Nephew's First Arduino Project

With little instruction on my part, my Nephew managed to lay out this circuit, wire up all LEDs with the correct polarity, including 330-Ohm resistors wired inline on each diode.

After a few minutes of studying some sample Arduino Code, he started experimenting around and came up with this.  Not bad at all. :-)

Next step on his wish list of lighting accomplishments is to control the individual brightness of the LEDs.

For the technically inclined:  It's pretty easy to do if you switch from a Digital I/O pin to a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) pin, and use AnalogWrite() -- but I'm holding off on that lesson for a little while. Pulse Width Modulation and the topic of Duty Cycles are best explained with an Oscilloscope alongside the LED changing brightness, IMHO, and I'm hoping my new 'scope arrives in time to go over that lesson in another week.

For now, the Nephew is studying up on the Arduino programming language -- particularly all about loops and program structure.

'Definitely proud of the Nephew.  :-)

Research for a Vertical Windmill Project

As a technology geek and hobby hacker, I'm fascinated by the latest ideas and techniques used to achieve a goal.  Whether it's the latest Ruby-based software technologies, or "Going Green" with aquaponics ideas to grow food locally in a renewable manner, I can appreciate a job well done, and I especially appreciate a good write-up of not only the end result, but the journey taken to achieve that result.

Recently, I've been looking into Renewable Solutions that can work in Hawaii.  I've got an aquaponics project percolating in the back of my mind (i.e. "in the design phase"), and now I'm flirting with the idea of constructing a Windmill Generator project.

Originally, I had planned to build the windmill generator at the Honolulu MakerSpace as a hands-on learning project for a nephew interested in learning more about science, electronics, and the math involved.

Sadly, two recent events pretty much nixed that idea:

1. The Mapunapuna Warehouse lease deal fell through at the last minute; and 
2. Honolulu MakerSpace has made it clear that they've no intention of considering Kapolei.

With that said, this project is either going to be a solo effort built in my home workshop over many spare weekends in 2012; or I'll have to figure out a way to get the relevant project stages over to the Nephew so we can work on those portions together.

Sorry, Honolulu Makers, but there's just no way in Hell I'm shuttling the Nephew from Kapolei to anywhere East of the Airport for a maker-project, period.  My home workshop is already near the Airport, and it makes little sense to add extra miles all while shuttling my own parts, tools, and equipment all over the island.

Windmill Goals
Above all else, I'd love for this windmill generator to be good enough to power the entire Aquaponics effort I have in mind -- with the various water pumps, sensors, and especially the data-logging computer.

Alternatively, I wouldn't mind making this into a dual-purpose windmill -- generating electricity and driving the water pumps with a belt-driven system.

What's Available Today?
At the time of this writing, there are a handful of readily-available, pre-fabricated wind generators on the market.  The most prevalent is the SunForce 44444 400-Watt Wind Generator. While on the surface, the device appears to be plug-n-play, I've come across some technical arguments made in this comparison video that have swayed me away from going in that direction.

(YouTube: "The Truth About Stators"

discusses windings versus wire gauge)

With the low wind speeds I'm expecting on a Hawaii rooftop, I'm thinking it's safe to say that the SunForce model wouldn't work well. It's certainly not worth a $600 gamble to find out.

The owner of the above comparison video (PrestoWind) has another one describing the advantages and disadvantages of various stator designs, and how to best choose a design that matches the wind speeds you are expecting.  It mostly goes into choosing the coil winding setup tailored to your wind situation:

(YouTube: Why the Size and Gauge of Wire Matters)

Vertical Wind Turbines

Whereas the above stators are for horizontal turbines, the real plan is to build a vertical turbine. That being said, the wire coil alignment is dramatically different than the above videos.  Here's a really nice video tutorial of the epoxy casting process that I am planning to follow when this project is under active construction.  The video also briefly goes over some of the general math behind the coil diameters and placement in the stator.

(YouTube: Building a Stator for a VAWT)

Stuff to Purchase

This is still in the planning stages, and I still have a fair amount of note taking to get through to make sure I've got the math correct, and that the blade designs are viable. There are also some purchases to be made from Ebay or other Online Sources:

1. A handheld anemometer (wind speed meter) so I can measure speeds on a typical day
2. Bulk Magnet Wire -- probably 14 gauge, or 18 gauge. Copper wire, not Aluminum.
3. Rare Earth Magnets -- probably 16 identical magnets. I have no intention of scavenging the magnets out of old hard drives for this project, as I want everything built as symmetrical as possible.

For the blades, I'm still torn between using 4" PVC pipe as most other projects have; or decide if I want to break out the Mig Welder and fabricate blades out of sheet metal.  I'm leaning toward crafting metal blades as I think it'll be a more robust, while less bulky solution.  If anything, the welds would hold up much better than gluing parts or bolting them together.

Furthermore, if the blades are fabricated from sheet metal, there's no limit to how the blades can be shaped.

Ideas on Winding the Coils

All of the coils must have the exact same number of windings; and we're talking a hundred or so windings per coil.  That said, there are various ideas floating on the Internet and YouTube dealing with how to construct a coil winding jig.  Here's a really basic version of a coil winding jig that I like -- complete with a speed foot-pedal to control the winding speed:

I've had an interest in coil-winding designs for a while, as I'm also keen on winding my own RFID Antenna for use with the ID-2 RFID Reader available at Sparkfun. Neither the ID-12 nor the ID-20 have the range I'd like to have, so I've been hoping a custom-wound antenna might get better performance. As far as I'm aware, nobody's really gone that far -- or at least nobody has made their results public.

Final, Desired Result

If all goes well, the final windmill generator will be similar to what was done at Maui Community College -- including the speed controller circuitry; and possibly a similar MagLev bearing to eliminate drag and noise. You just gotta check out the video -- they've assembled a fantastic design that I'm impressed with:

(YouTube: Vertical Axis Wind Generator -
Maui Community College)

More to come over time -- subscribe to this blog if you want to track my progress. :-)

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Hawaiian Lei of the Day

There's always room for a little Aloha in peoples' lives, so instead of roses or a flower bouquet, why not give the gift of aloha with a beautiful Hawaiian Lei? The Waipio Leis are Woven in mala style, this striking combination of blue- and yellow-tinted orchids is a feast for the eyes. Aloha Island Lei has the widest assortment of colors and styles to choose from. Shipped fresh from Hawaii to your door.

A Win for Renewable Energy

Hawaii Current Events
I'm delighted to read on Civil Beat that HECO has agreed to a 3-year agreement to purchase 3 million barrels of Algae-derived biofuel. I'd love nothing more than to take those kinds of efforts up a few notches by producing Jet Fuel from algae. When that day comes, the world will be free from OPEC's price-controlling monopoly.

Electricity from solar, wind, and geothermal sources; Jet Fuel from algae. C'mon, Hawaii, let's get this renewable-energy ball rolling.

Hawaiian Lei of the Day
There's always room for a little Aloha in peoples' lives, and what better way to do that than the gift of a beautiful Hawaiian Lei? The Oni Leis are a modern twist to the classic leis that's certain to please anyone who receives one.

Today's Lei: The ONI Leis from Aloha Island Lei.

The people behind Aloha Island Lei have put together a video tutorial on how to care for Leis when they arrive on your doorstep, so you can rest assured that your gift is as fresh as the moment it's completed by their skilled Lei Makers' hands.

Welcome to the New Not404 Blog

Hello World,

Yes, I'm back to blogging on this site. After several events in 2011, I've been in deep contemplation of this thing I call My Life. Recently married on 01/10/11 ("1,2,3" in binary notation -- geek humor), and a new bundle of joy on the way. To be brutally honest, I doubt I could ever be more satisfied with where my life is going.

Anyway, each blog entry will be comprised of multiple sections, depending on what I've been reading and found blog-worthy.


Tech Gadgets

In current news today, it looks like Amazon is releasing a new version of the Kindle device -- a sweet looking 7" Touch Tablet, priced at $199.

I'm already salivating at this, and am hoping the Google Android circles have a head-start on getting a Plain-Jane copy of Google Android running on this new piece of hardware.

I've been in the market for a 7" Android for quite some time, and while the off-brand Chinese imports are interesting (ranging from $99 to $150), Android is designed to work nicely with the established 4-button panel (Home, Menu, Search, and Back). The low-end models only have one physical button to mimick the iPad.

Hawaii Current Events

According to the live blogs at Civil Beat, HSTA's still dragging ass on the negotiations. I can't say that I'm overly surprised -- they've completely botched things from the start. I hope Hawaii's teachers can see the situation for what it is, and move to decertify the Union. Clearly, the HSTA is not earning that chunk of money Teachers have been paying them all these decades.

Also of note, a recent story about Hawaii's GOP running out of money? Three letters: WTF? What kind of organization represents "Upper Class" interests, and can't even manage their own money?

And finally.. on Kapolei wanting Rail soon.. Gah! A lot of you folks appear to be mentally slow. Let me spell it out for you: MOVE CLOSER.

If you value your time spent in a car at $10/hour, and spend 90 minutes each direction, you're spending $150 per week, or $3000 per year in traffic. Over 30 years (the typical length of a mortgage), you've racked up $90,000. Clearly, that's money-value that you could've spent on a more expensive home closer to town -- and I know most of you in Kapolei earn a heck of a lot more than $10 per hour.

So... why are you pushing for a $5-freaking-BILLION Rail that'll permanently scar the landscape and NOT reduce traffic levels compared to where they are today? Where does this "10% ridership" get off on burdening the rest of us Local Taxpayers with this mess? Recall, $4 Billion is slated to come out of Local Taxes; and "up to" $1.5 Billion will come from Federal Monies. With Congress beating the drums for spending cuts, I seriously doubt we'll see much more than $500 Million in Federal Money, at best.


Hawaiian Lei of the Day

Since I'm blogging from Hawaii, here's a little segment for the Mainlanders. If you've never been to a Hawaiian Wedding, Birthday Party, or a Graduation, you're definitely missing out on a tradition worth sharing. Fortunately for you, I know a few good "Local's Secret" shops who can hook you up. In fact, I highly recommend Aloha Island Lei to help you spread a little bit of Aloha.

Unlike some of the "cheap lei" shops you'll find advertising all around the Internet, Aloha Island Lei packs all shipments with gel-packs to keep flowers and leis cool throughout their shipping journey to your door.

Today's Lei:  the Micro Ginger Leis, from Aloha Island Lei. These fragrant leis are among the most coveted of Leis given, and are given at the most special of occasions, such as Weddings and Graduations.

I'd highly recommend Overnight Shipping on these for maximum freshness (fragrant leis are very delicate compared to, say, orchid leis), but they often hold up to 2-day shipping with the gel-packs.