Hack saturday – spend $25 free on amex @ small business

American express has a one a year campaign where they will reimburse you $25 if you register your amex card online and spend more than 25 at a participating small business. Just to reiterate, here are the two rules
1) register your (amex) card online at http://shopsmall.com
2) buy a minimum of $25 worth of stuff from an amex approved small business. Want to find one? Check out their online small business finder.

Just so you know that this isn’t “too good to believe” you can see that I did it last year and got a bunch of free gear from sparkfun.

So here is why this is hacky enough to go up on my blog. The small businesses don’t have to be local to you. They just need to be on the map. I’ve looked for a bunch of my favorite small open source hardware / reprap stores and have a small list. The most difficult part is that you need to know the store’s physical address, and their name according to amex. I’m sure that I have missed some just because they might have their cc account under a different name than their actual store name.

Here’s my list:
pololu
makerbot
inventables
artisans asylumn
matterhackers
protoparadigm
robotshop
hobby fever
DIY Drones (3d robotics)
you do it electronics

NOT eligible – post with the zip code and address if you can find that they are actually there. I would LOVE that.
shapeways
sparkfun :(
ponoko
adafruit
emsl
printrbot

It’s not too late to register, and I haven’t picked out my list yet. PLEASE post your thoughts for any hacker friendly small businesses that accept amex, or even better – check them out on the map and post back here

CHDK Compatible Powershot SD series cameras


SD Series

The SD series is a slightly higher level version of the A series. They have nice metallic-looking rounded bodies. They have a very pocketable size, and they feel very good in the hand. Their battery life is somewhat a limitation due to their size and their batteries are generally tiny things with external chargers. These cameras can make for a great walk around point and shoot, or a platform for a more involved level of tinkering. With a big enough external battery they could make for a great motion detection photo system, and their small size means that you could tuck them in a dark corner and unobtrusively capture a timelapse or two.

———————–

Canon Powershot SD30 5MP Digital Elph Camera with 2.4x Optical Zoom (Tuxedo Black)

Price: $345.00

4.3 out of 5 stars (50 customer reviews)

7 used & new available from $54.54

Canon Powershot SD300 4MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Price: $45.00

4.0 out of 5 stars (112 customer reviews)

11 used & new available from $45.00

Canon Powershot SD400 5MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Price: $599.90

4.1 out of 5 stars (183 customer reviews)

19 used & new available from $40.00

Canon Powershot SD500 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Price: $499.99

4.1 out of 5 stars (167 customer reviews)

12 used & new available from $34.99

Canon Powershot SD550 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Beige)

Price: $699.00

4.3 out of 5 stars (154 customer reviews)

11 used & new available from $30.00

Canon PowerShot SD600 6MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Price: $379.01

4.5 out of 5 stars (505 customer reviews)

29 used & new available from $39.00

Canon PowerShot SD630 6MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Price: $639.30

4.6 out of 5 stars (240 customer reviews)

22 used & new available from $23.40

Canon PowerShot SD700 IS 6MP Digital Elph Camera with 4x Image Stabilized Zoom

Price: $799.90

4.5 out of 5 stars (317 customer reviews)

7 used & new available from $61.27

Canon PowerShot SD750 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)

Price: $399.97

4.5 out of 5 stars (590 customer reviews)

28 used & new available from $39.00

Canon PowerShot SD770 IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

Price: $310.00

4.5 out of 5 stars (426 customer reviews)

7 used & new available from $110.00

Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)

Price: $379.99

4.3 out of 5 stars (793 customer reviews)

40 used & new available from $44.99

Canon PowerShot SD790IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Price: $465.95

4.5 out of 5 stars (251 customer reviews)

15 used & new available from $66.00

Canon PowerShot SD800 IS 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom

Price: $68.49

4.5 out of 5 stars (582 customer reviews)

14 used & new available from $68.49

Canon PowerShot SD870IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

Price: $65.00

4.3 out of 5 stars (481 customer reviews)

18 used & new available from $65.00

Canon PowerShot SD880IS 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

Price: $799.90

4.2 out of 5 stars (297 customer reviews)

14 used & new available from $65.99

Canon PowerShot SD890IS 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Price: $219.99

4.2 out of 5 stars (228 customer reviews)

10 used & new available from $49.99

Canon PowerShot SD900 Titanium 10MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Price: $599.95

4.4 out of 5 stars (131 customer reviews)

13 used & new available from $48.99

Canon PowerShot SD950IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 3.7x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Titanium)

Price: $84.50

4.3 out of 5 stars (170 customer reviews)

7 used & new available from $84.50

Canon Powershot SD990IS 14.7MP Digital Camera with 3.7x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

Price: $999.00

4.5 out of 5 stars (184 customer reviews)

8 used & new available from $99.00

Canon PowerShot SD1000 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)

Price: $499.88

4.4 out of 5 stars (892 customer reviews)

29 used & new available from $30.00

Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

Price: $445.00

4.5 out of 5 stars (972 customer reviews)

12 used & new available from $50.00

Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)

Price: $399.00

4.3 out of 5 stars (759 customer reviews)

7 used & new available from $49.99

Not linked – SD850
———————–

As with every camera purchase, you’ll need to make sure that you end up with an appropriate memory card (or two), a battery, and charger. If you buy new this is less of a concern, but a lot of these cameras are only really available on the used market so keep an eye out for what accessories are bundled with the camera.

Go Back to the CHDK compatible overview page

CHDK compatible Powershot A series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot ELPH series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot S series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SD series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SX series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot G series cameras

CHDK Compatible Powershot S series cameras

S Series
The S series is where best buy thinks that the line between point and shoots and SLRs starts to get blurry. These are a bigger form factor, and the are not pocketable. They may look like a dslr from a distance, but the lens is not detachable. This series generally has a nice long optical zoom length but doesn’t win many style points. These cameras can be picked up pretty cheap (*used) because they aren’t the sharpest looking canons on the market. (body-wise, not image-wise) They still can have great optical quality and their larger size enables both larger screens and longer lasting batteries. If all that you care about is the picture then these might make a good tradeoff of price per pixel.



Not linked – S5

As with every camera purchase, you’ll need to make sure that you end up with an appropriate memory card (or two), a battery, and charger. If you buy new this is less of a concern, but a lot of these cameras are only really available on the used market so keep an eye out for what accessories are bundled with the camera.

Go Back to the CHDK compatible overview page

CHDK compatible Powershot A series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot ELPH series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot S series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SD series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SX series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot G series cameras

CHDK Compatible Powershot ELPH cameras

Elph Series
The ELPH Series are good looking cameras with metal bodies. They are a small form factor camera and easily pocketable. These are a good choice if you are using chdk to get a few more features from your point and shoot, but you don’t want to do any hardware hacking or explore manual modes. Enabling RAW format on these cameras could easily be worth the effort, even if you didn’t play around with many of CHDK’s other features.


Not linked – ELPH 300 500

As with every camera purchase, you’ll need to make sure that you end up with an appropriate memory card (or two), a battery, and charger. If you buy new this is less of a concern, but a lot of these cameras are only really available on the used market so keep an eye out for what accessories are bundled with the camera.

Go Back to the CHDK compatible overview page

CHDK compatible Powershot A series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot ELPH series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot S series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SD series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SX series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot G series cameras

CHDK Compatible Powershot SX series cameras

SX Series
The SX series is pretty similar to the S series. It is too big for a point and shoot, yet lacks a lot of the functionality of a dslr. These cameras can be picked up pretty cheap (*used) because they aren’t the sharpest looking canons on the market. They still can have great optical quality and their larger size enables both larger screens and longer lasting batteries. If all that you care about is the picture then these might make a good tradeoff of price per pixel.


Not linked – SX150 SX210 SX 220

As with every camera purchase, you’ll need to make sure that you end up with an appropriate memory card (or two), a battery, and charger. If you buy new this is less of a concern, but a lot of these cameras are only really available on the used market so keep an eye out for what accessories are bundled with the camera.

Go Back to the CHDK compatible overview page

CHDK compatible Powershot A series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot ELPH series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot S series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SD series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SX series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot G series cameras

CHDK Compatible Powershot A series cameras

    A Series

The A series has the highest number of supported cameras. They generally aren’t all that fashionable, but the 1000 series and above all look pretty slick and are thin. These can make for good, reliable chdk installs in situations where you the camera is in a degree of danger. The lower number / earlier cameras are also more likely to run off of AA batteries. That makes it easier to get a good deal on a used one without the charger and it also means that there are easier battery replacement options. One other good aspect is that bigger cameras can be easier to disassemble in case you are looking to create a new enclosure or tap into the wiring for the buttons.

Canon PowerShot A460 5.0MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Silver)
Canon PowerShot A470 7.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.4x Optical Zoom (Red)
Canon PowerShot A480 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)
Canon PowerShot A490 10.0 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD
Canon PowerShot A495 10.0 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD (Blue)
Canon PowerShot A530 5MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A540 6MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A550 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A560 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A570IS 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Canon PowerShot A580 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A590IS 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Canon Powershot A610 5MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Canon Powershot A620 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A630 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A640 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A650IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Canon PowerShot A700 6MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A710 IS 7.1MP Digital Camera with 6x Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom
Canon PowerShot A720IS 8MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Canon Powershot A800 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom (Black)
Canon Powershot A1000IS 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Grey)
Canon PowerShot A1100IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD
Canon Powershot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Silver)
Canon Powershot A2000IS 10MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Canon PowerShot A3000IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 4x Image Stabilized Zoom 2.7-Inch LCD
3200 not linked
Canon Powershot A3300 IS 16 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Silver)

As with every camera purchase, you’ll need to make sure that you end up with an appropriate memory card (or two), a battery, and charger. If you buy new this is less of a concern, but a lot of these cameras are only really available on the used market so keep an eye out for what accessories are bundled with the camera.

Go Back to the CHDK compatible overview page

CHDK compatible Powershot A series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot ELPH series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot S series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SD series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot SX series cameras
CHDK compatible Powershot G series cameras

How to buy a CHDK compatible camera on amazon

I LOVE CHDK. It lets you do so much cool stuff on canon powershot cameras, from shooting timelapses, to enabling RAW file options, to shooting video on cameras that never had video before. For the uninitiated, CHDK is an alternate firmware that your camera loads from the memory card. That keeps it relatively safe and allows you to reset your camera simply by switching the memory card! I’ve been using CHDK on and off since 2009, and I recently decided that I wanted a new camera to play around with. One of the toughest things about finding a good camera to run chdk on is that most, but not all canon cameras are supported. It is really hard to find a canon powershot and KNOW that it is compatible with chdk without doing a lot of work. Earlier today I had a tab open with the CHDK FAQ and a page open on amazon. I kept switching back and forth to find a good resolution, well featured chdk supported camera at a good price. That meant I had to keep a lot of info in my head. I quickly gave up on that and made this whole slew of amazon product links. It’s not the absolute best (that would be a database of megapixels, features, and price) but it definitely helps to hone in on your ideal price point.

Just in case you came here looking for a suggestion: go for the G series if you can swing it. They are amazing cameras in a small package. On the other hand – if you are dropping that much coin you might want to consider going for a dslr and running Magic Lantern on it. Magic lantern is like chdk, but coded explicitly for Canon’s dslr line.

On the other end of the line if you are just beginning and you don’t know how useful this will really be, don’t feel bad about buying an older camera. I would even recommend buying it used, but make sure that you get the charger and battery with it. Even if you get a mid level camera you will still end up with a better camera than the phone in your pocket!

Note: I’ve done my best in order to keep this clear and correct. I strongly urge you to cross reference any camera that you find with the CHDK FAQ before you click buy. So without further ado, here are the links. I plan on keeping it updated, so if it is useful – spread the word!

– UPDATE –
It seems as if Amazon doesn’t love the idea of having a solid page of ads, so they may have blocked them. I will break it up into separate pages by camera family in order to see how they feel about that.

CHDK compatible A series cameras
CHDK compatible ELPH series cameras
CHDK compatible S series cameras
CHDK compatible SD series cameras
CHDK compatible SX series cameras
CHDK compatible G series cameras

OpenSCAD tip: How to get formatting.

I’ve been diving into learning openSCAD lately, and it has sometimes been a rough road. One thing that has really helped me has been occasionally copying my script into a blank arduino window, letting it auto-format (command-t) , and then pasting it back into openSCAD. The formatting really helps illustrate where the brackets line up. You could do this with many other coding apps (ie not arduino) but that is the one I have handy, and one that most people who print will have installed as well.

Before:

After:

How to monitor your reprap remotely with skype!

I was pretty pleased with myself when I thought of this. It is super simple, but it works well. I have been very nervous to run down to do the laundry, or to check the mail while I am printing. Not that my machine has problems, but I want to be there if it does. I looked into all kinds of different nanny-cams, and streaming webcam setups before I figured out the absolute simplest possible option.

1) Set up a new skype account on the machine by my printer.
2) In the privacy setting of the preferences, configure skype to only allow calls from people in your contacts

3) in the calls section, set it to auto answer calls and automatically start video when connected.


4) add yourself to the contact list
5) call yourself from your iphone!

Now, smarter people than I will pipe in here and say that having an always-on video conncetion on the internet is a setup for disaster. I only turn this on when I am running out of the room for a bit, and I turn it off when I return. The security settings ought to do a good job of not letting strangers peek in on your prints, but I don’t think I will run naked in front of the camera just to be safe.

Using a Bowden cable on the reprap prusa cold end


This post is to document something that I thought was fairly standard , but after talking to a few people I discovered it isn’t. Some people (I’m looking at you jkeegan) even thought it wasn’t possible. I have been using thin hdpe tubing for some time to enable my extruder to unspool filament by itself.

The benefit of the tubing is that it removes the effect that pulling has on the carriage positioning. The cable has a small washer between it and the extruder, and butts against a 3mm hole I drilled in the handle of my extension cord reel. That arrangement allows all of the pulling force of the extruder to be focused on spinning the reel as opposed to lifting the z axis off of the bed.

I used this setup most of the time I was working with the cupcake, and just set it up again for my gen 6 prusa.

Downsides: it does probably require more torque. You also need to be smart about using as little hdpe tubing as possible, as it seems like the friction scales non linearly. You also want the line to be as straight as possible between the spool and the extruder. My setup in the video is about as long as you want it to be. I could easily see using 10cm of tubing and simply setting the spool on the top of my prusa. That ought to have very little drag compared to the current rig. PTFE tubing might be worth looking into as well

I may end up building a bracket to allow mounting the reel on top. That seems like it would be a pretty manageable setup.

Just because I know someone will end up asking where I got that reel from: home depot is the answer, but you can also find it at amazon here

The hdpe tubing I believe is used for cold water lines such as ice makers. I picked it up at home depot as well.