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FYI: Publicity has -sigh- again arisen here in NZ when car remotes refused to operate in a shopping mall carpark. Management declared it an "electrical incident", but it's probably 433MHz band interference...

A local educational contact, long frustrated with managing the "snakes pit" of classroom USB-serial cable$ (& -ah-increasingly familiar with "other" UK schools micros), recently asked me why PICAXE wireless programming hasn't yet been developed. Fair question! Today's e-devices increasingly...

Greetings from down under! It's years since I was active on this forum (or promoted PICAXEs...) but I still browse here regularly. Yes - if spite of blistering micro. progress one retains a lingering soft spot for the near timeless little darlings. Recent "cussed displays" forum discussions...

A heads up for Semtech's updated SX126x LoRa engines.These were announced 2018 but complete setups are now arriving. See DORJI's SPI =>https://www.tindie.com/products/DORJI_COM/433mhz-sx1268-tcxo-module-drf1268t/. Features abound compared with existing SX127x based LoRa modules -check Chengdu...

I investigated Dorji's UART friendly DBM01 BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) modules quite some time back,& am overdue to relook at these & also update with other such offerings. Dorji's DBM01 seemed to be a variation on Jinan Huamao Tech's (hence "HM") HM-10 or smaller HM-11, based around TI's...

Is Rev. Ed intending PICAXE "platform" upgrades ? It's buying time of year down under, especially for educational institutions, & even the educational/hobbiest market looks to be rapidly moving away from DIP ICs to more temptingly self contained & smaller Dev. Boards. Rev. Ed's AXE091...

Given the recent outcry about Ahmed Mohamed's clock,which now transpires as being little more than a re-packaged '70s era mains off the shelf circuit, perhaps Rev. Ed should join with Obama & Facebook to encourage the youngster into a more state of the art (and SAFER) approach. It could be great...

It's presently global "Hour of Code" week,& - largely out of educational interest- I've called by several local kids slanted sessions here in Wellington (NZ). At one I was delighted to note Disney's new "Frozen" based LOGO already in keen use. Girls were predictably VERY taken with Anna & Elsa...

An alert to Shanghai firm Espressif Sytem's versatile,CHEAP & powerful ESP8266 WiFi serial module. Check extensive forum support here. Reports indicate several hundred meters range with just the PCB antenna on the breadboard friendly ESP-01. This certainly betters the performance of cheap HC-05...

Semtech's LoRa (Long Range) spread spectrum technology suits demanding 433 MHz wireless data links, & could merit a quick heads up by those after "smell of an electron" performance. Dorji have just released a DRF1278DM LoRa based module with claimed RX sensitivity of -136dBm. Price in US$20...

The latest (May 2014) Australian "Silicon Chip" introduces Geoff "Back Shed" Graham's Micromite - a 28 pin skinny DIP Microchip PIC32MX150/250 32 bit micro that's pre-programmed with the free MMBasic firmware. A 44 pin SMD version with 33 I/Os is also available,as are diverse accessories - all...

It's often the boring things now in electronics that blow budgets - cases/switches/rubber feet/screws etc. Hi tech is cheap but can look ugly if left bare! Here in NZ the every lowering price of basic smart phones is now almost matching the increasing price of their protective cases-this no...

Local tech. news item => www.techlink.org.nz/stories.cfm?Area=14&SID=168 I've few details myself-Andrew can be contacted via his PICAXE Picasa site.

I'm considering a portable wireless 08M2 PICAXE project to be housed in a 2 x AA switched battery box, powered by a single LiFePO4 rechargeable 14505 cell. These lightweight cells are rated at 3.2V 600 mAh, 0.6A rate, 2.2Wh, ~2000 cycles & are standard AA size. Although the capacity is low...

While pondering compact low voltage micropower circuitry (~single AA & µA stuff) Custom Silicon Solution's ~US$2 CSS555(C) came to mind. This 2009 era sweetie retains normal 555 pinouts and function, BUT 4 pins double for -gasp!-simple external programming,settings are retained in EEPROM,the...

This absurdly clever "light painting" thermal imaging hack should be very Picaxable => http://www.maxjusticz.com/light-painting-with-temperature/

Cheap (~US$20) DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial) USB dongles have been around for some time,but clever hacks have recently emerged to persuade Realtek RTL2832U types into wide band SDR (Software Defined Radio) VHF-UHF reception,with PC displays via the likes of WinRad or SDR#(SDR...

Gasp - Morse Code from the heavens? Relax- it's probably not something in your seasonal egg nog, but the Japanese LEO (low earth orbital of ~400km) FITSAT-1 CubeSat pulsing visible LED messages! Binoculars are recommended but messages are apparently even likely to be visible unaided in...

Just to hand. So much for their esteemed DRF4432D20 module,as Chinese firm Dorji are about to release an upgraded SiLabs Si4463 RF IC based DRF4463D20 433 MHz data transceiver. Note the lower supply voltage means a 2 x AA cell power possibility. The "20" refers to the 20dBi power, which of...

Perhaps of most interest to Kiwi/Aust. readers? Jaycar have new QM-1502 mini DMMs back in stock,at a throw away ~Aust$5. It's hard to know if one should laugh or cry at such trivial prices -I recall (as an early teen) paying ~$500 in todays money for a far inferior meter... The QM-1502 build is...