SFTPMS LED Workshop Session 1

The Session for today is part 1 of 2 and so, I had to be there early to set up my stuff. Raymond was there and he was very helpful in making sure I did not have any problems setting up. Not only that, he has cleared the workshop just for these two Saturdays.

This was how it looked like before the class started.

Time for a break. My Mom packed some lunch for
me, which I misheard and thought it was bak-chang.
When I opened it, I have never seen a bak-chang
made in this shape and covered in pandan leaves....

That's when I realised, this was the Petai and prawn
sambal made by my Sister in Law weeks ago, and this
was the last one from the fridge. Knowing the fact if I
ate this now, I might get some very serious stomach
ache. But the petai was too tempting.... And it was
still not enough. Together with Razman, we went to
a reataurant where I had rice with dhal. Yum-yum!

Raymond has kindly supplied a lighted magnifier
for me just in case. It was very helpful later on. I
did use the CCTV camera for close-up soldering
but I think its resolution was not great enough
as when I looked at the screen, it was still very
blurry. Maybe, one day, I'll get those higher
resolutions one but then, it would be a waste
since I don't think I'll repeat this workshop.

By about 1445, all the members have arrived and
were setting up their equipment before the session
begins.

The first exercise of the day. Soldering practice where
each member has to solder five sets of resistors and if
there are any mistakes, they have to try again.

They have to do this before starting on the real
Projects where Failure was not an Option.

The act of soldering produces a lot of fumes and so,
Raymond demonstrates how an air-brush booth
can be used for this purpose as not only does it
have lights, there is a suction fan too.

For those who have made too much mistakes, they
have to remove the solder and resolder again.

Once that is done, with almost everyone having a
go at soldering, it was time to try with the first
project, which is a simple LED tester.

To some, it was difficult because the solder pads
in the boards were designed to be more compact
than a normal PCB. This was so that I can yield
more boards from a master size with minimum
cost. Loo CK was the first to master the kit.

Followed by Kenny

Then Harman

Vincent

Sonny, then Raymond and followed closely by
SACC33 and his wife.

All in all, it was a good day for the session and its still too early to get the feedback. But I think I did overhear about someone raising this workshop and going to a bar or something. Weird.

Its almost there... part II

Finally, the 12 boxes are all packed. But I am too tired to check every item and so, I have to trust the guys at the shop. Each box contains a lot of components which, I think, would have cost a lot more than it should. Still, this is my way for giving back to SFTPMS. I just hope that on that day, there were no last minute registration or whatsoever because to be honest, the thread is a bit weird. Sure you have a lot of people reading it but there were no replies. Even for days. Something which I am not used to, when in other Forums, the replies are very fast.

So, in each box has four industrial grade circuit
boards and components to make four projects,
plus one for soldering practice. If I were to put
a value to it, I think it would be RM135.

Kristine's Drawing

Me: What is this?
Kristine: It's a Unta
Me: What is Unta?
Kristine: Dunno
Me: Why you tick Unta?
Kristine: Dunno
Me: Unta is Malay for camel. Is this a camel?
Kristine: This is a cow
Me: So, why you tick Unta?
Kristine: Dunno.

After that, with her homework finished, she asked me
what drawing I like and so she could copy it for me. I
chose 'Hello Kitty' but she refused because it was hard

So I let her draw her own and this
this is what she came up with. I
must say, her drawing has clearly
changed again. It has evolved.

Yeah, she is please. Looking
at this picture, she looked as
if she is Kaelynn and vice versa.

Huff and Puff

OK, this is a puzzle. Sure it was raining but where

I came from, there was no strong winds nor any

signs of tonadoes. If it was a small accident, it

could be the reason but there was a break in the

barricades just a few metres before I took this pic.

Its almost there...

With the component list fully made up, its off to the shop for them to pack for me. Here, I got a nice surprised as he called me up while I was at a customer's and ask, if I wanted to put all the components into one big bag or, have them packed into bags, for ready individual person because from the looks of the list, he suspected it was the latter. Usually, shops do not do this as they just sell you the stuff and then that's it. So, there you go, guys, this shop is very different. Yay!

Here is the shot of the components being packed
into individual bags. This is for the first soldering
exercise.

When I left them, they're still packing the stuff,
even when it was their lunchtime.

Infected sticks

When my Dad related his incident about bringing a wooden pencil to Australia, I thought it was quite amusing. But then, Australia had its reason. they are not taking any chances with the possibility of Malaysian insects still living inside it. Heck, if let loose, they could threaten the Australian wildlife and in short, screw up the food-chain there.

And so, when I was at Mr. DIY here,
I noticed some weird powder in one
of the packets. These are wooden
skewers and no prize for guessing
where it came from.

One of the imported bugs inside the
packets. Unlike Australia, there is no
stringent checks for items like these.
Heck, it did not even occur to them
that such things could happen.

And so, hanging on the shelves, are these
wooden skewers, home to some foreign
insect which might or might not even be
a native insect, is eating the wood in there.

And what would happen you ask? Well, here is some likely scenario:

1) Someone would complain about the powder left on the shelves. The worker will take a look at it and if he is slightly more intelligent than the bug, he/she will do a 2+2 and look up and onto the packets.

2) The worker might notice this and call his/her Boss who will shout around and then call HQ or some other Bigger Boss who would just say, Baygon it and then dump it into the trash. The bugs enjoy a permanent migration to Malaysia.

3) Some idiot Engineer who writes blogs would return to the scene a week later and end up buying them because he is too cheap to simulate rotten wood for his models.

What am I doing?

I have no idea what I was doing, taking photos of a urinal with others looking bemused. I must be going nuts...

But I mean, look at the texture of the hole and all.
Its very very nice, as if it was a former Sarlacc Pit...

One damn good Nasi Lemak

Not sure what was so special about this Nasi Lemak at Jalan 19/1. But I can tell you this; I was so engrossed with it, I was not aware about a huge truck coming out...

A Coke (no Permanis), the last packet of Nasi Lemak
and a hard boiled egg...

And then this truck reversed in, about 8 feet from us
with that fella guiding him. Oh, it cause a huge traffic
jam from both sides too.

Come to think of it, maybe I was hungry after all....

The Storm

On the way back to Office, scenes like this means havoc in the City. And boy, when I arrived, I was lucky I was not there. So much debris...

The Camera is A-OK!

I have yet to 'enjoy' the LCD Projector (loaned from Loo CK of SFTPMS) but there is one thing I must prepare first. This is because in the Workshop, there will be a section where I will be demonstrating how to solder. And so, in the interest of safety and also not burning ICW down, I decided to use a CCTV camera where the participants can observe the demonstration from afar.

Since I had an old CCTV camera lying around, I decided to connect it to the LCD projector...

This is a very nice CCTV camera. But before I
can use it properly, I would have to change the
lens. And by jove, I do have another lens too!
This was the wrong lens I bought when I was
trying out some CCTV theories (from my own
pocket, of course). And now, its needed here.

First test, the camera is working. This model
does not have those IR LEDs which allows it
to see in the dark. Not that I need it as during
close up, they might compromise the image.

Sometimes, changing the lens is very simple
which involves unscrewing the lens itself. But
in some camera models, you would need a
small screwdriver to untighten a retaining
screw. Its a pain but this screw is important
in CCTV application as it makes sure the
lens are never out of focus when some very
clumsy oaf (like me) fiddles around with it.

After the lens change, I got a much better picture.
In actual fact, I do not need to change the lens
at all as the original lens was quite OK. but I just
want to make sure it can do close-ups. So, this is
as close I want it to be and after some focusing.

And this is the distance!

The Workshop PCBs

OK, I finally got the chance to collect the circuit boards today and after some inspection, they look alright (to me, that is). So, the next part is to redo the component list as I missed out the resistor and capacitor values which, the shop could not pack them for me.

And so, the vendor has kindly cut up the circuit boards
for me and they are verynicely done. If these four
boards (a set) are to be sold as electronic kits, I don't
think you could buy them at the price I am making.
Yes, these are industrial grade boards.

Test fit result: All the components fit perfectly
unlike the prototypes weeks ago.

Seaweed Pringles

While I was enjoying my Work (yes, really)today, Kristine called up and told me that Mommy wanted me to get some eggs in the way home. So, I stopped by to get them and on the way, I saw some new Pringles crisps. What the heck, RM3.70 is Ok to me nowadays.

And so, this seaweed flavour is very
Pringles. It tasted more like a Pringles
than seaweed. And it does not even
taste green. And oh, this is how much
crisps it has inside before I took some
for testing. Ahem

1/20 Falke

When I examined the Falke, I did not realise it was that big. I kept forgetting that this was the Lunadiver. However, both are not the same scale. For one, the Falke is 1/20th while the Lunadiver is 1/35th. Anyway you look at it, the Lunadiver is still 'bigger'. One day, I want to get it but right now, the Falke will suffice.

OK, so the box is big. Its about 19 inches or so,
according to my thumb and ring finger, that is.

But once you open the box, the model is roughly
about 40cm. in length.

A nice surprise is that even under the box,
there are some printed fiction.

So, this is a quick look-see of the kit and I am not starting on it yet as I need to have a better look at the instruction kit since my main aim is to light it up (again). So, its over to Bruce's for some clear casting help... stay tuned, folks.

Reading

As I sat there silently, the girls were busy with their books. Here are some shots of them reacting to each page...

Kaelynn looking at Kristine's school books

Kristine looking at her own school books

Kaelynn looking at Kristine's work...

Busy Sunday 17042011

Wife is still sick and so, I have no mood to do anything else other than worry about her. Because I'm a guy and me being me, its hard for me to show my feelings. Still, at the end of the day, I just sit alone and worry. But this is not doing anyone good and so, .... well, nothing.

But in the evening, she did ask me to go to Mid-Valley, to get some things for her, which she needs by Monday. And so, I decided to bring the girls along since there is nothing else to do in the house.

Talk about timing. In just a few minutes, Vincci
started their fashion show and from where we
were, we're literally in the front seat.

One thing is that these models were tall. Very very
tall. Most of them, I think, flew in from somewhere.

And I really liked the background which
is kind of well, nice and also surreal.

The girls having some fun in The Gardens

The gigantic Milleniun Falcon, was right beside
them and all they want to do was stare at some
Transformers. Sheeesh... kids nowadays.

Finally, Kaelynn said she was thirsty and we
had to go down three floors to get their very
favourite "Dragon Eye" drink. And she did
not settle for any other drink.

Once we got all the items Mommy wanted, it was
time for us to go back and I went to Art Friend
one more time to get some balsa wood since it did
not make sense to carry 40 inches of fragile wood
around during shopping.

They're growing up and this time,
they insist of going to the proper
Ladies.

Krsitine took a brochure from Art Friends and
pretended it was a map so she could guide us
all the way back to Vee-chai.

And she thinks it more effective than my
Nokia n8 OVI Maps.

The Gweilo and his Har mee

The gweilo (Cantonese for foreigner and I am not going to tell you the Malay version since its not nice) or, Hom Mo Guai (Red Furred Ghost) is very different from us. This is very apparent when I was growing up. But with the advent of the Internet and Movies, they're so common nowadays and no one, I mean, no one is afraid of them anymore.

But we still treat them as someone superior even though they're not. Just by being there, the can command any situation. Why we gave it to them, I have no idea.

Two Decades ago, if he comes here, he would be
stared at, as if some alien just came down. One
decade ago, he is living among us and we see
them as rich, filthy rich and also, obscenely
powerful. Today, he's just as common as any
one of us.

Machinen Krieger 1/20 Falke

Yep. Got it. Right beside me. I'm trembling
with excitement while driving.

Grading

Today's lesson was a very short one. Before I could warm up with my work, it was finished. At first, when we arrived, we notice there was a lot of cars and it could not be some PTM activity. It was not until Kristine came to me and told me that she had been graded and we can now all go home.

Yes, I was very confused.... I mean, there is so much information you can take in before your brain decided to switch itself off.

This explains why there were so many parents.
All their kids are being graded and I think, some
of them might not be from this school. Then again,
I am never right in this matter. Parents of all races
were anxious while the both of us did not take much
notice all this excitement until too late.

So, just to blend in like any parent,
I decided to take some photos but
come to think of it, I regretted not
having the chance to video Kristine
going through her moves.

In the meantime, Kaelynn was busy too, but with
her own stuff. I like this one, don't you?