[dorkbotpdx-blabber] greetings from dorkyapolis, dorkasota!

[Chris Brentano]

I'm excited to see the finished product!
-----Original Message-----
From: Mykle Hansen <mykle at mykle.com>

Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:23:58 
To:"or) A discussion list for dorkbot-pdx (portland" <dorkbotpdx-blabber at dorkbot.org>
Subject: [dorkbotpdx-blabber] greetings from dorkyapolis, dorkasota!


hey dorky people!

here i am in Minneapolis, busy at work on the famous
El-Wire Speedometer Vest that y'all so winningly got
me started making.  My designer/genius friend Brady and
I are entering this invention in the Bell Bike-In
Bike Gadget Contest, part of a big bike event put on
by the Hub Bike Co-op.

the arduino, i hafta say, is a real pleasure to work with.
i cannot imagine how much hair i'd have left if i
was having to code and re-code all this in some kind
of weird PIC assembly language.

FYI i did the light control with triacs, because ssrs
simply would not all fit on the tiny Arduino Protoshield.
(next project, i'm definintely learning how to make
my own PCB.)  the inverter (from coollights.com) is
super small, about the size of a 9v battery, and
contains one AA cell, so nothing is shooting sparks.

today we have been successfully counting wheel speed with
the speedometer parts and displaying that speed as
a combination of glowing el-wire strands, and it's
exceptionally gratifying in a super-nerdy way.  now
brady is knotting the el-wire into digits, and tomorrow
we'll have a working unit.  (knock knock.)

we've been photographing & taking notes, there will
be a proper write-up after we get it done (just under
the deadline for submissions!), but i just wanted
to say thanks again for all your advice and encouragement.

and wish us luck!

-mykle-
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