Standalone digipeater & igate? I like the idea!!!

While browsing product availability at argendata website, I came across a daughterboard design for ot+ and wrt54gl. Hey, that could be an interesting mini project that I could take.. I've wrt54gl laying around collecting dust, it was supposedly my backup & working as WDS client for my home office but it doesn't work reliably .. so it was replaced by a Buffalo WHR-G125 instead.

I don't have an OT+, but I've TinyTrack4 that is connected to a PC running UI-VIEW32. Following the K6DBG website below, I could try to connect the TT4 via serial port.

http://www.dimebank.com/cak/k6dbg/k6dbg_igate.html

Linksys built few WRT54G series of wireless routers with additional 10-pin header which we could use. This header gives a two TTL input/output ports. In order to convert this TTL signal, I need a MAX232 chip...

I will start this little project within this few days and see if I can get it anywhere.. now I can spare the old DELL PC that I bought to run UIVEW + sound card based interface for other usage ..

The guide to add serial ports to the router could be found here:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/WRT54GL_MAX232_Serial

Update 1: The internal .. RS232 interface ready ..



Update 2: I couldn't fit TT4 inside the casing .. added one DB9 to the front/face of the wrt54gl. There is one that should go to the side but will add it later on.

Update 3: Software wise, I've loaded OpenWRT/X-WRT Kamikaze (with disabled GUI interface) and APRS4R .. I need to configure it though.. that'll be the hard part I guess.

Update 4: Finally, it is up and running, some more photos to share:




Update 5: There seems to be a problem with the router running out of memory or something else, after running for a day, it just stuck there.. and not igate-ing any packets. Need to look into the log and see what happened.

Update 6: Solved this by having a cron job which kills the aprs4r process in every four hours.

Building a fish pond ..

Nah, surely I won't do it by my own .. the effort surely too much for me to take. It took two men the whole day to dig out the 9'x6'x3'.. it will surely take me a year to dig it out .. with all the junks left by the developer underneath ..

What kind of fish you may ask? I've no idea really .. but probably I'll go for the most common one, koi.. no .. I don't have any experience in rearing fish before ..so, I know, it will be a hard job for me to maintain the pond .. and then not to let the fish die too soon .. hee..hee..

Day 1: Digging ..

Day 2: Nothing interesting, they just put a power point and stuff..

Day 3: They're putting a skylight now ..

Day 4: Further digging and putting a foundation to the pond (didn't get a chance to snap anything)

Day 5: The pond taking a shape, water feature, filtration chambers, etc..

No idea what going to be here too..

After weeks of no updates since suddenly the pace went slower:




Pebble-ed and ready to go.. but the decking .. hopefully can be done this week .. I'll surely need to ready the pond .. I was advised to fill up the pond with water and pour some salt to kill germs, parasites .. and acidic substance such as pineapple into the pond .. someone even suggested that I need to cut banana trunk and put it into the water .. this to remove the toxic from the pond..




Done with the decking, pond cleaned once to get rid of loose sand, left over cement etc. Had a problem before when the water in the filter chamber was so low and I was so afraid that the pump was too powerful for the pond.. turned out that the pvc conduit from main pond to the filter chamber was clogged with cement.. anyway, thanks AbangK from koi forum.. will follow his setup of skippy filter after I 'condition' the pond..

Will a tuning unit improves my diesel engine?

No idea really .. will test it out. I have been toying an idea since long ago but due to the prices for the tuning boxes .. it was last in my to-have list for my Triton. Somehow, somebody in motortrader forum brought back the old issue, so .. as usual, me .. with the 'hantu' ebay .. looking for a good bargain until I found one seller which is selling a Vector Tuning box and the price is .. guess what.. half the price they're selling it here locally. Further enquiries and found that the seller is one of the main distributor for Vector and I was well assured that my Triton engine is in the list .. so .. ordered one unit end of last week and now waiting for it to be delivered.. hopefully passes the customs with no problem or otherwise, I need to go down to KLIA once again.

I will update this blog with latest info .. as and when I receive my box.

Where should it goes to? Here???

Update:

DONE! Power? What power? haa..haa.. see, I'm not good in evaluating stuff .. they might sell duff box to me without me knowing it .. wondering, the thingy has microprocessor isn't it? Does the cable provide power to it? What kind of communication it has over the connector? I guess since it has only three wires, it might be serial stuff.. and it should be learning my driving style now.. should I push it hard or go soft?

Update 18/06/09:

Had a go at MRR2 this morning .. It might be just my feeling .. I feel the car is lighter, a slight push of throttle and it zooming ... and going from 80 to 110km/h is spiffy .. ah.. might just be the feeling of the RM spent on the vector made me think that suddenly my Triton has more power to it.. oh.. one other thing, sorry for those drivers that I cut into this morning .. suddenly I couldn't stop the Triton from zig-zaging in the traffic..

TinyTrack4 & Display - mini project

Received my 20x4 display in the post today and spent half an hour trying to make it working. I messed up with the wiring for sure and scratching my head why it does not work .. yes, the RS and E pins were swapped .. silly me. Anyway, result .. as photos posted below (oh yeah, chosen this black over greenish LCD since it cost me only RM38/pc)...!

Next mini project will be, to put this display and TT4 into much better casing and to get the PS/2 keyboard interface wired up .. and to get the display working with OpenTracker2 too. If I fancy myself, might use STAMP2 but wondering if mine has serial memory built-in .. otherwise, I'll just wait a bit for Scott/ArgentData to come up with new firmware which has LCD/keyboard support.