-
350Z Pushbutton Start
A couple of years ago I designed a pushbutton start for my Nissan 350Z. It consisted of a handful of automotive relays, some diodes, and the pushbutton from the Nissan Altima that features keyless starting. I really wanted to make…
-
SUFO-1 Flight Recap
SUFO-1 successfully completed its flight to near space and back on 8/20/2011. A lot of work went into this flight and I’m very happy with how it all came together. Here’s a recap of the flight and some interesting stats.…
-
Launch Day Tomorrow
My first high altitude balloon will launch tomorrow, August 20th, at 9am CDT. Final preparations are being made tonight for the morning launch. Feel free to follow KD0OYK-11 on APRS.fi. Hopefully SUFO-1 is a successful flight and we get some…
-
Successful Tracking Test
I took the high altitude balloon tracking system out for a test drive in my truck. The intent was to test everything, but especially the transmitter and homemade antenna. After a short drive I was picked up by a nearby…
-
Fear and Loathing in EPROMs
In a previous post I mentioned how I used an ancient Kantronics KPC-3 terminal node controller in my high altitude balloon project. It takes the transmitted location data and converts it so a computer can understand it. As it turns out, it…
-
HAB Tracking Equipment
The tracking equipment for a high altitude balloon using the amateur radio frequencies is fairly straightforward. Most of the equipment can be purchased off the shelf and used equipment is easy to find. My high altitude balloon uses the Automatic…
-
Helium Tank Hose
A critical part of launching a high altitude balloon is obviously getting the helium out of the tank and into the balloon. It is possible to hold the balloon directly on the nozzle of the helium tank. However, they are not…
-
Ham License
I just received my official amateur radio license in the mail from the FCC. I took the Technician Class license exam on June 14th and I was listed on the FCC webpage by June 17th. I received my paper license…
-
Disco Table Construction
I spent a lot of time designing the Disco Table before I stepped foot in a hardware store. The first step I took was laying masking tape on my living room floor to get an idea of how big the…
-
Disco Table Electronics
The Disco Table electronics are fairly straightforward. Audio is sampled with a microphone and the volume of the audio is adjusted with a potentiometer. An equalizer display filter detects the peaks of several frequencies of the incoming audio and passes it…
-
Disco Table Inspiration
In late 2004, the electronic dance music duo Daft Punk teamed up with Habitat (a ‘posh’ store in England) to design the Daft Punk Table. The picture below shows the original table on display at Habitat. It featured a 5×5 grid of white lights under…
-
Hacking a Digital Camera
I originally heard about hacking Canon digital cameras before I even knew what a high altitude balloon was. So when I started planning for my balloon launch, I knew it would be the perfect way to control a camera at…
Project Bytes
Building things that blink, beep, and occasionally fly
