A journal of hobbies
In my previous post I looked at weather balloons and sondehub.org, the online tracking site where you can monitor the balloons. In this post I will cover my setup of a monitoring station using an SDR to monitor balloons and upload the data to SondeHub. It is much simpler and cheaper than I expected. Monitoring... Continue Reading →
I've had an interest in weather balloons since the 1970's. I couldn't have imagined back then the amazing resources that are now available to monitor and track them and that I would so easily set up a monitoring station. Why would you want to monitor radiosondes? I have found it is surprisingly interesting and it... Continue Reading →
It's a lot easier to use AI to create a simple web app and put it online than I expected. A while back I went looking for an online tool to convert images to RGB565 for use with Arduino displays. The ones I found were covered in ads, and some didn't exactly inspire confidence in... Continue Reading →
Update 18 Sept 2026: Since making this post the code has been updated to allow the network and time zone settings to be updated over WiFi, rather than hard coding them in the Arduino sketch. This post has been updated to reflect those changes. If there was only one type of electronics project I was... Continue Reading →
Back on 3 October 2023 I wrote about the issues I was having building a notifier that would send alerts to our house whenever the mailbox flap opened or someone entered our driveway. Building a smart mailbox: Challenges and unsolved issues. After 2 and a half years and more tinkering I have made some progress.... Continue Reading →
A while back I made a Tuning Wheel For SDR Radio on my PC Using an Angle Sensor. When plugged into a PC, this behaves as a mouse wheel. I'm using it as a tuning knob for SDR software. It works well but I was never very happy with the enclosure. I guess 'enclosure' is... Continue Reading →
We have developed a habit each Friday to go to our local Tip shop. They often have a few old speakers stacked in a corner. I don't need any more but I always have a look, just in case there is something special that wants to come home with me. Normally there are a couple... Continue Reading →
I recently came across a discussion on Reddit about MT6701 working modes, where someone referenced my earlier posts on using a magnetic sensor as a rotary encoder. That prompted me to look more closely at the different MT6701 modules currently available and how suitable they are as drop-in replacements for mechanical encoders. What's the point... Continue Reading →
I have a great deal of trouble laying out items for project front panels, particularly where multiple holes have to be aligned. I don't have a CNC router or other high tech tools. I just have old basic tools. I do have a basic saw bench but I think it is at least 70 years... Continue Reading →
I watch quite a bit of YouTube and over time I have found some I recommend following. BBC archive is one of these. It is an official archive channel from the British Broadcasting Corporation that curates and publishes historical BBC television content. I like the calm, slow, deliberate style instead of the modern fast-cut media.... Continue Reading →
Garry's blog 