Half a million Wifi access points discovered! I’ve also integrated the Raspberry Pi Foundation 7 inch touch display into the phone compartment on my Tesla center console. This allows me to see the status of the scan as well as change operating modes. There are almost no light leaks with the lid closed, but at night the screen is washed out in photos. A usb port was added for convenience. I will want to clean up the USB port and add some physical buttons.
This project was cannibalized over a year ago. With Raspberry Pi as difficult to get ahold of as they’ve been, i thought this project might never come back to life. I launched a number of pi liberating ideas with some success. I now have enough for both fun personal projects and to get my work done. I felt i should explain the name wardriving. It is a variation on wardialing. Wardialing was trying phone numbers, looking for interesting things on the phone. Wardriving is similarly driving around looking for interesting things in the air.
My wardriver is not pictured above, but these Pi are ready for whatever comes next. I’ve recovered an assortment of different Pi from original B+ (pi-hole) to a 2GB Pi 4 (broken helium miner). One of the best parts of this setup is the early Pi 3 (not B+). This was a lucky find as it consumes less energy and produces much less heat. With only 6 radios running (including GPS) the lower performance hasn’t been an issue, but the reduced power has been incredible. Early testing has me getting an additional 20-40% battery life vs the original pi 4 configuration. my cable management has also improved with this iteration. The setup fits in a small box in my trunk instead of a tangled mass of wires in a large bin (prototyping is fun). The reason power is so important because, believe it or not, the amperage you can pull out of a Tesla for accessories is limited. Without an alternator dumping piles of unclean energy i am forced to resort to BYOB (bring your own battery). I got a monster battery to power the Pi 4 and even more radios and accessories of the original prototype.
It is fun using the ADSB live tracker in Los Angeles as there are always planes above. Next step will be DJI drone tracking and some sort of dashboard indicator/control. I started a WiGLE account, it’s off to a pretty good start. i found a few APs, but i’m still figuring out how to share BT. maybe i’ll join the #HardHatBrigade group.
The adventure started when i discovered that there was a maple flavored Lindt chocolate. This turned out to be a holiday flavor and not available presently. In the store i got a box of 150 personally selected by me. I will have to return soon to see what new delights are unleashed.
A wise pilot i know says, “it’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground.”
I was hoping to fly Tuesday, but wind gusts were too much for my little Mini 2. I flew Wednesday instead. not quite as clear, but the haze was truer to character for Los Angeles.
Filming the mural that is called, “The Great wall of Los Angeles.” i crashed my drone by being a terrible pilot (i need more practice in tight spaces}). I had to fish my DJI Mini 2 out of the LA River. good thing it crashed onto a dry patch and suffered minimal damage.
The Great Wall of Los Angeles is a mural on one wall of a one mile stretch of the LA River. If you don’t know that, it is the flood drainage system of Los Angeles. There was a river at one point, but now it is a concrete riverbank accented with chain link.
At first i thought i just needed to flip it over and i could liftoff. alas, i had to construct an elaborate fishing pole of entangling loops attached to a telescoping dusting pole i had. Just out of reach, it took nearly 30 minutes and countless attempts to ensnare my little mini.
I traveled to The Salton Sea to meet some of the alternative communities and see the incredible artwork coming from the area. Also it’s a great place to get in some drone flights.
Continue reading “I Visited Niland, The Salton Sea, and Slab City.”
After reading of its impending destruction, i was hoping to pay the Encino Avenue pedestrian overpass a final visit. Unfortunately visits were discouraged. The messaging was a bit mixed, as the fence was literally tied up with string. i took pictures without trespassing. The 101 will shutdown between White Oak and Burbank over the weekend for the bridge’s demolition.
A saw some great acrobatic flying including a helicopter doing loops and barrel rolls. The sky was full of Jets, skydivers, simulated strafing runs, a water drop, and so much more. On the ground i was able to check out a lot of incredible machines including a jetpack and aquatic aircraft called the ICON. There was a STEM hanger where kids could operate basketball playing robots.
Mama Musubi is something I’ve loved from my farmers market for years. Unfortunately it was shuddered during the pandemic and still has not returned to my market. They did open up in a shared kitchen of sorts in Pasadena called Kitchen United. It was to this location that my desperation would bring me. The spot is mostly for delivery drivers and doesn’t have much for customer service. The menu is a little different from what was offered and entered by app or kiosk. It was amazing to enjoy after the long absence, but not exactly the same thing i was craving. Maybe i’ll try them at one of the other markets where they still operate.
EDIT 2024 (March 29):
It appears even this site is now gone. ?
Nothing like Tacos and a hike in LA!
