Before and After #1: things to do with some things

Power Source becomes...erm (remains) Power Source
I satisfied my need for a more or less universal power source for low power electronic circuits experiments by forking out $23 on a Winstar AC-DC power adaptor which gives me selectable voltage output ranges from 3V to 15V and sources up to 1.2A. Yeah i know its not a proper lab power source, but do you think i've got a few thousand dollars to spare for one of these things? Besides i don't need extremely precise regulation, and i hope my designs never need any precision regulation. What i do need though, is precisely settable voltages and voltage and current meters. okay maybe i do need one of these toys in future, but for now, i'll just have to build one myself if i need it.

Anyway, i've got some computer power sources from old computers that i disembowelled. The great thing about this power source is its output voltages...positive and negative 12V and 5V. Very convenient voltages. I'll suppose that i can skip the voltage regulator chip when i need these voltages in future. There're many output cables, for differrent types of hardware with
different connectors and connections. I'll combine all of these wires into neat output ports for each of the power source outputs. Hmm throw in a current meter for each of the outputs too. If i can't find anything cool to use as my current meter, i may have to look to sungei road. Would like something that's cool, and reflect the upper limits for each output. But i'd also like a digital readout that's precise and accurate too. Oh why not have the ammeter and voltmeter thingy with digital readout and analog visualisation be a separate piece of hardware? Like a plug-in front -end? And the other power sources i may have could be modified to have proper front ends, which are compatible with this thing so i could just fit this meter thingy in front.


Air Hog Visionary becomes...Remotely Piloted Vehicle
The Air Hogs are a series of air pressure powered toy airplanes. They're supplied with an air pump with which you pump up the pressure in the airplane's fuselage.

Now what if we added a fuel compartment containing sodium azide (they keep this in car airbags, and when they're deployed, its heated up so it decomposes and gives lots of nitrogen gas to fill the airbag real quick) so we could maintain pressure for longer so we could fly it longer, and add a radio control to it? would make a good toy for my nephew wouldn't it! Guess we have to use sth else, because i just found out that sodium azide is a terribly toxic thingy. Anyway, the reaction's too quick...

Assortment of tubes and pipes becomes...many things
These were bought from a very very interesting shop at a place adjacent to Raffles Place. My friend told me about that shop, and brought me down after we had our last O level paper. Wow...it was real cool. The old couple sell a huge collection of many odds and ends that range from exotic spray paints and aluminium rust removers to very very strong magnets and plastic wares and electronic instruments and a really old oscilloscope! Had a great time there...

These were actually for a couple of projects, including a 'spud gun', which is actually a tube which you stuff anything into, spray fuel, ignite it, and watch the projectile as it gets launched into the air.

There's also the dream of making a jet engine. i'm not crazy! people actually make their own jet
engines in their own garages! We Singaporeans are sometimes too boringly sane...oh maybe i'm crazy cos i tried to do so by making the fan blades from aluminium from drink cans and the housing with plastic...of course i didn't intend to use that for the combustion chamber...but yeah it was a bad idea anyway. Never got around to it.

And also the water rocket...yeah i was really excited abt water rockets for a time and sought to make the longest range one...which meant something that could contain really really high pressure. I imagined fitting it with guidance and monitoring systems and the cool toy from RI's field. But i didn't get around to do that...though i still wish i can make it.

Although these were dead projects, the process of making them come true (in vain) taught me quite a bit. Including stuff on making structurally sound parts, and processing aluminium drink cans into sheets of metal, and joining them up to make larger sheets...

Anyway, back to the thing about the water rockets...suddenly gave me an idea:water pressure powered missiles. No heat signature, easy to use and handle. Easy to make too. Relatively quieter. Less Heavy. Except that...there's lower speed, shorter range.
I'll work on it.

And how could i leave out robotics?
Been thinking of creating some collections of creatures from children's stuff...like the sesame street monsters! And Dr. Seuss's strange and intriguing creatures too...and....they could all be investigations and wild explorations into artificial intelligence that can yield serious results for
the field. oh...and schizo robots too...battling opposing forces within themselves.

Listening to: Maurice Ravel: The Piano Concertosvery dynamic and lively and intriguing and interesting pieces. love 'em!