Vodkaman

My opinion is that kids need to get comfortable with the latest technology as soon as possible. I fought hard and long with 1st wife, to allow a computer into the house. We were divorced and money was tight, but I got my way for once. My youngest is now 25 and a computer programmer and web developer. Tablets are the computers of today's generation. My daughter has just turned 6 and she has already broken her first tablet ($100). I will buy her another in a few months, but for now, she is learning the lesson about looking after her treasured possessions. Dave

This is difficult to answer because apart from the extreme hazardous nature of the automotive clear, it was the ultimate, perfect topcoat. Hardly surprising, being developed by a multi billion dollar industry for a specific job that just happens to have the same requirements as the fishing lure: spray-on, fast drying, hard, tough, resilient, scratch resistant, UV resistant, etc. Of all the lure topcoats available; epoxies, resins, acrylics etc. The only one that ticks nearly all the attribute boxes are UV curing acrylics. These are the only topcoat that will give you the speed. Unfortunately it is a dipping process, not a spray on. There are several on the market and they have been discussed many times in TU threads. Dave

Actually, the European wasp that has spread throughout North America is a really nasty, aggressive bug that is responsible for so many people having this phobic affliction. I find most of the wasps in Indonesia far less aggressive, harmless even. There are a couple of species that you must be careful off. Individually, they are not a problem, but, if you accidentally bump the tree holding the nest, you can find yourself in life threatening trouble. I have never seen a big nest, but if I see more than one of these wasps, I am scanning the trees and bushes. Here is a couple of images of the wasp I am talking about, Vesper Analis. Dave

There are two lines of thought on mixing resin: 1 - mix slowly so as not to create too many bubbles. The mixing takes a lot longer and there is always a chance of missing a bit and spoiling the pour. 2 - mix like crazy, as fast as possible and then sort the bubbles out. Mixing is much quicker and thorough, leaving more time for bubble management. I use method number 2. I mix in a deep poly container. Once mixed, I spread the mix thinly up the sides of the container. This exposes the bubbles for popping. I then scrape the mix together and pour. Another good idea, is to quickly paint the cavities with a coating of the resin, making sure you get into all the nooks and crannies, eliminating all air pockets. Close the mold and pour. Dave

Today I discovered that my hand-phone was gone. It could only be in one of three places; charging behind my computer screen, in my shorts pocket or sitting above my keyboard which its normal place. I can only assume that I forgot to close the door during an afternoon nap and someone nipped in and out and swiped it. I bought it second hand about ten years ago, but it was still working fine apart from needing a new battery. Of course my numbers back-up is way out of date, but still useful. I was going to buy a tablet anyway, as I wanted a GPS and also I needed a tablet for the operation of my new GoPro. So, no whining. A quick internet search of the market, grabbed a few rolls of wonga and took a motorbike taxi (ojek) down to the Bandung Electrical Center mall, 2nd level for the Samsung shops. Nothing gay about the Samsung management; all the girls were stunning in their little barely legal mini-dresses. I handed the lass my piece of paper with Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 written down along with my estimated price from the web. Of course it was a lot more expensive, but I was in no mood for shopping around, $438. All the staff spoke a little English, so the job was made easy and entertaining as I had all the staff laughing as I practiced walking with the tablet, bumping into walls, chairs and counters. The girl did not shove a box in my hand and wave goodbye, she unpacked the pad, powered up and got me connected up to the internet. She sorted out a Gmail account for me and downloaded the two apps that I needed. She also downloaded a chat app that I would probably need one day. She gave me some instruction on how to use and taught me how to type as I kept getting eastern European characters by pressing too hard. This little girl was nothing short of wonderful. This kind of service is quite the norm here in Indonesia, I love it, almost a pleasure to shop. So, welcome to the 21st century Dave, you will soon be swiping with the best of them. I will be keeping my door locked when I nap from now on, just in case the bandit returns to do a bit more swiping. Dave

I am a bug photographer. I will crawl on my belly in the mud or wade up to my knees in a paddy field to get that shot of a butterfly or dragonfly or wasp etc. Indonesia is a great place for this hobby; I have more than 80 species of butterfly recorded and photographed and 40 species of wasp. My particular passion is spiders and there are some real beauties here. I used to have a wasp phobia, but now getting the shot is way more important than running away. I am well and truly over the wasp thing. I have some 8,000 images, 1500 have been added to my website, but you can only view a dozen without signing in. Worth a look at the twelve to see what I am talking about. DAve

JR - correct, lots of applications. The application that I have in mind is totally different and progressive, for my application here in Indonesian competition ponds, were hard lures are banned. And that is as a vibrating insert for an edible bait. Dave

Apdriver - every feature affects the flow. If the feature affects both colors, then both flows are identical. The start of the injection determines how the rest of the pour goes. The belly changes the direction and slows down the belly color,. this also pulls the top color down. While the lower color was being held up by the belly, the top color followed and painted the surface, so it appears that the colors have mixed. If you cut sections, I am sure that you would see that the colors have not mixed, but the belly color has become a central core. This actually gives me an idea for an injection block, purely for injecting core shots. Dave

Very interesting read. So much work has gone into this project and I suspect that the development will continue for quite some time too for product improvement and future products. I have written about the fish following a lure but not striking before. My theory, based on anatomical facts and realities, is that predator fish are genetically programmed to wait for a change of direction before striking. The explanation is, that the muscles involved with the change of direction and flee are powerful but tire very quickly. Thus, the prey fish cannot perform this movement more than once without recovery time. So, once the fish has changed direction, the predator has a much higher chance of success. This is not a thinking process, but the result of evolution. It is the same reason why a prey fish will often sit motionless in the face of a predator. Evolution has taught the prey that it is best not to move, like a rabbit in the headlights, same thing. Dave

Those of you who think that the cost of the Fish Scull Fly Tester is a bit rich, should take another look at the video, a CLOSER look. This thing looks so good that even the boss would probably allow you to keep it in the kitchen. There is nothing new about test tanks, there are at least six discussion threads on this thread back in February 2014, so this was prior to the introduction of the Fly Tester. Earlier than this, Altstone came up with a similar principle and shared his idea with a comprehensive tutorial AND a of the final product, see post No1 of this thread back in January 2013. In fact, this kicked off a 8 page discussion on the topic, drawing out some very good ideas. Several members participated with valuable input. Honorary mentions to Hazmail, Anglinarcher and JBlaze who contributed considerably to the knowledge base. Hazmail (Pete) published a drawing in post No105 of the above thread in March 2013. This is starting to look a bit like the fly tester. The problems that were identified were; achieving a smooth flow, fast enough to test the lure and with enough space for the test. The solutions that we arrived at were; rounded surfaces to smoothly change flow directions without introducing turbulence, constricted test area to increase the flow speed, the constriction large enough to test the lure. All the above attributes are found in the fly tester tank, so I suspect considerable prototyping work and testing went into the development of this tank. Prototyping development takes time, tools, materials, patience and knowledge to name but a few attributes. It is not unreasonable to recoup the cost of this development work from the sale of the final product. The construction of the aesthetically pleasing tank requires jigs and tools and a skilled staff. The packaging and promotion does not come cheap either. In my not so humble opinion, this product is worth every penny and more. Dave

Sooo good to hear from you. Hope everything goes well and there are no more setbacks. Dave

Yes, you may have lost the interest of a few, but I felt it very important for you to get this theory straight in your head. Perhaps next time this comes up, we can sort it out by email or PM. It is time to move on with the thread. Dave

It does sound like the motor is over rated at 1.5V. Does the motor data sheet give the expected motor speed, though this would be almost impossible to test. I suspect because the motor current demand is close to what the battery is capable of putting out, that the voltage of the battery may be dropping under the load of the motor. You can measure the load Voltage by putting your leads across the battery terminals while the motor is running. With the AAA battery, which is capable of delivering more current, the Voltage is not dropping under load and so the motor runs faster or more correctly, seeing as it is designed for 1.5V. If the motor data sheet states that it is designed for LR44 batteries only, then it may be expecting a Voltage drop. Companies often claim the limits with components, particularly with motors, as customers want the strongest, fastest motor in the smallest package. Dave

You are still thinking about the current wrong. The capacity of the battery (mAH) and the ability of the battery to put out Amperage, has nothing to do with the failure of your motor. The motor 'draws' current, or think of it as, the battery supplies the current that the motor asks for and no more. The current is determined by the Voltage and the coil resistance of the motor, using Ohm's law. If the Voltage increases, then the motor will ask for more current and the motor burns. It is a difficult concept to grasp. Yes, it is the current that burns the motor, but it is the Voltage that controls how much current the motor demands. A note about battery current - with small batteries, the manufacturer usually supplies a mA number that the battery can safely deliver. This does not mean that the battery cannot deliver more. If your motor asks for more, the battery will deliver, but will overheat to destruction and possibly explode. A note about measuring current - NEVER try to measure battery current by putting the leads across the terminals. This is the equivalent of shorting the battery. It will possibly destroy the battery or your meter or both. Measure current by breaking the circuit and placing the meter in series, just like a resistor. Tedious, but that is how it is done. Dave

I was going to suggest a destruction test. No need to use up the batteries, use a regular AA battery or any 1.5V supply. Dave

m-vandorn - the motor is racing because either there is not enough load (which we do not want to change) or the Voltage is too high. Have you put a Volt meter across the battery to check the numbers. It may be that a new, fully charged battery is putting out slightly high Voltage. If you are concerned, then your idea of adding a series resistor will work. But if the motor is rated at 1.5V then it should handle the slight increase in voltage. Motors do heat up with constant running. This is not a problem, unless you are getting a burning smell. If you feel the motor is too fast, then put the resistor in. Do you have a meter, if not, might be worth getting one, I find then quite useful. Even though I haven't done any electronics for many years, my meter still gets used several times a year; checking fuses, light bulbs, batteries etc. Dave

Close, the Voltage is reduced by resistance. Some of the Voltage is dropped across the resistor and the rest across the motor. This link gives a good explanation and the use of Ohm's law. The motor data sheet will give you the internal resistance of its coils. Dave

The vibrations attract fish in the same way that the lip of a crank attract fish. The problem with a crank, is that to generate the vibrations, you have to pull the lure through the water at a minimum speed. The beauty of this battery operated vibrating lure, is that it can stay out there in one place. I like it and my local fishing pond is a perfect application. The pond is a concrete rectangle. Maybe 25 meters long and 10 meters wide. Down the center is an aeration pipe which drops a stream of water every couple of feet. The fish tend to gather near the aerated water and so that is where the bait must be thrown. Using a lure, you only have a casting distance of some 15 feet. After 3 or 4 turns of the handle, you are already out of the fish. Casting once a minute is going to drive the other competing anglers crazy, it is no wonder they complain and lures are banned. With a battery operated lure, I need only twitch the bait occasionally - perfect. Dave

m-vandorn - Your thinking on the motor requiring a resistor is incorrect. The motor draws current, it cannot be overloaded with current so no resistor is required. Consider a 12V car battery, capable of delivering 200 Amps. Take a windscreen washer motor which draws around 1 Amp. The motor can be wired directly across the terminals of the battery and not come to any harm. The motor has an internal resistance of say 120 Ohm. By adding a 30 Ohm resistor in series, what you are doing is dropping some of the voltage across the resistor (25%), so the voltage available to the motor is reduced to 75%. So no resistor required. Dave

Frank - super video. You made it look so slick and easy, I guess this is all down to organization and control. Dave

m-vandorn - thinking back on the solar charger idea: The thing about charging batteries, is that they do not want a smooth constant voltage, in fact the rougher the better. So the circuit that I linked combined with a $1 solar cell would probably do quite nicely as a charger, again removing the T1 coils. This would give you a charger to test for a parts cost of probably less than $2 plus a box. Certainly a lot more appealing than $250, of course, it might not work, but has to be worth a test some day. Dave

Electronics in such a small body is always difficult, given the additional problems of sealing. Well designed and engineered. Dave

Press the 'more reply options' button, bottom right. Dave

I was thinking along the same lines as Basseducer, working with high school kids, but not sure of the legalities over there. If it was allowed, it would be just a matter of collecting several phone numbers for when you have the work. Dave

As for your zener idea to limit the current, well I have no experience with zeners and current limiters. Again, lots on the web. Do a search using key words and use 'circuit' as a key word otherwise you just get products. Keep in mind the motor's requirements. There will be a minimum operating voltage and it will draw a certain current. If you prevent this current from being drawn, the motor will likely stall. All these things have to be tried/prototyped/tested to find a solution that works. Be prepared for lots of failures. To access the photo posting options, press 'more reply options' bottom right. Dave