Hack Like Heck: Nobble

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Name: nobble

Element14 Community member since: August 27, 2016

Notable projects: Mini Raspberry Pi Vehicle Computer, PiP:Raspberry Pi Portable, Portable SNES, Nobble64 N64p, Wiikipad Switch, Attiny85 Arduinoboy 2" Micro Handheld

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Who are you? & What makes you The Next Ben Heck?

My real name is Elliot. I am 25 years old. Most of my modding abilities have been self-taught or from family and friends. As a kid, I was born into the house of an IT Wiz for Micron and Circuit City. My father was a big influence in my educational journey and structuring of the tech skills I hone today. So naturally, this kind of passion was in my blood. By the time I was 4, he had me installing Linux distros via the collection of floppy drives that needed to be inserted one after another. At the age of 8, I was gifted my very first desktop. After that, I was HOOKED! The goal was to learn as much as I could in Linux because deep down, I knew it would be the end-all of Operating Systems in the future. Now here we are in 2018, Raspberry Pi computing is the new trend for Linux/pocket computing/emulation gaming/programming/etc. I have been working with all types of Raspberry Pi boards for over 4 years now. Within my first year I built a portable Raspberry Pi B+ and have continued to make more as the years went on. Making handheld devices is a big hobby of mine, and I like to share my finished projects on my YouTube Channel to inspire others in hopes to grow the community and get more people on board to start their own projects!!!

What sets you apart from anyone with a soldering iron and rotary tool?

Since I started modding electronics and making my own project builds, I aimed to document as much as I could via sites like Instructables, Hackaday, Blogger, ModRetro, BitBuilt, and more! Then I decided to start a YouTube Channel after a few builds. I have been updating it more often since I have more time for projects currently. My builds generally don't take more than a few months (usually a week or two) in my off-time to complete. If I was given the ability to work on something everyday, my time frames would be cut down significantly. That would open up options for projects that are more involved and will both challenge and grow my skill set. Whatever is new and uncharted territory intrigues me, and it encourages me to add in out-of-the-norm technology into anything I make. I would like to make lots of DIY Tutorials to help people who are not yet well-versed with soldering and layout design. I'm no Einstein or Tesla, but I aim to continuously learn, grow, and expand my abilities for the betterment of all to Live Long, And Prosper the way we all should! I just need the advanced tools and resources to do so, with your help of course!

Have you ever worked on a very difficult project that required a lot of troubleshooting and debugging? If so, what steps did you take to overcome the issues and bring it all to completion?

That is a very big part of most of my builds, although some can be more challenging than others.  I started taking apart home video game consoles and turning them into portable devices as a kid. Understanding how to slim-down and modify circuits, design the internals, and making all the components fit inside the case of choosing was tough. Back then, the information on Portables was slim, and trying to find all the information to do so meant, scouring the internet for weeks trying to understand more complicated circuits and how to wire up a power supply safely without turning my fingers into microwaved hotdogs. I had taken electronics classes in school, but this type of work was more advanced. This lead to the process of destroying a few SNES and N64 boards before actually coming out with a working handheld. I had learned the basics of how to solder a 2S2P lithium polymer battery with a protection circuit built in for recharging. Hard wiring the expansion pack on a N64 board seemed to prove difficult for Ben Heck, but with some magnet wire and a nice sharp tip on my iron, I was able to achieve a successful trim and relocation that laid flat against the main board more than a few times. (I have built 3 portable N64's, one being a commission for someone else when I was at the age of 16.)

Tell us about your project goals for 2018 and how you aim to complete them!

Currently, I have 3 major projects I am also working on!

First is my 2-in-1 Wiikipad Switch. I am about halfway done and have the case about 80% finished and painted. I have shelved it for the duration of the contest. I expect it to be wrapped up by the summer. All that is left is to wire up audio and power, then mount everything in!

Second project for 2018 is a commission from a popular YouTuber named Dylon Desbiens. He works on pocket bikes and small engine vehicles. Recently he approached me to design and create a Raspberry Pi Mini Computer for his Pokemon Pocketbike (And yes, I am Poke Guru, the guy in the Pikachu suit.) The device is built, all that is left is to design a GPS based speedometer and UI for the system. I am looking into all options that are within the budget. But I expect a final showcasing of the device this spring.

The third build is an idea I've had to build a giant tablet for everything I need to do in my everyday computing. I want to use a mini gaming PC and a touchscreen around 22" to create a very powerful slate computer to run resource-heavy applications and video games. I do a lot of editing on the go, and it would be nice to have something I can bring around and not skimp out on power and specs. This is still just an idea, and in order for me to build it, I would need a larger budget to continue to pay my rent. hehe.

More about the contestant:

In my early years as a modder, I watched Ben and other portablizer enthusiasts online make these amazing handhelds with TV consoles and batteries. The soft, malleable fat-mass inside my head instantly was on fire! I had to do this TOO!!! So I decided to build a Portable SNES. Worked great, except for I had an external battery pack...welp. The second try was a N64p, that worked better! I ended up making 2 of those and moved on to a X360 laptop. I have a knack for "Frankencasing" my projects together and love a challenge!

Currently I am working on building and documenting a 2-in-1 Wii / Pi Zero W portable console. I dubbed it the Wiikipad Switch because I am building it out of the Gamevice Wikipad Controller (DON'T SUE Mii..). You can check out my work log HERE.

For the contest I am planning on making an upgraded Gameboy Pi!

I also made a Hackaday Project Page dedicated to this contest where I will post all my project updates!

Want to know more? Ask in the comments below and tag nobble!