IMG 6863
Tokina 19-35mm An exceptionally rainy day. Picture taken from inside the car!
IMG 4120
IMG 4142
IMG 4148
IMG 4169
3C2A3249
IMG 5941
2015-01-17 017
IMG 4126
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The Moon Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
IMG 4175
IMG 5951
2015-01-26 003
2015-01-26 009
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Saturn Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
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IMG 4141
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Saturn Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
2015-01-17 005
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2015-01-25 002
IMG 4176
IMG 4132
IMG 5954
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Saturn Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
2015-01-17 006
IMG 5985
IMG 0237
2015-01-17 010
IMG 4147
IMG 4119
2015-01-17 007
2015-01-17 001
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Saturn Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
IMG 5963
2015-01-17 008
IMG 5964
IMG 4140
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Sigh, it's tough, being a Cat
DSC00306
You're looking at me
IMG 5948
2015-02-05 001
IMG 4117
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2015-01-27 008
2015-01-26 015
114 1494
2015-01-27 009
2015-01-25 003
IMG 6862
Tokina 19-35mm An exceptionally rainy day. Picture taken from inside the car!
3C2A3266
2015-02-02 004
DSC00307
Stop looking at me
2015-01-25 021
IMG 4146
IMG 5912
2015-02-05 004
3C2A3309
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IMG 5981
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IMG 5908
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IMG 4121
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IMG 4143
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IMG 5950
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IMG 5945
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DSC00305
What do you want?
IMG 5962
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IMG 5970
IMG 5888
2015-02-01 003
IMG 5940
IMG 4174
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IMG 5969
2015-01-27 006
IMG 5892
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The Moon Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, Meade Plossl 26mm
IMG 5973
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2015-01-27 007
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IMG 5881
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IMG 5946
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IMG 4110
2015-01-26 002
114 1493
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IMG 5874
2015-02-01 008
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IMG 5884
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IMG 5976
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IMG 4122
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Merlin and the Squirrels again 2002-04-28
IMG 5938
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IMG 4139
IMG 5944
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IMG 5883
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IMG 6861
Tokina 19-35mm An exceptionally rainy day. Picture taken from inside the car!
2015-02-04 001
IMG 5882
IMG 5919
IMG 5935
2015-01-26 017
IMG 5909
IMG 5880
2015-02-01 007
IMG 4115
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IMG 5891
2015-01-25 010
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IMG 5854
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3C2A3239
2015-01-27 005
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IMG 5875
IMG 5915
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IMG 5967
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IMG 5924
IMG 5873
grbl
The grbl controller; underneath this stepper driver is an Arduino Uno and a breakout board.
IMG 5936
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IMG 5933
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Jupiter Meade 10" Newtonian, Sony DSC-P1, TeleVue zoom @8mm.
Conditions were not good enough for my ordinary digital camera to see the satellites, though they were plainly visible with the human eye.
IMG 5926
IMG 5932
2015-01-27 004
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IMG 4161
Spot the OSH Park board!
Merlin
IMG 4168
The cables have to go somewhere
Printhead front
First print in progress
Printhead rear
Z-axis motor mounts
Y-axle idler pulley
Testing the slide of the bed
Taking shape
Print head cables
Z-axis motor mounts
X and Z axis
Hotend fan
Cables everywhere
Treefrog
Baby Groot
Stockton STEM Badge microcontroller
The chip is an inexpensive "PIC" microcontroller; this runs a program that controls the LEDs.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
LEDs have a flat edge on one side of their case.
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
The resistor legs need to be bent in order to insert them into the board.
Stockton STEM Badge boards
The badge printed circuit board (PCB) comes in several colors.
Stockton STEM Badge button
As with the IC socket, soldering one leg first and verifying component alignment will help prevent easy mistakes.
Stockton STEM Badge IC socket
Note the orientation of the indent at the upper edge of the IC socket.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
All the LEDs have been soldered. Notice that they all have the same orientation; the flat edge is to the left.
Stockton STEM Badge IC
Make sure the IC is correctly aligned before pushing it in.
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
The legs are passed through the board holes; they may need pulling firmly, but not too firmly, with pliers to pull the resistor body flush with the board.
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
Soldered legs; only a small amount of solder is needed and it heat should be applied only briefly.
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
The legs are trimmed, the excess removed with side-cutters.
Stockton STEM Badge IC socket
The IC socket should lay flat against the board.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
It is possible for the holder to become hot during soldering; be careful when handling immediately after soldering.
Stockton STEM Badge electrolytic capacitor
Orientation of this capacitor is important. There is a "+" symbol in the footprint of the component printed on the board; the "-" of the capacitor should be on the opposite side.
Stockton STEM Badge IC
When inserting the IC, firm but controlled pressure is needed to avoid bending the pins.
Stockton STEM Badge decoupling capacitor
This ceramic capacitor is not orientation sensitive. Decoupling means it absorbs electrical noise and is used to filter the power feeding the microcontroller.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
Note the orientation of the battery. The "+" side contacts the battery holder.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
The battery holder is a simple metal cage that solders to the underside of the board.
Stockton STEM Badge IC and socket
The legs of the chip need to be straight otherwise they will not properly insert into their positions in the socket. It is easy to bend or break the legs if care is not taken.
Stockton STEM Badge decoupling capacitor
The capacitor should sit flush with the board.
Stockton STEM Badge IC
The IC pins need to be straight and line up with their receptacles in the socket.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
Stockton STEM Badge battery
Note the orientation of the holder; reversing it will make it difficult to insert the battery later.
Stockton STEM Badge IC socket
Soldering one leg first and checking that the socket is flat against the board avoids a simple mistake. If it is not flat, or otherwise misaligned simply re-heating the leg will help correct the issue. Once orientation and alignment is verified, solder the remaining legs. Sometimes a small shim, such as the black foam here, can help keep the board level and simplifies the task.
Stockton STEM Badge decoupling capacitor
As with the resistors, the legs should be splayed a little to help hold it in place for soldering.
Stockton STEM Badge resistor legs
The legs are then carefully bent to about 45 degrees to hold the resistor in place for soldering.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs and button
Orange and yellow LEDS. The pushbutton switch allows a person to control the badge.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
The battery should sit snugly under the holder.
Stockton STEM Badge button
The push-button switch will fit two ways. Orientation does not matter.
Stockton STEM Badge IC socket
Soldered legs.
Stockton STEM Badge electrolytic capacitor
Electrolytic capacitors are polarity sensitive; note the "-" symbol on one side of the capacitor package. These capacitors typically have a larger capacity than their ceramic counterparts and are used for bulk storage; this one is used to assist the battery when the LEDs turn on. This is necessary because button cell batteries are not designed to provide as much power as the LEDs can demand.
Stockton STEM Badge IC and socket
The chip, an integrated circuit, or IC, must also be used the correct way round. Both the chip and its socket have a notch at one end to identify its orientation.
Stockton STEM Badge IC
Once pushed all the way in, the IC may sit above the socket, but it will be parallel to it.
Stockton STEM Badge battery
The battery is a typical CR2032 button cell. Notice which side the "+" is on.
Stockton STEM Badge components
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
The footprint for the LEDs also shows a flat edge; orientation of the LEDs needs to match that of the board.
Stockton STEM Badge resistors
These are 47 ohm resistors; they limit the current supplied to the orange, yellow and green LEDs. The blue LED does not require one.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
Green and blue LEDs
Stockton STEM Badge completed
Press the button to start the lights!
Stockton STEM Badge components
The badge consists of a handful of electronic components. Components R1, R5 and J1 are not normally populated.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
While all components can be destroyed with an excess of heat during soldering, LEDs are especially susceptible to this.
Stockton STEM Badge capacitors
The capacitors smooth the power on the badge. The top capacitor, is not polarity sensitive; that is, it can be used either way round. The other capacitor must be used only the correct way round; the case has a "-" symbol printed on it.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
The case of an LED can crack if the legs are bent too close to it; even after placing the LED on the board, only bend the legs slightly to hold it in place.
Stockton STEM Badge LEDs
Notice how the LEDs typically have one leg longer than the other; this is called the "anode". The colored case also has one flat side, opposite the longer leg; the leg on this side is called the "cathode". Also, note the distinctive shape of what is inside the colored case; this can also be used to help determine its orientation. The gap at the top of the metal surface is always on the anode side. LEDs can only be used the right way round so determining orientation is important.