THERMAL DESIGN BASICS Circuit 7805 regulator supplied by a 12V battery (allow for 14V MAX during charging) Max voltage drop across the regulator = 14-5 = 7Volts For a design load current of .5 Amp Max regulator dissipation = 7V x .5A = 3.5 Watts Regulator Specs Case 221A Thermal Resistance, Junction–to–Ambient RqJA 65...Continue reading→
Basic electrical/electronic formulas
Member John Macey put together some basic electrical/electronic formulas which may be useful to newcomers. Thanks John.
One of our members, Mic, found this toy camera in a box of miscellaneous toys about ten years ago. His children used to play with it when they were younger, and it was rediscovered recently while doing some spring cleaning. Since the kids don’t use it anymore, an idea came to mind: So Mic being...Continue reading→
Energy Dashboard in Home Assistant
The process for addition of an energy sensor channel as an Individual Devices Usage in the Energy Dashboard involves a few steps but not too arduous. This feature provides a way to get a break-down of what the energy Dashboard refers to as Untracked Consumption. The first thing is to ensure that the power entity...Continue reading→
The Unseen Genius of QR Codes
The Unseen Genius of QR Codes: More Than Just a Square You scan a QR code at a restaurant, on an advertisement, or maybe to connect to a guest Wi-Fi network. It seems simple, but beneath that pattern of black and white squares is an astonishingly clever piece of engineering. Microcontroller SIG enthusiast Chris...Continue reading→
Add a Vimeo video to your Weebly (basic) site
How to add a Vimeo to a Weebly basic website. These instructions assume you have a basic Vimeo account and a free Weebly account and that you are logged in to either Vimeo and weebly. I have circled relevant information in the screenshots in red. Log into your weebly account, select the page you would like...Continue reading→
Still on Windows 10? Here’s How to Keep It Going
With support for Windows 10 ending on 14 October 2025, how can computers with unsupported CPUs or TPMs remain safe? This article outlines the options for Windows 10 systems that don’t meet Microsoft’s requirements for upgrading to Windows 11. Since my last East SIG presentation, Microsoft has released details of the ESU (Extended Security Update)...Continue reading→
Energy monitor – 6 channels!
If you dislike paying big bills for your electricity maybe a microcontroller project can help If you have a bit of interest in tinkering then you may be interested in this project where some of our club members have produced an energy monitoring system for the home. This DIY project uses current sensors like this...Continue reading→
MelbPC and Linux Users Vic had a chat
A few of us from MelbPC User Group had a casual chat with three of the L.U.V. office bearers Alexar, Sophie and Les. We heard about the wonderful work they are doing with Linux Install Fests and with the folks at ComputerBank. It was interesting to hear how they are trying to do similar things...Continue reading→