on a trip this weekend (and I almost forgot about it), and I forgot to bring my Arduino kit along, so unfortunately, there will be no Arduino Weekend this weekend. I will pick back up over the weekend of May 26th (next weekend).
Stay safe, everyone.
Rin Elyran
The Future of Arduino Weekly - New Name, New Board
Posted a year agoAs I make my first steps with my new Keyestudio Leonardo (an Arduino Leonardo R3 clone; I do plan on keeping my Elegoo UNO R3), I decided that would like to turn my Arduino Weekly upload schedule into a floating schedule, where depending on my schedule, I will upload my newest submissions on Fridays, Saturdays, and/or Sundays, and so, effective immediately, I've decided to rename Arduino Weekly to Arduino Weekends. I personally think this move will be easier on me in the long run.
Lenovo Laptop Back Up and Running
Posted a year agoArduino Weekends: The Return of Animated GIFs
Posted a year agoAfter uploading, testing, and deleting a little test animation that I made with the usual software tools on my iPhone, I'm very excited to report that animated GIFs will be making a comeback for my Arduino Weekly projects.
In celebration of this small victory, I have written up a quick sketch that creates a very simple animation for one of my 8-digit 7-segment displays, which is based on the Maxim MAX7219 controller chip for both numeric and dot matrix LED displays. The sketch and its associated wiring diagram and example GIF will be uploaded tomorrow - Sunday, March 5, 2023.
Peace be with all of you.
- Rin Elyran
In celebration of this small victory, I have written up a quick sketch that creates a very simple animation for one of my 8-digit 7-segment displays, which is based on the Maxim MAX7219 controller chip for both numeric and dot matrix LED displays. The sketch and its associated wiring diagram and example GIF will be uploaded tomorrow - Sunday, March 5, 2023.
Peace be with all of you.
- Rin Elyran
The Future of Arduino Fridays - New Name, New Day
Posted a year agoMy work week has gotten a bit more hectic lately, and I haven't always been able to find time to upload something Arduino related on Fridays. So, effective this coming Sunday (February 12th), I will start uploading Arduino projects on Sundays, under the new name of "Arduino Weekly". For this Friday, there will be nothing to submit; I will instead submit my next project on Sunday. I plan on changing the names of my existing projects from "Arduino Fridays" to "Arduino Weekly", for consistency.
Peace,
Rin Elyran
Peace,
Rin Elyran
What's Old is New Again
Posted a year agoI've been looking through my personal music library, and I've rediscovered quite a collection of tracks that I've made over the course of 10 years that I've all but completely forgotten about. I've lost a lot of the source files for these tracks from catastrophic events like computer failures and hard drive crashes, and so the only surviving versions are the MP3's that I've rendered from the aforementioned source files.
I've found that it's also good for the soul to have a look back on where I was 10 years ago, and how far I've come with my covers, original compositions, and sound design experiments. To me, what's old is new again, just like the subject line for this journal. ^^
I've found that it's also good for the soul to have a look back on where I was 10 years ago, and how far I've come with my covers, original compositions, and sound design experiments. To me, what's old is new again, just like the subject line for this journal. ^^
Pixage FX Studio
Posted a year agoLately I've been tinkering with a Steam app called "Pixage FX Studio", and it allows you to apply various filters to your photos, like pixelation, posterization, and changing color bit depth, among many other effects. It's on sale now for $4.49, though it does eat up about 6 GB of storage space, but in my opinion, it's worth every penny and megabyte if you're looking for an easy-to-use but powerful photo filter program. Highly recommended.
I do plan on working more with Pixage FX Studio as time goes on, and I hope to upload some examples of my own work in the very near future.
I do plan on working more with Pixage FX Studio as time goes on, and I hope to upload some examples of my own work in the very near future.
Typewriter Update
Posted a year agoIn a previous journal, I mentioned that my employer - a soon-to-be former probate attorney - promised to give me his Brother ML300 electronic typewriter, but at that time, he did not have a set date as he wanted to get his office cleaned out first. I also offered to continue providing tech support, albeit at his home, once his law practice has been closed for good.
Flash forward one month and six days since the last journal, he said that he will be delivering the typewriter this Friday - November 18th. I've gone ahead and downloaded/printed the manual for the typewriter, and have allocated a space in my computer desk for it. I've also found and bookmarked an Amazon listing for replacement ribbons and correction tapes for whenever the need arises.
He has some tech-related things he'd like me to take care of with him at the office and at his home before sending the typewriter home with me, but in any case, this is quite an exciting way to put an exclamation point on the week before Thanksgiving.
Flash forward one month and six days since the last journal, he said that he will be delivering the typewriter this Friday - November 18th. I've gone ahead and downloaded/printed the manual for the typewriter, and have allocated a space in my computer desk for it. I've also found and bookmarked an Amazon listing for replacement ribbons and correction tapes for whenever the need arises.
He has some tech-related things he'd like me to take care of with him at the office and at his home before sending the typewriter home with me, but in any case, this is quite an exciting way to put an exclamation point on the week before Thanksgiving.
"New" Typewriter Coming Soon
Posted a year agoMy employer, a soon-to-be former attorney who once specialized in guardianships and estates, is closing down his law practice for health-related reasons, and one of the things he has promised me is his Brother ML300 electronic typewriter, which was first introduced in 1999, making it 12 years newer than the Panasonic T325 typewriter I once owned which, incidentally, also came from my employer. He hasn't given me a specific date on when he will be passing the typewriter along to me, though he did tell me that it will most likely be after his office furniture is sold and his case files transferred to another attorney or law firm. At less than 12 lbs, the Brother ML300 is also the most lightweight typewriter that I will have ever owned. In contrast, the old Panasonic typewriter was so heavy that it could have been used as emergency boat anchor. In the event that he is unable to find the original manual, I've taken the liberty of downloading the manual from Brother's website, and printing off a copy for my own reference.
I have had the pleasure of using the Brother typewriter in the past, especially while testing a newly installed ribbon, and I can say that the keyboard's tactile feedback is the thing I'm looking forward to the most. The best way I can describe the tactile feedback is, "as soft as a Cherry MX Red keyswitch". I mean, I can definitely feel the keys making contact, but they're not very loud. In contrast, the keyboard of the Panasonic typewriter felt very much like typing on computers like the Commodore 64, Commodore VIC-20, the Apple II series, and the Radio Shack TRS-80.
Among other office supplies, he has also given me a black leather briefcase - in like-new condition - that normally would have sold for at least $120. My plan is to store things in it like my MacBook Pro, Palm Pilot, and other vintage office tech that I use daily. In any case (never mind the terrible play on words), I'm very excited about getting the Brother ML300 electronic typewriter.
I have had the pleasure of using the Brother typewriter in the past, especially while testing a newly installed ribbon, and I can say that the keyboard's tactile feedback is the thing I'm looking forward to the most. The best way I can describe the tactile feedback is, "as soft as a Cherry MX Red keyswitch". I mean, I can definitely feel the keys making contact, but they're not very loud. In contrast, the keyboard of the Panasonic typewriter felt very much like typing on computers like the Commodore 64, Commodore VIC-20, the Apple II series, and the Radio Shack TRS-80.
Among other office supplies, he has also given me a black leather briefcase - in like-new condition - that normally would have sold for at least $120. My plan is to store things in it like my MacBook Pro, Palm Pilot, and other vintage office tech that I use daily. In any case (never mind the terrible play on words), I'm very excited about getting the Brother ML300 electronic typewriter.
Updated Upload Schedule - March 31, 2022
Posted 2 years agoI've made a couple of changes to my monthly upload schedule:
- I am still planning on uploading my Arduino projects weekly, starting tomorrow (April 1st). I will make it a point to find and construct a new circuit and write up a new sketch anywhere from Saturday to that following Thursday.
- In the event that the month either begins or ends on a Friday, I plan to upload my music, texts, and/or pictures on or before that last Thursday of the month. For example, since September 30th falls on a Friday this year, I will upload on or before Thursday the 29th.
These changes may not mean anything to you, but it will help me get into a more consistent routine. Regardless, I hope you enjoy everything I have to offer, and everything I have yet to offer. ^^
- I am still planning on uploading my Arduino projects weekly, starting tomorrow (April 1st). I will make it a point to find and construct a new circuit and write up a new sketch anywhere from Saturday to that following Thursday.
- In the event that the month either begins or ends on a Friday, I plan to upload my music, texts, and/or pictures on or before that last Thursday of the month. For example, since September 30th falls on a Friday this year, I will upload on or before Thursday the 29th.
These changes may not mean anything to you, but it will help me get into a more consistent routine. Regardless, I hope you enjoy everything I have to offer, and everything I have yet to offer. ^^
A Beautiful Rock Song - Rediscovered
Posted 2 years agoQueensrÿche - Silent Lucidity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ylsNHXJljk
In a world divided by hate, death, and war, sometimes you just need find your way into the eye of the storm, and listening to Silent Lucidity helps bring me there. I hope the song brings you comfort as well during these troubling times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ylsNHXJljk
In a world divided by hate, death, and war, sometimes you just need find your way into the eye of the storm, and listening to Silent Lucidity helps bring me there. I hope the song brings you comfort as well during these troubling times.
Arduino Fridays
Posted 2 years agoStarting April 1st, I will be showcasing some of my favorite Arduino projects on a weekly basis. Projects will include working with character LCDs (a project that will succeed the character LCD box that died earlier this year), addressable LED light strips, servos, seven-segment displays, and stepper motors. For your sanity, I will not be uploading anything that involves sound.
This is not an April Fools joke, either; I want to show the world what I've learned about and made with the Arduino. If you would like a copy of the sketches I found or wrote, please let me know and I will get them to you ASAP, free of charge.
This is not an April Fools joke, either; I want to show the world what I've learned about and made with the Arduino. If you would like a copy of the sketches I found or wrote, please let me know and I will get them to you ASAP, free of charge.
LCD Programmer Box Failure and Other Tech Stuff
Posted 2 years agoThis morning, the 16x2 LCD that I ordered for the programming box project last year, has died; several rows of pixels are missing, the back-light LED went extremely dim, and it won't let me enter any binary data, even with the push-button I installed in place of the toggle switch for the "Enable" line on the LCD. But now that I look back on it, it was really just a proof of concept that one can program a character LCD using only a handful of switches, and it also helped strip away the rust from my soldering skills.
The control panel will be repurposed; I plan to wire it up to the LCD that came from my old Panasonic T325 typewriter from 1987. The LCD programmer box was a fun little ride, and I will definitely miss writing things with it, however...
I'm also proud to announce that I now have an Arduino UNO R3!
Well, it's a clone of the UNO R3 but nevertheless, I'm very excited to have it. It came in a set that also comes with a plethora of electronic sensors, components, motors, servos, breadboards, even another 16x2 character LCD display. I happened to have snagged this set when the getting was good: I ordered it on Jan. 9th for $29.75, and the next day it went up to $38.99. It arrived just this past Thursday, and I've already installed the drivers and uploaded my first two pre-written programs, or "sketches" in Arduino terminology.
Also on the way is a new charger for my Lenovo laptop. I needed it because the cable on my current one is starting be a bit finicky about staying connected to the computer; it will cut out if I flex it a certain way, so most of the time I let the cable fall vertically. The new charger should be here on Tuesday, if not before.
The control panel will be repurposed; I plan to wire it up to the LCD that came from my old Panasonic T325 typewriter from 1987. The LCD programmer box was a fun little ride, and I will definitely miss writing things with it, however...
I'm also proud to announce that I now have an Arduino UNO R3!
Well, it's a clone of the UNO R3 but nevertheless, I'm very excited to have it. It came in a set that also comes with a plethora of electronic sensors, components, motors, servos, breadboards, even another 16x2 character LCD display. I happened to have snagged this set when the getting was good: I ordered it on Jan. 9th for $29.75, and the next day it went up to $38.99. It arrived just this past Thursday, and I've already installed the drivers and uploaded my first two pre-written programs, or "sketches" in Arduino terminology.
Also on the way is a new charger for my Lenovo laptop. I needed it because the cable on my current one is starting be a bit finicky about staying connected to the computer; it will cut out if I flex it a certain way, so most of the time I let the cable fall vertically. The new charger should be here on Tuesday, if not before.
Change in Submission Naming Conventions
Posted 2 years agoEffective immediately, my future music submissions will no longer feature the [COVER], [DEMO], [SOUND DESIGN], or [ORIGINAL] prefixes, since they will already be organized in folders. I am currently working on removing the prefixes of previous uploads, though the submissions themselves will remain unchanged.
Otherwise, I hope you guys have had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year.
Otherwise, I hope you guys have had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year.
COVID Booster Shots
Posted 2 years agoMotivated by the presence of the Omicron Variant, I got my COVID-19 booster shot by Moderna yesterday, and other than a sore arm, minor headache and slight fatigue, I am not experiencing any major side effects, though I did wake up this morning feeling very warm. I took my temperature, and the thermometer read 98.2°F, slightly higher than my usual 97.5°F but not so high as to cause major concern. At this point, I'm still masking up when out in public despite the mandate having been loosened up here in Ohio.
Elly got her booster as well, and like me, she is experiencing very minor headaches, slight fatigue, and arm soreness, though her temperature has been leveling out around 98.6°F which is higher than her usual 97.1°F. Again, it's nothing to be concerned about.
At this point, we're both as protected against the Delta and Omicron Variants as we can possibly get.
Elly got her booster as well, and like me, she is experiencing very minor headaches, slight fatigue, and arm soreness, though her temperature has been leveling out around 98.6°F which is higher than her usual 97.1°F. Again, it's nothing to be concerned about.
At this point, we're both as protected against the Delta and Omicron Variants as we can possibly get.
Trying out a New Idea + Updates
Posted 2 years agoYes, I'm still alive. ^^
Starting October 1st, I've decided to challenge myself by uploading at least one submission at the beginning of every month, whether it's a snapshot, remix, or original composition. I hope to keep my creativity fresher this way. I wanted to start it this month, however real life got in the way, and thus I never had time to try it out. But fortunately, my life is starting to slow back down to its normal pace.
In other news...
Elly's and my house is undergoing electrical work, albeit in phases. Nothing is wrong with the existing cloth-insulated knob-and-tube wiring, in fact, cloth-insulated wiring is apparently still safe to use as long as the insulation is still intact (i.e. avoiding splicing); we just need more outlets around the house. So far, the basement is complete, with the rest of the house to follow starting in November.
Sometime next month, I hope to have my first - and for the moment, only - build-it-yourself RC car kit, which is a Tamiya Plasma Edge II, a 1/10 scale 4WD buggy. Upon completion, I will make it a point share some photos of the car itself, plus the accessories I bought along with it. Yay for government stimulus money.
Also next month, I will be welcoming the family's newest member... my second of two nephews.
Starting October 1st, I've decided to challenge myself by uploading at least one submission at the beginning of every month, whether it's a snapshot, remix, or original composition. I hope to keep my creativity fresher this way. I wanted to start it this month, however real life got in the way, and thus I never had time to try it out. But fortunately, my life is starting to slow back down to its normal pace.
In other news...
Elly's and my house is undergoing electrical work, albeit in phases. Nothing is wrong with the existing cloth-insulated knob-and-tube wiring, in fact, cloth-insulated wiring is apparently still safe to use as long as the insulation is still intact (i.e. avoiding splicing); we just need more outlets around the house. So far, the basement is complete, with the rest of the house to follow starting in November.
Sometime next month, I hope to have my first - and for the moment, only - build-it-yourself RC car kit, which is a Tamiya Plasma Edge II, a 1/10 scale 4WD buggy. Upon completion, I will make it a point share some photos of the car itself, plus the accessories I bought along with it. Yay for government stimulus money.
Also next month, I will be welcoming the family's newest member... my second of two nephews.
Happy Father's Day
Posted 3 years agoLet's raise a glass to all the awesome fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers in this world: those who are still living, and those who have gone before us.
Spend time with your father if you're able to, and let him know that he is still appreciated.
Spend time with your father if you're able to, and let him know that he is still appreciated.
Happy Mother's Day
Posted 3 years agoLet's raise a glass to all the awesome mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers in this world: those who are still living, and those who have gone before us. Without them, life would be meaningless, so spend time with your mother if you're able to, and let her know that she is still loved.