Author Archives: admin

DMX Load

A fair number of controllers have DMX loads built in. I don’t use them. I am always worried id leave a load jumpered when I extend the DMX line further out. Either way you need to get to remember to … Continue reading

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TOT – Reflow Oven

I have a small 7litre oven that works a treat for Reflow of small boards. I recently upgraded to a 20 litre oven with two element top and bottom.  Rated at 1500Watts, there is able power to heat the area. … Continue reading

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4Channel Dmx DC Controller

I have a couple of RPM’s 4ch AC DMX SSRs.  They are a great concept for when you need a small channel count in a remote part of your display. I predominantly use LEDs for displays. This means DC is … Continue reading

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Control Theory

We home school our younger two girls. Rose, who is in year 7 (Stage 4) is doing Science & Technology. A lot of home schoolers in our area really get into the control theory, make great use of Lego Mindstorms.  … Continue reading

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Simple RGB Controller

I recently discovered a great little chip the WS2801 from World Semi.   the manufacturer describes it as a 3-Channel Constant Current LED Driver With Programmable PWM Outputs. That is a mouthful.  Basically a 24 bit serial shift register driving … Continue reading

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Sydney DIYChristmas Mini

Well today was our “Sydney Mini”. We all arrived to the great venue, the Upper Hawkesbury Motor Boat Club Yep the Venue was excellent – and it was some what confusing to arrive to a car park full of collector’s … Continue reading

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LED Mega Tree

this is my rendition of a the classic Mega tree. 4 critical components to a Mega tree namely Dimensions, # of Channels, Colours & Construction are discussed
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Design for Manufacturabilty

This is a topic I haven’t read about for some time.  I recently was searching the web for wave soldering and came across this fantastic article.  It’s production is pretty low tech but the content is worth a read. check … Continue reading

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TOT – SMT pens

Tools of the Trade I like using Surface mount components where ever I can. But I have to say the size of those devilish small components can be a real pain. Picking them up is always an issue and most … Continue reading

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The Wonders of Sight

I recently purchased a USB Microscope from a seller on Ebay.  check out the sellers  200x C2M 2M USB Digital Microscope endoscope Magnifier. Other than the clip being broken I must say I was super impressed with the build standard … Continue reading

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