A certain SpaceX newsletter ...

A certain SpaceX newsletter ...
Onya!

 

SpaceX Reveal’s Dragon’s “Secret” Payload 

Hawthorne, CA – Before the successful launch, voyage, and recovery of SpaceX’s Dragon Spacecraft, the first time in history a commercial company has recovered a spacecraft from orbit, reporters were buzzing with news of a “secret” payload, stowed on board.

It was a payload so secret, SpaceXers made it Top Secret (think Val Kilmer 1984, not official US Government).

Top Secret payload, bolted to the floor of the Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: Chris Thompson

So what was inside the mystery package?  Their tribute to Monty Python.

A wheel of cheese.

Top Secret payload revealed.  Photo Credit: Chris Thompson, SpaceX

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Project Anihilation - Red Vs Blue Intro Cover 01

I'm surprised the first product of Project Annihilation was from India (Instrumental) sub-section. I was planning some Alpha ones.
First time ever I've done this. Made with audacity and windows movie maker. I'm looking into some better video editting software - windows movie maker is just too limited.
I used a classical guitar so I didn't have as much re-verb and I wanted to keep the audio as untouched/unedited as possible.

Oh well, enjoy!

Scrolling Shooter

Just a tutorial with added features.
'Programmed' from easy to use game maker.
Download here:
http://www.box.net/shared/ckkh5cfqm8
GameMaker files here:
http://www.box.net/shared/f0qv23xr63

TanX

Year 9 Software Development project.
Done in the easy Visual Basic .NET
Quite a few bugs remaining including stopping of time/movement when the bullet is fired.
Have to warn, not very entertaining as only one level and would be better with more development (unlikely now). 

Download game:
http://www.box.net/shared/ccxqkasx6b
Download VB files (folder):
http://www.box.net/shared/cp6ujnvkqm
Please acknowledge me and my partner's work when using elsewhere and leave the credits.

A more entertaining game would be the addictive scroll shooter located here.

Project ACDC

Co-axial RC helicopter, eSky's  'Lama V4'

You can see the servo, motor, flying adjustments and wiring.

 Probe idea from Predator UAVs - install a camera on a RC aerial vehicle.

If not able to install a live feed camera, I thought I could attach something like a phone with a video recorder. 

Researched and found many people were already doing that, and selling set-ups online.

For example:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xebWJ84JC84

Video camera transmitting was too expensive ($200+ for the transmitter alone) and may be too heavy.

 I wanted to make the set-up myself.

The mobile phone weighs approximately 110g, the helicopter 200-250g. With the phone, it couldn't lift off, although hovered on the ground. Also, it seems that this small helicopter is only good for indoors as strong winds would blow the helicopter in a particular direction even if the helicopter is strafing/moving against it.

Also, hit a tree and after a few more times of flying, the helicopter could only turn it's bottom rotor blades and not the top ones. Will have to work out why and fix it.

In the future: build a more powerful helicopter suited for outdoors. I wonder if I could just replace the motors and rotor blades and add an extra battery ...

More photos/videos to come.

'Dragster'

Name: Birdie (note the front shape)

Birth: 2005

Rear wheel drive, driven by a small DC electric motor and two gears.

Power: 2 AA Batteries

Various Prepackaged Circuits

Ah, the joys of soldering.
Too bad these circuits come pre-etched and most of the complex workings are hidden inside those ICs.

This first one is supposed to be a radio bug. There's a mic and it transmits on FM - the coil of black wire is the antenna and you can change frequency manually and in analogue by screwing that green component.

Below is a dice thrower. It just works by changing LEDs very fast (i.e. 1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3,4,5,6, ...) and when you press the switch it stops. Then when the switch is pressed again the LEDs start flashing again. It needs to flash really fast (so fast that all of them look like they are on at the same time, albeit dimmer) so you can't cheat. Also, one of the ICs count in base 10 so it needed to be converted to base 6, or loop from 6 to 1 and not 7.

Have yet to uncover my hand drawn circuit from year 8. I had to use a marker and place it in the electrolytic tank. The copper was oxidised to become soluble in the solution and only the copper under the marked areas were left. Hurray for old-school stuff. =P

eTux

Meet eTux, 5 Years old.
I made him in year 7, when we first learnt how to use sewing machines @ GWSC. He is complete with 2 red LED eyes and a green LED beak with an internal buzzer. The design was modified from a sewing book and the internal circuitry is just a normal wire circuit without a circuit board. The wings have home-made press switches, which activate the LEDs and buzzer. They're just 3 cardboard pieces, two with foil and the middle with a large hole in it so when you press the cardboard together the foil contacts each other. He is powered by love and a 9V battery attached and hidden by velcro-lock opening.

Definitely visiting this sign the next time I'm in Canberra:

And if a geohash ever lands there ... ;P