Santa Matt's ramblings

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Showing posts from September, 2017

Simple Pixel Watch (Update to version 6)

September 06, 2017

Simple Pixel Watch (Update to version 6) This is a simple watch using two pixel rings, a Flora and a real time clock (RTC). I wanted a less expensive and lower power consumption alternative to the NeoGeo watch. So I dropped the GPS and positioning boards in favor of a RTC. Construction is easy and fairly quick. You should have some soldering and leather working skills but this is definitely a beginner's level project. Parts List Flora (Adafruit PRODUCT ID: 659) NeoPixel Ring - 12 x 5050 RGBW LEDs (Adafruit any variant) NeoPixel Jewel - 7 x 5050 RGB LED (Adafruit any variant but it is best to match the pixel ring. IE. they should both be cool white or both be natural white.) Real time clock (Adafruit PCF8523 Real Time Clock Assembled Breakout Board) Battery and charger (Adafruit Micro Lipo w/MicroUSB Jack - USB LiIon/LiPoly charger - v1) Assorted leather strips 2 ¼ to 2 ½ inches wide. (One will need to be long enough to go around your wrist and overlap 2-3

Biography

When I left High School, I attended Michigan Tech. I was studying Electronics and trying to decide what I wanted to do. I had gone there for Engineering but really wanted a more hands on career. While there I met a girl named Monica Bobak and we became close. I left school in the beginning of 1972 to find work. I was tired of school and tired of never having any money. Maybe not my best decision as I had a draft number of 63. I enlisted in June of 1972, before I could get drafted. I enlisted for 4 years to get into the army electronics school I wanted. In march of 1973 Monica and I were married. By September 1973, Monica was pregnant and I was on my way to Germany. Monica joined me there later. We had two children while we were in Germany, James in 74 and Angela in 76. In September of 76 we returned from Germany, I got out of the Army and got a job here in Flint working for Midnight Burglar Alarm. I started there installing alarm systems for $3.50 per hour, can you imagine that? In 82 Pamela was born. I worked for Midnight for 22 years and then they were bought and the new owner did not want me. In the interim I had done pretty much every job in the company and ended up creating and managing the IT department. So at 46 years old I am out of work. Fortunately I had learned to program computers and write software along the way so I got a job working as a programmer for a company that writes accounting software for the alarm and security industry. Best job I ever had. Let me see, down through the years, Angela married Ralph Prince and they are the parents of my three grand children Desdemona, Seraphim and AJ. They all live and work in Lansing. James married Adrienne, they don't have any children yet. They live here in Flint and James works for a company called OTC, writing sowtware. Pam got master's degree, She lives in Davison. She works as afund raiser for the YWCA part time while also working self-employed as a grant writer and artist. She married Zack Bailey and they brought my fourth grand child into the world, Patrick. I am retired now and spend most of my free time writing software for hand held electronics and robots. I'm very active in my faith. I worked for a time at being a free lance photographer as a side job. We added a second story to our house and have remodeled pretty much every room. I have made a workshop in the basement where I build my projects. I have also published a cook book "Santa's Cookbook for Men" published through and available on Amazon. I also work as Santa Claus, not for money, just for charities. I am a Hospice volunteer and do Santa there and in adult group homes, cancer centers, hospitals those kinds of things. I have had training in working with hospice patients, autistic children and wounded soldiers. I belong to the Knights of Columbus and Santa America.