I, like many Tindarians, love the Raspberry Pi. What I don’t like is letting it get too hot, and I find it annoying to simply leave a fan on all the time. After all, when embedded, these devices often only really do something every once in a while, so why waste wear and tear on a fan, as well as power, that other 99% of the time?
One solution is a passive heat sink, which is my preferred method in many situations. But when I found I needed to actively blow air over the processor using a fan, I didn’t find an easily available solution. So I made this one! The EZ Fan Raspberry Pi Fan Control PCB brings together a resistor, transistor, and diode (conspicuously missing in the image above), along with header pins into which you can plug your fan and the Pi. This allows it to source power from the 5V rail, and be controlled with a 3.3V IO pin.
While it’s a simple enough gadget to make yourself with a bit of soldering, this device makes things a matter of plug-and-play when you select the fully assembled option. It’s also available as a bare PCB, or as a parts kit, or even with connector wires. Finally, if you’re wondering how to actually turn it on based on temperature, the documentation includes a script for automating this task, though it only checks the status once per minute.
A very simple light-following robot can be made with just a few light-dependent resistors (LDRs), batteries, and a motor. The trick here is that the LDRs on one side of the bot allow current to flow to the motor on the opposite side, thus effectively turning toward the light when not a direct path, and moving straight when the bot has locked onto the light source.
It’s a fun science project for those that want to get started in electronics, but actually linking the motors electrically and providing a mechanical structure can be cumbersome. For this purpose, and as an experiment in creative PCB design, I came up with this Light Follower Robot PCB. The PCB not only looks like an 80s video game spaceship, but passes electricity to the appropriate motors from a bank of 2 CR2032 batteries. A soldered-on paperclip acts as the tail to allow it to pivot, and a pair of 3D-printed wheels move it forward.
You can see it in action in the video below, along with the design process. Documentation, which includes KiCAD files, along with the other non-PCB parts needed to complete the ‘bot are found on GitHub.
Pressing buttons on a keyboard is fine most of the time, but for volume control there is just something satisfyingly tactile about a knob to literally crank things up or down. In 2017 I attempted to build a rotary volume controller. It worked OK, but with various new technologies at my disposal, this year I was able to make something that is much improved.
The new device not only turns the volume up and down on songs that I’m listening to, but can control play/pause functions, and skip to the next or previous track. I also set it up so that it can move the mouse around a selected axis point on the screen for gaming (i.e. slither.io) control.
This was all made possible via the I2C encoder module V2 from DUPPA. It takes care of the nitty-gritty details of reading the encoder input itself, and passes I2C info along to the main control board—a tiny Arduino Leonardo compatible called the PICCO. This gave me room I/O-wise for two extra buttons, as well as control of a NeoPixel ring which indicates how the controller is being twisted.
So far, I’ve been thrilled with this custom device, details of which can be found on GitHub. It should be noted that while I’ve been quite pleased with my unit, there are certainly other rotary input options available, touched on in this “Encoders Vs. Potentiometers post.
If you’ve made anything using part(s) purchased on Tindie, we’d love to hear about it. You can get in contact on Twitter @Tindie, or feel free to ping me directly @JeremySCook!
So you want a Nixie tube clock, but they seem too expensive and/or complicated? The good news is that you can buy them fully assembled, or you can get one of these MSP430 kits for under $50.
After writing it up at the end of 2016, along with a subtle hint, I received one for Christmas 2017. Naturally, I just had to record the build process shown below. The build took me somewhere around 4 hours, which I cut down to just under 9:00 in the video to keep it somewhat watchable. At the end, I show how it was installed, including placing it high in my shop in order to avoid exposure to the relatively high voltages experienced some parts of the PCB.
It looks like Robg is out of stock on this kit right now, but they have been so popular we’re sure he’s scrambling to pull together more kits. Put yourself on the waitlist and you’ll be notified when they’re once again available.
You may have previously seen my PCB assembly/filming work in this badge post. Since then I’ve make a few improvements, including filming at 4k for better zooming ability, and added another light. The improvement should be quite visible, and you can find these and other tips about filming an awesome product video in this post.
If you’d like a more thorough run through of how this is assembled, you can also check out the video below by 12voltvids. It is over 50 minutes, so you may want to grab some popcorn! Additionally, there’s a video of it in use on the product listing, so if you’re more interested in how it functions when assembled, be sure to check that out.
Of course I like showing off my creations, and I just happened to find the 12voltvids version when browsing. However, I’d love to feature more content by other Tindarians.
Tell Us About Your Tindie Builds!
If you have a video that involves a product you purchased through Tindie, we want to hear about it. Be sure to message us about it @Tindie on Twitter. You can also ping me directly @JeremySCook!
The biggest part of selling your creation on Tindie is making sure people understand what you’ve built. Making a great video to go along with your excellent photos and in-depth details is really important. Many times you just need to see what’s going on to really appreciate an object’s beauty.
As engineers and hackers, we’re interested in how things work and enjoy seeing them in action. For that matter, a verbal explanation can be quite helpful, both of which can be expressed in a product video.
Here are a few tips to help tell an interesting story with good quality audio and video.
Camera Equipment: In an era where the latest smartphones can take 4k video, there’s no excuse for not filming your project in a decent resolution. While “only” HD is fine for most applications, if you do film at a higher resolution than you need, this helps with your final quality if you need to crop video later. Likely you have equipment that’s good enough, but if you’re using anything less than 720p resolution it’s OK to upgrade or even borrow a smartphone from a friend. Better yet, ask your friend to help with the video shoot! Whether it’s a smartphone, a GoPro, or a prosumer video rig, make sure you frame the shot well and that your recording is in focus. These last points are far more important than what type of equipment you use.
Use a Tripod (or a Hack): Unsteady video is the realm of the “found footage” horror movie genre. Set your camera up on a tripod when filming. If you don’t have one, clamp your camera or smart phone to a leg of a ladder. Whatever you need to do, placing your camera on steady ground will help ensure proper focus and produce a much better product than going the handheld route.
Lighting: When shooting indoors—very likely if you’re showing off electronics projects—pay attention to lighting. A few clamp lights with a white bulb (4000°K or so) inside can transform projects in your shop from drab to wow. A bench-mounted desk lamp can also help you illuminate tabletop projects. Look at where light is coming from and watch for hard shadows and shining reflections that will disrupt the quality of the recording.
Narration: If you can verbally explain things during your videos—or edit your voice in later—this really helps personalize things, leading the viewer/listener to connect with you and your product. Practice beforehand and use a script if you need it. Keep your tone conversational, like you’re doing the demo for a close friend, and don’t let the script get in the way of this. A good microphone and office/studio setup can help with your quality, but don’t get too hung up on this at first.
Video Editing
Cut, Cut, Cut: While it might seem like a good idea to go over every little detail of your project, consider how you watch YouTube videos. Do you have 20 minutes or an hour to dedicate to watching a product get assembled and used while just browsing for interesting items? Probably not. Keep product overview videos short using fast-forward techniques as appropriate. You should consider doing an extended cut if you feel there is more that needs to be seen.
Audio Levels: Make sure the overall audio level is on par with other online videos so that playback doesn’t begin too soft or too loud for the viewer’s volume settings. If you’re adding narration, music, and perhaps sound effects from your products, be sure to mix them together at appropriate volumes. You’ll want to make sure you can hear everything clearly, and be sure to not have a sudden increase in volume—perhaps in an intro or outro—that causes listeners to be uncomfortable. Most multi-track video editing software has the ability to adjust levels of each audio track. You can do this throughout, not just at one level for the entire clip.
Music: Background music can be extremely helpful to keep viewers engaged. If you’re doing verbal narration it even helps disguise unwanted noises like breathing or static and hides “dead air” when you are not speaking. The Free Music Archive is a good source of background music that you can use on your videos—their advanced search has an option for tracks that are licensed for commercial use as long as you attribute the composer.
Give Your Video More Reach
Title/Thumbnail/Description: Make sure people actually watch your video: give it a compelling, well-lit, color balanced, and nicely cropped thumbnail image. Spend time refining a good title that quickly tells the story of what will be found in the video. This will appear in YouTube feeds and can help to reach customers who haven’t yet heard of your product. Make sure to include a well-written description that links to your Tindie product page, so that anyone interested can find where to get more info and make a purchase. If you used music that needs attribution, do so in the video description.
Outsource: If people have purchased your product, there’s a chance that they’ll produce a review video or clips of it in action. If their video allows it, by all means embed it in your Tindie listing. They’ll appreciate the views, and you’ll potentially get more sales—great for everyone involved. Beyond that, there’s no shame in paying someone to make a video for you, though you’d obviously need to look at the costs closely before making that leap.
Get Better
Watch Others: When you’re watching videos, take note of what people do well and poorly and attempt to integrate their techniques into your own clips. Others make videos specifically about improving your YouTube technique, such as Roberto Blake, who notes that one should “always be creating.” This would be a good motto for Tindie sellers, even those that choose not to post videos.
Practice: In the end, the first product videos that you make won’t be your best work. You’ll stumble over your words, and your angle/lighting/production will likely leave something to be desired. These types of videos can still add immensely to the appeal of a product, but as you make more videos, your technique will gradually improve.
As for what not to do, here’s one of my early videos, filmed with a handheld webcam under poor lighting conditions, with inconsistent background sound volume. As of this writing, the title of the video is “rev1_robot_for_youtube_0001.wmv.” Not exactly search friendly. I had to start from somewhere, and so does everyone else!
Like actually listing your products on Tindie, don’t be afraid to put your video out there. Things can only improve, and you’ll certainly learn something! On a related note, check out my thoughts on taking great product photographs here.
These tips are pulled from my own experience, and have helped me push what I can produce video-wise from quite poor to what I consider decent quality. On the other hand, I hope that a year from now I’ll look at the videos I produce and marvel at how comparatively bad they were. All that being said, while my production might vie for a “most improved” award, I don’t claim to be an expert. If you have tips on how to make your production better, especially in the context of showing off your products, please let me know on Twitter @JeremySCook. I’d love to do a followup with tips from other Tindarians!
We’ve all seen people playing with fidget spinners, and Tindie has quite a few available, including those outlined in this post from May 2017. On the other hand, I’ve noticed a disturbing lack of flying fidget spinners. Actually, what I noticed is that after perusing a few YouTube videos claiming to have a flying spinner and/or spinner drones, none of them were actual spinners that could be flown like a drone. After some experimentation, I came up with what I call the SpinnerDrone, seen in the video below:
Yes, that’s right, it flies, spins, and was actually pretty easy to make with an 1/8″ piece of polycarbonate and a CNC router. In fact, something similar could likely be 3D printed, however — accurately or not — I tend to trust polycarbonate more in this situation. Also, I don’t own a 3D printer, so perhaps this contributes to my bias. Regardless, these new frames are available here, and when combined with parts from a Hubsan H107C, and the requisite central bearing — along with zip ties, hot glue, and a little wiring work — you can produce your own flying fidget spinner drone for hours of entertainment!
Of note is that the body can be used with the bearing only as a clear spinner, or the parts from a Hubsan H107C drone could be attached to the center without even using a bearing. The polycarbonate frame weighs in at 4.5 grams without zip tie landing gear, where the Hubsan’s frame H107C weighs in at 10 grams not even including the camera. Though this is yet to be tested, it would make a great high-performance frame, shedding a relatively enormous amount of weight, while forgoing the protection of a “conventional” frame!
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