Hack&Tell, logistics thereof.

[Vikram Verma]

Hendry thinks it'd be fun and edgy to host the next Hack and Tell on the
roof of KGB. I think it'd be fun too!

We've logistical concerns aside from the meteorological; while we should
be able to improvise a screen for the projector, we're missing the means
to power it. The wireless seems to hold up okay.

Would anyone on this list be willing and able to lend us, for the
evening of May 1st, a 500m extension cord and/or battery-powered
projector?

Other ideas welcome.

kthxbai,

[Robert Sim]

better tell the world that you guys are going up the roof. You wouldn't want to have upskirts opportunities while going up to the roof. -robert

[Vikram Verma]

> better tell the world that you guys are going up the roof. You wouldn't
> want to have upskirts opportunities while going up to the roof. -robert

Your commitment to propriety has been noted, and is appreciated. I'll
save my kilt for more permitting occasions.

[Chinmay]

Also rain?

[Nigel Gourlay]

Wouldn't the speakers have to shout on the roof? Ceilings and walls
mean we can talk with less effort and still be heard.

[Roland Turner]

Fortunately my kilt is in Australia, so there is no risk of my
accidentally wearing it.

- Raz

[David Lyon]

On Fri, Apr 25, 2014 at 1:50 PM, Roland Turner <rol...@rolandturner.com> wrote:

Fortunately my kilt is in Australia, so there is no risk of my accidentally wearing it.

I can stop by the place and DHL it if you need. :-)

[Chinmay]

Also, power? Lighting for stuff people are demoing (physical, tangible stuff)?

On Friday, April 25, 2014 6:32:42 AM UTC+8, vi wrote:

[Roland Turner]

I'll keep that in mind...

- Raz

[Kai Hendry]

On 26 April 2014 08:18, Chinmay <nott...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Also, power? Lighting for stuff people are demoing (physical, tangible
> stuff)?

Did you not see Vikram's original email?
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/hackerspacesg/-3mO6fZTCAw/nQtzBOe3w6IJ

Anyway Vikram exaggerated that we need a 500m power extension. 50m
would do the trick. Anyone have such a thing we could borrow?


I'm already hoping the pictures from the event on the 1st of May will
be epic. =)

[Fazli]

I think it'll be epic Kai. Let's see if we can fly the ar drone up there to take a video/picture of the meetup.

/fazli

> --
> --
> Chat: http://hackerspace.sg/chat
>
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "HackerspaceSG" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to hackerspaces...@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Meng Weng Wong]

i have a 1st generation Vivitek Qumi pico-projector available but it will need 19VDC, an inconvenient voltage.

if somebody has something like http://www.duracellpower.com/backup-power/power-packs/powerpack-300.aspx that could work.

[Chow Loong Jin]

On Sat, Apr 26, 2014 at 01:43:09PM +0800, Meng Weng Wong wrote:
> i have a 1st generation Vivitek Qumi pico-projector available but it will
> need 19VDC, an inconvenient voltage.

We have an adjustable power supply that can output 19V DC, but only up to 1A of
current. How much current does it need?

--
Kind regards,
Loong Jin

[Kai Hendry]

On 28 April 2014 02:09, Chow Loong Jin <hype...@gmail.com> wrote:
> We have an adjustable power supply that can output 19V DC, but only up to 1A of
> current. How much current does it need?

Is this a *battery powered* power supply?

I'm going to try figure out how to borrow a 50m power extension today
by asking nearby shops.

[Chow Loong Jin]

On Mon, Apr 28, 2014 at 10:17:01AM +0800, Kai Hendry wrote:
> On 28 April 2014 02:09, Chow Loong Jin <hype...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > We have an adjustable power supply that can output 19V DC, but only up to 1A of
> > current. How much current does it need?
>
> Is this a *battery powered* power supply?

No it isn't. It's one of those typical electronics lab equipment power supply
units.

[Roland Turner]

There is an unterminated roll of ~15A cable in the shelf below the Old
Hardware shelves. If you're comfortable fitting line plugs and sockets
(and assuming that it's long enough) then this may suffice.

- Raz

[Kai Hendry]

Will give it a try tonight.

[Kai Hendry]

Cable is way more than long enough. Just going to buy connectors.
Thanks for Claudio for helping.

So this means we should be able to get electricity upstairs on the roof.

To improve wireless, I think the Airport just needs to put on the
window sill ledge of the quiet room.


So lets hope the weather doesn't suck on Thursday night.

Happy hacking!

[Vikram Verma]

> So this means we should be able to get electricity upstairs on the roof.

:-)

[Kai Hendry]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hendry/sets/72157644513922193

Thanks guys, some notes about putting on an event on the roof:

* would be nice to somehow improve safety of ladder. foam on the bottom landing?
* we used a rudimentary rope system for moving loads up and down.
could be improved with a pulley
* women in skirts and ladders is a bit of a no no
* getting anything up and down is a chore
* internet didn't work reliably, despite putting airport below on the ledge
* power was fine
* it's really hot up there, a fan would be nice
* the projector wall could be improved with a white sheet, since it's
quite manky

Cheerio,

[Roland Turner]

On 05/02/2014 11:53 AM, Kai Hendry wrote:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hendry/sets/72157644513922193

Love it. Perhaps this should be my new profile photo :-)

Thanks for hosting this.

Thanks guys, some notes about putting on an event on the roof:

* would be nice to somehow improve safety of ladder. foam on the bottom landing?

A couple of foam mats might be helpful. Having seen bouldering injuries I'd suggest that the risk is still significant, but that landing on foam is an improvement on landing on concrete.

It might be prudent for future event announcements to urge attendees to either have nothing in their hands, or to have a backpack; possibly the largest risk is people holding something in one hand (me with a computer...) while climbing up/down the ladder.

* we used a rudimentary rope system for moving loads up and down.
could be improved with a pulley

I was thinking this at the time. I'm a member of a ski lodge which stores a lot in its roof; there's a ladder with a similar hole, a pulley attached to a roof beam, a rope with a carabiner on the end and a bucket typically attached to the carabiner. In addition to being less fiddly, this allows the person below to control the rope, which is easier and probably safer.

I did contemplate the "short cut" of lowering stuff down the outside wall of the building and loading/unloading through the front window, but that seems like more trouble+risk than it's worth.

* women in skirts and ladders is a bit of a no no

Something to reinforce along with "have a backpack".

* getting anything up and down is a chore
* internet didn't work reliably, despite putting airport below on the ledge

That sounds like a reason for running some cat5 along the same path as the power cable and placing an AP on the roof, although tethering to your phone was a workable fallback.

* power was fine
* it's really hot up there, a fan would be nice
* the projector wall could be improved with a white sheet, since it's
quite manky

+1

On the graph that I displayed, even I couldn't see the curve similarities that I was describing, I imagine that most others couldn't either.

- Raz

[Kai Hendry]

Glad you enjoyed it.

On 2 May 2014 12:31, Roland Turner <rol...@rolandturner.com> wrote:
> It might be prudent for future event announcements to urge attendees to
> either have nothing in their hands, or to have a backpack; possibly the
> largest risk is people holding something in one hand (me with a computer...)
> while climbing up/down the ladder.

I was telling people to use two hands. Maybe I should make a sign. One
hand is way too dangerous!

Another thing was I think the projector overheated.

Would be nice if we had a cooler box (with ice) for chilling drinks
above. I looked out for one and couldn't see one. Could be blind.

Another comment was for fairy lights. It could be better
"decoratively" lit, that's for sure. Though I thought the light from
nearby buildings was fine for conducting a meeting, esp with the
projector was going.

[Roland Turner]

On 05/02/2014 01:42 PM, Kai Hendry wrote:

> I was telling people to use two hands. Maybe I should make a sign. One
> hand is way too dangerous!

I was using two hands, but one was compromised by also holding a notebook.

My point was that you can have all the signs you like, but if your
advice requires that people give up another objective (e.g. my carrying
my notebook up and then down) then at least some will ignore it. My
suggestion is that the event announcement highlight the need for
attendees to have both hands free on the way to and from the roof and
therefore to bring a backpack for carrying notebooks etc. This reduces
the odds of injury in a way that putting up a sign doesn't.

> Another thing was I think the projector overheated.

It appears that it did not overheat. There's a shutter on the lens and
it appears that the guy who put his notebook on top of the projector
managed to close the shutter in doing so. Chinmay diagnosed and
corrected this when he connected his notebook.

> Would be nice if we had a cooler box (with ice) for chilling drinks
> above. I looked out for one and couldn't see one.

Luther has a collection of suitable foam boxes atop the new lockers :-)

- Raz

[Meng Weng Wong]

On Fri, May 2, 2014 at 12:31 PM, Roland Turner <rol...@rolandturner.com> wrote:

On the graph that I displayed, even I couldn't see the curve similarities that I was describing, I imagine that most others couldn't either.

Tufte says:

http://awcolley.com/EdwardTufte/HomePage

Put everything on the universal grid. Provide a scale of measurement and be consistent. For example, see NASA Image of Venus Deceptive. The human mind picks out variations better in graphs with mostly 45 degree slopes; graphs that are too flat or too spiky simply hide information (as shown in the picture to the right from VE p. 25 --- the bottom graph reveals more information, such as the asymmetry of each peak).

 

[Roland Turner]

Setting aside last night's rooftop projection difficulties, yes, that is a better approach. Thanks.

- Raz