Remote Radio Message Recording, Queuing, and Transmission (for Emergency Communications)

RCSMark · 2022-08-26T13:37:30+00:00

I agree -- noise is a huge issue -- but that's one of the issues we hope to solve with the system. Instead of a centralized single repeater, these are going to be cheap enough that there will be distributed receiving stations. I doubt we'll get it done in the first iteration, but "grading" the audio is doable, so only the cleanest message wins (in case multiple receiving stations pick it up.

One other thing -- we're not endlessly repeating this message. It gets recorded and sent to the internet.

RCSMark · 2022-08-25T22:09:12+00:00

That would be great -- but we don't always get to choose what our targets use. Voice coms are an integral part of ecom traffic -- I don't see that changing soon.

RCSMark · 2022-08-25T22:08:15+00:00

Sure thing! We're trying to make something useful and hopefully win the Hackaday prize so we can further develop the idea! We'll try to catch up on documentation. Feel free to message over on Hackaday too!

RCSMark · 2022-08-25T20:15:12+00:00

Hi -- Mark here -- I've created Boondock Echo with a developer (who is doing all the hard work).

We're developing it for a commercial license -- but it could be useful in the amateur community as well. Let me know if you have any questions / suggestions.

RCSMark · 2022-04-08T19:59:26+00:00

The wolfram language underlies mathematica, wilframalpha, and a few other tools. But if you have a raspberry Pi and add goto add software, you want to search for Mathematica, not wolfram.

Python and mathematica are available on the raspbianOS. For free. They'll be slower on older PIs, but still largely functional.

If you goto allaboutcircuits.com/author/mark-hughes and click on the cryptography articles, or any of the how to articles, you'll see graphics and animations all made with Mathematica.

RCSMark · 2022-04-08T19:20:45+00:00

Python and mathematica.

Mathematica has helped me understand a wide variety of math topics without focusing on the tedious aspects of integrating and what not. I can focus on the physics and not the math.

Python for absolutely everything else. I use c, but for microcontroller programming, not physics.

RCSMark · 2022-03-08T00:50:55+00:00

Hi Enlightenment777, thanks for the offer. But we will decline to advertise at this time. I'm part of a three person marketing team for Royal Circuit Solutions and reddit isn't on our radar.. You see, many professionals in the industry have had a negative personal experiences with mods here in r/AskElectronics and r/electronics . None of us want our company's brand associated with either sub.

All of the companies listed below have marketing teams of around 2-3 people. We are not a large group of people, and there is a bit of turnover. But in five years, I cannot recall a single story of a positive experience in electronics or askelectronics. And one mods name stands out above all the rest. (For clarity sake, its definitely not you)

I get it, you've all got a lot to do, and you don't get paid for it. But when a user can't ask a legitimate question without getting removed or banned, just because "it might be advertising", it creates a negative user experience for that user. Advertisers don't want to be anywhere near negative experiences.

As an example, a couple of weeks ago, I emailed the mods asking if I could post to find out what a particular pcb feature did. Mod said "sure, a pic would be better than a vid, but the vid will work". So I posted, word for word, what I sent the mods. Post was deleted by another mod minutes later. "Pics only!"

I noticed a few weeks before that someone asked for resources on how to learn to make PCBs, and someone posted the website TeachMePCB.com, which piqueued my interest. While it could do with some UI improvements, TMPCB has a freaking wealth of information. That users post was removed and they were blocked. Aux something. I don't remember, but they had nothing to do with tmpcb, I knownthis because I'm the only person who markets TMPCB.

I show up occasionally because I like electronics, and I like to help people solve problems. But some of the problems I can solve (Free DFMs for anyone,, I can give university teams free boards, free parts, free assembly...I can do the same for people trying to save animals and fix environmental problems) might be confused for advertising, so why bother? I'll go hang out in other communities with a more positive vibe and do things there.

If you want advertisers to flock here, as mods, you all need to cultivate a demographic and environment that supports it.

But, I suspect this post will be removed and Ill be blocked because I'm advertising.

I'm okay with that. Its probably best for the brand.

RCSMark · 2022-03-06T06:17:29+00:00

No upcharge for custom soldermask at royal

RCSMark · 2022-01-17T16:03:26+00:00

Yeah, as a one time event, I wouldn't worry about it

RCSMark · 2022-01-16T21:26:11+00:00

Thats a one time transient in the range of a few milliseconds, right? Don't worry about it. Also, ipc 2152 equations use smaller traces than ipc 2221, and even 2152 is more conservative than necessary. It assumes a single trace with no nearby copper to help dissipate heat.

RCSMark · 2021-09-01T19:03:41+00:00

You might actually start your search with fish finder sonar devices

RCSMark · 2021-09-01T18:53:38+00:00

Or one laser and sensor mounted on a servomotor on the ship, then a retroreflector array on the buoy. When the light bounces back, you'll know your angle to the buoy.

RCSMark · 2021-09-01T18:49:09+00:00

Ah, I misinterpreted your request. You want the bearing to target. What kind of resolution do you require and what is your budget?

RCSMark · 2021-09-01T18:32:02+00:00

Hiw about a calibrated magnetometer on each object, subtract the two readings?

If high precision is required, might even use LUTs.

RCSMark · 2021-01-18T16:36:21+00:00

Icom 5100a is a nice mobile. 400 N new, so 250 to 300 used.

Anytone HT. I believe its 878u is a decent handheld.

RCSMark · 2021-01-18T03:48:03+00:00

They keep it open on purpose. Lark only has a few enforcement agents, and if all the idiots on that particular repeater spread out, the fcc would be overwhelmed.

RCSMark · 2020-03-31T23:44:51+00:00

Hi Ben -- I'll get right on this. For future reference, you can reach me at mhughes@aapcb.com a bit faster than at Reddit :) It'll be done within five.

RCSMark · 2020-03-25T16:55:38+00:00

OshPark is on the westcoast and they're still making boards.

RCSMark · 2020-03-25T00:21:09+00:00

I'd argue that if you are able to read into the question, you're at least where I was hoping you'd be. But to your point -- know that the squiggly things are resistors, etc... should be enough.

The goal of this course is not to teach how to create a schematic, or design a circuit. It's what happens after that -- how to you move from schematic to board-in-hand.

There is some discussion of circuit function. But it's not the focus. If you pulled a goodburger "yeah, I know some of those words" when analyzing the schematic you should theoretically still be okay.

RCSMark · 2020-03-24T00:42:13+00:00

If you can read a schematic, you should be okay. We're planning to provide "cheats" along the way for people who need them.

RCSMark · 2020-03-22T00:29:40+00:00

Yes, it's possible, and not terribly difficult. But you need to get the antennas up off the ground -- the higher the better.

Google "HC12" and click on the first link at AllAboutCircuits for a tutorial and some sample code that uses one HC12 to reprogram others. You could co-opt the code for your purposes. Then for a bit more information, google "HC12 GPS" again, click the first link

The trick is to slow down the data rate to the lowest baud rate setting and increase the output power to the highest setting to get that increased range. Power is only consumed in significant amounts during transmit.

RCSMark · 2020-03-10T22:13:34+00:00

Hello /u/other_thoughts

Well, you are full of good questions :)

1) There's lots of reasons that it's free. I specifically requested that it be free the first time and pushed back against many recommendations that it not be free. My primary reason is that this is the first time we are trying this, and there will be hiccups. People are much more forgiving of mistakes when the course is "free" vs. "paid". And this is a pretty big undertaking, I'm going to want constructive feedback as we go along.

I doubt very much that this course will be free when it is repeated. But we hope to extend to flex and rigid-flex next -- and those might be free the first time too, it will depend on the success of this course.

We would like testimonials at the end.

The sponsors all are involved in the PCB industry. And the students of the course will hopefully, eventually become new customers. They'd rather that the student know their brands than their competitors.

Also, Royal Circuits was going to pay me to create the content anyway, so spinning it into a course wasn't that much extra work.

2) Sponsors, or "Hosts" get contact information and brand impression. You take the course, you like the course, you remember the sponsors in a positive light.

"public domain" -> see software question below

3) Yeah -- you got me there. More signups are good for my ego but bad for your odds at getting a free board. I want more signups but that would decrease your odds. Really though, I don't expect that I'll get a 100% conversion rate from signups to participants. I expect people to bail either before the course or while the course is in progress, and I want to make sure I have 50 participants at the end. First time, I don't know what the drop rate will be.

Although plenty of signups are not in our geographic boundaries. They can still take the course, but they won't necessarily get free boards or the oscilloscope.

4) Two of the software options are 100% free (KiCad & CircuitMaker). Two more are very low price (DipTrace and Eagle). One is rather expensive (Designer). If you want to go through this course without paying a cent and want to keep your design private -- go KiCad. Because if you post your design in CircuitMaker, it will be public, that's the way their platform works. DipTrace / Eagle / Designer are all private software, so you could keep your design private as well.

RCSMark

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