Inexperienced parents: I just don't buy it!

A common reason offered for the failure of a pair of garden birds to successfully raise a brood is that "...the parents are probably inexperienced..."

This view seems to be so widespread, that even the good folk on BBC SpringWatch have been known to offer this explanation.

But surely this is another example of people dreaming up a simple theory without thinking things through...

KitchenPi: an internet radio for my kitchen

We needed a radio in the kitchen to replace our Bush DAB/FM portable which has put in good service, although DAB reception in our area has never been great.

As space is at a premium, I wanted the new radio to take up as little space as possible.

So I came up with the idea of building something that would fit under the eye-level kitchen cabinets, behind the decorative molding.

BirdBox2016: the odd couple

From previous years, it is generally the first 10 days of April when nesting tits complete their nests and the first eggs appear [at least in our garden].

A pair of blue tits took over our Maple Tree bird box early in March, and have been visiting regularly right through the last 4 or 5 weeks.

However, their behaviour has not been typical from our experience of observing via box cameras since the start of the 2009 season.

Raspberry Pi 3: a Linux desktop computer?

I now have a Raspberry Pi 3 in addition to my other 10 Pi boards.

This is my first Pi 3 and it does appear to be even quicker than my Pi 2.

But is it fast enough to be used as the basis for a Linux desktop computer?

Raspberry Pi audio vs. Adafruit USB audio

Many people on the internet comment about the poor sound quality of the Raspberry Pi audio output when taken direct from the 3.5mm jack socket.

One alternative is the Adafruit USB audio adaptor, which provides a mic input and headphone output.

Both the Pi jack and Adafruit audio outputs sounded a little harsh to me, so I decided to do a few checks using sine waves and a scope.

The NJM2073D: an amp for the Pi

The NJM2073D is a low cost, easy to use, audio amplifier chip with a maximum power of about 2 Watts.

It can be used as a stereo amplifier for portable devices like a music player or a radio, and is available for just over £1.

I have a couple of Raspberry Pi applications that need audio, so this device looks like a good option.

BirdBox2016: what's happening?

There has been plenty of interest shown by a number of local blue tits in both of our Pi powered bird boxes.

I've also added some enhancements to our bird box monitor which sits in a corner of our kitchen and raises the alarm if a box is triggered by a visitor.

It is the 12th March, so we may only be 2 or 3 weeks away from some real nest-building action!

Pi Unicorn Hat: as a photographic strobe light

This Hat sits on a Raspberry Pi and contains 64 LEDs in an 8 x 8 grid format.

The documentation says that the LEDs are very bright "...bright enough to cause eye pain... possibly retina damage..." ...so I wondered if they had a use in photography.

This post details some experimentation, some Python code, and a few photos.

BlissFlixx: wifi config & user information

I was thinking recently about how I might send a configured BlissFlixx SD card or complete system to a friend.

How easy is it for someone to configure and use?

This led to a bit of Python coding, as I attempted to make wifi configuration just a little bit easier.