This getting older is a load of dung. No seriously, I feel very deprived >:(
In my time I had three Suzuki GSX1100 scooters, at the time these were considered the fastest around, capable of doing over 200km/hr. I usually drove from Pretoria central (when it was still Pretoria) to home here in Centurion in about seven minutes (and get off on shakey legs), which is normally about a 20 minutes drive. Never got a speed fine either.
Nowadays you get bikes reacing 400km/hr :o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnGMXfpxQDg
Top 10 Fastest Bikes In The World 2023 (With their Videos)
My friend's son has a Hayabusa, he showed it to us here the other day.
And I could not even say to him - When I was your age :'(
Back then, the girls was a lot easier to impress as well. The first time my mother (now 85) saw my scooter, she slammed her hands together and said good grief ! it's a monstrous thing ! What kind of a girl do you think is going to ride with you on this thing ?
The answer was of course - the right kind ;D
When I told the wife the bikes can now do 400km per hour, she just pulled a face and didn't look impressed at all.
I should have knowed, old people like the wife at grandma age is impressed with few things... and I have to sleep with a grandmother at night, which is no joke.
We have a solar geyser, which works awesome (85%+ efficient) - IF - the sun shines on it during the day.
The problem is the wife planted a palm tree (before I met her) and this thing grew into a massive monster.
So in winter when you need it most, the solar geyser sits in this palm tree' shade, and if you know me, I'll rather walk around dirty for six months before taking a bath in cold water.
So the tree had to go.
If I measured correctly, the top of the tree was about 18m high. I couldn't find anyone who was willing to cut the tree for me from the top down in pieces and the listed prices was ridiculous.
So the obvious thing to do is to consult Youtube (they know everything), and see how it's done.
It was obvious that you cannot strip the skirt from the bottom. Apparently a number of people die every year when they try to take the skirt off. That is because the dead branches that form the skirt, interlock by gravit around the trunk, and if you mess with it and a portion of the branches breaks loose, they can fall on you and you suffocate.
The only way is to get to the top and cut the top off and from there on down get the branches off. To do that I had to climb vertically up on the outside of the skirt. There is video's on youtube showing the knots to use and how to climb up vertically on a rope. So now I have to exersize this... ::)
I climbed on the roof, cast a fishing line over the tree, tied my 10mm line to it and pulled it over the tree. I then tied one end to the bottom of the tree, so I now had one end that I can climb up with, and I can start exersizing the how to climb up vertically. I made a harness for it too.
The climbing works like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcUmdGIf21o
How to Ascend Climbing Rope
It's a matter of sitting and standing, sitting and standing, especially easy if she does it.
It looks comfortable when she does it, probably because she has a layer of fat to protect her ::)
So the second day "exersizing" I was making progress, and I thought what the hell, I'm three meters up already, I can just as well keep on going. So I kept on going. The worst of course is the thorns on the branches which hook towards the tree, so every time you move you risk getting stuck. And as bad was the dust in the branches which burns your throat and nose and dry your mouth.
toets.jpg
Sure you can see me there.
Have you ever found yourself in a place and you wonder that the :-\ am I doing here ? It was not pleasant looking down from up there, and by now that rope looked awefully thin. I seccured the rope around the tree and started cleaning around the tree so I can cut the top off.
Boom3.jpg
While up there the neighbor's two boys were shouting to me from their porch
"Uncle Fanie, what are you doing ?"
So I thought I'd answer them in a way they can relate... and I shouted down I'm just climbing the tree a bit 8)
Oh well, you can only die once.
I got the top cut off, it was massive. One can hardly move it it was that heavy.
Stukke.jpg
I also had to cut the rest up so the wife can move the pieces ;D
Unless you did something as reckless as this, you may not understand why, if someone asks me how are you, I can honestly say - no, from the shoulders on downwards I'm ok !
The wife took the pictures, and for a change she didn't cut my head off in the pictures, I'm actually in some.
And not one branch fell on the wife. Well, she's always cleaning up while I'm working and always in the way. The best way is to shout at her so she goes into stiff upper lip mode (wonderful English expression) and then she'd go sulk somewhere out of the way.
All these young blokes, like our kids, are suddenly very quiet when I mention there are three more trees to fell, much smaller though.
Did I learn something ?
1) Hell yes. We do not evolve from apes, we defenately evolve into apes. At that high up, you have very little brain function, and there is only about three or so thoughts recurring, as proof the brain definately shrinked.
2) Watch what your wife plants in the garden !!!
3) Knowing some knots are awesome !
4) Palm trees are terrible, not even the wood is good for anything >:(
Will I do it again ?
Mmmmm... maybe if she's really good looking and are willing to go to new heights ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86zpNhiPr48
Quote from: ken_k on Jun 23, 2023, 12:56 AMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86zpNhiPr48
I saw that... my next pellet gun 8)
Good 'ol Fanie entertaining us with his apish antics!!
Have you heard about Hanuman , the mythical monkey of Ramayana who jumped from India to Sri Lanka in a single leap? He then used his lighted tail like a magnesium wire & torched the entire kingdom of Lord Ravana.
Inspirations are found everywhere!!
Heck Fanie will you come to my place and climb my tower to fix a couple of antennas?
You're a brave man or have a determined wife. Maybe the latter 😀
John
Living in the UK and being a self confessed "Palmophile" I'm HORRIFIED at the idea of chopping down a palm tree (I have a few trachycarpus)
However if you have to do it you have to do it. But no way would I be nuts enough to climb up one and chop it down. But then again I would never drive a bike that could top 80. I love my bike but 55+ and I loss my nerve.
I'm glad you are here to recant the story. I prefer first person stories to eulogies.
VERY nice Tim!!
Quote from: shantanu@india on Jun 25, 2023, 06:05 AMHave you heard about Hanuman , the mythical monkey of Ramayana who jumped from India to Sri Lanka in a single leap?
Easy to do if you are right on the border, of course. Here, I can take one step to go from the Transvaal into the Freestate, I don't even have to leap !
Quote from: TimB on Jun 25, 2023, 07:27 PMLiving in the UK and being a self confessed "Palmophile" I'm HORRIFIED at the idea of chopping down a palm tree (I have a few trachycarpus)
Sorry to hear about your Palmophillic handicap Tim ;D
We consider them a pest. We have hordes of the seeds sprouting all over, and the fruit attracts rats.
Let me show you.
Vet Rot.jpg
My shoes are about 340mm long to give you an idea...
It started a few years ago when a cluster (or is it a swarm, or a herd, or a flock ?) of rats moved into the house and created havock. So I loaned my friend's old Chinese breakneck pellet gun and managed to lure a rat into a 3m pipe which I pushed against the wall, I could now lie on the floor and send it to rat heaven.
It finally did die, but only after about 50 shots. It looked like a scaly pangolin when I got it out from all the pellets...
Long story short, I decided to arm up against further rat invasions. I fixed the terribly underpowered pellet gun and shot 10 rats in a week.
Rot 8.jpg
This is No 8 the wife is posing for a picture. As you can see, she is very impressed ::)
After no 10 the surviving moved out of the house, they realized it was too dangerous inside, and then kept us awake at night running over the roof, and even fighting sliding down the gutters with their nails screetching.
Around the same time I got some chickens, and after a bit the rats got serious. They bred under a bird cage in an Afrikaner's yard on the one side and on the other side lived an African in a wendyhouse. At dusk the party starts and they'd intermingle by running across on the telephone lines, and of course terrorising the chickens.
Telkom Rot.jpg
This is me with a telkom line rat trophy and the new breaknek pelletgun.
I shot 47 rats in two nights when I finally got a working nightsight for the pellet.
It wasn't as accurate as I wanted and I bought my first PCP, which I later gave to my son.
It was the wife's idea, since I wasn't using it as much...
so I got myself a Hatsan Blitz ;D
This is a serious pellet gun. Watch the video's on youtube. ;)
I don't shoot it in auto mode, it's a waste, but the semi is awesome.
I have an IR Paard fitted on a Discovery FFP scope with a 5 inch HDMI LCD display and a 30Ah 3.2V LiFePo4 battery for looong working times.
I also built a shooting chair for it. At 10m I can repeatedly shoot a 5mm dot.
My one Afrikaner friend asked me to shoot some rats bothering his chickens, so I went one night. I shot six, and while we were waiting to see if more would come around, he said sounding very upset - Hey Fanie, you are busy shooting ALL my rats.
He was joking of course.
I like Squirrel Hunter's video's on youtube. He start all his video's with WARNING ! (and nobody leaves after that ;D)
Quote from: Fanie on Jun 30, 2023, 08:08 PMQuote from: shantanu@india on Jun 25, 2023, 06:05 AMHave you heard about Hanuman , the mythical monkey of Ramayana who jumped from India to Sri Lanka in a single leap?
Easy to do if you are right on the border, of course. Here, I can take one step to go from the Transvaal into the Freestate, I don't even have to leap !
Quote from: TimB on Jun 25, 2023, 07:27 PMLiving in the UK and being a self confessed "Palmophile" I'm HORRIFIED at the idea of chopping down a palm tree (I have a few trachycarpus)
Sorry to hear about your Palmophillic handicap Tim ;D
We consider them a pest. We have hordes of the seeds sprouting all over, and the fruit attracts rats.
Let me show you.
Vet Rot.jpg
My shoes are about 340mm long to give you an idea...
It started a few years ago when a cluster (or is it a swarm, or a herd, or a flock ?) of rats moved into the house and created havock. So I loaned my friend's old Chinese breakneck pellet gun and managed to lure a rat into a 3m pipe which I pushed against the wall, I could now lie on the floor and send it to rat heaven.
It finally did die, but only after about 50 shots. It looked like a scaly pangolin when I got it out from all the pellets...
Long story short, I decided to arm up against further rat invasions. I fixed the terribly underpowered pellet gun and shot 10 rats in a week.
Rot 8.jpg
This is No 8 the wife is posing for a picture. As you can see, she is very impressed ::)
After no 10 the surviving moved out of the house, they realized it was too dangerous inside, and then kept us awake at night running over the roof, and even fighting sliding down the gutters with their nails screetching.
Around the same time I got some chickens, and after a bit the rats got serious. They bred under a bird cage in an Afrikaner's yard on the one side and on the other side lived an African in a wendyhouse. At dusk the party starts and they'd intermingle by running across on the telephone lines, and of course terrorising the chickens.
Telkom Rot.jpg
This is me with a telkom line rat trophy and the new breaknek pelletgun.
I shot 47 rats in two nights when I finally got a working nightsight for the pellet.
It wasn't as accurate as I wanted and I bought my first PCP, which I later gave to my son.
It was the wife's idea, since I wasn't using it as much...
so I got myself a Hatsan Blitz ;D
This is a serious pellet gun. Watch the video's on youtube. ;)
I don't shoot it in auto mode, it's a waste, but the semi is awesome.
I have an IR Paard fitted on a Discovery FFP scope with a 5 inch HDMI LCD display and a 30Ah 3.2V LiFePo4 battery for looong working times.
I also built a shooting chair for it. At 10m I can repeatedly shoot a 5mm dot.
My one Afrikaner friend asked me to shoot some rats bothering his chickens, so I went one night. I shot six, and while we were waiting to see if more would come around, he said sounding very upset - Hey Fanie, you are busy shooting ALL my rats.
He was joking of course.
I like Squirrel Hunter's video's on youtube. He start all his video's with WARNING ! (and nobody leaves after that ;D)
Maybe sell the rats.
https://www.etsy.com/au/market/mounted_rat
QuoteMaybe sell the rats.
Reminds me of the Portuguese who cought and tinned a bunch of Portuguese (of course) sardines.
These they sold to the English, who sold it to the Germans, who sold it to the Canadians, who sold it to the Americans, who sold it to the Argentines, who sold it to the Afrikaners in Sick Africa who sold it to the Chinese, who sold it to the Australians.
The Australians opend the cans and found the fish was not suitable for consumption ???
So they complained to the Chinese that the fish was rotten.
The reply back was, the fish is for selling, not for consumption ;)
Quote from: Fanie on Jul 02, 2023, 01:50 AMQuoteMaybe sell the rats.
Reminds me of the Portuguese who cought and tinned a bunch of Portuguese (of course) sardines.
These they sold to the English, who sold it to the Germans, who sold it to the Canadians, who sold it to the Americans, who sold it to the Argentines, who sold it to the Afrikaners in Sick Africa who sold it to the Chinese, who sold it to the Australians.
The Australians opend the cans and found the fish was not suitable for consumption ???
So they complained to the Chinese that the fish was rotten.
The reply back was, the fish is for selling, not for consumption ;)
I see, so the Australian broke the cycle of madness and demanded a refund from the Chinese. :)
I made a solder feeder to speed up dispensing solder on pads...
It works quite well.
Soldeer Voerder a.jpg
On the left is the holder we usually use, but it is frustrating to use if you do a lot of soldering.
There is an overkill (I had the motor) 24V geared motor doing about 2rps @ 24V, runs now off a small Chinese adjustable down supply to 6V and I finger tactile switch it with a FET with a 10k on the gate to 0V and the tactile switch the 6V to the gate.
The motor has a 22mm rubber roller and the other side is two 12mm bearings, all parts I stripped from an old copy machine.
The 4mm tube is the same as is used for the 3D printers to feed the filament to the print head.
Made a feeder for the tig welder years ago that feeds the SS off the spool to the weld, using a wiper motor.
Hallo Fanie,
(Sending this message to Fanie in 2 of our 11 official languages)
Het PM gestuur. Sal graag direk kontak maak. Ek is op Donkerhoek oos van Pretoria. Groete, Leon.
Sent you a PM. Would like to make direct contact. I'm at Donkerhoek east of Pretoria. Greetings, Leon.
Whatsapp my op 0 agt 2 4 vyf 6 ses 925.
Suustog... Dan is jy nog op Donkerhoek in donker Afrika, dit moet sowaar donker wees daar.
Ongelooflik oor die sg 11 amptelike tale, dit is my land maar my taal word nie eers erken deur die uitlandse parasiete nie ne' !
I made a ginger dough ball roller for a bakery.
Roller1.jpg
Works like a dream.
A ball of dough is placed between the white rollers (the top roller hinge up) and the dough is rolled until the top roller reaches a mechanical stop which determine the desired dough diameter.
The top roller is then lifted and the round dough taken and placed on-in between the black rollers. These roll and cut into the size and the balls fall through into a tray.
The white rollers run at the same speed, while the front black roller is double the speed of the rear one.
I achived this by removing one gear and arranged the others in the motor's gearbox. The rear black roller rolls the dough out while the front one rolls it in at double the speed, which has a cutting effect while rolling.
You get balls which are the same size and two people rolling balls by hand takes 2 1/2 hours per mix while this roller does it in around 20 to 30 minutes.
The idea is always that the machine must wait for you, you must not wait for the machine ;-)
The motors were stripped from old copy machines and I have a box of them. Ten years ago my female intuition told me I'm going to use these for something usefull ;D .
These are 24V motors I run off a 12V 5Ah lifepo4 battery I made up from cells and a balancing circuit (of course) and a step-up boost voltage converter.
A 10W solar panel keeps the bakery batteries charged.
I 3D printed the motor mounts.
I made a wire cutter for the wife ::)
Draad Snyer.jpg
I modified the bobbin winder I built before to accept the wire cutter extension. It simply hooks on the side of the winder box. I'm lazy, so I wasn't going to build a complete seperate controller just for that.
It uses two stepper motors, one to feed the wire and a second to cut the wire at length.
An actual sidecutter does the cutting, a cam with bearings on the one stepper press the sidecutter handle in one turn rotation.
Two rubber rollers feed the wire through the 3D printed housing.
I wrote a simple code to repeat the same feed length 20 times. Every now and again we get an order where lots of wires are neede for switches and buzzers etc. and this makes them quick and easy to cut.
The winder has two axles, X and Z, the X is for winding and the Z feeds the wire level across a bobbin or core housing. To make the Z the cutoff, I made a plug where I can plug the winder's Z feed, in or the cutoff motor.
Here's the kicker :(
The wife is scared of breaking something or doing something wrong and she's still cutting wires by hand.
The advantage is it keeps her busy and off my back ;D.
Like they say, every cloud has a silver lining ;)
Quote from: Fanie on Aug 02, 2023, 08:31 AMI made a ginger dough ball roller for a bakery.
Nice little machine. But I like the rollers more ;D , did you get them from I-net? Any idea what polymer was molded on those rollers?
The white rollers are 110mm PVC tubing (sewage pipes cough... cough... new ones though ??? ) and I 3D printed the ends, and the black rollers are Polyethylene cut on a lathe.
Polyethylene is food grade and does not absorb moisture. The SS shafts are threaded and I screw them in the ends untill they seize.
Ahh, I see ... I thought the white rollers are rubber rollers like in the old laundry wringers for my ball mill.
Let me show you more of the bakery.
The first is everything works off grid, ie solar powered. There are four sets of 2000W ie 8kW at 250V no load and one must realize the voltage does not drive an element, the current does.
Oonde1.jpg
Each bottom oven acts as a master and the top as slave, otherwise the 8kW will not drive 12kw of elements.
The bottom oven goes to temperature, then switches the 250VDC off and signals to the slave to switch on.
Thus there is only a maximum of 6kW driven at any time.
As the sun increase or decrease more or less ovens are switched on or off, depending how early or late in the day, and weather conditions of course.
Each oven was stripped and properly isolated to improve their efficiency. All these ovens were scrap yard specials I paid less than R200 for each double oven because many people diverse to gass instead of the unstable power fiasco here in the illegal British colony of Sick Africa.
beheerder1.jpg
Each oven has a controller like this. To the left is a timer with a set pot and a start / cancel switch. This works the best of all the variants we tried.
On the right is two displays, one shows the setpoit (195oC) adjusted with a pot and the other the actual temperature (now 19oC).
I eqalled the temperature with my auto calibrate routine by using a mV source simulating the type K thermocouple on each oven.
The control circuitry works off a 12V lifepo4 battery, 10Ah or 12Ah can't remember, charged by the 10W solar panel.
The timer uses a 16F684 as does the temperature controller, so surprise surprise I do use pics for things ;D
To switch DC at that voltage means none of the 220VAC switches can work. A switch opening with the 200 - 250VDC goes SHHHHHPP... and the contacts are burnt away. I use a proper FET and drives it with a photo voltaic opto for isolation and outputs about 7V for the gate, so I can high side or low side switch the DC. The solar is not earthed as in grid mains power distribution so there is not really a high or low side.
The bakery is for a friend and his wife, they live in a small flat so the bakery is here. Power makes for 25 to 35% of the expense, which does not apply now, but you are limited to day baking only.
I have never eaten cake so often as now. Whenever the bakery is not in use, ie sometimes on weekends, the wife bake a cake and or rusks and or ginger bread, or babana bread or whatever else. Free except for the ingredients.
Quote from: trastikata on Aug 02, 2023, 04:49 PMAhh, I see ... I thought the white rollers are rubber rollers like in the old laundry wringers for my ball mill.
Good grief no ;D The idea is to keep the wet ingriedients in the mixture ::).
The fishing guys use similar to make boilies for fishing, videos on youtube.
For the technical guys like Tim and Les who has never fished in their lives, a boilie is a round piece of flovoured dough in which you embed your hook so when the fish swallows the boilie they get hooked in the upper lip.
Quote from: Fanie on Aug 02, 2023, 05:14 PMa boilie is a round piece of flovoured dough in which you embed your hook so when the fish swallows the boilie they get hooked in the upper lip.
In good old Europe used it mostly for catfish and carp but those are not valued here in the North, there are better fish species to put on the grill ;).
Great setup with those ovens, from a childhood I have sweet tooth, but buying it from the grocery is never the same as fresh from the oven, so I kind of envy you!
Quote from: Fanie on Jun 21, 2023, 08:07 PMThis getting older is a load of dung. No seriously, I feel very deprived >:(
In my time I had three Suzuki GSX1100 scooters, at the time these were considered the fastest around, capable of doing over 200km/hr. I usually drove from Pretoria central (when it was still Pretoria) to home here in Centurion in about seven minutes (and get off on shakey legs), which is normally about a 20 minutes drive. Never got a speed fine either.
Nowadays you get bikes reacing 400km/hr :o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnGMXfpxQDg
Top 10 Fastest Bikes In The World 2023 (With their Videos)
My friend's son has a Hayabusa, he showed it to us here the other day.
And I could not even say to him - When I was your age :'(
Back then, the girls was a lot easier to impress as well. The first time my mother (now 85) saw my scooter, she slammed her hands together and said good grief ! it's a monstrous thing ! What kind of a girl do you think is going to ride with you on this thing ?
The answer was of course - the right kind ;D
When I told the wife the bikes can now do 400km per hour, she just pulled a face and didn't look impressed at all.
I should have knowed, old people like the wife at grandma age is impressed with few things... and I have to sleep with a grandmother at night, which is no joke.
Luckily you don't live here Fanie. All bikes are speed restricted to 186Mph/299Kmh. Obviously there are ways around that if you feel 299kmh is not enough
QuoteLuckily you don't live here Fanie. All bikes are speed restricted to 186Mph/299Kmh. Obviously there are ways around that if you feel 299kmh is not enough
Well, if you live in England, the reason for this limitation is probably so you won't fall off the other side into the sea.
If you live down under in Australia, you may cause another veld fire at that speed. I hear you're not even allowed to fart there for fear of another fire.
In Europe you may accidentally cross a border and you could become one of the millions of fugitive yoofs invading other's countries.
In America it seems every one is walking in the hands-up position for fear of being branded an agressor.
In Canada it is too cold.
In Egypt you may run into a pyramid or a camel.
In the Middle-East there is too much rubble and dust after the Americans were there.
In Africa it is too dark, and here in Sick Africa it is even darker since all the useless funnel in here to become something important.
India and China is full.
Russia has too many trees and it is too cold, you'll freeze quickly.
The only place seems to be CERN... the large hadron collider spanning over Switzerland and France.
Who knows, with enough speed you could open a portal and let demons in from another dimension :o .
Fanie: With your skill and determination and had you been involved, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN would have been a mere plaything by now.
Here's a challenge for you: Particle Physics is struggling to understand Quantum Entanglement. How can two entangled particles be "in touch" over a vast distance in zero time? If you could spare a few minutes, would you kindly sort this out please?
There's a nice Nobel Prize awaiting your solution - it would look good sat of those lovely ovens you designed and built for your friends.
Best regards
Charlie
I was watching Metallica ENTER SANDMAN - NOTHING ELSE MATTERS and was stunned at the amount of UFO's in the video :o
https://rumble.com/v3rpfmd-metallica-enter-sandman-nothing-else-matters.html
Turns out it was my screen that was so dirty ::)
A lot of water ran into the sea since I was here last time ::)
My latest toy...
bandit.jpg
I've been riding around with it some, and it's not too bad.
But you know how it is. In a short while it's not fast enough any more.
Considering a Hayabusa, or a B-King, or a ZX14 and no I don't like the H2.
Will probably go for the Hayabusa 2nd gen, I'm a Suzuki fan (they don't break),
and spares are plentiful.
What do you think ?
Here's some inspiration for you, and I'm now working towards driving like that during daily commuting. It will save a lot of time, and if everybody does that we can save the Sick Africa's broken economy...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31RZ5wU-Fg0
Fastest EVER Lap of the Isle of Man TT | Peter Hickman - 136.358mph
Quote from: charliecoutas on Aug 04, 2023, 04:48 PMHow can two entangled particles be "in touch" over a vast distance in zero time?
Best regards
Charlie
With respect to an answer, referring to the previous post, working towards that solution Charlie.
Cheers Fanie, looking forward to your thoughts. Good to hear from you again.
Charlie
Just a quick hello drop-in. Almost like the children does because they are sooo busy you almost never see them. I now tell them if I knew the grand children were going to be so cute I would have had them first.
To stay on the quicker side of things, I got the Bandit King.
And if you watch the videos on jew-tube, very overrated. Just like other bikes, just a bit faster.
For instance, I made three trips to collect components the other day, and I was back already before I realized it.
The only thing I don't like about the B-King is now the guys look at you more than the girls does :-(
G'day Fanie,
Glad you haven't lost your sense of humour and love of bikes. I don't think I'd trust myself on your toy.
Just jealous.
Cheers from Oz,
John
Actually John, if you do not get too over enthusiastic with the throttle, she's quite tame but you're right, I won't trust you on my scooter either ;D
Since you're there down under, with one of these you could get up there a bit.
I accidentally made the mistake to visit a local bike shop, and she was there. Couldn't let it go by.
Since you're the global moderator, and one of the more knowledgeable blokes here, I want to ask (the dreaded) question again.
How difficult is it to have Proton support another micro :o
I'm wrestling with this C... and the Arduino guys do like everyone here does, scatter in all directions.
And just so the English in the British union don't feel neglected, these pictures.
For a moment thought I recognized Tim there but I didn't have my glasses on ::)
Quote from: Fanie on Nov 09, 2024, 02:27 PMI want to ask (the dreaded) question again.
How difficult is it to have Proton support another micro :o
Fanie, you don't know how much work it is to add another controller type to the compiler.
Les has enough work on the different PIC families that change all the time because of Microchip's quirks :(
Lot of work is one thing, of course it is Frizie. But how complicated is it ?
Is it perhaps something one can do if you understand the process or routine ?
Can there be a guide according to which one can do such an implementation ?
Or do I completely misunderstand this ?
The reason I nag this issue is because with the recent disaster we couldn't get pics.
The few available were ridiculously expensive, and even now the prices are still too expensive and it looks like it's going to stay there. It is impossible to be competitive, or rather just fair with what you ask someone for a product.
One can offer better of the same even if yours is a little more expensive by adding better functionality or friendlier interface, but double or triple the price does not work.
One project I replaced the 18F45K20 with a ESP32S3, for less expensive, and it was freely available, and it worked so much nicer in the end the client insisted that we stay with the ESP.
It's just the C where things fall apart. I wrote the 18F45K20's code in half a day plus some quirks modified later. With the C I spent probably around two weeks and had to ask my brother to step in there to save the day.
And, I'm not the only one who swapped the pic out, quite a few guys said the same.
For what Les's compiler can do, I think it's a shame that Microchip does not endorse it. The Chinese on the other hand are eager to embrace improvement, and nobody is interested in the West's controlled regulatory attitude - some want you to fill in a document stating what the micro is for and for who... stupid neurotic. An article in the Dataweek mentioned exactly this. Any student with a 3D printer can print drones powered by cheap Chinese products... but you cannot buy a micro without restriction to earn a living.
This lot is so stupid, when the world wants to reduce devastating war weaponry, they want to take away your self defense pistol. Same as the trawlers harvesting thousands of tonnes of fish per day off the coast, but the leisure angler gets restricted and penalized in all kinds of ways.
Ha ! I forgot the picture. I love these meanwhile pictures.
I think you have no idea what it's like to have Les make a compiler for a completely different architecture. It's not that Les, who is a brilliant person, doesn't know how to do it, it would take him a lot of effort, time and with his health problem and lack of economic resources seems difficult to me, that's my opinion.
Quote from: Fanie on Nov 09, 2024, 01:53 PMActually John, if you do not get too over enthusiastic with the throttle, she's quite tame but you're right, I won't trust you on my scooter either ;D
Since you're there down under, with one of these you could get up there a bit.
I accidentally made the mistake to visit a local bike shop, and she was there. Couldn't let it go by.
G'day Fanie,
If only you realised how hard it is to cling on with our toe nails you wouldn't be so tough on us Down Under.
John
Quote from: John Drew on Nov 11, 2024, 11:43 AMG'day Fanie,
If only you realised how hard it is to cling on with our toe nails you wouldn't be so tough on us Down Under.
John
Easy John, develop a magnetic personality, that should make you stick ;D
The Souf Africa picture is from a movie the Afrikaners made called District 9.
It is in the same class as the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.
Don't miss District 9 - most of it is on jewtube. Even more aliens...
And one more thing to keep you thinking, this time for real.
Just think that two penguins walked aaaall the way from the Antarctic to the Middle-East to get on the Ark !
I got this from the manual -
complete list of Config fuse settings, hlpPIC18ConfigSet.chm from www.microchip.com
Could not find anything, is there another source perhaps ?
One peripheral that would be handy is one that can output different independent pulses at a slow to fast rate.
You have to create it in code, especially slow pulses. PWM cannot go slow, unless the pic is also slowed down (too much).
Electric Door Lock (Pic-less)
For anyone interested, here is an electric remote lock for a door.
Key locks can be picked, hence using a code hopping remote is a lot more secure.
The lock uses an automotive striker motor which drives a couple of 12mm metal pins in or out of the the pane.
The door open/close sensor is a NO reed switch which is activated with a magnet when the door is pushed close.
If the door is closed, the reed is closed and the 2k2 resistor draws about 5mA from the 12V.
When the remote activates the Open (Oop) relay, the motor pulls the pins and the door can be opened by hand. The remote allows about 1 second for the door to be opened. You can hear the striker unlocking the door.
If the door is not opened, like when the remote is accidentally pressed, the door will lock itself again, essential, otherwise the door will be unlocked.
The self re-lock happens because when the remote activates the open relay, the 1000uF cap is rapidly discharged through the diode. When the open relay closes, the 1000uF cap then powers the lock (Sluit) relay which locks the door.
If the door is opened, the reed goes open and the 1000uF cap is discharged by the 2k2 resistor.
If the door is then closed again, the reed closes and locks the door again by the cap charging up through the lock relay.
The 2R2 10W WW resistor is there to extend the striker motor's life.
This locking mechanism is in my front door for more than 20 years. I did have a pic board in there to do basically the same, with a buzzer that warns every minute or so when the door is left open. I suspect water got in the board (the wife has a flower pot above it), I couldn't find another board or the code for it between the hundreds of codes, so I decided to replace with the more robust electro mechanical setup.
How to make a remote remote gate opener.
You need an old phone, its charger, a microphone amplifier and a pic board of course.
Not all my projects are without pics ;D
The above gets mounted in a box to filter most environmental noise out. Hopefully you have 12V from a solar system and that powers your board as well as the phone's charger that is permanently connected.
You program the phone to play a pre-recorded frequency or frequencies when you call the number as a ringtone. This way you can make he access secure.
The microphone amplifier play to the pic, and you use the counter command to read the frequency or frequencies played by the phone.
No other ringtone or tune will compare, and your pic will not respond or some idiot blowing his 400 dB air horn at the gate will not open.
The pic switch a relay to open the gate (or whatever). This can even be a water pump at a remote location, as long as there is phone reception.
The pic never answers the phone, so there are no call costs.
You can be anywhere in the world (so to speak) and open the gate for whatever purpose, ie the girl next door comes in to clean the place, your buddy wants to borrow your lawn mower so his wife can mow their lawn...
You can also add someone else's number with the same ringtone to give them access.
All they do is call the number and the gate opens. Better let the wife have access too.
I made this opener for a friend who lived in a leisure resort. Every house owner was added to the phone so they have access. Visitors phone their host and he calls the gate so they can enter.
The EEPROM saga with the 16F684 was for this project.
It is a cookie machine for my friend's small bakery.
The dough is pressed through a form that feeds onto a small conveyer belt where it gets cut to length.
All that remains is to scoop the cookie off the conveyer and place it in a pan.
The small stepper drives the belt, it has a gear which drives the mechanism that cut the dough to length. The whole concoction was 3D printed and screwed together.
Kondensmelk2.jpg
The control panel with control switches and indication of the steppers feed frequency.
I used the Sound2 command to run each motor at the correct speed.
The press speed is 42 Hz to feed the dough at the exact ratio for the conveyer at 300Hz.
Too fast and the dough deforms, too slow and the dough stretches and break.
The down switch riding the piston down until it starts pressing the dough out is 6000Hz, and when the bottom limit switch is pressed, the piston is driven up at 8000Hz and stopped when it reaches the high limit.
Only with a stepper motor that you can run accurately from such low speed (42Hz) to high speed (8kHz). And Les's fantastic commands.
Kondensmelk3.jpg
And this is Phillip filling the pans up. About 26 pans filled in around 15 minutes.
Kondensmelk4.jpg
580 cookies in 15 minutes is about 1.5 second per cookie.
Hi Fanie, it's amazing what you can do with a 3d printer and some electronics.
I don't know how we got by without it.
The 3D printing is awesome, whenever you need an enclosure, part, fitting... whatever, you draw it and print it.
Love it. Automation gives consistency to the end product; I like the Human in the process; gives it that homemade touch. He doesn't look like he eats that many, he is pretty thin ;D
Ah yes, Phillip is a small guy, but very capable with some things. A good hunter too.
He is however not technical, if he takes a screw driver in his hand, everyone around flinch.
Years ago he called me, something wrong with his car's starter. I said take it out, we get an overall kit for it and we will have it working in an hour or two. He arrived here, very proud of his achievement, with the alternator ;D
Cool Module !
Have a look at the MP3-TF-16P module.
You insert a pre-recorded u-SD card, and by sinking with a certain resistor value on one of two input pins with ie a switch, it will play that number MP3.
So say you have a PIR switch the module, say MP3 track 1, it will play that audio message saying "Hugo, bel die polisie, hier is groot moeilikheid, Maandag is julle uit-ge-sit !"
On jewtube search for "Hugo bel die polisie" since you don't believe me ;)
When you hear this message, you will know which PIR set it off.
Same with PIR no2, it can play something like "the neighbour's wife is in the pool again".
And so on. On your alarm, you don't have to go and look which area was triggered, you can listen what your own message plays.
You can even pre-record instructions for doing something, like How to program in Positron Pic Basic. Button 1 is to connect the LED, 2 is the next step to flash the LED, and so on.
It also features a few functions, like repeat all, pause and next.
There is much more to it -the data sheet is here
https://make.net.za/wp-content/datasheets/MP3-TF-16P.pdf
Hugo, bel die polisie, hier is groot moeilikheid, Maandag is julle uit-ge-sit translated is
Hugo, phone the police, here is big trouble, Monday you are expelled.
Some of you probably saw the recent PAUL vs TYSON (58) fight.
Paul's next opponent apparently is Clint Eastwood (94).
(Only in Sick Africa ::) )
And two African dances you most likely have not seen
Zaouli - Ivory Coast
Kumpo Dance
Have a look on the tube
Of course Les had the foresight back in the day when he was developing the pic basic, to know that some day in the future, some luni was going to use the Sound2 command to run stepper motors for a cookie machine eh ! 8)
Re the 3D printing. A LED holder is a cent's worth of material. Off late the price for one LED holder here jumped to R14.00 (oh and plus 15% vat) - and the "vat" does not add value - which is ridiculous.
So now I just print my own and can be in various colours too. To make it sit firmly in it's hole, I just touch it both sides and at the ring end to keep the LED in - with a solder iron tip, which I dedicated for plastic works.
A couple of handy components
The MCP1790 with it's 30V input is now obsolete :'( and I couldn't find a replacement for it.
Since they became expensive too, I started using the AMS1117.
The AMS1117 does not like a high input voltage. It can handle up to 15V max but even at 10V it already runs warm. I used the 5V and 3V3 ones and they want 2 to 5V more input than the output.
Dropout at around 1V and they are dirt cheap, and they work very well.
To drop the input voltage I use 1N4007 diodes in series, which is also inexpensive.
I also started using the LMV358 opp amp (TI ?) which is excellent. Works off 5V or less, rail to rail output and up to 1MHz.
I also used the LM4040-2.048V (also TI ?) precision reference and it measures exactly that. I use them in my cell charge regulators (with the LMV358) when I build my own LiFePo4 batteries. I dislike the Chinese BLM's because they disconnect the negative and do not regulate the lower cell, they assume the total battery charge voltage will automatic have the last cell reach the correct voltage, but under certain conditions it does not.
The LM4040 comes in 2.048V, 2.5V, 3V, 4.096V, 5V, 8.192V, and 10V versions although not all the voltages are available here. If you need a precision voltage to automatically calibrate any input, these references works excellent. I use them for thermocouples, loadcells, and any other input voltage you want measured and calibrated.
Things that promote my insomnia
The 16F684 I use(d) has a 10 bit A/D as well as a 10 bit PWM
This means if I measure a pot voltage to say adjust the duty cycle for something like dim a LED, then the 10 bits fit exactly in the 10 bits PWM. Works like clockwork.
NOW, the PIC16F17146 has a 16 bit PWM and only a 12 bit A/D (which is a huge step up from 10 bits)
This however means the 12 bit A/D value will fit into the 16 bit PWM SIXTEEN times :o
What I'm worried about is, when I use the 12 bit A/D, it will not fit in the PWM properly and will adjust the duty cycle by far not enough. I can already see that I have to inform the customer that from now on, just like services, power and everything else here, your LED is going to brighten to only one sixteenth of the previous. Brace yourself. But don't worry, the 12 bit adjustment is FOUR TIMES as accurate and a lot more smoother than before.
Does the HPWM command compensate for that... or do I have to take 16 A/D measurements and add them ?
And then on other model pics the A/D is still "only" 10 bits, you have to add the A/D value 64 times !! for it to fill the 16 bit PWM...
Fortunately these pics can now also run at 32MHz... giving you more time to make the x 16 A/D measurements and add them.
Another serious concern is - considering we're working here with only 8, 10, 12 and 16 bit stuff. Our PC's off late are 64 bits. Even 16 bits going up to 64 bits is serious stuff.
How on earth do any one think up an instruction that is 64 bits wide ? ?
Sorry, I want to add.
I'm sure that one 64 bit instruction is powerful enough to backup the whole internet on your hard drive - FOR JUIST IN CASE something goes wrong.
Quote from: Fanie on Nov 28, 2024, 08:23 AMDoes the HPWM command compensate for that... or do I have to take 16 A/D measurements and add them ?
Hello Fanie,
to enhance the ADC resolution from 12b to 16b ADC output you'd need to
ACCUMULATE 256 samples and then the result is
DIVIDED by 16.
Or more general approach - if you need to enhance the ADC output by n-bits, you add 4^n samples then right shift the sum by n bits.
'Enhance the ADC resolution by n-bits
'Inputs:
'bInput = ADC input channel i.e. 0,1,2,3 ....
'bEnhance = the number of ADC resolution bits to upscale i.e.
' from 12b ADC to 16b ADC = 4 bits to enhance
'Output:
'Result as Dword = the enhanced resolution ADC reading output
Proc AdcOversampling(bInput As Byte, bEnhance As Byte), Dword
Dim wCounter
Result = 0
For wCounter = 1 To (2 << (2 * bEnhance))
Result = Result + ADIn bInput
DelayUS 10
Next
Result = Result >> bEnhance
EndProc
The theory is good but you may be disappointed by actual results (still some quantization) unless you have a certain level of random noise in the system already.
Quote from: david on Nov 28, 2024, 09:21 AMThe theory is good but you may be disappointed by actual results (still some quantization) unless you have certain level of random noise in the system already.
That's true but the PIC's 12b ADC has enough random noise :)
On top of that layout deficiencies may add noise too
:)
John
Sometimes you have to put your tongue in the cheek.
I appreciate the response though.
QuoteThat's true but the PIC's 12b ADC has enough random noise :)
This one is easy to resolve. With enough readings and averaging it out the noise will be zero.
You see, the 16 values to reed and add was not such a bad idea ;D
In any case, using the A/D value will limit resolution to 12 bits, or 4096 dimming levels in this case. With a 10 bit resolution A/D the max resolution can only be 10 bits or 1024 levels.
You can however increase measuring resolution by using a lower device voltage.
A 5V pic will measure every 5.9mV, while a 3V3 device will click up every 3.2mV.
If you run the pic at it's lowest voltage you can measure a low input signal more accurate.
If you run off 1V8, your A/D can measure each 1.7mV - and this is with a 10 bit.
If you run off 1V8 with a 12 bit A/D, you can measure every 0.44mV, considering a type K thermocouple at a temperature of 300°C will measure 12.209 mV... means you can achieve 28 readings without amplification - roughly every 10 degrees
Very course, but you're a lot closer than with a 5V pic where you will get a click every 1.2mV (12 bit) and only 12 readings to 300°C or every 25 degrees.
This will be accurate only to the nearest lamp pole.
This is why I'm a bit disappointed that the new 18F-Q-- pics does not have A/D's with their low level power pins.
You guys are much too serious ;)
Quote from: Fanie on Nov 28, 2024, 10:29 AMIn any case, using the A/D value will limit resolution to 12 bits, or 4096 dimming levels in this case.
I was wondering if you'd need all 4096 levels from 0% to 100% or it could be for example 256 levels (8-bit resolution) from 0 to 50% and the remaining 3840 for the upper 50% of dimming.
Another thought as I have no experience with that ... could a human eye distinguish between 1024 and 4096 levels of dimming?
When you look at a LED light, you will not see a difference, but while switching you can see it, especially on the lowest dimmed settings.
From off to 1/1024 the LEDs are on, barely but you can see. At night they make a faint light.
From there on up it becomes visibly brighter and brighter.
At a certain counts brighter the visible effect becomes less, and from around 50% power (roughly) to 100% power, the lights are not as much brighter.
As Les will say - This is not a compiler shortcoming, but rather a human eye limitation ;)
I want to add again. LED lights tend to flicker at lowest settings, the higher the resolution, the less the flicker effect will be when it sits exactly on the edge where it switches down or up.
I believe that the human eye brightness response is approximately logarithmic, so the dimming 'law' you use will help with the low brightness end dimming smoothness.
LEDs are amazing in that they'll emit visible light with just a sniff of current and/or a very short pulse of current so really smooth PWM dimming at the bottom end is hard to do.
Quote from: John Lawton on Nov 28, 2024, 11:03 AMLEDs are amazing in that they'll emit visible light with just a sniff of current and/or a very short pulse of current so really smooth PWM dimming at the bottom end is hard to do.
On a side note, recently the municipality changed the old sodium street lamps with LED lights and it is terrible.
It is like there's no light flooding at all. The border line between shadow and light is so sharp that few inches away from the line and it is pitch black whereas with the old sodium lamps you can still read in the shadow behind a tree trunk that grows in the front yard.
I don't know what is causing this effect but the old sodium lamps created more reflected light in the air.
On a related note: when I look at some LED-driven things, like the button you press to turn the road crossing signal to STOP, if I scan my eyes left and right I see a line of red dots. This is obviously because the LED is driven by PWM.
But hears the thing, I read somewhere that the human visual system "turns off" the visual processing while your eyes are moving, to avoid the same blurring that would happen with say, a camera with a slow shutter. Perhaps there is something wrong with mine? Although I don't see blurriness (except after some G&T medication).
Am I alone in this ability to spot PWM?
Charlie
QuoteI want to add again. LED lights tend to flicker at lowest settings, the higher the resolution, the less the flicker effect will be when it sits exactly on the edge where it switches down or up.
You can easy filter this out by making two limits (A/D count +- 2 or 5...) to compensate for the pot setting and the A/D reader, but other factors also plays a role, like the solar regulator switching on and off, and hence the LED's supply voltage change up and down, as well as other items working off the 12V can affect the same. On brightest it is least visible, and dimmed has a larger effect. Does not really bother, nobody sits and watch the light (except me) to see if and when it made a small flicker.
On the daynight lights I switch the light off completely every few minutes, read the LDR to see if it is dark or light, and switch the lights on again (if dark) and you cannot see a flicker.
Quote from: charliecoutas on Nov 28, 2024, 11:26 AMAm I alone in this ability to spot PWM?
Same here. Also it is quite annoying with the peripheral vision.
No, you are not that unique Charlie, just like everyone else ::)
We can see things while we move, deer cannot, they have to turn their heads and stop repeatedly to keep looking at a moving object. This movement often gives them away despite their camouflage. The flicker can be because the light is switched on and off at a duty cycle, perhaps to save power.
As you said, the light trail is probably the same as a long open shutter filming cars at night. Maybe your shutter time is a little longer than others ;)
Not sure what the G&T medication is you refer to... Just hope the doctor didn't tell you to stop watching sequels :o
You can easily measure the frequency at which that light is switched. One solar cell, an audio amp and speaker for audible and frequency meter and with a battery of course. You'll be surprised at how high a frequency that solar cell can pick up light changes. At light off the speaker is quiet, at full on the speaker is also quiet, but in between it moans. Someone wanted a few of these "sensors" so of course I made myself one also.
"Not sure what the G&T medication is you refer to... " Gin and Biltong soup. We have a couple of escapees from S.A. who run a cafe in our town. They put Biltong Soup on the menu, very tasty.
Quoteescapees from S.A.
Escapees is the right word. Off late even the Africans want to go back to their countries. Getting in is easy, getting out is not so easy.
Quote from: trastikata on Nov 28, 2024, 11:35 AMQuote from: charliecoutas on Nov 28, 2024, 11:26 AMAm I alone in this ability to spot PWM?
Same here. Also it is quite annoying with the peripheral vision.
Some ~20 years ago there was a stationary 'persistence of vision' led sign at nightclub, behind the bartender. Normally it would just appear as vertical string of blue LEDs. But if you turned your head, you would see parts of text 'ABSOLUT VODKA' at corner of your eye.
It didn't work if you tried to watch it directly and on purpose. It only worked on peripheral vision. I told my two friends about it, but they couldn't see it and did not believe me. We probably looked like bunch of idiots shaking our heads.
Surely this is more about multiplexing than PWM.
This was common with early digital instruments with 7 segment displays where you had a single segment decoder with multiple digit drivers. At any one instant there was only ever 1 digit driver enabled even if the display was 8 or more digits. By turning your head you could sometimes catch a partial display as it multiplexed through the digits.
Quote from: david on Nov 29, 2024, 07:18 AMBy turning your head you could sometimes catch a partial display as it multiplexed through the digits.
Yes. Our eyes perceive (or is it mislead) a lot. Some people have their one eye tuned for looking near while the other see far. The brain adjust to this, and they can then see near and far.
In this video
(don't watch if you're sensitive to skeletons, rather go watch the violence in Disney cartoons)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZODBs5Z-zg
Unleash the Power of Skeletons
If you see any skeletons in it, you urgent need a vacation ;D
Notice the effect the video have on your eyes vs when you pause it.
Where.jpg
Below, inside an ESP32-S3. The pins around the perimeter is hollow, likely to form a meniscus for solder to ensure connection.
Quote from: jaka on Nov 29, 2024, 06:45 AMSome ~20 years ago there was a stationary 'persistence of vision' led sign at nightclub, behind the bartender. Normally it would just appear as vertical string of blue LEDs. But if you turned your head, you would see parts of text 'ABSOLUT VODKA' at corner of your eye.
That is something I must try out sometime! A vertical row of LED's that could display text when ones head is turned at the correct rate; most interesting. Maybe ON and OFF in different colours. It would be interesting to see how long the string could be.
Quote from: ken_k on Nov 30, 2024, 11:57 PMThat is something I must try out sometime! A vertical row of LED's that could display text when ones head is turned at the correct rate; most interesting. Maybe ON and OFF in different colours. It would be interesting to see how long the string could be.
I have also been thinking to try make such thing. You can't make very long string. It was not possible to see the whole ABSOLUT VODKA at once, or at least I couldn't.
What you saw is the same as when a fan spins and you shine a strobe light on a blade. It's a matter of timing.
So the strobe rate of the display and the speed you move your eyes will determine if you can observe any effects.
We have a bit of a heatwave. Typing with mittens on ;D
I made an attempt to print two colours for a faceplate. Previously I just printed the recesses and can be coloured with a permanent marker, but in theory this should work better.
Doesn't like small text, and these are 0.2mm, more layers will be better.
I shot four rats over last weekend, and another day before yesterday. Rats have a way of announcing their presence, if you listen. Don't know why they do it. Perhaps a territorial thing. That is how I knew they were there and I exterminated the whole family. All were what I call milk rats, very small. So I sent a picture and message to my so called friends complaining about the small rats and don't they have decent ones I can take out for them. Looks like we have a shortage of large rats here, apart from all the other disasters.
I asked where Tim is. Does anyone know ?
I had to loan a portable oscilloscope from someone a while back, so decided to rather get my own. Here they are pricey, so it's off to China.
I ended up getting this one.
https://www.banggood.com/FNIRSI-1014D-7-Inch-TFT-LCD-Display-Screen-2-In-1-Dual-Channel-Input-Storage-Oscilloscope-Digital-Signal-Generator-p-1864812.html
And so far it works awesome. Triggers easy and nicely visible. I have a power bank to run it from (5V).
The only problem I see is the function generator does not have an amplitude adjustment.
Scope.jpg
Uses for 3D filament spools.
These work well for winding your wire reels on, the spools are sturdy too.
I've designed a carousel with 3D printed tray's all round, but for most of our components storage it is too small.
Can anyone excel beyond the rest of us mere earthlings and come up with more usable uses for these spools ?
Such a shame they have to be thrown away.
Use for 3D printing? What is the material? You can make an extruder to recycle the plastic. You can also use the extruder to make thread from much cheaper pellets.
On https://eu.store.bambulab.com/collections/bambu-lab-3d-printer-filament (https://eu.store.bambulab.com/collections/bambu-lab-3d-printer-filament) you can order Refill filament without spool (and ofcourse without RFID).
Johan
We have a shop branch in the Transvaal, you may find the things they sell interesting...
https://www.robotics.org.za
They have a few pic products.
Perhaps one could introduce them to the Positron basic ?
For many of the components they offer the code in C, what if it is also offered in Basic ?
MICROCHIP SUCKS
I ordered 200 micro's from Microchip and they sent it everywhere but here.
Apparently delivered and signed for by "M. Man" (in the Philippines ?)
The enquiry was sent back to me, and they now expect me to take it up with FED-EX - which is in any case unreachable since you have to open an account to start with.
I order various items from China, and their service is awesome.
Cannot see that there is a future in using pic micro's if you cannot obtain the components.
Hi Fanie,
it sounds to me like Fed-Ex messed up rather than Microchip unless they addressed the package incorrectly.
Don't you have a broad line distributor in SA like Farnell or RS?
John
I generally use Digikey - they are based in the US and ship everywhere (for free if the order is >$X (A$60 in Australia)) - reasonable price too. I've also used Microchip directly with no problem (I just have them use my DHL account - life is easier if you have your own courier account)
Hi Peter,
you don't say which country you live in?
Quote from: Peter Truman on Dec 20, 2024, 01:10 AM(I just have them use my DHL account - life is easier if you have your own courier account)
How is life easier, are all suppliers able/willing use your account?
John
Hey John - I live in Tasmania, Australia (Tassie is the 'little' island at the bottom - so I'm down under, down under as they say. In fact Tassie is about the same size as the island if Ireland!)
Hi Peter,
yes indeed, I've been to Tassie a few times, I was in Hobart in October time visiting friends, it was pretty windy and cold then. Even worse than Melbourne was :)
John
Quote from: John Lawton on Dec 20, 2024, 10:37 PMHi Peter,
yes indeed, I've been to Tassie a few times, I was in Hobart in October time visiting friends, it was pretty windy and cold then. Even worse than Melbourne was :)
John
Tassie is a beautiful State. My brother lives there and has for many years. Time I visited again.
There are quite a few of us Aussies on the forum.
John
Lol - yes, Tassie can be decidedly cold and miserable, especially in the North West (I'm in Wynyard). We catch the bottom of the Roaring 40's up here so it can be very windy. But I'm originally from Birmingham UK so I'm entirely used to miserable weather!
Having said that - the summer is generally very pleasant - rarely gets past 25 deg (which is still to hot for me) with bright sunny days.
Melbourne is a lovely city - but far too many people for my taste!
Re the microchips. Very poor no matter who messed it up. Imagine it was for an order, what do you say to the customer ?
We had a little heatwave here, pushing the 40's and even at night my office was at 34 deg. One sweat and cannot sleep. Thabazimbi is said to have reached 53,6 deg. C, not F. Thabazimbi is in the North-Western Transvaal and is well known for large Warthog. They are
like Kudu bulls, does not belong to anyone. The Kudu bulls jump any fence after the females and the warthog simply digs a path under the fence, which may lead to other deer escaping. You know, the grass is always greener on the other side. In a watermelon or corn field these Warthogs feed like baboons, take one bite and move to the next. In a night a drove of pigs can cause quite a bit of damage.
We had better weather since, and some rain for a change too. I sent a whatsapp message to a few friends - heavy rains here, we may rinse away, but don't worry, if you want to drop in, I will send you the pin.
https://youtube.com/shorts/XuJgqxX6mcA
I tried choosing home but....
I think he's a Zulu, Quite a character, changing gears on his bee em trouble u scooter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhwxZGsXKNQ
Some explanation before I drop the weekend video of S1000RR K46
I finally received the pics.
I ordered the 14 pin version, got a 20 pin instead.
They were supposed to be in a narrow package, got the wider one instead.
These are made in Taiwan, then apparently shipped to the US, and then shipped to England and then here ?
Will be a lot easier if one can order them directly from the Chinese ie Temu or one of their other buying houses. At least you will get what you ordered and quicker too.
Some of you must have preyed (though half hearted it seems ;D ) because since my last post on the heatwave, it has been cloudy with (almost) rain. I call this useless weather, at least it is not that scorching heat, but doesn't do anything else. Just enough moisture on the road to keep the diesel spills nice and snotty for the bike eh ;)
For those who want to create other than pic applications "Lazarus is a Delphi compatible cross-platform IDE for Rapid Application Development".
https://www.lazarus-ide.org And it's FREE.
Windows file explorer is pathetic. I often search for something I know I have but cannot find it.
Try Everything, and it's fast too.
Asked a friend what he was doing. He said he was busy with hydro thermal processing of ceramic, glass, aluminum and steel under heavy overhead pressure.
Turns out he was doing the dishes under supervision of his wife.
To build GUI I think that Qt Designer (https://build-system.fman.io/qt-designer-download) is also a good a RAD (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_application_development), with or without python.
We have the weirdest weather here in Sick Africa.
Usually we have rain and it clears up to be repeated, but lots of sun and warm days in between. Since the heat wave some time ago, it has been mostly cloudy ever since with very little sun here and there, and some rain. Now the roads are littered with potholes and we see someone is filling the holes up with bricks in an attempt to prevent damage to vehicles.
And the power went off a few hours ago. It is questionable if it will come back on again, we'll see. Maybe it's part of Trump's sanctions against Sick Africa, who knows. It's raining now and nobody will fix the power in the rain driving on potholed roads to get there.
The wife and I visited my mother (187 years old) riding the B-King and the retarded GPS had me ride god knows where to get there. We went through a cloudburst where some places you couldn't see the road, you eye the left and right and the road is somewhere in the middle, but you could see where the potholes are, that's where the surface water made the swirls.