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Make it, Break it, Fix it

confessions of a backyard inventor

[Tech] Control your garage door from your phone

MM Blog

I thought it would be cool to know whether my garage door is open or closed (security purposes at night) and to be able to control it remotely. So recently I started playing around in the world of electronics and Arduino when I came across this nifty little device called the NodeMCU board, which utilizes the popular IoT ESP8266 wireless module.

113990105-1 NodeMCU ESP8266 Development Board

This little development board can do most things a typical Arduino UNO can do, as well as have native wireless integration via the ESP8266 wifi onboard at only around $10AUD. This opens up a world of things we can do. So I got to working on building a small device that can tell me what state the garage door is in and to be able to remotely open/close it.

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility if anything goes wrong when using this guide to build a device…

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IoT functionality completed. Coopener is now centrally controlled and accessible by web.

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DIY Home Automation: Coopener – Hardware and OS installation

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DIY Home Automation: Coopener – Testing and retrofitting

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DIY: Smart Home / Home Automation

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DIY: Thermistor and PWM speed controller

Build your own temperature sensor and fan speed controller.

DIY: Haptic compass band, revisited

Ever wanted to have a 6th sense?

DIY: Hacking a Riverbed Steelhead CX755

Install *nix on your Riverbed x55

Chicken Enclosure

A coop and enclosure for the newest addition to our family.

Fence Extension for Privacy

Extended existing fence for privacy.

Vege Patch Upgrade

Terracing our vegetable patch in time for Spring.

Shed

Replaced a retaining wall and built a shed.

Banana Planter Box

A new home for my banana tree.

DIY: Evinrude 115hp impeller replacement (1978 engine, 115893c)

Disclaimer: These instructions likely cover many different models other than the one I have. I don't know which models these are, so if you don't have the same engine as mine then be sure to check on it. Having said the above,... Continue Reading →

Coming Soon! GRABBER – Tool to pull, sanitise and present data on Real Estate so you can make the right choice when buying!

This post is a placeholder for what is yet to come. Firstly, sorry for taking so long to add to this blog! It has been quite some time. I have built many projects in this time, but haven't updated them... Continue Reading →

Virgin Active gym class automatic booking script

Everyone loves going to the gym (well, maybe not everyone), but we hate it when all the good classes are always booked out! Argh! Well, not anymore! After recently joining Virgin Active gym in Sydney, Australia I quickly realised that... Continue Reading →

DIY: Complete Media System – PART 3 [Linux to Arduino comms]

The final steps to completing your project. In this final project post we will be discussing Two-way serial communications between Linux and the Arduino. Using BASH scripts to communicate Running Cron jobs to schedule the scripts At the time of... Continue Reading →

DIY: Complete Media System – PART 2 [Hardware and OS]

Want to build your own completely flexible and customisable, yet small and energy efficient home Media System? This is not a simple media server or NAS (Network Attached Storage), although it does that too. It is everything your run-of-the mill... Continue Reading →

DIY: Complete Media System that fits in the palm of your hand – PART 1

I already have existing servers, but I figured it would be best to build an entire Media System which stands alone and try to make it as small, efficient and automated as possible. This way, the system can be replicated... Continue Reading →

DIY: SleepTrack – Sleep Apnea measuring and prevention machine

UPDATE: 25/2/2014 - Fritzing file is now available for Breadboard, Schematic, and PCB views. Above image is a screen grab of the Breadboard view in Fritzing. This is v1 hardware and will work on all v1.x versions of code (see... Continue Reading →

DIY Coolsculptor Freezes Fat with Cryolipolysis

My second appearance on Hack a Day! Thanks @HaD! 🙂

DIY: Coolsculptor/FrankenSculptor – PART 4

This is part 4 of a four part project. Click here for Part 1 Click here for Part 2 Click here for Part 3 This part concentrates solely on the controller and cleaning up the prototype wiring to increase the ease of use... Continue Reading →

DIY: Coolsculptor/FrankenSculptor – PART 3

This is part 3 of a four part project. Click here for Part 1 Click here for Part 2 Click here for Part 4 (DISCLAIMER: Use the information below at your own risk. I am not a doctor nor do I know... Continue Reading →

DIY: Coolsculptor/FrankenSculptor – PART 2

This is part 2 of a four part project. Click here for Part 1 Click here for Part 3 Click here for Part 4 At this point the device is nearly ready for a test run. Temperature sensors were installed in each plate to... Continue Reading →

DIY: Coolsculptor (Cryolipolysis) codename: FrankenSculptor – PART 1 [DIY Coolsculpting machine]

This is part 1 of a four part project. Click here for Part 2 Click here for Part 3 Click here for Part 4 I've been working on building my own Coolsculpting device as Zeltiq are offering.It is a machine which reduces... Continue Reading →

DIY: Building additional shelves for shoe cupboard and installing LED illumination

Space in our house is getting a little tight and my show cupboard is already full. So I decided to make a few additional shelves to hold more shoes. Also, the light in the cupboard is minimal due to the... Continue Reading →

DIY: Fire pit

One fine day we decided to go to a junk yard and pick up some odds-n-ends and build a fire pit. We found what looks to be clothes racks. The good thing was the base was made of stainless steel.... Continue Reading →

DIY: Repairing rusted balustrade and reinforcing

The existing balustrade had rusted away at 2 of the posts from water pooling over the years. In these pictures you can see after welding a reinforcing place on the bottom of the balustrade and after painting it black. But... Continue Reading →

DIY: Cat scratching post reduction/modification

Nothing special here. We had quite a large cat gym which stood around 5' 5". This was cut down a few weeks before this project to about 1/3 of its size. Now I am further cutting it down to just... Continue Reading →

DIY: Clothes dryer installation in the laundry, including exhaust vent

Too many strings of wet days meant washing couldn't be done when needed. So, I finally caved and bought a clothes dryer. It's not used too often, but when it is used it's saves time and heartache; ultimately a darn good... Continue Reading →

DIY: Car side mirror replacement

I broke my left side mirror (oops!) and needed to have it replaced. Buying from manufacturer costs 3 times the amount for one mirror. Instead, I ordered a set (left and right) online with the added ability of a motorized... Continue Reading →

DIY: Building a new gaming PC

I finally decided to build myself a new PC. I haven't played computer games since around 2005 or so. My brother was getting back in to gaming and I decided I would too, it's a good release. Previously, I had... Continue Reading →

DIY: Make and install air-conditioning cover

I had a split-system air-conditioning unit installed in my garage (see previous blog post for installation of the wiring) and during installation my neighbor complained that the external unit is unsightly and will be too noisy for them along with... Continue Reading →

DIY: Fix a folding chair

I stood on the chair and broke it.... oops. So here we are fixing it with a spare piece of MDF. Not the greatest fix considering it's not water proof and it increases the weight of the chair substantially. But... Continue Reading →

DIY: Installing more double-baton fluorescent lights

I had a gift voucher the local hardware store, so I decided to buy two double-baton fluorescent lights and install them near the business end of my workshop. I tapped in to the existing lights to grab power and I... Continue Reading →

DIY: Form-working and concreting my brothers garage

We are planning on building my brother a workshop in his garage. The first step is to concrete the footings of the garage to make them look neater and eventually use the footing as raised storage. We built the form-working... Continue Reading →

DIY: Fix motorbike blinker cluster

My brother bought a motorbike recently. The bike was in good condition, but the blinker cluster was broken -- It wasn't able to 'click' properly to the left and sometimes it would not engage the indicator lights at all. My... Continue Reading →

DIY: Making and installing shelf for Linux router/server

This one is fairly straight-forward. Just built a shelf to get the Linux router/server out of the way and off the floor. The cabling is still a mess. I will need to fix that up and install proper conduit one... Continue Reading →

DIY: New drill press and drop saw bench for the workshop

I had a friend of mine build me a new bench for a drop saw and drill press. Great use of the space in my opinion. I love it!

DIY: Running electricity for fairy lights underground

A couple of years ago when I turfed the back yard, I had dug a trench and installed two separate conduits running from under the house to the veggie patch. One of the conduits was to run power through it.... Continue Reading →

DIY: Installing mains power cable for air-con in garage

Yes. The garage gets very hot and I like my controlled climate. So I am having air-conditioning installed in my man-cave. The person installing the air-con is a friend of my father-in-law and we offered to run the cable from... Continue Reading →

DIY: Cut-off saw sliding and floating shelf

I was given a cut-off saw as a gift. The saw is very, very handy. But I have no where in the garage to put it! Because I dont use it as frequently as my other tools and most of... Continue Reading →

DIY: Replacing boat trailer hubs

As part of the preparation for taking my boat down the coast (3 hours drive) I replaced the hubs on the boat trailer. The trailer had a nice overhaul almost a year ago. I made new brackets to stand on... Continue Reading →

DIY: My brothers network rack

My brother had bought a bunch of networking equipment. CISCO gear. We need a rack for all this stuff. So he decided to put one together. Here is the result:

DIY: Installing marine audio deck in to boat

My existing Kenwood deck is no longer working. This is the second Kenwood deck i've installed that has failed in 2 years. Each time it fails not long after the warranty period ends! So no more Kenwood for me. This... Continue Reading →

DIY: Getting Netflix in Australia (or any other country outside USA that doesn’t allow Netflix)

What this blog entry is: Information on how I set up a [relatively] maintenance-free, reliable and cheap way of getting Netflix on my PCTV (PC connected to my TV), and any other PC on my network or connected to my... Continue Reading →

DIY: Power Generator – Part 2

Part 2 of my power generator project. Looks like this is going to be a multi-part project as it is taking longer than I thought. I am currently up to the stage of building the covering/casing for the generator. I... Continue Reading →

DIY: Fix caravan/camper trailer door

My parents bought a camper trailer almost 25 years ago. They still use it but it has been falling apart for quite some time now. Dad repairs what he can (which is most things), but the fold-down door he couldnt... Continue Reading →

DIY: Fixing my Hakko soldering station

My soldering station stopped working. I love this soldering station, so I opened it up to see whats going on inside. The transformer contacts had come loose, so I tightened them and VIOLA! all good. But not longer after it... Continue Reading →

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