posted
Has anyone here ever built any sort of electronic device from scratch? For hundreds of years it's been possible to buy stuff like DIY crystal radio sets, or Learn About Electricity kits where you get to build your own torch or something, but I was wondering if anyone's delved into the world of programmed electronic devices, even simple stuff like programming a row of LEDs to flash in different patterns and that sort of thing? Is this kind of thing easy enough to learn with bits purchased from Maplins or wherever?
As an example, could I get parts to make the following:
An electronic version of those crazy mirrors you get at carnivals.
It's basic stuff to plug a camera into a telly, so the picture appears on screen. And it's basic stuff to get Photoshop to distort an image. So, how about combining the two? It should be easy enough to make a little webcam size camera with a few selection buttons on the top and kids could plug it into the telly and muck about making weird faces for hours on end. Instant cheapo gimmick all ready to flog by the thousand for Xmas. But how would one set about making such a thing and, most of all, programming it so that the buttons made it do different things to the image?
posted
If you wanted to make bombs or fly planes there seems to be a lot of documentation. Maybe there's a terrorist manual you can work backward from or something.
Wouldnt it be easier to programme it into that PS2 eye-toy?
posted
There's Make magazine which is about this kind of thing but it's not been around very long (and one of the two issues is entirely about robots). I don't think it's that difficult to build things from scratch, but then my experience of such things is not much more than 'making a little torch' and I'm sure it gets more complex than that...
Posts: 147
| IP: Logged
posted
In amongst my colourful career path (including barman, cabinet maker, roadie, soldier, IT Consultant, photographer, hod carrier and recruitment consultant to name but a few), I did indeed start out as a youthful electronics engineering apprentice for a rather large (well back then anyway) electronics company. As part of that I have built various mainly useless devices - steam activated extractor fan systems, amplifiers, oscillators - silly things. And when I say built them from scratch, I mean literally that - designed the PCB using the old tape method, burned them using an acid burner, fitted all the components - the whole caboodle.
As for your idea, that's slightly more complicated as you are looking at modifying an already existing component. If you have an old B&W telly and a strong magnet you can do simple on screen disortion, else maybe look at modifying the lens of the webcam using distorting lenses - else I'd need to look into image system handling - trouble is when i learned it was 18 years ago - things have changed a bit since then I am sure.
posted
Useful answers. I like the look of that magazine, although it appears to be American. What is this PS2 eye toy thing, Squeegy? Maybe the physical lens option is the way to go, lenses on a wheel so you just turn the wheel to change the effect. I just thought that digital effects like swirls and stretches might be more entertaining, but probably a lot more hassle too.
Posts: 8467
| IP: Logged
posted
Eye toy - manic web cam for a Playstation 2 with some rather bizarre games which can be enjoyed by young and old drunks alike.
You could just try and hook up an old video camera to the TV - maybe try and find one with a generic lens size which you could purchase some photographic filters - fisheye adapater, prisms and the like - things like that which you could pick up cheap these days as most is all done post-production in Photoshop, like you said. Or of course you could try and get an older video editing desk - again most is done in things like Adobe Premiere so these too are now obsolete, but should be able to offer some daft effects which should keep the kids amused.
posted
You could base it around a cheapo (£25) CCTV type camera which can be plugged straight into your TV via a SCART plug. Then you just need to design the lens rotation mechanism, which I imagine would look like something off a microscope.
quote:Originally posted by dang65: I like the look of that magazine, although it appears to be American.
Think it is, but it's available over here as well (if you're interested) -at Foyles and quite possibly Borders if you're London-based, and amazon.co.uk if not!
Posts: 147
| IP: Logged
-------------------- Evil isn't what you've done, it's feeling bad about it afterwards... Yield to temptation. It may not pass your way again. Posts: 3793
| IP: Logged
grant
when you're surrounded and outnumbered, there's only one way out.
posted
I built a theremin from a kit I got off eBay -- It really wasn't that hard, and I loved learning how to solder.
I did a little bit of how-to reading around the web first but it really wasn't that big a deal. Basically one step up from "insert tab A in slot B", with molten lead.
Posts: 68
| IP: Logged
quote:Originally posted by Waynster: In amongst my colourful career path (including barman, cabinet maker, roadie, soldier, IT Consultant, photographer, hod carrier and recruitment consultant to name but a few),
Bonjour, fellow cabineteer. What is a hod, and why were you carrying it.
quote:Originally posted by grant: I built a theremin from a kit I got off eBay -- It really wasn't that hard, and I loved learning how to solder.
I really want to build one from scratch but they require some knowledge of reading the schematics. Maybe I should buy myself a 'teach yourself electronics' book and just fucking learn. I really want to make one. Moog sell one for about $300 dollars but I don't want that. I want to build one in my own home from scratch so that when it's done, I'll be like 'check me the fuck out and my home built Theramin' Also, they cost fuckall for the components, so if I got good at it, I could make my own and sell them, as long as they are sturdy enough - (easy)
I've always liked the idea of making my own effects. That's what I'll do. I'll buy myself a book. Any suggestions anyone?
posted
Yes, learn to do it all yourself. That way you can join (or at least claim to be a member of) one of the coolest classes of musician. I.e. that which mod their own circuitry and design their own electrical loops and all that ultra-cool shit that's way way way beyond my capabilities.
ETA. It may take the rest of your life.
[ 28.06.2005, 09:33: Message edited by: statist ]
-------------------- every action has a song! Posts: 395
| IP: Logged
posted
I'm waiting for lektrolab to put out details about their next circuit bending workshop. Speak and Spell will never sound the same again. Actually strike "the same" and you're probably closer to the truth.
posted
Nah, it won't take long, but it will take a lot of experience. My mate tried to customise his guitar a few months back and instead of using all three pickups it would use two of them, or none of them when you switched the pickup switch. I said 'well done, you made the worlds mardiest guitar [moodyguitarvoice]you can have two pickups, or nothing...thats your lot[/moodguitarvoice]'
posted
So he fucked it up when he was putting the pickup switch back together. Maybe. What was he trying to do?
quote:Originally posted by New Way Of Decay: Nah, it won't take long, but it will take a lot of experience.
Well, OK. Not the rest of your life. But it's a tradeoff, innit. Understanding the circuitry is one thing but, of course, being able to make cool sounds is what you want. It's the end, not the means. The coolest sounds come through fucking around, obviously, but if you understand the way it all hangs together, then you can get closer to the sounds you want quickly, then fuck around.
That aside, really simple analogue and software processing: recently I saw someone messing with sounds by using a slinky spring. As you can imagine, the resistence could change significantly with coiliness, given that you are changing the length of the resisting wire. But resistance also changes with temperature and this dude was grinding it with electric files and heating it with blow torches. The grinding has some effect that I can't explain. They are so thin that they cool down again in a reasonable time and you can go again. He was then manipulating the output of his circuitry on his Mac. It was way sweet. Actually, sweet probably isn't the right word.
[ 28.06.2005, 10:08: Message edited by: statist ]
-------------------- every action has a song! Posts: 395
| IP: Logged
If I hadn't done a kit already, that beginner thing would make no sense to me, but I think if you start at the bottom and read it backwards it'll make sense. Just look at the diagram (bottom), then notice that all the parts are labeled clearly according to the parts list (middle), and in the rough assembly guide (top).
You can build your own circuit board using these directions. There may be an easier way (the kit I used had some kind of commercially available pre-made board, but I can't remember what it was called).
There are some other links on that first page (thereminworld) that seem pretty cool (including a forum where you can ask questions).
Posts: 68
| IP: Logged
quote:Originally posted by statist: Dude, you can't afford that. You're not getting paid, remember?
I don't think it's forever. I'd have a few harsher words to say if some greater authority were saying 'right....basically you'll never get paid again......ever. We've got some buddhists currently working out how we can tax you basic rate for the next three reincarnations'
[ 28.06.2005, 11:52: Message edited by: New Way Of Decay ]
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic