DIY Bicycle Light Update

Posted on January 5, 2009 by patclem
OK, so I finally finished my DIY LED bike light using the 3-LED Cree XR-E design from www.bikeled.org. I rode with it last Tuesday night on the Natchez Trace ride with some HBC members. In summary, it's impolitely bright. Running at 1000mA, it's very much like car headlights, and even brighter than some of the headlights of cars that passed us. Most of the time, I rode with it dimmed down to 500mA or 350mA modes. Other comments - I bought the Cree XR-E star boards from DealExtreme. The parts Keep reading [...]
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Some Favorite Quotes

Posted on December 21, 2008 by patclem

I always come across quotes I like but I never have anywhere to put them.  So, I’ll collect some here.

We were not sent into this world to do anything into which we can not put our heart.
Ruskin, John
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Refoamed Speaker Surrounds

Posted on December 2, 2008 by patclem
My Advent Prodigy II speakers were completely rotten around the outside. It makes sense since I bought them in 1992!  The foam had rotted completely out and the crumbled remains were laying on the floor. So, I began searching and I came across lots of speakers, including some AP-II's that had been "refoamed." So, after a few Google searches, I figured out what "refoamed" meant and I found lots of information on how to do it. So, another ebay search, I found a kit that Keep reading [...]
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Mountain Biking Single Speed

Posted on December 1, 2008 by patclem
It's been a while since I've been mountain biking.  Before my first Jack and Back (which I count as what got me started road biking) I used to mountain bike all the time.  Me and some co-workers would cut out of work early on beautiful days and head out.  At that time, I didn't realize I couldn't really turn the pedals.  I did wonder how those guys in tight pants could fly up those hills.  It was because they rode road as well.  I digress...Well, on Saturday some friends Keep reading [...]
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Boulevard Dash 2008

Posted on November 29, 2008 by patclem
Once again, someone (Larae H) challenged me for another run. So, I ran the Boulevard Dash yesterday to get Thanksgiving Day started. The run was 5 miles, starting on Belle Meade Boulevard near Harding Road. We turned around near the park entrance, and then returned to the end of BMB. Out of about 20 people that met us at the start, Larae and I were the only ones that ran. Our time was about 47:11, not bad since I haven't put one foot in front of the other faster than walking since the 2008 Country Keep reading [...]
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Craving for Arduino

Posted on November 29, 2008 by patclem

I have an itch to tinker with Arduino processor boards. www.arduino.cc. I think I’ll try a sprinkler controller or something like that. www.sparkfun.com has some interesting looking stuff to interface to it. Controlling LED’s is a good thing to experiment with, but I want to play with analog signals that cause digital things to happen – maybe an accelerometer or a gyroscope application. More later.

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Papa Boudreaux’s Cajun Cafe

Posted on November 15, 2008 by patclem
I lived in Mobile, AL for a few years, parents born and raised there, my grandmother was born lived there until she was almost 90.  Mobile was actually where Mardi Gras restarted after the Civil War.  Long story short, the cajun influence in the way my family eats is present - gumbo, tobasco, etc.  No, we didn't eat boudin and cracklin's.  I love cajun food.  Business trips to Lafayette and Ville Platte are my favorite.  A cold frosty pitcher of beer, a good cajun buffet Keep reading [...]
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Election Day Emotions

Posted on November 5, 2008 by patclem
I voted early. I was pretty much convinced of who I was going to vote for.  And I didn't care if they suddenly found Bin Laden in a hole somewhere.  Or if some video emerged of my candidate saying something back in the70's.  People change their thoughts over the years about things.  They become more open minded, evolving from hate and fear, to tolerance, and eventually acceptance.  It's a personal growth that I hope Americans can go through over at least the next four years Keep reading [...]
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Thoughts on Economy, Crime and Mortgage Crisis

Posted on October 30, 2008 by patclem
I'm sitting here surfing, my usual thing before work, listening to the news.  One major news story was a possible $500 billion or million or something injection of money into the mortgage market.  The very next story was about a convenience store armed robbery.  It seems like every day I hear about a robbery.  It's a hunch, and it's probably an obvious characteristic of crime in tough economic times, but it seems like the numbers of robberies are on the rise in sync with the Keep reading [...]
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DIY Bright Bike Light

Posted on October 24, 2008 by patclem
OK, so I started receiving my parts today for my homemade bike light.  I'm following http://www.bikeled.org/, an excellent resource, and Allen is a great guy, answering stupid questions about whether to hook up the LED's in serial or parallel (serial by the way!)  Today, I received my lenses from Led-Spot.  I just ordered them yesterday from California, and they arrived DHL tonight.  Shipping was $6.  Unbelievable!  The lenses are much smaller than I imagined.  Keep reading [...]
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