Firefox Developer Tools: a simple example

I don't use Developer Tools very often, so its a bit of a struggle remembering how to use them when I do.

 

Therefore this is a handy reminder to me (as much as anything) on how to make & test some simple edits.

I'm going to use the Gambas One forum as my test site for this example.

My Prostate Cancer: what next?

My treatment finished some time ago

 

and I've seen a slow reduction in side-effects.

But what happens next?

Radio Caroline: crank up the power!

Its happened, they've upped their power.

 

At last they have a new transmitter offering more power and better audio quality.

So its expected to improve reception, both in Caroline's target area and beyond.

Monkeys in T-shirts

Margaret Thatcher was right.

 

There is no such thing as "society".

It turns out, we are just a bunch of T-shirt wearing monkeys!

My new favourite 3D printer bed leveling method

Should I heat the extruder when bed leveling, or leave it cold?

 

If hot, how do I deal with oozing filament?

This is my new method which addresses these issues.

3D Printing: humidity & keeping your PLA filament dry

It is generally agreed that you should try to keep your reels of PLA filament dry.

 

But I'm not sure that all suggested methods on the net make complete sense!

So here are my mad ramblings on storage and relative humidity.

3D Printing: filament grinding & nozzle blockage

My printer stopped printing part way through a print!

 

I'd never experienced this before...

...and I'm still not sure what the reason was for this problem.

My 'Cardboard Box' Moth Trap

I was wondering whether the clear plastic/glass panels in a typical Skinner trap were really necessary.

 

This led to a few experiments, and then to the construction of a simple cardboard moth trap...

...which is probably the cheapest DIY moth trap design imaginable!

3D Design & Print: bits for my kitchen radio

I wanted to add a BlueTooth transmitter to KitchenPi

At last, a mini-project to exercise my [dubious] 3D design skills.

FreeCAD: Pads & Pockets

I'm slowly getting to grips with FreeCAD...

 

...but its certainly been challenging.

In this post I describe how to make a simple structure including holes & cutouts.

Starting FreeCAD: making name plates

Drawing my own objects in 3D is the next logical step on my 3D Printing adventure.

However, 3D CAD software can be tricky to get your head around.

But this is how I designed a few 3D name plates.

Multicolour printing on Creality CR-10-V3 with Cura

This is a detailed guide on colour printing with a single extruder.

 

Multicolour printing can really lift some prints, especially where appearance is more important than functionality.

The Cura slicer provides good support for this process.

Moth Trap: mark II

Now that it has finally stopped raining, its time to get the moth trap out.

 

But wait, I've had a idea for a better design.

So here is my mark II.

Prostate Cancer: ring that bell

I've just finished the Radiotherapy phase of my treatment.

 

So its a good time to look back at how things played out.

3D Printer control via Gambas

Its easy to write some Gambas code to provide basic control of a 3D printer.

You just need a good G-code reference list.

These notes were born out of a few experiments I recently conducted with my Creality CR-10-V3

BirdBox 2021: tits, robins & wrens

Its been a strange season, and no mistake.

The cold weather, early on, seems to have delayed everything.

And we have seen at least 4 things we have never witnessed before.

3D Printer: isolating the USB 5Volt feed

I'm really not happy that my printer's display "lights-up" when I turn on my connected computer.

This is not how USB is intended to work when connecting one 'machine' to another.

So I had to come up with a fix.

3D Printing via Cura on Linux

I'm getting a bit bored with transferring g-code files to my printer's SD card.

 

Its not one of life's most difficult tasks.

But I thought I'd try printing from my laptop, and see how I get on with it.

My Bleepin' 3D Printer

My printer knows how to bleep!

 

That is to say that the controller has some kind of audio transducer which can make sounds.

So this post is about putting it to use.

3D Printing: printer to Linux computer serial link

There may be times when you want to link your printer to a Linux laptop via the serial link.

 

Its very handy to be able to slice and print straight from a connected computer.

...so here is the procedure.

3D Printing: time to replace the nozzle?

During the last 7 or 8 days, something bad has happened.

 

My 3D printer has been producing rubbish.

Something rather unexpected seems to have solved my problem.

Prostate Cancer: IGRT & the linear accelerator

Of all the scanners I've been put under or pushed through, the linear accelerator has to be the most impressive.

 

With its 4 'arms' rotating around your body, its half Swiss Army knife and half curious robot.

I can't help wondering if they ever go berserk, pick up the patient, spin them around a couple of times, and then dump them into a bin, saying "Sorry mate, you are beyond help!"

Filament "pull" affecting 3D print performance

Friction in the filament feed path can affect 3D printer performance...

 

...or at least that is the conclusion I have come to over the last few days.

Here are my notes to back this up.

Playing with colour recognition #2: resistor value reader

This post is about a practical example of colour recognition.

 

It describes an experiment to determine resistor values from their coloured bands.

Its an interesting, but difficult task.

3D Printing: sticking and removing

This post is primarily concerned with 2 issues;

 

1) Getting your prints to stick to the bed

2) Getting your prints off the bed

3D Printing: I'm back in the saddle!

It is almost 8 years since I've posted anything on 3D printing.

 

That's largely because its almost 8 years since I last touched a 3D printer.

Well now that I have my own printer...I'm back!

Prostate Cancer: "F" is for.... Fiducial

When the oncologist started to mention "fiducials" I obviously wanted to know how big they were and where he was proposing to stick them.

 

My first concern was unfounded, as it turns out they are quite small.

However, the second concern proved to be more justified.

Olympus ED 75-300mm zoom lens

Buying cheap zoom lenses generally leads to disappointment.

 

And you often eventually end up trading the damn thing in for something more expensive, costing even more money in the long run.

But we went ahead and bought this low cost lens anyway.

Olympus OM-D Firmware Updates: not using Windows or Mac

We love our 3 Olympus OM-D cameras.

 

But I was less happy recently when I wanted to update the firmware.

However, I've now found away around my problem.

Prostate Cancer: my chemo experience

As I don't have any horror stories, and someone has convinced me that my notes may be of interest to others...here is my experience of chemotherapy.

Playing with colour recognition #1

A Python tutorial on Colour Recognition recently grabbed my attention.

 

It looked like an interesting playground to step into, so...

...like any good Gambaser, I decided to write some code.

My Home WiFi Revamp

My WiFi/internet has been a little dodgy over the last 12 month, possibly due to Covid!

But a recent update of my internet service has caused me to make a few changes.

My Stirling Engine: speed check

When I ran my engine for the first time, I couldn't believe how fast it was going.

 

Naturally I was curious.

So I had to build a simple tacho to check the speed.

Hantek 6022BE on Peppermint 10: OpenHantek 6022

This post is about the updated version of OpenHantek software for the 6022 USB Oscilloscope.

Although restricted to the 6022BE/BL models, it has a few new features to offer.

My Stirling Engine: assembly & run

 The Stirling engine is not new.

Over 200 years ago John Stirling was the first person to build a working hot air engine.

So what better Christmas present to buy myself than a kit of parts.

Instant Messaging via XMPP/Jabber

I was looking for an Instant Messaging app for my de-googled phone and found Conversations.

 

This sent me off down a series of rabbit holes looking for answers.

So I now know a lot more than I did a week ago.