Posts
January 18, 2013
+
7:00 PM | Make Your Own DIY Solar Charger
DIY Solar Charger The Big Book Of HacksKeep your gadgets powered even when you're off the grid. MATERIALS Plywood Jigsaw Drill Nails Hammer Two 1-inch (2.5 cm) wood slats 5-watt, 12-volt solar panel Hinge Soldering iron and solder ¼-inch (6.35-mm) plastic mono plug Cigarette-lighter Y adapter 12-volt 12AH rechargeable battery Solar DC charger controller 4 feet (1.2 m) of 18-gauge wire 15-amp DC panel meter Two female terminal disconnects STEP 1 Check online to discover your home's latitude.
[…]
January 15, 2013
+
DIY Virtual Reality Glasses The Big Book Of HacksGo anywhere Google Street View goes. MATERIALS Safety goggles Large piece of cardboard Pencil Craft knife Tape Smartphone STEP 1 Lay the safety goggles on the cardboard so that they're facing forward. Trace around the shape, adding at least 2 inches (5 cm) in front. STEP 2 Roll the goggles up so that they're resting on an end. Trace around that side, adding extra space again. STEP 3 Using the craft knife, cut out your tracing as one piece, then
[…]
January 11, 2013
+
6:00 PM | Build And Launch A Mini-Rocket
DIY Mini-Rocket The Big Book Of HacksCombine simple household items to make a rocket propulsion system. MATERIALS Paper Pencil Scissors Glue Alka-Seltzer tablets Water Empty film canister STEP 1 Design your rocket, drawing it on paper. A simple cylinder, nose cone, and a pair of fins will suffice. It should stand around 6 inches (15 cm) tall and be approximately 1½ inches (3.75 cm) in diameter. STEP 2 Cut out your rocket components (cylinder, nose cone, and fins) and glue them together. STEP 3
[…]
January 09, 2013
+
10:00 PM | Program An Arduino In A Few Simple Steps
Hack An Arduino The Big Book Of HacksAn Arduino is a popular open-source single-board microcontroller. Learn how to program one and let the possibilities take shape. STEP 1 Arduino microcontrollers come in a variety of types. The most common is the Arduino UNO, but there are specialized variations. Before you begin building, do a little research to figure out which version will be the most appropriate for your project. STEP 2 To begin, you'll need to install the Arduino Programmer, aka the
[…]
January 08, 2013
+
7:06 PM | Make A Zoetrope Out Of A Turntable
Turntable Zoetrope The Big Book Of HacksLegos come to life with this classic animation trick. The world saw its first modern zoetrope in 1833, and since its invention the device has paved the way to cinema as we know it. This playful update uses a strobe light to interrupt your view of a series of still objects as they go around and around on a record player-causing your eye to perceive them as if they were in motion. It's not 1833 anymore, but the effect is still pretty mind-boggling.
[…]
January 07, 2013
+
DIY Car Charger The Big Book Of HacksOn the lam without your car charger? Splice some wires and be on your way. MATERIALS USB cable for your device Any 5-volt car cigarette lighter adapter Knife Tape STEP 1 Cut the USB end off the cable for your device and strip the insulation. You'll use the black and red wires to connect to the adapter. Twist together the other two wires. STEP 2 Cut off the end of the cigarette lighter adapter that does not plug into the cigarette lighter. Use the knife to
[…]
January 04, 2013
+
The ultimate DIY, beer-brewing machine The Big Book Of HacksBehold this deluxe homemade microbrewery: an elaborate device that boils, ferments, chills, and pours home-crafted ale. What if there were a machine-a beautiful, shiny machine-and all it did, with almost no work from you, was make you beer? Such was the dream that drove former PopSci photographer John Carnett to build what he calls "the Device": a stainless-steel, two-cart brewing system that starts by boiling extract (concentrated
[…]
January 02, 2013
+
9:00 PM | How To Make Your Own Grow Lights
DIY grow lights The Big Book Of HacksCreate a light system to keep houseplants thriving during winter's short days. Setting up specialized grow lights that mimic the sun's rays is a good solution, but you can get similar results with LEDs. We connected three inside a clear plastic tube to make a "light spike" that you can stick into a pot for direct exposure, and added a controller that adjusts the brightness. MATERIALS Project box Drill 2.1-mm power-connector jack 10-position header 100k-ohm
[…]
1
8 Results
