Projects

A list of the projects I am currently working on, actively or when the fancy strikes me.

This Website!

Documenting the process here.

Meshtastic

I am currently putting together hardware to run Meshtastic. Meshtastic is a communication protocol using the LoRa RF waveform. It is designed to allow wireless communication over short-to-medium distances without any existing cellular or internet infrastructure. It does so using the unique low power, long distance properties of LoRa, and by building a mesh network of repeaters.

I am primarily interested in using it for communication while hiking and backpacking in areas that may not have cell coverage.

I currently have the following hardware:

I purchased GPS chips and batteries for the Heltec devices - I plan to design and 3D print a case that contains all the components.

Gardening

I planted my first non-container garden in 2024. It was quite sucessful. Here are some notes and lessons learned:

  • Building a squash tunnel was a great idea. Cucumbers especially worked very well.
  • Tomato plants were very successful, but I will need to be more careful with consistent watering to prevent splitting after drought conditions.
  • Brassicas were largely a failure. Slow start due to poor handling of the seedlings, then were stripped to skeletons by cabbage moths. Some fall kale is doing great at time of writing (mid October 2024).
  • Cucmbers were awesome.
  • Peas started too late, were shaded out by cucmbers.
  • Potatoes need their own bed. They shaded out everything around them. (And then didn't even produce much).
  • Onions did not get big. More sun?
  • Carrots started doing much better after I pulled the potatoes out that were shading them.
  • Radishes did great in the spring.
  • Greens (lettuce, arugula) did not do well in the spring. Arugula grew slowly then bolted and lettuce did not get big. Bad soil? Too late? Old seeds? Second generation of arugula from the bolted spring crop is doing great at time of writing (October 2024).
  • Pumpkins got vine borers. Fruit should be elevated using a spare paving stone or similar and vines should be frequently inspected. Also got some form of late season mildew at time of writing (October 2024) but still got a decent harvest.
  • Butternut Squash were great.
  • Mammoth sunflowers worked very well. Should harvest earlier and dry inside before mold and bugs get the seeds.

3D Printing

I have a FormLabs Form 2 that I received for free from a member of the ceramics studio I frequent. (Weird origin, I know). I have used it to print, among other miscellany:

  • D&D miniatures
  • Cases for ESP32-based sensor devices I have around the house
  • A maker's mark stamp for my pottery
  • Maker's mark stamps for other members of my ceramics studio

I also have an FDM printer that I still have not actually used. I print fairly infrequently and the SLA printer is just pretty cool.