Airplane Watching in SF Bay Area

This is a good place to relax and watch airplanes fly, land, and take-off.  Helicopters too.  Take 101 to Palo Alto and exit Embarcadero.  Follow signs to Embarcadero Road and the airport.  Head towards the bay, past the airport until it dead-ends.  Make a left and drive to the parking lot at the end of the road.  From there you'll need to walk on the gravel trail towards, and past, the nature center for about 5 minutes until you get next to the runway.  See map below.

You'll need to bring your own portable seating or sit on the ground.

RGB LED Strip Controller

I bought a demo length strip of LED from Adafruit and built a little Arduino box to control it.

Ham Radio Beacon Using an Arduino

For my second Arduino project, I've put together a ham radio beacon.  Special thanks to brainwagon.org for the source code and circuit design.  It doesn't get any easier than this folks...

Rapid Prototyping: the Make Box Bot

I've always had a strong desire to experiment with electronics and robotics, but as a father of a young child, finding the time is the biggest challenge.  I decided to try out the Arduino because I've been hearing(for years) about how fast it is to prototype with it.  And here's my first build.  Was able to get two servos hooked up and going within minutes.  

Mars Rover finds Life!

SpaceX Falcon 9 Model Kit Review

Here is my a review of the SpaceX Falcon 9 and Discovery Flying Model Kit.

If you've ever put together a model flying rocket, you will enjoy building this model as it is fairly standard and not complex.  I'm hesitant to say it is easy for readers who've never built a rocket before.  

Some white glue and epoxy are all that is needed for assembly.  The model can be built with only 1-2 hours assembly time, not including the amount of time needed for the glue to dry and cure.  The instructions are only 13 steps and about as easy as it gets for these types of things.  The only tricky part is wrapping the main body sticker around the entire tube which requires two people in order to help prevent bubbles or wrinkles.

The model is a fairly accurate representation of the real rocket and can even be used for display.  If your intention was for display only, then assembly is much easier:  just two stickers and you're done!

I am particularly proud this is a product of the USA.  

As I sit here looking at mine, I am so pleased with how it looks that I've decided not to fly it.  It's nice to have what feels like a piece of history in the making, and for now, the flight has been cancelled.

Spacemusic Recommendation

Want to spice up your space vibe with some tribal beats?  Open Pandora and create a station based on the song "Big Medicine" by Steve Roach and Byron Metcalf.