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A.J. intends to Hack Like Heck

ajkatz83
  • I intend to make a video that shows me creating a working project.
  • I will post the video on the element14 Community by the submission deadline
  • If my video is one of the top 10 finalists I will receive $500 for my video

 

Hello all of the element14 Community, my name is A.J. and I have been around electronics for a very long time. My background basically started with the older computer variety of 386s and working on them to find the vintage parts at the time to make them work again. I was always in the computer repair field for some time and had and had a big fleet of these old systems including my old IBM PS/2 model 70 let alone my dad's old Commodore SX-64 which I had decked out with 300bps modem and working GEOS OS which I was very proud of and though was pretty amazing. Most of the experience that I have has really come from my dad, he's been running an RF radio communications shop for now closer to 50 years and we are still engineering lots of Kenwood NXDN repeater systems and now even trying with DMR (Digital Mobile Radio). It was likely only a matter of time before the electronics bug was going to rub off on me seeing that the computer repair field was rather saturated and not much was coming from it.

 

I wanted to learn electronics back in 2008, though I had the practical experience with my dad for some time now, and I formally tried with DeVry, but unfortunately that fell through. By 2011 I had settled on the Cleveland Institute of Electronics with their Bachelors of Electronics Engineering Technology program and slowly making progress to achieving that in a formal sense. Outside of that, most oft the projects I have made are inspired by things I have liked or just find plain interesting to do. Many were based on Adafruit, which was the first hobbyist site I came across and was able to make and replicate some of their projects, if not putting my own spin to them. Still the best one on my own that I am working on on and off definitely is my UAV Tricopter which I am thankful had worked and left the ground. More shaking down is needed, but I am glad I just got that far.

 

With work for my dad full time, I am also part of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, and sometimes do carry out support missions for the station where I am currently. So far that does entail being a communications watchstander, which is basically alerting the crew to emergencies on the lake to answering phones and piping messages in a basic sense. I have been with them for nine years going on ten in September of this year, but the good thing is that I will never be rotated out and likely be the history of that station.

 

So with that small introduction there, what project could I likely make? Well I do have the parts for one so far and it would be complex.

 

I had bought a resin fiberglass shell and the aluminum back-plane for an original Ghostbusters proton pack.

 

This has been in my closet for quite some time, however, I have the 3D printed parts I have made plus the working MP3 sound triggering boards to the LEDs and associated sound effects to play when triggered

 

I don't know how original or if this is something to be allowed, I just know it's laying here on my floor as we speak and I feel would be and excellent project to do, document and film seeing most videos show-off such a project but do show how to make one if one were to do this for a cosplay event or some sci-fi con. I believe I could do this within the two weeks mentioned. It should be a fun build between the 3D printing, wiring and soldering of electronics and let alone some of the programming for the sound effects to all interconnect to make a working proton pack.

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  • Hi AJ! Glad to see you're interested in the contest. Looking forward to seeing your audition video. Good Luck!

  • in reply to makerkaren

    Thanks Karen! It should be an interesting build for sure. Getting the last piece for it to start and maybe take to my next cosplay!

  • in reply to ajkatz83

    Ooo, what's your next cosplay going to be? I'm going to a con at the beginning of May and am trying to decide if I'm going to make something new or just bust out Rey again.

  • in reply to makerkaren

    This proton pack was part of it, but it was going to be a cross between Ghostbuster and an Umbrella solider. I basically had gotten all the attire for the solider part seeing I was playing paintball but it was the ghost trap that slowed me down, due to mechanical issues, and wasn't finished for Cleveland Comic-Con like I hoped. The idea you could say is if the Resident Evil universe had a paranormal division with somewhat identical tech seeing they were opening portals to ghost dimensions or something lol. Which con are you going to be attending? Usually there is a con I attend in May too, but still not certain on it. By Rey you mean Star War cosplay? I can't say I have seen many people as Rey around many cons, but then I'm kinda new to the Star Wars universe. What would be the new cosplay idea if you did have to do one?

  • in reply to ajkatz83

    imageimage

    I have a pair of white coveralls I need to dye purple and the rest isn't too hard. I have a wig that should work, just needs to be straightened and cut a bit. For Katniss, I already have a bow, so it would come down to clothes, arrows, and quiver.

     

    I'm heading to Penguicon in Southfield, MI. (Open Source meets Sci-Fi meets pretty much any geek you got)

    I made a Rey when The Force Awakens came out. But I did the vest outfit she wears at the end, hoping she would wear the same thing in the next movie, so I could get more mileage out of it. Plus, it was more of a tailoring challenge and everyone was doing the drapey fabric version.

  • in reply to makerkaren

    I can definitely appreciate both there, one was from my childhood in the later 80's and one was present day, either way some good cosplay choice for sure, either I don't have my eyes open that much, or again I can't say I have seen those two cosplays at all, probably not Gadget, it would seem you'd be the first for all those two. I guess I am around a lot of younger kids with anime types which I do not follow at all all, so it is refreshing when it's something to do know or started to looking into. I could definitive see Zipper handing you a wrench if you went the Gadget way.

     

    Penguicon sounds familiar perhaps I had seen it on some flyers over at MARCon in Columbus, Ohio; might be why it's ringing some bells.

     

    Ok well that makse sense now. That's kinda why I can't distinguish too many characters in the Star Wars universe since a lot of Jedi and Sith characters like you said, have that drapey fabric all over them.   I suppose the staff for her would stand out, that much I do remember about her. Taking a quick look at the vest costume I like that one better then what was worn in The Force Awakens throughout the desert. Most have taken a lot of time and effort to make all that?

  • in reply to ajkatz83

    It's the most work I've ever put into a costume. I had to modify or make from scratch every single piece, including the shoes. Spent about 3 months on it. I think it turned out well. Needs some tweaks, but not bad considering I barely had any reference photos as the movie was still in theaters at the time.

    http://www.thebodgery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Karen-Rey-cosplay-web.jpg

  • in reply to makerkaren

    Wow, yeah you did a great job that! Three months that surely is a long time with I'm guessing many long nights an anticipation to get done for the con. That's next thing I am working on learning here, sewing aspect for one of my costumes that I had a friend make for me seeing those skills were beyond me. It's pretty cool you can sew and make things like that, as well maintain it, I would love to be able to do that eventually.

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  • in reply to makerkaren

    Wow, yeah you did a great job that! Three months that surely is a long time with I'm guessing many long nights an anticipation to get done for the con. That's next thing I am working on learning here, sewing aspect for one of my costumes that I had a friend make for me seeing those skills were beyond me. It's pretty cool you can sew and make things like that, as well maintain it, I would love to be able to do that eventually.

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