BTBox – LEGO Power Functions Bluetooth Controller
I've been on a bit of a LEGO Technic/Mindstorms hiatus for a while - ok, it's been 7 years! I have an I've been spending much of my hobby time making my own DIY projects / IoT stuff all while mastering Arduino. That changed a few weeks back when I came across THIS. I've been thinking of getting an RC crawler for some time, but it struck me that I have 95% of the…
BluCrawler – LEGO Rock Crawler with BTBox Bluetooth Controller
First I want to give a shout-out (and credit) to PunkTacoNYC as BluCrawler is based off his Chilli Crawler - this is his creation. I'm just taking it down another path. You can also find published instructions if you want to build it yourself. For some time, I wanted to get an RC crawler, but they can be $$$. When I came across PunkTacoNYC's Chilli Crawler, that was I figured I had 90% of the…
Dicontinued -WiFi Bot Control – Using NodeMCU (ESP8266)
WiFi Bot Control was built back before the ESP8266 came out, so WiFi options were limited and the ability to directly stream data over WiFi to the same MCU that controls a robot was next to impossible. That changed with the intro of the ESP8266. I'm going to show you how to streamline WiFi Bot Control and remove the need for a separate webserver. We'll also look at options to streamline the IP camera connection.…
Nextion TFT LCD – Why you need one!
I'll start this by stating that I don't work for iTead, and nor am I getting any sort of I just really like this TFT LCD. I stumbled upon the Nextion (which is a slick easy-to-use TFT LCD with a HMI editor) when they had their first crowdfunding campaign a year or so ago. I ignored it as there was not a lot of documentation, and frankly, I really didn't understand the concept of…
LEGO Technic Wire Storage
What better way to store my wire supply, then to use spare LEGO Technic beams & friction pins. After fumbling through bags of wire, pulling what I need out, and stuffing it back into the bag, I decide to take a stance and make a change!!!! Digging into my Mindstorms / Technic supply, I pulled out some beams and friction pins. 15 minutes later, I have a nice storage solution for my silcone wiring.…
Review: JJRC H36 2.4G 4CH 6-Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter
I always like opportunities to try out new RCMoment sent me this cool little mini quad to try out - JJRC H36 4CH 6-Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter. First thing's first - full disclosure. I don't have any vested interest in RC Moment. They sent me this quad for free. I am not the type of person that is influenced by free stuff. I get asked to do a review, and I will give it my…
WIoT-2 Weather and Home Automation – Nextion with ESP8266/ESP32
This is a continuation from my first iteration of WIoT weather station. What is WIoT-2? I use it as a cloud-connected (IoT) info center of sorts. It is a culmination of information my wife or I often look for either on our way out of the house, or when we come home. It displays current/forecast weather, temp/humidity from outside the house (this), date, time, our local waste collection schedule, currency rates, the status of our garage…
Hot Tub: ESP8266 IoT Temp Monitor and NeoPixel Lighting
Finally got our free hot tub hooked up. Well, not so "free". Hot tubs are never free unless you have all the electrical and other bits already. Anyway, I wanted to add some remote temperature monitoring as well as jazz up the lighting a bit. Given Winters can get pretty cold here in Canada, I wanted to get notified if the temp falls below a threshold as frozen pipes in a hot tub pretty…
ESP8266 – Lessons Learned
I've gotten enough ESP8266 projects under my belt to have a few lessons learned to share with you. The ESP comes in many flavors. One of my favorites is the NodeMCU. I also like the Adafruit Huzzah WDT Reset Error: This error was the bane of my existence for quite some time. When experiencing this, you typically see your sketch run and fail. Using the Serial Monitor and carefully placed statements, you can usually…
Review: RBBell – Electronic Bike Horn
Today, I'm doing a review of the RBBell electronic bike horn. This is a battery powered piezo that beeps when the button is pressed. Pretty simple. It's loud (as in 120dB loud)! It startled me after accidentally pressing the button during my review video. I can tell already this is going to be effective when I hit the trails. I do a fair bit of biking. Most of which is in trails not…