Finally visited the Convergence Station. I followed a sub plot about a lovelorn vending machine, but I never fully unraveled the mystery of the forgotten four.
Galleries
The antennas are back! Wardriving in a Tesla.
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.
My final visit to the Encino Avenue bridge.
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.
Camarillo Airshow 2022
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.
The lunar eclipse last night was lovely
I managed to get a few pretty cool pictures with my iPhone. We even made a sort of camera obscura and projected the moon onto a piece of paper.
Garden Upgraded!
I sealed the electronics behind a some plastic and weather stripping. Upgraded the solar panel and the reservoir. sensors are collecting data and i can even make some pretty graphs. Plants seem to be thriving.
I almost fell for the classic crypto currency blunder. . .
One of my older Trezor’s had a little hardware issue (USB port broke off). when i went to look for my paper backup, it was not where i expected. With no backup, I had no way to transfer the coins or tokens. This is essentially how coins get burned. Without access to the key, they aren’t your coins. it would be a shame to loose these assets, so i sought out a solution.
Luckily, i had some expert help. my guy, referred me to his guy. amazing work. Huge thanks to Bill, for averting catastrophe. now i am putting my new paper backup somewhere safe. (and somewhere else, also safe)
Had to visit Meow Wolf Las Vegas inside Area 15!
Area 15 is like a mall of the bizarre and interesting (and also bars). Inside, the Las Vegas Meow Wolf installation is called Omega Mart. It begins with a store and takes a bit of a turn.
Beyond and behind the Omega Mart is the Factory with alien motivation and unbelievable equipment. Everything is interactive, there are stories and backstories and branching pathways. puzzles, games, and mysteries to unravel. I went on a mission to hack the Omega Mart!
Continue reading “Had to visit Meow Wolf Las Vegas inside Area 15!”
Discovering the Meow Wolf exhibit: Santa Fe
Meow Wolf: The House of Eternal Return is a 20,000 square foot building (once a bowling alley) now filled with over 70 room uniquely decorated with incredible interactive art. Yesterday we spent hours exploring. Just when we thought we’d seen it all we would open a cabinet or move a bookshelf and suddenly entirely new avenues opened for us to explore.
