Grathio Labs - Latest Comments

Re: Maker Faire Bay Are 2012. You Should Go If You Can

Pete Prodoehl — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:15:04 -0000

I'm missing this one, but I should be in Detroit... any chance you'll be there?

Re: Meet The Tacit Project. It’s Sonar For The Blind.

Larry Warner — Fri, 11 May 2012 23:31:25 -0000

Hi- My wife is totally blind and getting around the house is rough and out side is worse. She is 92 years old and would love to try something like this. Where can i buy one and what is the cost?
Contact me at warnerlarryhotmail .com Thanks to anyone who can help me out.
Thank you. Larry Warner

Re: Indestructible LED Lanterns & MAKE Issue 30

Pete Prodoehl — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:05:45 -0000

Love the article, and immediately thought about ways to use this idea. They might come in handy when camping as well.

Re: Making Wooden Nickels. With Lasers.

Pete Prodoehl — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:04:54 -0000

I had not seen this post, but I somehow (?) came up with a very similar method on my own. They're a blast to make, and I definitely want to make more of them in the future...

Re: Jeep Mounted Potato Cannon – More Family Making Fun

Steve Hoefer — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:04:44 -0000

Ah, wish we had thought of that before, we could have done the TV poster pose.
http://www.crazyabouttv.com/Im...

Re: Jeep Mounted Potato Cannon – More Family Making Fun

tom — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:38:03 -0000

Just like Rat Patrol

Re: How To: Edge Lighting Displays

Markcdaniels — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:58:40 -0000

This is used in our offices' EXIT signs, here in New York state. I couldn't understand it...

From either side of the sign, you could see right THROUGH two layers of transparent plastic.
From either side of the sign, you could read the illuminated word EXIT.
But from NEITHER side of the sign could you see the BACKSIDE of the lettering from the OTHER side!
(You follow me?)
This tripped me out. How could this be???
Thanks for the explanation on your website.

Re: Secret Knock Detecting Door Lock

bTw Cupu — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:16:00 -0000

hmmm...
im still confuse, how to make code Shave and a Hair Cut.
how to convert that tune to bit o,0
give me clue please T,T

thanks

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

AntonOlsen — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:08:35 -0000

I've flown a few times with small VEX robots, one carry-on and the rest checked, and not had any problems. I know a lot of teams fly with their competition bots, but I have always shipped ours ahead.

I also pack most of my tools (no long pointy ones though) in my carry-on. The only problems I've had were with a pair of diagonal cutters and a knifeless multi-tool at LGA. Those same tools had never even raised an eyebrow at any other airport.

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

Edwards Morris — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:38:55 -0000

I just traveled from Texas to Anaheim with the robotics team for world championships and we sure could have used this a few weeks ago!
I've had very similar troubles and experiences traveling with large amounts of camera equipment, naturally not as much as one would have traveling with raw components but i have still learned that when ever you have to travel with obscure equipment that the TSA might not recognize the key is careful and professional packing and very clear labeling

Re: Meet The Tacit Project. It’s Sonar For The Blind.

Mike Taylor — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:35:15 -0000

I would imagine that it would be quite helpful in environments that constantly change, like grocery stores with updating merchandising stackouts, or restaurants where chairs and tables might be relocated from time to time. Or even in a strip mall where kiosks get relocated in a hallway sometimes by up to several meters.

Re: Meet The Tacit Project. It’s Sonar For The Blind.

Mike Taylor — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:31:42 -0000

Having just read the article in Make #29 (page 78) I think I can answer your question. Steve's first version was incorporated into a headband with vibrating motors (similar in concept to the glasses idea) and the resulting constant vibration on the head would be quite distracting. Just a thought...

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

Kevin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:28:39 -0000

25-30 years ago I traveled with a full tool kit in a briefcase. I brought it in carry on and only had to put it in checked baggage once. Most of the time, I wasn't asked to open it up for inspection.

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

Steve Hoefer — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:10:57 -0000

Tools could be it's own full article. I usually travel with a pencil soldering iron (Yeah, not as much fun as the temp controlled one, but it's also pounds lighter and smaller), multimeter, solder, a small spool or two of wire, desoldering braid, wire stripper, flush cutters, X-acto, EMT shears, sharpie, hot glue gun, and one of those screwdriver sets with a ton of heads including Torx and hex. After that it depends what facilities will be where I'm going and what I'm doing. I often carry my Dremel and a basic set of bits. I tend to cary my own drill bits because no one ever has sharp bits. With the proliferation of hackerspaces and community workshops like TechShop it's hard to go somewhere where I can't get access to basic tools if there's a pressing need.

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

onef — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:08:23 -0000

If you're traveling to a state where starter pistols are legal, just put one in your project case and check it with the TSA at the check-in counter.

This case will travel with a TSA agent, be handled carefullly, and be thoroughly secured.

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

Vnrgoli — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:01:16 -0000

Thanks for the nice article. I ended up shelving my project while I commute to work long term, purely because of TSA. This will help me prepare for my next trip. Do you have suggestions for tools (soldering iron, small screwdriver set, flux, pliers etc?)
Thank you.

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

James Jarvis — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:50:06 -0000

I fly a couple of times of a month with electronics and tools. Usually 140 to 210 pounds of checked luggage. I have never had any problems other than the TSA damaging stuff with careless packing. I pack everything very carefully and they just jam it in. Regularly I have cords that are hanging out of the Pelican cases and damaged.

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

mossmann — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:23:11 -0000

If your prototype is a single circuit board with SMT components, it will look just like consumer electronics in the xray machine.

Re: Meet The Tacit Project. It’s Sonar For The Blind.

AJ Fleming — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:59:25 -0000

Thanks!

Re: Meet The Tacit Project. It’s Sonar For The Blind.

Steve Hoefer — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:56:17 -0000

I think you'll be fine sewing. The only real sewing you have to do is the Velcro, and if you get matching color thread you can be surprisingly sloppy without anyone finding out. If you look really closely at the prototype you'll see the machine dropped about half the stitches and so I just went back over it again. (You can do this by hand too, but pushing a needle through Velcro and neoprene is tough on fingers.)

Another option is to glue it. Most glues won't work at all in a flexible, stretchable environment, but one I've found that works is Shoe GOO. It isn't as durable as sewing, but held up pretty well.

Re: Meet The Tacit Project. It’s Sonar For The Blind.

AJ Fleming — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:15:43 -0000

This is really cool! I plan to make one, but modify it slightly to make the on/off more touch-friendly. I also want to play around with the code. I also have one question: could an intermediate seam-man(is that the term for a male that sews?) work with 2mm neoprene?

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

Greg Miller — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:19:29 -0000

I've had to fly a couple a couple times with small biological and chemical experiments, which included electronics, and sometimes dead critters (butterflies and spiders). It took extra time (~45 minutes to clear security after going through the metal detectors), but wasn't any crazy hassle beyond that. The thing that helped most was having supporting documentation - loading procedures, paperwork for where I'm coming from and where I'm going, letters from higher-ups on university letterhead, etc. Don't look like you're trying to hide it, and be forthright.

Re: How To: Fly With Homemade Electronics

Sean Hathaway — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:43:19 -0000

This is a great post and should serve as a good recipe for avoiding misunderstanding. In addition I have a rule of never traveling with anything I have not FULLY documented. My building process is often fairly free-form and I don't often fully document my work but rather rely on the finished product as a model. In the rare case when I do travel with something I've made I make sure it is documented concisely enough that I can reproduce a project if I never see it again (read it has been blown-up by the bomb squad on the tarmac). In the future I will also follow your advice of including a copy of my documentation with the packed item.

Re: Roasted Buckwheat Tea

Romeo Kimbungan — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 04:28:20 -0000

Can I roast buckwheat even not hulled?

Re: Roasted Buckwheat Tea

Romeo Kimbungan — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 04:05:25 -0000

I am planting buckwheat and I have stock. I want to roast but I dont have huller machine where to but this machine,I am from Philippines