North Sea Jazz 2016

Dit jaar een dag North Sea Jazz ervaren:

8-7-2016 o.a.: James Blake, Christian Scott, The Roots, Dr. Lonny Smith, Snarky Puppy, James Hunter Six and more.

ZenSations, E-Smoking

Zensations has a proven cartomizersysteem for electronic cigarettes, which uses so-called cartridges (refills), developed in a unique way. This technical innovation has resulted in a constant flavor release, even if the cartridge becomes empty.

Further innovation increased ease of use. To use the e-cigarette Zensations, namely you not pressing a button. The battery shall enter into force at the moment that there is a difference in air pressure when lightly suck on the mouthpiece.
Anyhow, the ease of use of the e-cigarette Zensations a relief. To charge the battery and screw it on a full refill with integrated nozzle with soft filter. Zensations the e-cigarette is now ready for use. Put the soft filter to your lips and enjoy.
I have bought refills Tabacco 0% nicotine and coffee 0.9% per milliliter and especially pleased with the delicious Caffee flavor.

Marantz TT5005 platenspeler - SOLD 01/24

The Marantz TT5005 is the perfect plug and play turntable.
If you're looking for a quality brand of turntable that's easy to set-up and use, then the Marantz TT5005 is ideal. It has a built-in phono pre-amp, so will work with any hi-fi that has an RCA Aux-input. 

In the straight, lightweight preset tonearm is a Marantz Moving Magnet cartridge attached with needle version DSN-82.

Automatic tone-arm operation returns the arm at the end of each side.

The belt drive system gives a naturally well-damped and low distortion sound quality. Solid construction, including an aluminium platter further enhances the sound quality by resisting mechanical interference and ensures stable playback speed of 33⅓ and 45 RPM.

Little larger than a record itself, the Marantz TT5005 is more compact than most turntables and so easy to place. The low profile lid keeps the dust out and helps keep the style neat and unobtrusive.

Available in a black finish and comes with a dust cover.

Dimensions (W x H x D): 360 x 97 x 357

Concert Pauw

May 6, 2016

20:30h De Boerderij - Zoetermeer

2014 is the year that Holland is being quickly introduced to psychedelic rock band PAUW. With just a few home recorded demo?s, the band takes part in the travelling festival Popronde. With 38 bookings the group becomes the most demanded band in the history of the traveling festival. The four piece plays support shows for Temples, Elephant Stone and Kasabian. While being in the spotlight, they manage to record their debut EP with producer Roel Blommers. The EP is very positively received by critics around the country and single 'Shambhala' is being crowned 'Single Of The Week' by dutch music platform 3voor12 and Pinguin Radio.

The following year seems to become a promising one for PAUW. While playing a lot of shows, e.g. Noorderslag, Where The Wild Things Are, Paaspop, Dauwpop and London Calling, the band is building a strong reputation in their home country. Their first sold-out clubtour is a fact, and above all that their music is played live more than once on radio stations like 3FM and 3voor12 Radio. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hubble telescope, the song 'Visions' is written and performed live on Dutch TV show De Wereld Draait Door and in July released as an official single. The single made it also to 'Single Of The Week' by 3voor12 and Pinguin Radio.
Promoters outside the Netherlands start to discover PAUW as well and the band will play Liverpool Psych Fest (UK), VOID Fest (Germany), Celebration Day (France), Lisbon Psych Fest (Portugal) and several festivals in Belgium including Deep In The Woods and PLAY. They wrap up their festival summer at Lowlands Festival, Into The Great Wide Open. And with an exteded headlining clubtour in the fall ahead of them in the Netherlands, the four friends are showing themselves a lot. And if that's not enough, they even find time to record their first album, which is produced again by Roel Blommers. The album will be released the autumn, the next chapter in an already exciting year for PAUW.

With a savage drummer, a bombastic bassist, a mesmerizing keyboardist and a charismatic guitarist with dreamy vocals, PAUW takes you on a magical and unforgettable trip that will remain with many for a long time.

2014 Pauw
2015 Macrocosm Microcosm

Floyd

Photos made by a Sony RX100

Home appliances (white goods)

Siemens washing machine (2004) model: WXLM 1462 festival (6 kg drum, A+)
Siemens condenser dryer (2004)   model: WTXL 2100NL (A+, PolyV-belt replacement '16)
Bosch dishwasher (2004)               model: SGS43C12/35
Bosch refrigerator (2006)               model: KTR18420 EasyStore AntiBacteria 154 L. (A+: 117kWu/j)
Marijnen deep freezer (2003)         model: CM1908 **** 98 L. 3xdrawers+ice bin (A+: 184kWu/j))

Concert Xavier Rudd

Wed March 30, 2016

at the Melkweg Amsterdam we went (me and my daughter) to a concert of Australian singer-songwriter Xavier Rudd (known from Follow the Sun). Tickets we had ordered for Christmas. The motorcycle parked at the Leidseplein, a quick drink in the Marnixstraat and plugged in the queue. Beautiful location in the middle of the hall, where we could stand slightly higher on a step.  Xavier is multi-instrumentalist (singing, Weissenborn slide guitar, bass, dobro, Aztec drums, didgerido) and his lyrics are often socially critical. He stands up for the rights of Aboriginals and expressing concern about the nature. He was assisted by the musical drummer Bobby Alu and Ant Aggs at the keys. A good, friendly and enthusiastic concert culminating in the last song: Spirit Bird.

SSD in iMac

Soon I want to add an SSD drive to my 27 "iMac mid-2010.

Installed as a startup disk in addition to the 1TB Hard disk (not a HD drive replacement).


info: 
ifixit
Samsung EVO 250 GB
OWC SSD Upgrade Kit iMac 27" model 2010 (Incl. tools)

New 'sport' rear lights for Fiat Stilo

Some month ago I received a
hard-fought small apple thrown in my left rear light what caused a round hole of about 5 cm. Neatly taped but you want it renewed anyway, so I ordered this 'sport' rear lamps in chrome version for approx € 100 per couple, also available in black. For that amount you can buy almost any 2nd hand. Below the pictures already, I think they look good on the Stilo!

Home ventilating system

At our home currently is installed the 'standard' home ventilating system with a

- Fan 325 m3/hour in the attic (Itho) with Periflex plug.
- 3-way switch next to the cooker hood in the kitchen (ground level).
- 4 Suction points: toilet, shower room, hobby room and kitchen (passive stainless steel hood with 2 metal fat filters)

In due course I want to replace the centrifugal fan box by an Itho CVE ECO RFT High Performance 545-5033 with RFT transmitter (stuck into the shower room)
450 m3/h (at 100 Pa)

The fan box has been proven reliable and was the first CPU ventilation unit on the market with a DC motor for the price of an AC motor.
He works quietly, is applicable in any situation and also consumes 83% less energy (this will save €60 per year).
Action Pack now €250

Concert Steven Wilson - Hand Cannot Erase Tour

Feb 3, 2016
20:15h  013 - Tilburg

Experienced for the 2nd time (last April in Zwolle) this tour was again enjoying this brilliant musician and band. They played for three hours in the enlarged hall of '013' (3000 people). The sound was (as always by SW) extremely good, although the small gig in Hedon in Zwolle I was standing near the front, all sounded very pretty both in terms of volume (without earplugs) and acoustics. A good review from Belgium can be found at Progwereld, but also those of Tilburg and Groningen.

_________________________ Set 1 Hand.Cannot.Erase. :  First Regret 3 Years Older Hand Cannot Erase Perfect Life Routine Home Invasion Regret #9 Transience Ancestral Happy Returns Ascendant Here On… _________________________

__________________________ Set 2 : Dark Matter Harmony Korine My Book of Regrets Index Lazarus Don't Hate Me Vermillioncore Sleep Together Toegift:  The Sound of Muzak The Raven That Refused to Sing _________________________

We worden al moe als we naar de agenda van Steven Wilson kijken. Nog maar net bekomen van zijn derde solorelease, Hand. Cannot. Erase.(2015), was daar in januari alweer opvolger 4½ (een tussendoortje op weg naar zijn vijfde album, vandaar de titel). Naast een solocarrière leidt de Britse multi-instrumentalist tussendoor de bands Porcupine Tree en No-Man, en is hij zeer actief als producer/componist/sessiemuzikant voor onder meer Opeth, Marillion en Dream Theater. Al die noeste arbeid betaalt zich steeds meer terug. Was hij aanvankelijk een cultheld in progrock-kringen met zijn ambitieuze, dromerige composities die zwaar leunen op Pink Floyd, Van Der Graaf Generator en Yes, Wilson is inmiddels doorgedrongen tot de mainstream. Hij werd viermaal genomineerd voor een Grammy Award, stond vorig jaar twee avonden in de Royal Albert Hall, en Hand. Cannot. Erase. scoorde hoog in de internationale albumlijsten, waarbij vooral de knappe tweede plek in Nederland opviel.

Related: 
The Aristocats (Guthrie Govan, Marco Minnemann, Bryan Bellar); website
The Mute Gods (Nick Beggs, Marco Minnemann, Roger King)
Steven Wilson - website

Paragliding through Aurora Borealis

In Memoriam: David Bowie

David Bowie (David Robert Jones),  Londen 8-1-'47  –  New York 10-1-'16

was a British singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is considered as one of the most influential rock musicians from the sixties to the present.

My first album was Scary Monsters in 1980. David Bowie became famous for his worldwide hits such as Space Oddity, Changes, Life on Mars, Ziggy Stardust, Let's Dance, Absolute Beginners and Heroes. Bowie also made a number of successful duets: Under Pressure (with Queen), Dancing in the Street (with Mick Jagger), Fame with John Lennon and Tonight (with Tina Turner). He was known for his various image, which were eccentric in the seventies. Bowie was in addition to his career as an artist, an actor in various films and producer for other artists.

★ Blackstar is Bowie's 25th studio album. This, as it turns after Bowie's death on January 10, is also his last album. The album was released on January 8, 2016, which was also his 69th birthday. The album contains seven new songs. Five months Bowie locked himself at home to work on the new album and then in November this year putting the finishing touches. ★ begins with the 10-minute title track ★, a surreal song that originally took more than 11 minutes. In the beautiful song Lazarus he directs his own transition. In addition, the ballad "Dollar Days" is also on. Finally, the album ends with the song "I Can not Give Away Everything" in which Ben Monder having played on guitar.

New Central heating boiler

Today we have fitted a new central heating boiler a few months worrying in malfunction by the now 10 year old Nefit Smartline HR/ C24/CW4 Basic Combi.
This combination boiler has so far done with minimal maintenance (1x DIY cleanup and replacing ionization pin). In recent months suffered from 3L failures, this probably means a new fan a € 280 and you have to assemble it yourself. But it could also be a burner controller UBA a € 200 according to the people of Nefit. After a lot of information gathered from forums, neighbor installers or the like, I decided to replace the boiler.

By the men of Warmteservice (good parts store) made an appointment with an installer that installs many Vaillant boilers with 12-year warranty on parts. The choice fell on the energy efficient Vaillant ecoTEC+ (2x in a row "as best tested" by the Consumers' Association) and costs of installation and guarantee about € 1,500 (€ 100 cash back by Vaillant), but then you get some!
Model: CW4 VHR 25-30/5-5) energy class A is for heating and hot water (14.3 l / min at 40 ° C), quiet (46 dB) and hopefully little failures.


The Honeywell Chronotherm IV I replaced by the Vaillant calorMATIC 370 (black / SS) that operate very easily by hand with a large knob or weekly program and modulating connected to the eBUS of the Vaillant boiler.
The old boiler and thermostat I sold on Mark Place respectively 100 and 30 euros

Silent PC fans

Ordered at AliExpress:
Lonyo PC Cooling Fan 12cm, brushless,

Dimensions: 120x120x25 mm
Design: Nine Sickle Leaves

Speed: 1100 RPM ±10%
Rated Voltage: DC 12V
Rated Current: 0.25A
Air Flow: 88 cfm
Noise: 20 dBA
Bearing type: Hydraulic
Connector: 3 or 4-Pin (2 pin used) - GND, 12V, Tach (rpm signal)
Life: 50.000 hours

Price: €12,50 / 2 pcs

I Tested RPM with Arduino:

12V - 1220 rpm

  9V - 1100 rpm

These fans are really quiet and give plenty of air flow.

Note: DIY Fancontroller: YouTube with 10k variable resistor and LM319 NPN Transistor

Arduino project: Nino the mini pan/tilt robotbird

Nino is very intelligent ...
(because I monitor him ;-)

In the studio                                     In front of the camera

Arduino Uno with prototype shield and external mini

DC/DC 3A power supply module to servos

Short movie (1 minute) coming soon ...

My other breadboard projects ...

Projects:

• Arduino Blynk Sync; Climate controller DWC-grow cabinet
  using iPhone App and datalogger.
  (monitors several temperatures, humudity, pressure,
  timer and thermostat relay control).
  
• Arduino control using Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth
  
• Ultrasonic Waterlevel sensor
  
• Automatic height adjustment of Fluorescent fixture
  using mini laser scanning
  
• Fan control by humidity sensor
  
• Digital pH and EC (TDS) sensors (display, App)
  
• Alarm clock with a temperature/humidity readout on LCD with keypad
  
• DIY basic course in electronics (focus on development
  and management of projects).

Arduino project: Control and Logger for Aeroponics Grow Cabinet

This unit will control my Micro-Aeroponics-Grow-Cabinet (w. Bubble Bucket)

• Arduino Uno (or Mega) with shields and sensor connecting board
• Ethernet Shield connected to Blynk (iPhone App);
  (create dashboard for monitoring sensors and switching two relays: (1. Timer for Lamp;  2. Thermostat for Heater).
• Datalogger Shield with SD-card and Real Time Clock (for timestamp);
  Logger via Ethernet (future WiFi) to Xively channel and visualizing in graphs by Github.
• External power supply for sensors en relays.
• Casing for Arduino board and shields, water resistant with clear cover;
  In/out: DC-9V, Ethernet-Cat5, DS18B20-RJ11, DHT22-RJ11, Relays-RJ11, optional: USB to iMac.
• Casing for Relay/Power Outlet;
  In/out: AC230V, RJ11 (4 wire) to Arduino board.

Sensors:

1. Barometer (Pressure/Temp sensor BM-180).
2. Temperature and Humidity at the top of the plant (DHT22).
3. Luxmeter (Illuminance sensor BH1750).
4. Timer relay control lamp (Blynk dashboard).
5. Thermostat relay control heater in the water container (waterproof Temp. sensor DS18B20).
6. Waterlevel: distance w. Ultrasonic sensor module by independent Nano.
7. pH-sensor by independent Uno (w. Bluetooth Bridge).
8. EC-sensor (future extension pH-board with EC/TDS sensor (conductivity).

2-relay module in mini casing: switches Timer-relay and Thermostat-relay

beta version in a test tray, the final casing is in order.

a larger version as the relay-casing

for Arduino Mega and connection parts

Arduino projects

I'm now developing a number of weeks to Arduino projects (and Chinese clones) and already acquainted programming with different components. Various sensors (temperature, humidity, light intensity, water level, soil moisture etc.) connected with mini LCD screens, leds or an iPhone App . A stepping motor, mini servos, relays, LEDs, ultrasonic distance meter, alarm clock, data logger with SD card, WiFi module, Nano etc. I learn and apply combining for future projects.
Coming weeks there are orders with an Ethernet shield, Bluetooth module, the Arduino Mega, pH sensor, a mini-laser, barometer and more components.
The hobby / study room has been cleaned up nice and technically equipped to develop the electronics projects. Many basic electronics I make my own and I purchased a fine soldering iron with ceramic element and adjustable temperature control which I practice to learn to solder properly.

Controle met Arduino

De zeer handige link naar Wforum, de Getting Started en mooie voorbeelden.
Op YouTube zijn er ook talloze voorbeelden: zoek maar eens op arduino gardening.

Doel:
Ik ben nu eerst aan het bepalen wat ik er eigenlijk mee wil?:
1. Allereerst leren, dat blijf ik altijd doen, beginnen bij het pielen met ledjes e.d., programmeren etc.
2. Controle kweekhok (diverse temperaturen, RV, grondvochtigheid, pH, EC handmatig en op het web) en eventueel later ....
3. Automatiseren (bijv. irrigatie, voedingscomputer te besturen vanaf het web of een app).

De Parrot Flower Power heb ik dit jaar gebruikt bij de buitenkweek en dat beviel me erg goed. De 4 sensoren in de Flower Power geven data door aan een app op de iPhone. Ook wordt er een webpage met grafiekjes aangemaakt, erg leuk allemaal.

Open Garden heeft een zeer complete Arduino shield (gateway €60) voor sensors eventueel aangevuld met hydroponics shield voor pH, EC en Temp (Kit: €200). Je kunt hiermee gemakkelijk een compleet controlestation maken met losse nodes per plant (€100) en controle via web/app. Ook Waspmote is zo'n sensoroplossing. Dit lijken mij allemaal prachtige systemen alleen veel te duur voor mij, dus ga ik een Arduino systeem bouwen en programmeren met losse chinese onderdelen van eBay of AliExpress.

Komende maanden wil ik me focussen op het controleren (en later ook automatiseren) van een semi-hydro/dwc kweek, dwz kleine kast met 2 planten in potten die boven waterbakken hangen.
Naast de temperatuur en luchtvochtigheid in de kast bij de planten, wil ik o.a. de temp van de waterbakken gaan loggen en bloggen, later aangevuld met pH, EC en misschien DO? (dissolved oxygen)


Mijn eerste Arduino project: 

Controle van DWC-ontkiembak (5 liter waterbak met met bubbels)

1. Temperatuur waterbak monitoren (DS18B20); schakelen 7W-warmtematje (onder de waterbak).
2. Temp en RV in de propagator (DHT22: €3,10)
   
3. Timer voor lampje 11W (RTC-module: €0,85)
4. Webserver/app
5. Waternivo, bijv. met (fuel)vlotterschakelaars, DIY Capacitive Liquid Level electrodes of Ultrasoon (mijn voorkeur))
6. Luxmeting (BH1750FVI)
7. pH-waarde
8. EC-waarde

Arduino projecten toekomst:

• Pan/tilt webcam (CM210 HD720 met mini servo's €30-35) 
• Automatische lichtarmatuur hoogteverstelling (ca. 5 cm boven de planttoppen, zodat deze niet tegen de TL's aangroeien)
• Digitale tensiometer (DIY)
• Voedingsdoceer unit DWC
• Automatische pH-regelunit DWC