StarCadets is on BoardGameGeek!

I just discovered that my StarCadets game is up on the BoardGameGeek!  This is so awesome!  The BoardGameGeek!  Coolness!

Here is the link to the page:

StarCadets Page on BoardGameGeek.com

It was uploaded on 5-21-2012!  How did I miss it for that long?

Don's Electronic Thing 10 -- Finished Circuit!

Ok.  Here is the final version of the Blue Connector Circuit:

The main differences:
A) The Switch and Led ports have been separated into individual ports.  Any combination of ports can be used.  Each port uses a three pin connector.  The center pin is the signal from/to the arduino, and the outer pins are both ground.  So the polarity of the connector doesn't matter.
B) The Bluetooth module has been moved to pins 10/11.  That eliminates the run/load switch -- easier update operations.  Just plug in the usb port and update the code.  This does require using the "software serial" port in the code.

Arduino Information

My arduino was bought at a swap meet, with no manual.  To learn about it, I did some web searches.  In the process, I found some interesting sites:

To start:
   www.arduino.cc  The Arduino home page!  Click on the link for "learn Arduino".   This page explains how to set one up.  (What software to install, etc.)  There is a list of arduino boards in the upper right corner.  Clicking on the name of your arduino board, will take you to a page with more setup info for your Arduino board.

Arduino Lessons:
  http://www.toptechboy.com/arduino-lessons/  I like the way he describes things here.  Made it easy to understand how to setup a circuit and write a simple program to control it.  Very cool!



Arduino Libraries
  https://www.arduinolibraries.info/libraries  A cool site with links to lots of libraries for the Arduino.

Infrared control
  https://learn.adafruit.com/using-an-infrared-library/sending-ir-codes  Setting up an infrared circuit.

Decoding the old Lego Infrared communications
  http://ofalcao.pt/blog/2017/decoding-old-lego-infrared-protocol  He has quite a bit about the old Lego infrared communications.

Arduino Bluetooth Basics:
  https://www.hackster.io/user206876468/arduino-bluetooth-basic-tutorial-d8b737  Here he shows how to setup an HC-05 Bluetooth Module to an arduino, and a simple programming to control it from a smart phone.

Using the Arduino Uno and HC-05 Bluetooth Module:
https://www.hackster.io/tenerdz-group/using-the-arduino-uno-and-hc-05-bluetooth-module-576f3d
  I like this one more than the previous circuit.  Here the Bluetooth module has a simple voltage divider . (A pair of resistors to limit the voltage to the HC-05).


With this info in hand, I can start designing my Don's Electronic Thing!

Where did the time go?

Hi there!  Sorry for the really really long wait...I got busy...had to move, find a new house, wade through the paperwork, and seemingly endless inspections..(oy!)  Move in to the new place, wait for things to settle down...Didn't seem like three years!  (wowzers!)

I did find some time for a couple of projects.  I (mostly) built a "retro computer", and am currently fiddling with a Raspberry PI, and an Arduino Uno computers.  I will have to upload some pictures...

I have decided to expand my blog to cover some of my other hobbies.  Which include:  Lego (yes I am AFOL -- thats a lego fan in joke.), Science Fiction books/movies/etc.,  Computers, Old versions of BASIC -- my favorite programming language.

Keep watching this space...(Hopefully I won't take so long!)

Starship Combat Games

I have a weakness for starship combat games.  Various games I have played: Warpwar, Starfire, Star Fleet Battles, Fullthrust.  I'm always looking for more...than I have time for...LOL!

I have doodled up some of my own ideas.  I think I will share some of them here. 

Deviant Art Page

Yes! I do have a Deviant Art Account.  The files are over there...

Single Page Adventures -- Several pages.

Battle Cry Horse Artillery Marker

More links and stuff later!

About me...

Hi there!

A little about me...

My gaming interests includes starship combat games, some scifi rpgs, and some simple rules lite wargaming.  One of my favorite hobbies is to generate my own games/rules.

My game rules are mostly a moment's doodles, to try out an idea.  A few have been worked out to greater detail.  I have no illusions that any of these are publishable. 

I did create a simple role playing game: StarCadets, and it's much expanded version: Single Page Adventures.  They are free!  Give em a try!  ... If you do anything cool, let me know...

I also made a "Horse Artillery Marker" for BattleCry.

(I have to look the addresses of this stuff.  Will post them later. Sorry.)

First post.

Hi There!

This is my little area where I hope to post game related things...Stay Tuned!