Nathan Hurst's home page

aeolus organ synth moved to github

Fons has not been active on aeolus for a while, so mental and I decided to fork to github:

ping us if you want write access.

hacking the KIS-3R33S power supply to drive 10W LEDs

I've been looking for a way to drive power LEDs from a computer for my terrarium lighting. Newer LEDs are giving 160lm/W, which is on par with CFLs and is 'easily' computer dimmable. But to get that performance requires a fairly efficient power supply.

I noticed the KIS-3R33S 3.3V supply on special for just $0.5 each on a drop shipping/distressed stock internet shop, so I ordered a box to see whether I could hack them into independent supplies for driving LEDs:

3d rocks

SweetApartment 3D

After the success of using SweetHome 3D for our kitchen, I figured I should use it for our apartment redecorating project.

Testing my new stealth clothes

Implementing the Hogwarts great hall ceiling.

A telescope works by converting photon directions into positions on the film (Parabolic reflector). In the opposite direction, a wide viewing angle display placed where the film goes will produce a parallel projection of the image as a beam, such that no matter where you stand looking into the beam, the image will appear in the same direction. This is the same as if the image were projected on a screen at infinity. Even clouds will look fine, because they are not really distinguishable from images infinity. The sun or moon will stay in the same direction, and the light it projects will all be parallel, making realistic shadows.

So all you need is a parabolic reflective ceiling, a suitably placed mirror (perhaps above a chandelier) reflecting into a sufficiently bright display (the display could go directly near the focus, but a secondary mirror would be easier to hide. A sufficiently large and bright LED screen might be practical today, but it would not be able to emulate the sun's intensity. Instead, we might use a separate high intensity light source such as a sulphur plasma light on an arm that tracks across the image.

(And parabolic arches are a great shape for ceilings because they ensure that there is no shear force inside the structure)

Come as you aren't party

Toby had a come as you aren't costume party. After deciding that going as sheldon going as the green lantern would be too hard, and lacking a part for Lynne, we decided to go as Lois and Clarke/Superman.

Barrington Tops partir deux

More photos from our trip to the tops.

Frank L Baum the Chiroptologist

People don't realise that when he wasn't writing political satire dressed up as children's stories, he was thinking about the phylogeny of bats.

Barrington Tops

Been very busy of late, so not much blog posting. Anyway, we went to the Tops for the Easter weekend and on one hike we went through some Gondwanaland remnant forest. It's dark, mossy, and viney. Here's an attempt to recreate the feel using HDR made from some handheld pictures:

And some moss:

Is this a lycopodium?

Big valley:

A swamp on top of the mountain (another handheld HDR):