JohnS_AZ
@johns-az.bsky.social
Democrat Progressive Agnostic Humanist Married Geek (he/him) near Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Majorly into electronics hardware, minorly into embedded software.
Scrap/surplus auctions are my happy place.
Majorly into electronics hardware, minorly into embedded software.
Scrap/surplus auctions are my happy place.
Pushing this for one of my favorite small-press publishers; bcubedpress.wordpress.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Pushing this for one of my favorite small-press publishers; bcubedpress.wordpress.com
So after a few days of utter failure, I ordered a little +10dBi whip antenna and threw the whole #meshtastic node up on the roof. Immediately, 40+ miles range out of the thing! Gain and elevation count!! Now, time to build it into a more permanent form. :-)
October 27, 2025 at 3:46 AM
So after a few days of utter failure, I ordered a little +10dBi whip antenna and threw the whole #meshtastic node up on the roof. Immediately, 40+ miles range out of the thing! Gain and elevation count!! Now, time to build it into a more permanent form. :-)
Floundering around trying to get this Meshtastic stuff to work.
October 24, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Floundering around trying to get this Meshtastic stuff to work.
Got my flag for Saturday. :-)
October 15, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Got my flag for Saturday. :-)
Harvested a cool display this morning that should be fun to get going. :-)
40X2 VFD, 8.5"X1"
40X2 VFD, 8.5"X1"
October 15, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Harvested a cool display this morning that should be fun to get going. :-)
40X2 VFD, 8.5"X1"
40X2 VFD, 8.5"X1"
New toys in the mail!
Now, let's figure out this #meshtastic thing. :-)
Now, let's figure out this #meshtastic thing. :-)
October 6, 2025 at 4:20 PM
New toys in the mail!
Now, let's figure out this #meshtastic thing. :-)
Now, let's figure out this #meshtastic thing. :-)
So, do you bid on a 200 pound lot of boat anchors just to get the HP counter/timer with Nixie tubes??
September 22, 2025 at 11:19 PM
So, do you bid on a 200 pound lot of boat anchors just to get the HP counter/timer with Nixie tubes??
Huh.
TIL that facebook marketplace has a ton of old 3D printers in the $30-$70 range. Granted, older models that likely need repair, but not a bad way for someone to dip their toes into that water. Further, ~$40 is a steal just for the parts for a DIYer!!
TIL that facebook marketplace has a ton of old 3D printers in the $30-$70 range. Granted, older models that likely need repair, but not a bad way for someone to dip their toes into that water. Further, ~$40 is a steal just for the parts for a DIYer!!
September 16, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Huh.
TIL that facebook marketplace has a ton of old 3D printers in the $30-$70 range. Granted, older models that likely need repair, but not a bad way for someone to dip their toes into that water. Further, ~$40 is a steal just for the parts for a DIYer!!
TIL that facebook marketplace has a ton of old 3D printers in the $30-$70 range. Granted, older models that likely need repair, but not a bad way for someone to dip their toes into that water. Further, ~$40 is a steal just for the parts for a DIYer!!
It was very interesting to learn, last night at Hardware Happy Hour, that the most common 1990s credit card terminals ran on a complete, embedded Z80 system, including an RTC and a 1200-baud modem.
I need to snag a couple of these. :-)
I need to snag a couple of these. :-)
September 12, 2025 at 3:54 PM
It was very interesting to learn, last night at Hardware Happy Hour, that the most common 1990s credit card terminals ran on a complete, embedded Z80 system, including an RTC and a 1200-baud modem.
I need to snag a couple of these. :-)
I need to snag a couple of these. :-)
Half an inch of rain overnight, cool low 80s morning, perfect for a hive check.
Lisa does the checking part. I do the lift the heavy as hell boxes part. :-) (honey weighs a LOT!)
Lisa does the checking part. I do the lift the heavy as hell boxes part. :-) (honey weighs a LOT!)
August 29, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Half an inch of rain overnight, cool low 80s morning, perfect for a hive check.
Lisa does the checking part. I do the lift the heavy as hell boxes part. :-) (honey weighs a LOT!)
Lisa does the checking part. I do the lift the heavy as hell boxes part. :-) (honey weighs a LOT!)
My favorite display has been the TIL-311 for ages. Any excuse to stick a couple on a breadboard and I'll take it. <grin> (I just learned these obsolete displays are going for ~$8 to $30US each!!! Yikes! )
August 28, 2025 at 5:54 PM
My favorite display has been the TIL-311 for ages. Any excuse to stick a couple on a breadboard and I'll take it. <grin> (I just learned these obsolete displays are going for ~$8 to $30US each!!! Yikes! )
We made homemade Chili Crisp!
Jalapenos, chili peppers, garlic, and I'itoi onions all from the garden. Spices, dried mushrooms, MSG, and peanut oil in the pantry. Made 24 oz of excellent GLUTEN FREE Chili Crisp for a tiny fraction of the $18/6oz of the 'good' commercial stuff.
Jalapenos, chili peppers, garlic, and I'itoi onions all from the garden. Spices, dried mushrooms, MSG, and peanut oil in the pantry. Made 24 oz of excellent GLUTEN FREE Chili Crisp for a tiny fraction of the $18/6oz of the 'good' commercial stuff.
August 24, 2025 at 11:31 PM
We made homemade Chili Crisp!
Jalapenos, chili peppers, garlic, and I'itoi onions all from the garden. Spices, dried mushrooms, MSG, and peanut oil in the pantry. Made 24 oz of excellent GLUTEN FREE Chili Crisp for a tiny fraction of the $18/6oz of the 'good' commercial stuff.
Jalapenos, chili peppers, garlic, and I'itoi onions all from the garden. Spices, dried mushrooms, MSG, and peanut oil in the pantry. Made 24 oz of excellent GLUTEN FREE Chili Crisp for a tiny fraction of the $18/6oz of the 'good' commercial stuff.
Hey @ruenahcmohr.bsky.social , I think I cracked the converter. Breadboard time.
August 14, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Hey @ruenahcmohr.bsky.social , I think I cracked the converter. Breadboard time.
Clocking out "Slaughterhouse Five" in ASCII at one character per second, no CPU/MPU/Computer. :-)
August 14, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Clocking out "Slaughterhouse Five" in ASCII at one character per second, no CPU/MPU/Computer. :-)
Firing up Alan Parsons Project radio (Pandora) to get some soldering done.
August 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Firing up Alan Parsons Project radio (Pandora) to get some soldering done.
Downloaded the text, converted to all-caps, deleted all of the punctuation, symbols, and double spaces, finally a tiny bit of manual editing and I was able to fit the entire novel into a single 27C2001 E-PROM. 🙂
August 5, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Downloaded the text, converted to all-caps, deleted all of the punctuation, symbols, and double spaces, finally a tiny bit of manual editing and I was able to fit the entire novel into a single 27C2001 E-PROM. 🙂
4MHz clock and a configurable 24-bit divider to get 1Hz using only 80's era parts pulled from scrap from behind my shop for a silly contest entry. 🙂 (555 and XOR on red board just a monostable to make the 250nS pulse visible)
August 5, 2025 at 4:38 PM
4MHz clock and a configurable 24-bit divider to get 1Hz using only 80's era parts pulled from scrap from behind my shop for a silly contest entry. 🙂 (555 and XOR on red board just a monostable to make the 250nS pulse visible)
So, how's YOUR Monday going?
Luckily, it appears that there's no roof damage. But it's 104°F now and heading to 113°F, so I'm waiting until the sun goes down to get up there and start sawing it away.
Luckily, it appears that there's no roof damage. But it's 104°F now and heading to 113°F, so I'm waiting until the sun goes down to get up there and start sawing it away.
July 28, 2025 at 10:06 PM
So, how's YOUR Monday going?
Luckily, it appears that there's no roof damage. But it's 104°F now and heading to 113°F, so I'm waiting until the sun goes down to get up there and start sawing it away.
Luckily, it appears that there's no roof damage. But it's 104°F now and heading to 113°F, so I'm waiting until the sun goes down to get up there and start sawing it away.
After 25 years of constant flawless duty, my home automation system that controls the street-side lighting out front failed, and I had to replace every single control component. <smirk> (yeah, I find a lot of home automation projects kind of silly). :-)
June 23, 2025 at 10:17 PM
After 25 years of constant flawless duty, my home automation system that controls the street-side lighting out front failed, and I had to replace every single control component. <smirk> (yeah, I find a lot of home automation projects kind of silly). :-)
June 14, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Late bloomers.
The cacti are usually done by now.
Nice way to start the week.
The cacti are usually done by now.
Nice way to start the week.
June 9, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Late bloomers.
The cacti are usually done by now.
Nice way to start the week.
The cacti are usually done by now.
Nice way to start the week.
A little late, but got our flag up this weekend.
June 8, 2025 at 4:29 PM
A little late, but got our flag up this weekend.