Oh what a mess, Over the years of my off and on again posting left things all over the place. I think I got everything in the right place now. And what isn't is just going to stay the way it is. Now, finally I hope everything is in order.
This blog will be for thoughts and ideas and what it originally was created for.
AC9G.blogspot.com will be for projects and the like.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Sunday, June 30, 2013
In sink soap dispenser mod
So I installed a new kitchen faucet and it came with a soap dispenser. It came with this TINY little bottle. This thing just begged me to change it, so I did. Check it out HERE
I loved this so much I also did this to my bathroom sink. ( Also in above link )
I loved this so much I also did this to my bathroom sink. ( Also in above link )
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Domain hosting
If you plan to use 1and1 for a registrar with google sites. Don't. I found out the hard way that google uses some whacky authentication that 1and1 doesn't support. So if you want to use the domain you just paid for there is a work around. Found the fix Here.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
New begining - Projects moved
Been a long time since I kept everything up to date. Been bit of a challenge. New goals of trying to make the website up to date and how to utilize this blog. Im hoping the stuff I have learned from working on those projects will then go on to inspire others in their projects. Because I know when I work on projects I always feel I have to reinvent the wheel to get things to work right.
*update* I'm deleting posts of the projects from the blog, If your here looking for them and can't find it look HERE
*update* I'm deleting posts of the projects from the blog, If your here looking for them and can't find it look HERE
Revival - if possible
I had a thought the other day if I could combine the use of this with the website I made to replace it. So, I wont kill this off, just see if I can incorporate. Stay tuned.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Installing a mobile home downdraft furnace in a garage
A guy at work gave me a great idea to find a used mobile home furnace to use in a garage. This is great as they are super cheap when picked up used, I paid $120 for this one. The one I got a hold of was a Century FG80C2 downdraft Natural gas furnace.
Things I'm going to change/add
1. Add a switch so the blower will run when thermostat "calls" not when plenum is hot.
2. Move power cable to back.
3. Build intake airbox with filter holder.
4. Internal relay box for status and remote command.
Notes:
01/07/11
Finishing up installing the gas line. To elevate it from the floor a bit, I'm going to use cement blocks. This should help it from blowing air right on the floor causing it to stir up dust.
I searched for quite a while online. I could not find anything about this furnace. Just so glad nothing is really different about these things even through the years. I'm going to guess this thing is from the 60s from the use of hammer finished paint and can't be earlier as the use of vinyl power cords and not fiber wrapped like in the 50s.
Something I have been drawing up is the use of relays to have a remote switch in the house with a status light. This same system idea will also be in use to turn on the air compressor in the basement. This system will be very easy to implement as I ran a 25 conductor cable from the house and the garage. The use of terminal strips are a must for easy expansion and reconfigurability.
01/12/11
When Wiring this up, I found the "fan" control from the thermostat didn't work as it should. Since I'm just using a SPST switch for the "auto/on" fan control I knew something was up. When I took the Panel off inside the furnace. seems someone removed the fan relay and did some modifications. Owell, this is kind of in my favor as I want to add more relays to the basic wiring anyway.
1/13/11
Ordered new relays from McMaster-Carr, 24vac than can handle 16amps at 120 which is perfect for the fan relay. Another is going to be wired in parallel to the electro gas valve to give me a status light when it is "heating". The third relay is for making when the fan should be kicked on. IE all furnaces start the fan after the plenum have reached a preset temperature. This will allow the fan to kick on when the thermostat "calls" for heat this will help remedy the massive oversizing of a furnace for the space as it will slowly heat the plenum, this in turn will slow down the "cycling". Still finalizing some of the schematics or I would post them.
1/14/11
Furnace is installed and running, now that it is heated in there I can work on the more fancy wiring.
1/17/11
After using the system for a bit now. It turns out that this is not oversized for the garage, but nearly just right. Currently working on the homemade wired remote control system. Pictures, digrams, schematics will be added when completed.
TBC
Things I'm going to change/add
1. Add a switch so the blower will run when thermostat "calls" not when plenum is hot.
2. Move power cable to back.
3. Build intake airbox with filter holder.
4. Internal relay box for status and remote command.
Notes:
Gas line.
This was something I planned for months in advance and ran a non metallic conduit that would house "Proflex CSST". This is Corrugated Stainless Steel tubing. This made it possible to easily make the underground run and not have to try and fit black iron pipe together and then worry about how long it will last from rusting underground.
Even though you can re-plumb an entire house gas system with this stuff, there was something I learned about it when I was reading the product installation and sizing primer. You can size this just like normal BIP, but the mfg. recommends sizing up when using something like a fireplace or when noise could be bothersome as the pipe's corrugation make the gas "howl" or "hiss".
*update* 1/17/11 This didn't turn out to be the case. I have run this system for about 4 hours, no such noise nor problems have arrose.
*update* 1/17/11 This didn't turn out to be the case. I have run this system for about 4 hours, no such noise nor problems have arrose.
01/07/11
Finishing up installing the gas line. To elevate it from the floor a bit, I'm going to use cement blocks. This should help it from blowing air right on the floor causing it to stir up dust.
I searched for quite a while online. I could not find anything about this furnace. Just so glad nothing is really different about these things even through the years. I'm going to guess this thing is from the 60s from the use of hammer finished paint and can't be earlier as the use of vinyl power cords and not fiber wrapped like in the 50s.
Something I have been drawing up is the use of relays to have a remote switch in the house with a status light. This same system idea will also be in use to turn on the air compressor in the basement. This system will be very easy to implement as I ran a 25 conductor cable from the house and the garage. The use of terminal strips are a must for easy expansion and reconfigurability.
01/12/11
When Wiring this up, I found the "fan" control from the thermostat didn't work as it should. Since I'm just using a SPST switch for the "auto/on" fan control I knew something was up. When I took the Panel off inside the furnace. seems someone removed the fan relay and did some modifications. Owell, this is kind of in my favor as I want to add more relays to the basic wiring anyway.
1/13/11
Ordered new relays from McMaster-Carr, 24vac than can handle 16amps at 120 which is perfect for the fan relay. Another is going to be wired in parallel to the electro gas valve to give me a status light when it is "heating". The third relay is for making when the fan should be kicked on. IE all furnaces start the fan after the plenum have reached a preset temperature. This will allow the fan to kick on when the thermostat "calls" for heat this will help remedy the massive oversizing of a furnace for the space as it will slowly heat the plenum, this in turn will slow down the "cycling". Still finalizing some of the schematics or I would post them.
1/14/11
Furnace is installed and running, now that it is heated in there I can work on the more fancy wiring.
1/17/11
After using the system for a bit now. It turns out that this is not oversized for the garage, but nearly just right. Currently working on the homemade wired remote control system. Pictures, digrams, schematics will be added when completed.
TBC
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Bluetooth ... Phone
I had this idea for a few years now, to make an old land line phone with REAL BELLS work as a bluetooth headset for a cell phone. Now I can't take full credit for this as I heard of Steve Wozniac built one of these years ago. I loved the idea, and wanted to build my own.
Version 0.1 (previous version)
Simple handset from phone with bluetooth headset mounted inside. Very simple yet very eerie looking.
Version 0.2 has (Current Version)
1. Tabletop touch tone phone.
2. Dial tone.
3. Ability to dial out.
4. Working bells.
5. 10 cell NiMh battery pack.
Version 0.3 will feature (Researching/parts gathering)
All of Ver 0.2 plus following
1. Working rotary dial
2. 10 cell Sanyo Enelope battery pack.
3. Ext charger.
4. Auto/on switch.
Version 0.4 (planning)
All of Ver .3 plus
1. Internal charger.
2. flashing "ringer" light.
3. Ringer "silent" switch
4. Dial light via red LED
5. handset posts light via red LED
6. Internal Voltage regulating power supply, for continuous operation.
7. Universal External 12v/2a power supply.
Current model notes. Current 0.3 version trying to invent a way to mount the batteries. Best idea so far is to use 4-40 long bolts through the bottom and zip tie the packs to them, best semi- permanent mounting solution. Mounting the circuit boards are nearly the same way, using 4-40 screws with stand-offs. The Auto/on switch refers to the ability to have the device auto power off when charging plug is inserted into a "switched dc power jack". To get the rotary dial to work with the bluetooth board I have, I used a pulse-tone converter. The bluetooth board i'm using is the cobra Phonelinx. Which has been disassembled and soldered in power and phone lines. Later models I might desolder the board LEDs and mount them else where, but since I want this to mainly be obscure, I made it so you can only see them from underneath via small drill holes in the phone.
Future Ideas
To make a "ringer flashing light" I thing i'm going to use a Radioshack neon bulb and mount, but use it only for the mount as it has the "look" that i want for a domed light. but since a neon would take more draw that needed and not be very bright. I will use a super bright red LED with a 100k resistor wired in parallel to the ringer.
The "Dial light" i'm still researching. An idea that came to me the other day was to use license plate bolts with LEDs already mounted in them, then to use a black rebar cover with a hole to cover the bolt, solving the mounting and the look as well as making it a fast solution. I cant mount LEDs from behind as there is to much mechanical gearing in the way from the dial. But using plastic fiber optic might be a future possibility.
The idea of using an internal charger is to be able to plug this unit in and have it work just like a desk phone and never have the battery die. Even though this adds complexity and cost, this really makes it a set it and forget it extension of your phone. This will also make it so you can use any dumb 12v cord that can supply 2a of current to run/charge the phone, i.e. in the car.
Pictures
Work in progress as of 12-23-10
Version 0.1 (previous version)
Simple handset from phone with bluetooth headset mounted inside. Very simple yet very eerie looking.
Version 0.2 has (Current Version)
1. Tabletop touch tone phone.
2. Dial tone.
3. Ability to dial out.
4. Working bells.
5. 10 cell NiMh battery pack.
Version 0.3 will feature (Researching/parts gathering)
All of Ver 0.2 plus following
1. Working rotary dial
2. 10 cell Sanyo Enelope battery pack.
3. Ext charger.
4. Auto/on switch.
Version 0.4 (planning)
All of Ver .3 plus
1. Internal charger.
2. flashing "ringer" light.
3. Ringer "silent" switch
4. Dial light via red LED
5. handset posts light via red LED
6. Internal Voltage regulating power supply, for continuous operation.
7. Universal External 12v/2a power supply.
Current model notes. Current 0.3 version trying to invent a way to mount the batteries. Best idea so far is to use 4-40 long bolts through the bottom and zip tie the packs to them, best semi- permanent mounting solution. Mounting the circuit boards are nearly the same way, using 4-40 screws with stand-offs. The Auto/on switch refers to the ability to have the device auto power off when charging plug is inserted into a "switched dc power jack". To get the rotary dial to work with the bluetooth board I have, I used a pulse-tone converter. The bluetooth board i'm using is the cobra Phonelinx. Which has been disassembled and soldered in power and phone lines. Later models I might desolder the board LEDs and mount them else where, but since I want this to mainly be obscure, I made it so you can only see them from underneath via small drill holes in the phone.
Future Ideas
To make a "ringer flashing light" I thing i'm going to use a Radioshack neon bulb and mount, but use it only for the mount as it has the "look" that i want for a domed light. but since a neon would take more draw that needed and not be very bright. I will use a super bright red LED with a 100k resistor wired in parallel to the ringer.
The "Dial light" i'm still researching. An idea that came to me the other day was to use license plate bolts with LEDs already mounted in them, then to use a black rebar cover with a hole to cover the bolt, solving the mounting and the look as well as making it a fast solution. I cant mount LEDs from behind as there is to much mechanical gearing in the way from the dial. But using plastic fiber optic might be a future possibility.
The idea of using an internal charger is to be able to plug this unit in and have it work just like a desk phone and never have the battery die. Even though this adds complexity and cost, this really makes it a set it and forget it extension of your phone. This will also make it so you can use any dumb 12v cord that can supply 2a of current to run/charge the phone, i.e. in the car.
Pictures
Work in progress as of 12-23-10
Craftsman Professional 13" Planer
Yet another Craigslist find. Model 351.217430. Which isn't that old, yet kinda hard to find much about it online.
No Mods planned.... Yet
Just refurbishing.
1. Order replacement parts that were missing or damaged. (Done)
2. Clean up and re-oil machine.
3. Add new parts.
In progress as of 12-23-10
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