USB RGB LED strip lights (part 2) video

Bunnings spray paint - bloody awful.

Bunnings Fiddly Bits spray paint - bloody awful.

Bad weather so spraying the last bat in the carport.

Al's Workshop - USB RGB LED strip lights (part 2)

As posted 3 x USB RGB LED strips arrived yesterday so keen to have a play with one of them this morning.

Setting up to do some testing.

Tinkerbell night light - coming soon

This is a screen grab of the MS Word mockup.

USB RGB LED strip lights (part 1)

Postie delivered the order for 3 x USB - RGB LED strip lights with RF controllers!

The last of the bats–phew

Prepping to do the last one which is fine with me, besides have a break from them I have new stuff in mind and want to further develop those ideas which includes a limited version of the Batman light.

Prepping the last bat.

Batman wall lights - update

 

Packed and posted Kayden to Tarneit 3029.

Batman lights - second lot (part 9)

Kayden is ready for packing and posting in the morning. Before lighting up TAJ we had to extend the 1M strip to 2M. See previous post about ordering 2 x 2M kits and instead got 2 x 1M kits...bloody pests.

First thing tomorrow morning I'll pack Kayden ready for posting.

ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING

Not just China…this is Indonesia

A food market shows off rows upon rows of dead animals, some of which have been beaten to death including bats – and dogs.

Batman Limited Edition prototype Part 1A

He's big...54 x 32cm and comes with new features; onboard rechargeable battery (5000 mAh PowerBank) and RF wireless remote control (no line-of-sight issues)

Well fed...grown to 54cm x 32cm

Say hello to Sprocket

He is helping his owner (our younger daughter) to cope with self isolation...

Batman lights–the dummy battery box.

To save a few dollars I am now making my own dummy battery boxes.

Why two battery boxes...???

There is no room to mount the 3 x AA battery box in the centre of the back and...have it recessed to reduce the depth because there is LED strip in there to illuminate the name letters. The only spot is on one of the wings which would unbalance the light so I have opted for a 2nd (dummy) battery box that holds three spare batteries - on the other wing.

Gardening–time to catch-up

Finally made time to prune the garden arbor plus some other nearby shrubs around the cottage garden.

Batman lights - second lot (part 8)

Just came in from the workshop after doing a Friday night overtime stint - golly gosh.

 

Worth the effort (and besides no Friday night footy) because another bat is ready to be released tomorrow morning in the direction of Tarneit 3029.

Order for LED strip lights

To short !!!...the last two sets of RGB LED strip kits that arrived are only 1M; they should have been 2M length. Contacted the supplier to complain and they say that's what I ordered - doubt that. To busy now so I'll think about that and follow-up later.

That's only 1M on that spool and the code has the _2 on the end.
Furthermore the 2M length fills the whole spool!

Batman lights - second lot (part 7)

From yesterday stuck down the templates onto the MDF blanks for cutting out. Trim off the main excess on the 14" band saw, then some more on the 8" band saw then the rest on the scroll saw.

Templates are stuck onto the MDF blanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Email from Woolworths

With regard to COVID and panic buying:

Dear Alan,

Even more Delivery and Pick up windows now available.

We're delighted to let you know that we've re-opened our online Delivery and Pick up services for all customers.

We have been working hard to double the available online windows and we now have thousands of Delivery and Pick up windows open.

Although we are opening more windows, we are still experiencing unusually high demand for selected products. If your first choice is not available, we will do our best to provide a suitable substitution.

You can place an order, as you would usually, by logging into your online account.

Sincerely

Your Woolworths Team

PJ batman light is finished

Packed PJ for pickup this morning - all good.

 

South Africa – remove humans is good

South Africa COVID restrictions & lockdowns so no traffic - no humans.

Pride basking on a tar road...

Al's Workshop updates

 

Another busy day with bats flying out the door but still feel like I'm threading water. This morning released a pair in the direction of Warragul - safe trip guys.

Did some more work on jobs then off on the usual Monday shopping trip including posting those two bats to Warragul I was surprised that 2 x Bats @ 1,2kg was $15.35 when last time 1 x Bat @ 0.6kg cost over $18. Thanks to Holly (see next photo) I packed the items so well there was no need for one of their pricey bags

Back home and out again to do some more including cutting more MDF blanks. After tea ended up doing two hours overtime to catch up a bit - with heaters on.

I've been saving Holly's tin food trays for packing stuff. This morning used two of them slightly modified to pack those two bats. 

Al's Workshop - Batman light Version 3.0

 

Batman lights - first lot (part 11)

Another day in the workshop.

Finished KEITH and ERIK ready to pack for postage tomorrow.

Batman lights - second lot (part 6)

This evening printed more bat templates - I'm going batty.

Al's Kitchen

ALDI cast iron pot of chicken curry on simmer.

Another couple of Batman orders!

Also working on a larger Batman Limited Edition (LE) USB version that will have a flat PowerBank at the back with a likely price increase of $20 to cover the PowerBank cost.

The default offer will be with 3 x AA battery box.

Get the mowing done

With more rain on the way first job on the list this morning was to get the mowing done. Grass has grown to that point where poo bombs are too hard to spot from a safe distance (in particular when it's raining) before going out there to collect.

Batman lights - first lot (part 10)

Doing the final assembly on KIETH and ERIC so both of those will be finished in the first morning session - tomorrow. While doing the above also nudging PJ along so he is now ready for the lighting stage.
And...while doing all the above also prepping TAG, one of the bats from the second lot.
The last photo shows how I measure to mark and drill the staple pilot holes.

I will finish off these two guys in the morning, another pair out the door.

Batman light - hybrid version

I've mentioned a few times this is a complicated build process with a level of risk (one mistake stuffed it) and each time I make one I mull over possible refinements - can I do this bit a different way to make the next stage easier etc.

The other thing to consider is that currently RGB LED strips lights (both Battery and USB)

Well...I've come up with a new version that combines the Battery version with the USB version to create a new hybrid battery version - confused ???

This is the Battery version – RGB LED strip light powered by a battery box with 3 x AA batteries. To balance the light there’s another battery box on the left with 3 spare batteries. The build process is quite tricky and it took me a while to work out how to fit in the 3 x AA battery boxes on either side.

Packing another Batman

Packing another Batman light for collection in the morning about 7.30ish. OMG...I'll have to set the alarm for around seven.

Batman lights - first lot (part 8)

Cruised through the afternoon session with several breaks without the worry of 'when will those bloody lights arrive'. Will finish ERIK in the morning and then onto KEITH.
PJ next when I finish the above.

While working watching Sky News Oz and UK with the chooks behind me, one of them has flown up onto the table saw searching for a more interesting patch of saw dust.

Kmart update–bloody sold out !!!

Rang to check stock before I left to make sure they have stock then went to Stud Park to buy two of them. Waited over 1/2 hour in the service desk queue and was then informed none left – hopeless.

I've been reloading this bookmarked page for several weeks now since contacting Kmart with ETA late April early May. Kmart says high demand for this item!

UPDATE; Yay...looks like Kmart USB RGB LED strip lights are back in stock. See my previous posts about COVID procurement issues. Better get down there before they sell out again.

Batman lights - first lot (part 7)

Now that the LED strip lights have arrived I can grab the first bat set off the bat pile and continue on working down that first lot of bat orders.

First set off the waiting bat pile is KEITH and ERIK.



Off we go...using standard T50 8mm staples to fix the LED strip to the MDF contour. Note that I DO NOT remove the backing which allows for shuffling the strip back and forth where they converge near the bat head and besides all that it not stick very well to MDF.




Old guy pensioner thriftiness - this pair of front MDF blanks were a bit short on height but we can still use them.

Hand sanitiser in short supply

Lucky to get a 400ml bottle of the stuff.

ET found two small squeeze bottles; I’m doing a transfer so we can keep one bottle in each of the cars.

Al's Workshop update

My first country property name sign enquiry came in this evening - from NSW.

Parcel deliveries

WOW... parcel delivery yesterday and other one just now...more Batman LED lights



System is working well hand appears over fence with slow release of package into dish washing tray then press of video intercom button followed with wave to ET who is usually on the balcony.

Aerosol spray paint

As posted running low on flat black spray paint and with Caribbean Market now permanently closed (bugger) where do I now get my spray paint for $1.50 a can – for 10.

Bought three cans from Bunnings during my shopping trip. Bunnings price $3.98 and SuperCheap Auto even more expensive @ $4.39

Bunnings

Al's Workshop update

The RGB LED strip lights have finally arrived !!!

After Easter shopping trip

Become the norm now to carefully plan each outing!

First to Brandon park to get two boxes of my favorite Malaysian $ Sri Lankan food from Martisz Kitchen before the close up - they were closed. Got some from my other favorite  one next door – Eastern Chinese. Off all the way to the other end to Home Ideas to get picture hardware but again already closed - reduced hours.

Off to Wheelers Hill shopping centre for the main shopping and got most of what was on the list, eggs and rice shelves nearly stripped. On the way out checked at the counter and was able to get hand sanitiser !!!

Then off to Bunnings Scoresby to get cans of spray paint and small wood screws. On the way in had to dodge a camera crew interviewing a staff member. On the way out got waylaid by the same camera crew wanting to interview customers so agreed to that. Basically questions about customer experience with Bunnings management of distancing and aisle monitoring with limit of four persons etc. along with do you think it's a good thing that Bunnings is still open for business,

This is simply just-in-case-mitigation that Bunnings and other big stores should shut down - not essential. Anyway for my time was handed a blank envelope that contained a $20 note !!!

Al's Workshop update

Been another busy day but took time off this afternoon to absorb sunshine with ET and the doggies and the chooks along with a bit of pruning.

Al's Workshop updates

Finished the NOAH & KOBE USB lights, they will likely fly off in the direction of Geelong tomorrow afternoon.

Also had some more Batman enquires with two confirmed and happy to wait for the battery LED strip lights rather than USB - slow boat from China.

Finally got a AustPost status update on those bloody lights I have been waiting for - expected delivery now 14th - 15th.

After spending time getting answers from Kmart that the USB LED strip lights 3M are due end April early May. I checked this evening and that item has been pulled from the website, the 5M is still available but don't want that - bugger. I'll just have to rely on the Glen Iris eBay supplier.

Interesting that while responding to those new enquiries people are interested in the USB version with on-board rechargeable battery so I'll pursue the PowerBank thing some more.

Ready to box up then off to the post office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Windows 10 - IPTV

Windows 10 and simpleTV IPTV - keeping up with the news on the Ozzie Sky News channels plus Sky News UK - very convenient

Easter Sunday 2020

Easter Sunday and our traditional egg fights around the dining table. ET did her bit and they are ready where is everyone ???

Batman lights - second lot (part 6)

Installing KOBE's led strip lights, this will be finished around lunchtime tomorrow at which time I'll happily contact the customer who is coming from Geelong to collect.

This is the 2nd time doing the USB version so it's easier going in particular mounting the IR controller.

Batman lights - second lot (part 5)

Doing a lighting test before I spray the back panel and complete this one. Then onto the KOBE one.