Mark's projects

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page updated: 2005.11.20

A few things I'm currently working on (when I get time !).

MarkSpace

You're looking at it. More stuff to come yet (space allowing). Now has some imported java applets (see the logo and pond), but I really ought to try writing some java myself, as I have passed the OU module. I've already put a listing of my DVD collection (not very big) up here. I'm planning on doing the same for my CD collection (a mammoth task). Also have plans for a garden section, and software.

If you would like to make a web site like this, take a look at the how to... page.

House

We finally bought a house in 1999 after years of looking. Still needs a bit of sorting out. Storage solutions needed.
Kitchen and hall need painting/tiling. New bathroom now has a roller blind. It will do without a shower curtain and cabinet. The shelving around the cistern (which got exported from the bathroom into the hall cupboard) is now done. All the aircraft that would fit went in there.

Analog TV reception is still rubbish, but we've gone digital. Still some breakup, particularly with the radio channels, but much better than analog. Could probably do with another digibox to watch another channel while taping something else.
Maybe I'll get a satellite system 1 day.

Pond (real not virtual) is quite mature now. We get a large crop of frogs each year. Here's a picture of the pond when it was new.

We actually have 2 ponds now. The new 1 is a bit shallower.

We now have a nice new consumer unit with RCD protection. The power in the village is a bit unreliable, and we have had the candles out several times. We once had a 2 day cut. We have invested in a 2.5KVA portable generator as backup. It has had several outings.

Main project at the moment is the garage. It has a pitched roof, where I'm hoping to store a lot of my junk that I can't bear to throw away. Need to put some supports in before putting any weight up there. I've found suitable joist hanger brackets and rawlbolt fixings. Still need to decide how much wood is actually required. In the meantime, I'm going round painting the walls white (after removing the multivarious shelves fitted by the previous owner) and making trips down the tip. Now actually have 2 joists up. Waiting for some more round toits.

We eventually succeeded in buying a shed from B&Q. Not actually being used very well. It mainly house our collection of rubbish lawnmowers.

Largely due to Carol's efforts, the kitchen is now mostly tiled (and grouted). Walls painted a rather horrid pale yellow. Still working on a better colour.

PIC electronics

Seeing the PIC based mixer from Ken's Project's that I used in the Zagi and Siesta brought home to me how small a complete micocontroller can be these days. I've now bought a Microchip development system and a project board from Maplin. I've got the project 1 countdown timer running in a flash 16F84A device. I've now successfully emulated the mixer (not done the channel reversal and rate switches yet) for use in future aircraft.

I'd like to do something with sonar height measurement/control as a 1st step towards autonomous aircraft. I've now managed an interrupt driven sonar range meter with 8bit led and tone/frequency indication. This keeps the processor rather busy. I think a more advanced PIC with built in PCM features would be needed to form a complete control loop.

Model Aircraft

See aircraft.

Zagi THL

The Uno Wot is still in progress, but in the meantime I made a zagi thl. This is the light version of the zagi, allegedly capable of thermal soaring. Programmed my own pic mixer for it. Not very successful as an aircraft. If there is enough wind, the full strength zagi is much more fun. In light winds it's better to fly a proper thermal soarer.

Uno Wot

Latest build project is a Chris Foss Uno Wot. This is basically a fairly nice looking 4 channel trainer. I need something with a "real" engine in it to take my A certificate test. Yet to decide on a motor. I will probably put a V tail on it, so it will be barely recognisable by the time I've finished. Now started work on the fuselage (considerably slimmed down).

Siesta

Before the Uno Wot was a Siesta from Phoenix Model Products. This is a 100" class thermal soarer. Being a do it yourself balsa and ply construction, it's not going to be competitive with the high tech plastic and carbon fibre things. I suppose I could even enter the competition. The main reason for this though, is to give me something to fly when the wind drops at the slope. Now flown very nicely at the Long Mynd.

Helicopter(s)

I'm now into my 2nd helicopter. It's the hornet.

Made in the Czech Republic. The latest of a new breed of mini heli, made possible by modern mini electronics, piezo gyros and carbon fibre composite materials. I saw several flying at the Coventry flying club indoor flying do at Coventry sports centre. Very smooth. An improvement over the Ikarus Piccolo.

As it lacks collective pitch control, I was expecting an easier build, but the box seemed to contain almost as many bits as the Eco8. I've counted 11 ball races, compared to the Eco's 14. The lack of collective pitch and in flight gyro gain control mean that it can be flown with a standard 4 channel Tx.

Now complete and flown quite a bit. Generally very tough little beast. The original set of rotor blades are still more or less intact and usable, but rather tatty looking, so I have fitted a new set. It tends to shed teeth on the gears instead. Also rather prone to breaking the main shaft (carbon fibre). I've replaced this with a steel main shaft now, which seems quite satisfactory. Not having a heading lock gyro has probably improved my flying skills, although I'm still only comfortable with tail in hovering. The collective pitch head upgrade is available now, although it would probably be wise to upgrade to a brushless motor at the same time.

My 1st helicopter was/is the ECO 8 from Ikarus Modellbau.

It's electric, using similar motors and cells to my other aircraft. The basic kit seems quite reasonably priced, but when you add up the motor, controller, radio rx and servos, piezo gyro etc. it starts to look seriously expensive. And that's before you crash it ! (apparently inevitable). There didn't seem to me much on the web about it, until I tried "hubschrauber". Aparently model helis are big in Deutschland. I was rather put off by Kurt's progress. It tracks all of the progres of learning to fly, including all the crashes and a month by month total of the spares costs. There is a nice review.

Mine is now complete and flown several times (in the garden and at indoor flight sessions. I also flew and crashed it at Wolston. I bought 2 sets of 8 cell 9.6V 2400mAh which gave adequate lift at the start of the run, but poor duration when the voltage dropped off. I've then went for with a 10 cell 12V 2400mAh pack which is well powerful, and lets me use most of the power in the pack. With the extra weight and duration, the motor is working rather hard, and it smelled of hot electrics after a while. Eventually it just burneed out. I've now fitted a (horrendously expensive) sensorless brushless motor/controller the Jeti Phasor 30/3 motor and JES 40-3P Opto controller. which is very efficient.

I used...

Hitec 8ch dual conversion Rx and HS81MG servos (metal gears) to prevent heavy landings stripping the gears.

ICG 540 "heading lock" piezo gyro from CSM. Fabulously expensive, but makes it easier to fly. It's rather larger than I was expecting, which makes it look a bit awkward in such a small model. Decided to cut some of the chassis away to make a neat job of it. The chassis was a bit too bendy at 1st, leaving an instability/oscillation in the control loop. Cured this with the optional tail boom stiffener kit.

Futaba Field Force 8s computer Tx. You can just about fly it with a standard radio, but this needs either the mechanical mixer or some onboard electronic mixing. The computer Tx has dedicated heli starter programs that leave almost everything customisable. Excellent.

Sanyo 2400mAh 12V battery pack and Jeti Phasor 30/3 motor/JES 40-3P Opto controller. It started with the standard "sport" motor, and was a bit underpowered with 7 cells 8.4V, although it would climb if you didn't stir the controls too much. Better lift, but still poor duration with 8 cells 9.6V.I also upgraded the motor pinion gear from 10 to 13 teeth to increase the rotor revs.

MS Composit carbon fibre rotor blades. I didn't like the look of the hardwood and balsa things in the kit. They would (wood ?) have been lighter, but need static and dynamic balancing, and covering. The carbon blades fly straight out of the pack. Also the extra weight/mass probably give more gyroscopic stability.

Other aircraft

Zagi EPP is now complete (and flown). Took me about 3 weeks.You can have a look at it at eppmodels.com. There are some cool mpegs of it in flight and loads of photos. Now flown lots.

The Wingbat+ may not get built now. It would only end up very similar to the Zagi.

I've replaced and relocated the control cells in the aerojet, allowing 0.1 kg of balance weight to be removed from the nose. Also saved about 50g with a lighter battery pack. It's still going to be rather heavy at 0.95 kg without flight cell pack 0.425 kg. Should be in the air again soon.

I've bought some 500mAh Sanyo AR battery packs for the electric glider thing. Should stay up a bit better now. As revealed by the "all up last down" competition (down 1st) it is just too heavily constructed for this sort of thing. Oh well, at least its easy to fly.

I ought to do some more actual flying. Perhaps I should go for an A certificate.

I'd like to do some aerial photography.

The twice annual Coventry open gliding competition. We now have a laptop. We use F3Score software. After complaints that the PA from the tent is inaudible at the flight line, I've developed a remote link based on some wireless headphones. Now used in anger, and worked well, but still needs some refinement.

MarkSongs

I used to do quite a lot of music on my old Atari. These days it makes a lot more sense to use the PC. In the new house I have an opportunity to get everything together. In fact I should be able to get most of the sounds I need out of the new Roland XP30 keyboard.

A new sound card has sorted the MIDI in problem. I have managed to record a few drum patterns etc. Now, I just need to get around to it. You don't know where I could get 1 I suppose ? (a round toit that is).

I have now actually got as far as putting some 4 bar patterns in. Worked out how to set up a user performance mapping in the XP30.

Having a piano handy that I can just switch on and go has enouraged me to learn to play a bit more. Carol's having a go too. I generally just transpose stuff from the guitar, which usually ends up with lots of black notes in, but I'm also starting to explore the keyboard in its own way. I tried putting it through my old 4x12 but it just didn't allow it to shine, so I bought a sony stereo amp and a pair of kef speakers for it - sounds great now.

Open University CCI

Over the last few years I've been working (very slowly) towards a possible Diploma and/or MSc in Computers for Commerce and Industry from the Open University. This mostly involves doing various 6 month modules at about £600 each (paid by Marconi). I've passed 7 modules so far.

Now I only need 1 more module for the Diploma. Then I would need to do a project (about a year) to get the MSc. I usually prefer to do a module over the winter. I'm trying to get on with other stuff at the moment. I'm also waiting in hope of a really interesting module appearing.