I’m getting sick of having to moderate all the spam on this blog. Turning off comments in 5…4…3…2…1…
If you want to comment then send an email. 
Too much spam
September 26th, 2010 Posted in Rant
X10 Home Automation Project
June 11th, 2009 Posted in Tech
Have decided to finally do something about X10 home automation – something I’ve known about for ages, but have never actually done anything with. So I’ve taken the plunge and started a project to do some simple things at home.
Initial Target: Connect some lights/lighting circuits with X10 control devices and manage via computer/iPhone.
So far:
- set up a VPN to my PC so I can connect to it through the iPhone from anywhere. (Set up a dynamic DNS service via DynDNS.org to allow this)
- resurrected an old PC (about 12 years old!!) that’s been sitting in my garage with a Damn Small Linux distribution on it
- ordered a few X10 items off the internet (computer controller interface, 2 x micro modules to sit behind wall switches, 3 x light modules that plug into sockets, 1 x transmitter/receiver module that comes as part of a deal – might be useful with a universal programmable remote I have somewhere around here!)
- set up ‘Heyu’, ‘domus.Link’ and an Apache webserver that will allow a computer to control everything. ‘Heyu’ is a Linux interface to the CM11 hardware, ‘domus.Link’ is a PHP driven page that interfaces with Heyu and sits on the Apache server – plus it has an iPhone them available.
Most of these things are ready for when the X10 hardware arrives – I’ve been able to test the software works, the iPhone connects etc., but can’t check whether the lights physically turn on or off yet! Plus, all this is working on my main PC through Ubuntu 8.04 – to actually get this working through a permanent server (the old PC) I will need to configure the DSL system to do all this again.
So, next steps are:
- install the X10 hardware, configuring as required
- test the current set up so that it works via Ubuntu
- install some more sockets in the loft – where the old PC/DSL server will sit
- buy an old PS/2 keyboard as I can’t find the original andget a working NIC for the old machine (not working currently)
- configure/compile the required software for the DSL distro
- put it all in the loft and get it running!
Easy!
I’ll update as things progress, but first I’m off to install some more sockets in the loft …
VPN Server with Ubuntu for my iPhone
May 29th, 2009 Posted in Tech
Having manged to re-install Ubuntu 8.04 and get it working again, my next task was to set up a VPN server. I plan to get some X10 control devices to start up some home automation – just lights to start with I think – and to be able to control them while away would be great.
I thought the easiest method to test a VPN connection without leaving home was to use my iPhone – it has a data connection (albeit very slow) through O2, so setting up that was first priority.
A few searches on the internet brought up this page – very useful advice, but I didn’t follow it completely. All I did (initially) was …
- add the network-manager-pptp package (though I’m not sure if or where its used – I think I could have left this step out)
- edit the /etc/ppp/chap-secrets file adding the account name, protocol used (pptpd), password and ‘*’ to allow connections from anywhere.
- set up the iPhone VPN connection.
I should point out that my ISP provides a dynamic IP address, so I set up a dynamic DNS service with www.DynDNS.com (this is free) and then pointed my iPhone to that server address.
And it all seemed to work perfectly first time! I say seemed, because with the reduced bandwidth on the iPhone, running the VNC application didn’t bring up a picture of the screen – it may have done given time, but I couldn’t wait.
Notch one up for Ubuntu and iPhone!
I spoke too soon! I found out why it was taking so long to bring up a picture – connected to the wrong IP address!
So now, going back through all the other instructions, I’ve made the appropriate changes. Now to see if it works this time….
Nice Physics Story …
May 19th, 2009 Posted in Funny
I found this a short while ago. Dont know if it’s true, or an urban myth, but I think it’s pretty cool.
The following concerns a question in a physics degree exam at the University of Copenhagen:
“Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer”
One student replied:
“You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the height of the building.”
This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student was failed immediately. The student appealed on the grounds that his answer was indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent arbiter to decide the case.
The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did not display any noticeable knowledge of physics. To resolve the problem it was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which to provide a verbal answer which showed at least a minimal familiarity with the basic principles of physics.
For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in thought. The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers, but couldn’t make up his mind which to use. On being advised to hurry up the student replied as follows:
“Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper, drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But bad luck on the barometer.”
“Or if the sun is shining you could measure the height of the barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow. Then you measure the length of the skyscraper’s shadow, and thereafter it is a simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height of the skyscraper.”
“But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T = 2 pi sqrroot (l / g).”
“Or if the skyscraper has an outside emergency staircase, it would be easier to walk up it and mark off the height of the skyscraper in barometer lengths, then add them up.”
“If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars into feet to give the height of the building.”
“But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to knock on the janitor’s door and say to him “If you would like a nice new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of this skyscraper?”
The student was Niels Bohr, the only Dane to win the Nobel prize for Physics.
Thought this was funny …
May 13th, 2009 Posted in Personal
30/04/09 – Day 18: Back to Base
April 30th, 2009 Posted in Training
My route back to Long Beach, was generally south-east from San Jose.
Near San Benito
Near San Benito
It initially took me to Paso-Robles for a brief stop – a pretty busy but unattended airport with, according to posters inside the terminal, access to 70 vineyards in the vicinity. Worth an extended visit later perhaps?
UH-60 Black Hawk at Paso Robles
After an hour break there I continued south-east towards Camarillo.
Dick Smith Wilderness Area
Dick Smith Wilderness Area
I knew it was good food here as it was the first airport I visited outside of Long Beach on my first day here. I re-fuelled the aircraft as well as myself (got what I thought was a reasonable deal, from $4.24 to $3.75 a gallon, without too much haggling) and then headed east towards Los Angeles. I crossed LAX via the Special Flight Rules area, reported in to Long Beach and finished my trip with a good landing.
Approaching LA from the north
Overhead Santa Monica - the entry point to the Special Flight Rules Area going south-east at 3500'
Overhead LAX (no need to talk to anyone on the radio - try that in the UK!)
After meeting back up with everyone from Angel City Flyers I cleaned out the plane and then hung around for another few hours before heading off for dinner with Seosamh and James, another Brit who came over to pick up a twin rating (if I remember correctly).
During that afternoon, a B17 bomber came in to land at Long Beach for a static display, and an Antonov 124 (I think – only 4 engines) did too to collect/drop off freight.
Boeings, old and new: B17 and C17
B17 visit to Long Beach
Back to the luxurious Guest House International hotel in Long Beach for the night, and time to re-schedule my flight ticket back home with BA. £85 to change it to Saturday afternoon, but overall its cheaper than paying for another 4 nights in the hotel.
29/04/09 – Day 17: Lake Tahoe
April 30th, 2009 Posted in Training
The weather was superb this morning, so the trip to Lake Tahoe was on. We left San Jose Reid-Hillview around 11:30, climbing to 5500′ eastbound before turning north-east. James wanted to start by over-flying Lick Observatory and then we headed off towards Sacramento.
Lick Observatory, south-east of San Jose
South-east of Sacramento we climbed again to 9500′ for the leg inbound to Lake Tahoe.
En-route to Lake Tahoe
En-route to Lake Tahoe
As we came over the ridge on the west of the lake the view was, again, spectacular.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
We headed out over the centre of the lake before turning south towards South Lake Tahoe Airport. An ‘interesting’ landing ensued: some vicious downdrafts from half-mile final to just before the threshold on 18 lead to a safe, if not glass-smooth, landing.
Tied-down at Lake Tahoe
We tied down and used a taxi to head to The Beacon restaurant for some lunch. The restaurant is located on the lake front beach, both the food and service were excellent.
View over lunch, The Beacon at Lake Tahoe
View over lunch, The Beacon at Lake Tahoe
View over lunch, The Beacon at Lake Tahoe
After eating outside and taking a short walk up the beach we went back to the airport to head off again.
The airport/town preferred take-off direction was on 36, but the wind was straight down 18, so we stuck to that. Heading north over the lake again we continued to Nervino, turning overhead westwards before descending to land at Oroville where we re-fuelled.
North of Lake Tahoe
Little Grass Valley Reservoir
Another close encounter with a C-17 within Travis AFB airspace
Whilst the weather was still very good for flying, the upper atmosphere was clouding over so we changed our plans from stopping over at Cameron Park and decided to head straight back to San Jose.
So after another hour and a half we landed back at Reid-Hillview and the day was over.
James took around 200+ photos during the flight – needless to say I won’t post them all up here! But I will include a selection of the better ones.
Tomorrow I’m heading back to Long Beach as I’ve just about completed the hours I set out to do.
28/04/09 – Day 16: Friends Reunited
April 29th, 2009 Posted in Training
I had a late start this morning as I calculated how many hours I have flown so far on the trip and how many I have left to complete. I only need another 12 hours over the next 4 days so I figured I could relax this morning.
My trip was from Chico down to Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose where I was due to meet up with my best friend and his wife & kids. Then we were off to stay at his sister’s for the night.
The first leg south-westwards from Chico to Nut Tree was simple enough, although it was very hazy pretty much all the way.
From there it was a similar leg but south-east, over Travis Air Base. On the way over there I had a brief diversion to make to keep away from a large military transport (a C-17) although I had a little fun in it’s wake.
Close encounter with C-17
The leg ended at Los Banos where I refueled (cheaper than San Jose) before heading over the mountains and north-west into San Jose.
San Luis Reservoir
After landing and tying down for the night I met up with James, Nicole and the boys and we headed off to Wendy’s (James’ sister, not the hamburger joint).
Josh finds his future vocation?
Dinner was a Chinese restaurant in San Jose “Sino” which was excellent, and I am now camped out on an inflatable bed in the front room.
Tomorrow James and I are off to Lake Tahoe, weather permitting, and stopping overnight at Sacramento with one of James’ friends. Bring it on.