[HN Gopher] Show HN: I made an alarm clock ___________________________________________________________________ Show HN: I made an alarm clock Author : StavrosK Score : 106 points Date : 2021-01-25 11:55 UTC (1 days ago) (HTM) web link (www.stavros.io) (TXT) w3m dump (www.stavros.io) | JshWright wrote: | > I'm too obsessive to not check all my messages instead of | falling asleep when I see the notifications on the screen. | | So this new clock is why you've stopped responding to my messages | at all hours of the night? I see how it is... | StavrosK wrote: | Oh no, _your_ messages I see. | hanniabu wrote: | Lol do you guys actually know each other? | StavrosK wrote: | Haha, yep! For a looong time now. | JshWright wrote: | It's how I keep track of how old my daughter is... | StavrosK wrote: | We've known each other for highschool-age years. | sgt wrote: | >This symbolizes the futility of human existence and its | incessant search for meaning in a cold and unfeeling universe | that's ultimately profoundly devoid of such, and then you die. | | >Not having to wake up to a buzzer is cool, though. | | Hilarious! | StavrosK wrote: | I'd thank you but what's the point | brian_herman wrote: | Cool are you going to sell it? | StavrosK wrote: | Nah, I can't be bothered with sales and stuff. I estimate the | effort left to make it an actual product someone can use to be | about ten to thirty times as much effort as I put into this | prototype, and I don't think many people will want it. | hnburnsy wrote: | That's really cool, but a projection clock really saves from | having to strain to read the time on the bedside table. | fernandopj wrote: | That was hilarious! And it's such a cool project. Just copy & | paste this entire post in a Kickstart page and watch the money | pile up. Seriously. (but omit the "liar" part) | StavrosK wrote: | Haha, but then I'd have to do so much work :( | | I was actually contacted by the CEO of Pimoroni a while back, | you can give them the product and they'll handle sales and | manufacturing and give you a percentage, which is a great deal | for a lazy guy like me. Unfortunately, he hasn't replied to my | last 3-4 emails, so I haven't pursued it further. | LibertyBeta wrote: | They're likely a little swamped with the Pico launch. | StavrosK wrote: | I think the first email was ~8 months ago, but I don't know | how long the Pico launch has been brewing for. | nip180 wrote: | One small design suggestion. You should include a battery so that | if the electricity were to go out you could still see the time or | be alerted at the time of the alarm. | StavrosK wrote: | Yep, I mention that in the post. I have an LoLin ESP32 board | that includes a charger and battery connector, I might just use | that. | baxtr wrote: | _> Say I want to set the alarm for 9:30, just in time to be ten | minutes late for tennis._ | | Haha. What a ridiculous time to get up - from my perspective at | least having young children that are up at 6:30 the latest. | That's the reason why I won't need your clock. I wholeheartedly | agree though that it's "sexy". Niiice! | StavrosK wrote: | Oh man, 9:30 is my "this is inhumanely early" time. I usually | get up around noon. Having kids will either be terrible or | super easy, as I can keep the kid until 6 am, while my wife | sleeps, and then we can switch shifts. | seanalltogether wrote: | Once past the newborn phase, babies like to be asleep when | its dark and awake when its light. | StavrosK wrote: | So you're suggesting some sort of servo-controlled horse | blinds, interesting. | tailspin2019 wrote: | Not many HN comments are worthy of a literal "laugh out | loud". | | But this one is. | glitchc wrote: | Ah, to be young again! | Sebb767 wrote: | I've wanted to do this for myself for a long time, especially the | dimmer wake up part. This might be Inspiration enough to finally | go for it. | | Great write-up! I enjoyed the nihilist humour quite a lot. | StavrosK wrote: | Thanks! Go for it, I'm _fairly_ sure the dimming will work for | you, but I _think_ the other similar screen I have doesn 't | work with that code entirely, it needed some small change that | I don't remember now. | larrik wrote: | > Octagonal shape so I can lay it down on its side instead of | having to crane my neck up to check the time when lying down (I | really did think of everything). | | I actually didn't understand this part. Why an octagon? How does | it help this? | pb7 wrote: | You can rotate an octagon in 45deg increments. | StavrosK wrote: | Yep! That really is its killer feature, and it's very | interesting how, when I'm lying with my head perfectly | horizontal, it's easier to read the clock when it's at 45deg | rather than entirely on its side... | FriendlyNormie wrote: | Jesus, how fucking retarded are these people that you even | had to explain this. Any random Japanese person for example | would have understood immediately upon looking at it. | Americans are a fucking embarrassment | dmje wrote: | I'm really pissed off that I didn't think of an octagonal | clock, dammit | StavrosK wrote: | Well it's too late now, the patent is _MINE_ | AndrewDucker wrote: | Allows it to be angled in a variety of directions, but still be | stable. | roadbeats wrote: | How did you get the case built ? 3D printer ? | StavrosK wrote: | Yes! I love my 3D printer, it has the highest ROI of anything | I've ever bought, and I've bought a bidet. | dceddia wrote: | Cool! What sorts of things have you 3D printed that give it | such a high ROI? | | I've got one too and it's fun to tinker with and I've printed | a couple useful things, but not _a lot_ of useful things. I | 'm always curious what people do with theirs, especially when | they say they use it all the time! | outworlder wrote: | Not OP but most of my savings have been on time, rather | than money. It did save some money. | | * When installing a portable AC, I noticed that the | included window kit didn't extend far enough. Similarly, | another window was small, and the window kit would have to | be sawed off. They retail for approximately $50 for a piece | of plastic. Printer cost me $150. Plastic costs were under | $10. Thats close to 2/3 of the printer price right there. | | * One of the air conditioners came with a broken | caster(bought online). Store didn't help. I could return | the entire unit, but I would have to endure a heat wave | without one. So I just printed an adaptor to use with some | other furniture casters I had laying around. Designing was | quick, so in a couple of hours I had my issue fixed. | | * Printed a Raspberry Pi case. A few more bucks. | | * My mom is starting a business and she needed some tools | (really, they are guide pieces, ridiculously simple but you | need relatively precise measurements). Some people would | either purchase them (double digit dollars for one) or | create crappy versions using cardboard. I designed and | printed those for her and saved almost a hundred bucks, for | something that almost looks like it came from a store. Plus | I can further customize to her needs. | | * Printed a stand for my soldering iron. It's a DS-80p so | it is tiny, the 'normal' stands are incredibly bulky. | Printed a version I found on Thingiverse. While at it, why | not print a nice case for it too, right? | | * Wanted to use the macbook upright, in clamshell mode. I | could buy some stand, costing $20 and up. I didn't need | anything fancy, so I just printed one. For about one tenth | of the price of the cheapest option I could find. I got it | in the same day even. | | * Due to COVID, printed a bunch of face shields. | | * Holders for a variety of things. | | Then there are some pure convenience: | | * Bike reflector holder piece broke. I wanted to go out to | ride. Printing a replacement took less time than going to | the store and back. Debatable if money was saved but not | having to leave the house (or wait for a package) was | certainly nice. Doubly so after COVID. | | * I wanted some desk grommets of a specific size (and | length). Checked Amazon, they were either overpriced or | came in larger quantities than I need and I would end up | with an assortment of surplus pieces. Whatever, | Thingiverse, fired up the printer, off I go. I even | customized for the exact thickness of the desk. | | * Decided it would be cool if my Steam controller rested | upright on a desk. Absent-mindedly queued a job remotely to | the printer. Estimated costs around $1. | | I could go on and on for a day. But it's not a matter of | seeing what I or others have printed and going "Oh I need | that". It's about what it brings to the table. | | The bottom line is this. Assuming you have: | | * Some time to learn the basics of a CAD tool (any tool). | You most likely don't need anything too complex. Most | useful objects have simple shapes, you just need the | ability to adapt them to your situation. You can get pretty | far with downloading models online - sometimes I get | surprised of what niche objects you can find. But often you | can't find some specific thing you are looking for (the AC | examples above) and you need to design. | | * Some time (and patience) to learn the basics of 3D | printing and to do some troubleshooting when things go | wrong. There's all sorts of communities that can help but | you still need the basics. | | Then what you end up with is the ability to just conjure up | stuff when you need a problem fixed. Anything. Maybe you | need to hang something, maybe something moves and it | shouldn't. Or maybe it doesn't but should (I've used skate | rollers with 3d printed pieces, works great). Maybe some | tiny plastic piece broke and the manufacturer is charging | an arm and a leg to replace. You can just find it (if you | are lucky or if it is a common thing) or you can design it | yourself. | | This also allows you to come up with a bunch of DIY | projects as this thread shows. | | If it is made out of plastic and fits in the build plate, | odds are you can make it, unless it requires a more exotic | plastic. | StavrosK wrote: | Exactly agreed. It's not so much _what_ you 've printed, | it's that it changes your mindset to one where you | realize that annoyances you wouldn't have thought twice | about are now _actually easily solvable_. | | Before, the charger cables would roll off my desk, and | I'd think "damn cables". Now I think "I can design and | print something in 5 minutes that will solve this problem | exactly". For many, many problems. | StavrosK wrote: | Once you learn to design (which is pretty easy), it changes | your life. You can get custom-built components tailored | _exactly_ to your problem in minutes. Computer cables being | rowdy? Design a hook in five minutes, done. The other day I | designed and printed a custom mobile phone holder for my | laptop so I can use my phone as an HD webcam with DroidCam. | Cat opens the door at night? Print a small doorstop and | that problem is solved. | | A _lot_ of problems just go away when you realize you can | make custom components for them. | dceddia wrote: | I love this mindset. I definitely think this way about | software, and more recently, about things I can make out | of wood. | | Plastic or machined parts have always felt out of reach | so I'm not in the habit of believing I can fix things | that way yet. I think it'll take some practice to get | that idea to sink in. Thanks! | StavrosK wrote: | > I definitely think this way about software, and more | recently, about things I can make out of wood. | | Yes, exactly. Though, I have to say, going from software | to hardware was quite magical: You can suddenly affect | the _physical_ world, which is amazing. Plus, if you | already know software, adding hardware to the mix rounds | you out very well, and opens up a large array of things | you can make. | | > Plastic or machined parts have always felt out of reach | so I'm not in the habit of believing I can fix things | that way yet. | | I very strongly recommend designing a few things in | OnShape or FreeCAD or SoveSpace and getting a 3D printer | once you get the hang of that (it shouldn't take you very | long at all, maybe a few evenings). | | Machined parts I find pretty hard, but then again I also | found plastic things impossible before getting a printer | and they turned out to be quite easy. | paxys wrote: | A long time ago I had a Google-branded alarm clock which had | wheels and ran away when it rang so you couldn't hit snooze. Fun | times. | StavrosK wrote: | Hahah I remember that one! It jumped off the nightstand and ran | around the room, didn't it? That was hilarious. | paxys wrote: | Yes! It somehow managed to hide deep under my dresser every | morning. | kirktrue wrote: | Are you referring to Clocky? - https://clocky.com/ | paxys wrote: | Maybe. Or a precursor/knockoff. This was like 15 years ago.. | jordan801 wrote: | I enjoy the nihilistic morbid humor here. I too question the | futility of my work as I waste away in this cold expanse. | Teknoman117 wrote: | Sometimes I wonder if playing with old obviously obsolete | computers is a waste of time. | | Been working on replacing the BIOS on a 386EX single board | computer with a custom monitor / "hypervisor" I'm writing in | Rust as kind of a demonstration of how low level you can get | with Rust. I want to post a Show HN after cleaning it up a bit. | StavrosK wrote: | Enjoying yourself is never a waste of time. | pbronez wrote: | > There's an old Chinese saying: | | > To know the time, you must first connect to the internet. | | > - Sun Inc. | | amazing | StavrosK wrote: | Thanks! I wasn't sure if it would be obvious enough, I don't | think many people got it. | LeifCarrotson wrote: | I enjoyed it, so there's at least two of us. | | You've turned microhumor [1] into something akin to a spoken | accent that pervades the entire blog post. I'm unsure how to | handle this. | | However, I was particularly amused by your closing sentence | that mentioned how a LiPo could keep it running for "hours". | That sounds about right for a 20 mA OLED and an 80 mA | ESP8266, but it's remarkably shorter than an old-fashioned | LCD alarm clock in which an alkaline battery could last for | months. | | By the way, I'd recommend an 18650 LiIon instead. If you | want, the charge circuit can be as simple as putting the | LiIon and a silicon rectifier in parallel with your 3.3V | regulator output (assuming the linear regulator has an | internal PNP body diode and doesn't backfeed) and then just | charge the cell outside the alarm clock in an off-the-shelf | battery charger. You don't need the current density of a | LiPo, you want low current but high capacity, and cheap LiPo | pouches have an annoying tendency to puff up and go bad. | Going bad may result in burning down your nightstand, which | is never a good way to wake up. | | [1]: https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/02/20/writing-advice/ | StavrosK wrote: | > I'm unsure how to handle this. | | I also. I'm fairly sure it's a compliment, though, so | thanks! | | > it's remarkably shorter than an old-fashioned LCD alarm | clock in which an alkaline battery could last for months. | | It certainly is, but an LCD alarm clock is much less | fabulous, since it has to be pressed or otherwise activated | to produce light, and that's my main need here (a clock | that I can read in the dark without moving). | | > it's remarkably shorter than an old-fashioned LCD alarm | clock in which an alkaline battery could last for months | | That's a good suggestion, but it loses some of the "set it | and forget it" factor, and I will very definitely forget it | (especially when there's no low voltage warning). I have | some ESP32 boards with a built-in charger, so that's more | hands-off. Also, the length of the clock is shorter than a | 18650, so I'd have to make the clock larger and the screen | would look even smaller in comparison. I appreciate the | suggestions, design is fun and getting feedback from others | makes it even better! | | > cheap LiPo pouches have an annoying tendency to puff up | and go bad | | Oh, don't worry about that, they're all already puffed up. | highpost wrote: | Sun Inc. also said "The network is the computer." To which | DEC Inc. replied "The network is the network and the computer | is the computer. Sorry for all the confusion." | Yhippa wrote: | StavrosK, you're my hero. Thanks for the delightful write-up. | StavrosK wrote: | You're _my_ hero, Yhippa! | e12e wrote: | Nice write-up. No (ed: full) source code? I was somewhat qurious | to see how much of it there ended up being. | | In high-school I did the almost opposite of this - I taped down | the play button on my hi-fi CD remote, and wired the battery | through the switch for the alarm of an old alarm clock (and cut | the wires to the actual alarm). Allowed me to wake up to | whichever CD was in the player, rather than an alarm. | | Most cd players would wake up from power off playing, but mine | didn't - so I couldn't just make do with a timer on the mains. | Plus, the analog alarm clock was easier to set for a time, than | my timer-plug. | StavrosK wrote: | The code is here: | | https://gitlab.com/stavros/do-not-be-alarmed | | It's just pretty specific to me and I don't know if I committed | any keys or anything, so I didn't really publicize it. | | It should be perfectly usable, though, you can build it with | PlatformIO after specifying a few #defines. | crazypython wrote: | Nice to see it's under AGPLv3. Putting end-user code under | AGPLv3 protects the rights of users to run, modify, | contribute to, and share the software. | StavrosK wrote: | Yeah, I decided to switch to that from MIT/BSD as I don't | like people taking the software and closing it up. | e12e wrote: | Thank you :) | amelius wrote: | An alarm clock without a radio? | StavrosK wrote: | _Then put your little hand in mine_ | | _There ain 't no hill or mountain we can't climb_ | mbg721 wrote: | It's interesting how that song in particular instantly zones- | out the listener. Even though I've heard it hundreds of | times, I had to look up the second line to make sure I had | the right one. | benbruscella wrote: | That's the song that plays on the alarm clock radio in the | movie Groundhog Day. | selimthegrim wrote: | The equivalent song for me personally is "Joy to the | World" by Three Dog Night after a traumatic experience on | an eighth grade trip | mbg721 wrote: | That is frighteningly easy to picture mentally. | mbg721 wrote: | Exactly, but I had a hard time recognizing Sonny and Cher | just from the lyrics. | war1025 wrote: | Not nearly as nifty as this, but it reminded me that in college | my alarm clock was cron job on my desktop that would launch a | program every day at 8am which beeped the system bell once a | second until I leapt out of bed and hit Enter. | | Making that sound stop was a great motivator for getting out of | bed. | gus_massa wrote: | For a long time I had a similar setup, but I was just playing | Thunderstruck by AC/DC. It stars quietly, the volume of the | song increase slowly, and you have like a minute to get up and | turn it off before they guy start to cry and wake up all your | family. | harkal wrote: | Do you keep the screen constantly on (with dimming but still on)? | I had the same for a thermostat I made and the pixel burn on | those screens are terrible. I would add offsetting to mitigate | it. (Periodically render stuff with small random offsets) kudos! | StavrosK wrote: | Yep, I do. I used this kind of screen in another project, but | it took years to burn in (and that one was completely static). | The screen only costs $3-4 or so, so I can just replace it if | it becomes an issue, but you are quite correct that it's going | to be a problem. | shimonabi wrote: | It's not that difficult. I made one for myself too with an | ESP8266, a RTC clock module, a temperature sensor and a hd44780 | screen. | | It displays the time and date, outside/inside temperature, | humidity, barometric pressure. | | I have the modules mounted on a breadboard, currently in vertical | position with wires hangihg out. :) | robocat wrote: | > One thing I'd like to improve in the future is to add a | battery, because right now it's solely USB powered and will | obviously die if there's a power outage. Adding a small LiPo | battery and a charger circuit will be pretty easy | | ?Maybe just use a USB powerbank if you want a quick n dirty | solution? | StavrosK wrote: | That works, it'd just be a bit clunky. I already have a board | that supports a battery, so I'll probably use that instead. ___________________________________________________________________ (page generated 2021-01-26 23:00 UTC)