Category: do it yourself

Still here, beside you…

Hey.. Love is Love. If you disagree, check your hearts to make sure they’re still in there. Two is cool 👀 but forced binaries are low and artificial. ☀️ Full stop.

Rainbow – Lahaina, HI

Changed? Darn right we changed. We all do everyday or we ain’t moving forward. Look at plants, they grow, become root bound, and eventually need a bigger pot to thrive but we don’t judge them for that.

Metamorphosis/Transformation

Time and time again, we drop our figurative anchors into the oceans of data, down to what we consider the literary bedrock. That’s ok, we all need our rest.

D1v1ng down though, you might be surprised to find out that our anchors have been swallowed by sad whales dragging us along for a ride. (no offense to actual 🐋’s intended ☺️)

sum(my unsolicited .02) = Awaken, go inside, find YOU, do your work, ask for help, rest and heal when you need too, wear sunscreen and find shade when you need it, eat mindfully, drink plenty of water, sing, dance, pull up your anchors, and sail into the New World each day with your framilies! Stay Weird! Stay Kind! Seek diverse perspectives! Look out for one another! Find your Joy Growing and Adventuring Together! Remember to Care! I love you all! Glad you’re still with us! 🖖🏼

Update: I am happy to report that I have found the secret entrance. 🤣

APRS contact with International Space Station

IMG_0389Shortly after learning about APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System), I decided to see if I could interface my cheap BaoFeng UV-5R with my iPhone for use with PocketPacket.

A quick google search yielded the a schematic designed by KK6GIP. A good place to start.

A quick dig around in the junk box yielded the necessary components, a piece of recycled project board, an old busted iPhone headset, and the cheap headset that came with the radio. A few minutes later after some wire trimming and soldering – Voila! – an iPhone to BaoFeng audio interface.

IMG_0383

I tuned the radio into 144.390 MHz (a common 2m APRS frequency) and transmitted an APRS data burst. This resulted in my coordinates and message being received by K2PUT (a local digipeater) which was forwarded to an internet gateway.

Ok that was fun. What next?

When the International Space Station isn’t using its ham radio for voice, it operates as a FM Packet Radio Digipeater on 145.825 MHz.

scene composition: litho, frame 22

So I connected my homemade 2m yagi antenna, tuned to 145.825 and set my digipeater path to ‘VIA ARISS’.

Now all I had to do was wait for the ISS to pass overhead. The ISS completes around 15 orbits a day, so this didn’t take too long.

Using an iPad application called ProSatHD, I was able to determine down to the minute when and where the station would pass overhead.

Continue reading “APRS contact with International Space Station”

12V DC Ammo Can Power Box v1.0

IMG_5260

I wanted to build a custom rugged battery box on a budget for amateur radio communications and emergency charging. The ammo can was found in poor condition at an army surplus and was restored by sanding to remove rust, re-painting, and lubricating the rubber seal. I’m not yet satisfied with the internal fabrication and will continue to improve upon its design later. Future improvements to include: led switch, solar charge controller, improved mounting panel, volt/amp meter.

more photos below and materials list below…

Continue reading “12V DC Ammo Can Power Box v1.0”

Amateur Radio Transmits 1000 Miles On Voice Power

Many of us tried the old “Two tin cans connected by a string” experiment as kids. [Michael Rainey, AA1TJ] never quite forgot it.  Back in 2009, he built “El Silbo”, a ham radio transmitter powered entirely by his voice. El Silbo is a Double Side Band (DSB) transmitter for 75 meters.

via Pocket http://hackaday.com/2013/11/26/amateur-radio-transmits-1000-miles-on-voice-power/

Get into HAM radio for $45 dollars

 Why should I get a HAM radio & license?300px-International_amateur_radio_symbol_svg

  • How will I communicate with friends/family in a disaster scenario when internet/cellular/land communications are disrupted?
  • Could I be helpful in coordinating and relaying messages related to emergency and disaster relief?

What is HAM radio?

  • Amateur radio (also called ham radio) is the use of designated radio frequency spectra for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication.

Do I need a license? Yes

  • There are 3 levels:
    • Technician – Entry Level – VHF/UHF & Limited HF privileges (pdf)
    • General – All tech privileges plus HF privileges (communicate around world) (pdf)
    • Extra – All General privileges + shorter call sign & additional HF privileges (pdf)

How much would it cost to get started? $45

Who can get a tech license? Is the test hard?

  • Just about anyone could take the technician’s exam and pass after putting forth a little effort studying and taking practice tests
    • For Moms, Dads, Sons, Daughters, Sisters, Grandparents, etc.. 8 years old and up
  • Learning morse code is no-longer a requirement
  • Basic math, no algebra or calculus required
  • Simple electronics

 


Pwnie Express’ Pwn Plug R2 + Solar + Quadcopter = Flying Security Nightmare

Pwnie Express has a knack for stuffing powerful security testing tools into innocuous housings, and this time their flexing that unique talent with the Pwnie Plug R2.

via Pocket http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/31/pwnie-express-pwn-plug-r2/

Pwnie Plug R2 with 4G cell connection + software defined radio + solar battery charger + quadcopter = Flying security nightmare

I want one now!! Makes my Fonera (Jasager) and TPLink pineapple look like toys.. Software Defined Radio….shudder

Core features:

  • Onboard high-gain 802.11b/g/n wireless supporting packet injection & monitor mode
  • Onboard dual Gigabit Ethernet for NAC bypass and network monitoring
  • External high-gain Bluetooth adapter (up to 1000′) supporting packet injection
  • External unlocked 4G/GSM cellular (SIM not included)
  • Automated wired NAC/802.1x/RADIUS bypass
  • Simple web-based administration and in-product updates with “Pwnix UI”
  • One-click Evil AP & Passive Recon services
  • Persistent reverse-SSH access to your target network
  • 6 different covert channels to tunnel through application-aware firewalls & IPS
  • Supports HTTP proxies, SSH-VPN, & OpenVPN
  • Out-of-band SSH access over 4G/GSM cell networks
  • Runs Pwnix, a custom Debian distro based on Kali Linux
  • OSS-based pentesting toolkit includes Metasploit, SET, Kismet, Aircrack-NG, SSLstrip, nmap, Hydra, w3af, Scapy, Ettercap, Bluetooth/VoIP/IPv6 tools, & many more
  • Unpingable and no listening ports in stealth mode

Hardware specs:

  • Processor / RAM: 1.2GHz Armada-370 CPU / 1GB DDR3
  • Disk storage: 32GB microSDHC (Class 10)
  • Onboard wireless: High-gain 802.11b/g/n, packet injection & monitor mode, 8” external antenna
  • Onboard I/O: 2x Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, serial console, microSD slot
  • External high-gain Bluetooth adapter (up to 1000′ range) supporting packet injection & monitor mode
  • Optional support for Zigbee/Zwave, RFID, and Software-Defined Radios (SDR)
  • Voltage: 110-240v (Adapters available)
  • Power draw: 5 watts idle, 15 watts max
  • Dimensions: 5.2″ x 3.7″ x 0.8″
The included unlocked 4G/GSM adapter is:
  • Compatible with SIM cards from AT&T, T-mobile, Vodafone, Orange, and GSM carriers in over 160 countries (SIM card not included)
  • HSDPA/UMTS (850/1700/1900/2100MHz)
  • GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz)

Chromecast Has Been Rooted – Bootloader Exploit

Well that didn’t take long. The team over at GTVHacker have worked their magic on Chromecast. The HDMI dongle announced by Google last week was so popular they had to cancel their 3-free-months of Netflix perk.

via Pocket http://hackaday.com/2013/07/29/chromecast-bootloader-exploit-it-runs-android/

Here’s the how-to: Bootloader Exploit Package
Waiting on my USB OTG cable to come….

Chromecast Hacking Has Begun

chromecast
Initial chromecast testing has revealed that it is a DIAL device and sniffing shows several interesting commands that can be sent to it.

The chromecast dongle is apparently listening on http port 8008. (Also port 9080 while Netflix app is running)

Some control can be established by sending simple HTTP GET’s, POST’s and DELETE’s.

** For these examples the youtube app is running, also available are Netflix, ChromeCast, and GoogleMusic.

get device information xml:
curl http://10.0.1.2:8008/ssdp/device-desc.xml

get detailed device information json:
curl http://10.0.1.2:8008/setup/eureka_info?options=detail

scan for available wifi:
curl http://10.0.1.2:8008/setup/scan_results

get supported time zones:
curl http://10.0.1.2:8008/setup/supported_timezones

get info about current app:
curl -H “Content-Type: application/json” http://10.0.1.2:8008/apps/YouTube -X GET

send youtube video to chromecast:
curl -H “Content-Type: application/json” http://10.0.1.2:8008/apps/YouTube -X POST -d ‘v=oHg5SJYRHA0’

kill current running app:
curl -H “Content-Type: application/json” http://10.0.1.2:8008/apps/YouTube -X DELETE

reboot the chromecast dongle:
curl -H “Content-Type: application/json” http://10.0.1.2:8008/setup/reboot -d ‘{“params”:”now”}’ -X POST

factory default reset the chromecast dongle:
curl -H “Content-Type: application/json” http://10.0.1.2:8008/setup/reboot -d ‘{“params”:”fdr”}’ -X POST

Hopefully more to come… Focusing on the websocket connections now

I would like to be able to send commands (power, volume, source) to the tv through the hdmi-cec connection of the chromecast.

FPV drones with an Oculus Rift

It was only a matter of time, and now someone’s finally done it. The Oculus Rift is now being used for first person view aerial photography. It’s the closest you’ll get to being in a pilot’s seat while still standing on the ground.

via Pocket http://hackaday.com/2013/07/16/fpv-drones-with-an-oculus-rift/

Send your own Pocket Spacecraft on a Mission to the Moon!

Members of our team co-created the first space mission funded on KickStarter (KickSat – due to be launched by NASA later this year), and have created or co-led influential workshops such as the Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop at MIT, and the Keck Institute for Space Studies Small Satellites: A Rev

via Pocket http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1677943140/send-your-own-pocket-spacecraft-on-a-mission-to-th