Category Archives: Electronics

Cuttlefish Comm Board

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Communicating with animals is something that has interested me for quite some time. Whether it’s dolphins, chimps, seals, elephants, whales or wolves – I am interested in what they have to say.

Not an easy subject to study unless one happens to be an academic or a scientist. However, I have an idea to study animal communication from my garage to a local aquarium.

I plan to learn more about how the cuttlefish communicates. Cuttlefish belong to the class Cephalopoda – same as the octopus, squid, and nautilus.

Cuttlefish communicate primarily with their skin cells. They have specially adapted cells (chromatophores) that can change color, pattern and shape. These displays communicate to other cuttlefish various behaviors – aggression, mating, territory, and more.

Here’s my idea: build a cuttlefish communication/display board that is equipped with a programmable LED display strip. The LED strip can be programmed to simulate known cuttlefish displays (very rudimentary), as well as present new ones to see how the cuttlefish behaves. I am not even sure if it will work?

Where would I test this – at an aquarium with cuttlefish of course. I’d have to obtain permission, but I would wear all dark clothing (less likely to be seen in the background) with the cuttlefish comm board hanging about chest high. The LEDs would be controlled via an app on my phone.

Okay, crazy, but so interesting to really try it.

This is a long-term project. At this time, I have the board cut out and the addressable LED strip.

I am working on obtaining an Arduino kit (microcontroller and software) so I can program using my PC (with help) the LEDs to display in specified colors, patterns, and rates. First, I will emulate known displays and then create some mixed displays.

Once I have a functional prototype, I will contact a couple of local aquariums to set up a demo.

I hope that I can clearly communicate to them what I am trying to do. Do you think that they will understand?

1947 TV Time Machine

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The plan was to restore my 1947 Admiral TV, picked up at a garage sale. I did replace some capacitors, and although the TV did receive a picture, it was never really very good.

So a friend suggested that I gut the TV and put in a digital picture frame. I really liked the idea and set out to make the transformation.

I could sit and watch old family pictures through the decades – it would be like traveling back in time whenever I turned on the TV. My personal TV Time Machine.

In 1947, this TV was considered to be a portable. With the chassis and CRT removed, I hated to cut the case, but I’d never get it on my shelf if I did not.

The case is empty, cut in half, and sits on the shelf very nicely. I secured the control knobs in place with clear silicon. They will no longer be functional.

The TV screen is 9″ across, so it’s pretty small. I did find a digital picture frame that also had an older looking color around the frame, as some of its frame will show through on the front of the TV.

All the controls for the picture frame are located on the frame itself. Since I did not want to take the frame out of the TV each time I wanted to turn it on, I added a small in-line rotary switch.

I mounted the digital frame very simply. Really, I just used some wood scraps, Velcro and a round stick to prop up the frame to the front of the TV. Nothing fancy here, but it works well.

As the old back panel no longer fit, I made a new one that completely covered the back of the case.

I loaded up some pictures and turned it on…

BAM… I am traveling through time! It’s not a Tardis, but still pretty cool.