What's New
October 28, 2024 Added a new video about improvements to Izzy object selection and making Izzy more compact.
February 25, 2023 Added a downloadable files for making zoetrope animations and
a downloadable template for making a pinhole camera from poster board.
February 21, 2023 Added a downloadable template for making the corona motor v2.
November 24, 2022 Added details about Izzy, an artificial intelligence robot I'm working on and
my changes to the darknet neural network framework.
March 10, 2022 Added an MIT paper with a theoretical model for how a lifter (ion propulsion device) works.
February 15, 2021 How to communicate between a Raspberry Pi and an Arduino using serial USB.
October 31, 2020 Added videos for designing and making low and high voltage capacitors.
September 12, 2020 New DIY multi-range gauss/mT meter for measuring magnetic fields.
February 3, 2020 Added more tips and tricks page for getting your crystal radio to work.
September 28, 2018 How to convert an ATX/computer power supply to one you can use, including with USB.
August 31, 2018 How to make a zoetrope, a simple and fun to make animation demonstration.
July 26, 2018 Downloadable templates for corona motor (as requested) and pinhole camera at new RimstarOrg store.
June 30, 2018 Generating hydrogen using an electrolyzer for filling a balloon.
May 31, 2018 Added a video on the poster board pinhole camera, including more tips for using it.
May 20, 2018 How to make a pinhole camera from a single sheet of poster board.
April 24, 2018 Details added about power when using servo motors with a Raspberry Pi and a Maestro board.
April 18, 2018 How to make a coil gun using an electric fly swatter.
March 31, 2018 Very useful 3D printed magnetic holder for helping hands.
March 7, 2018 By request, added a schematic to the Tesla coil page.
March 3, 2018 Updated the list of commercially available solar cookers.
February 28, 2018 Created and added a detailed video on how a Wimshurst machine works.
February 1, 2018 Added a video about my CR-10 3D printer: how it works, setting up, stuff printed.
January 24, 2018 My amazing CR-10 3D printer, a useful tool for future projects.
January 20, 2018 Ontario microFIT program page updated to reflect the end of the program.
December 22, 2017 How to control a servo motor using a Raspberry Pi and a Maestro board.
December 3, 2017 How to make a USB power cable - good for powering electronics projects.
November 20, 2017 Make a gauss meter to detect magnetic fields and their polarity.
November 13, 2017 Simple to make LED flashlight, the RattleGen.
November 4, 2017 By request, added some dimensions for making the tomato can Stirling engine.
October 31, 2017 New page all about working with pin headers when making electronic circuit boards.
October 26, 2017 More details about calculating the area on the coil design/inductance page.
October 19, 2017 Added Visual Studio for Windows support to the backpropagation neural network example.
October 9, 2017 New page about net metering for solar systems.
September 21, 2017 Completely rewrote the page on attaching BB-8's head due to many improvements.
August 27, 2017 New page about setting the angle for your solar panels.
August 12, 2017 Ion wind rotor - how-to-make and demonstrations.
July 23, 2017 Electronic circuit on a potato chip - a macrochip instead of a microchip.
July 11, 2017 Details of a 500kV Van de Graaff generator.
July 3, 2017 How ion propulsion works in lifters and ionocraft.
June 19, 2017 New page that answers what ground is, household ground in this case.
June 4, 2017 Replaced the remote control for BB-8 with an Android phone app Bluetooth one.
May 21, 2017 Major enhancements to the section on neural network frameworks and services.
May 11, 2017 Major enhances to the calculator for sizing a solar array for off-grid solar systems.
May 9, 2017 Added how to find the dimensions the orange circles on BB-8's ball.
May 6, 2017 Added new page about my curie temperature motor.
April 26, 2017 Added a video showing the LC circuit resonance in action and doing example calculations.
April 17, 2017 New capacitance calculators page for parallel plate and crylindrical caps.
April 2, 2017 Added a video about detailing, lighting and painting BB-8.
March 28, 2017 Added more calculators to the page about LC resonant circuits and
added links to research papers about copper oxide solar cells.
March 11 2017 How to connect to a Raspberry Pi via WiFi/wireless.
March 5 2017 Added a video of the Pepper's ghost in action along with how-to-make instructions.
February 28, 2017 Pepper's ghost on a smartphone.
February 22, 2017 How to connect a Raspberry Pi to a router via Ethernet.
February 8, 2017 New Raspberry Pi section begun - How to connect to a Pi directly.
January 21, 2017 Added to and organized the electronic symbols page.
January 14, 2017 By request, added dimensions for the gravity light's wooden frame.
December 14, 2016 Added demonstrations of loading and saving the neural network to the backpropagation example.
December 10, 2016 Added more tips for making Kelvin water droppers.
December 6, 2016 How to grow a large crystal from a small seed crystal.
November 25, 2016 Big gyroscopes using vinyl records and a gyroscopic precession demonstration.
November 21, 2016 Added full details of detailing, lighting and painting BB-8.
November 13, 2016 BB-8's now painted! Animated GIF uploaded of it in action.
November 6, 2016 Updated the solar section with the latest microFIT pricing.
November 1, 2016 New video about designing a coil for a specific inductance.
October 22, 2016 New page on coil design and inductance, including an inductance calculator.
October 3, 2016 Added inductors/coils and transformers to the electronic symbols page.
September 28, 2016 New electronics page about LC resonant circuits.
September 21, 2016 Added the schematic for the Cube flyback high voltage power supply.
September 20, 2016 New video - more demos and making measuring voltage for my smoke precipitator.
September 14, 2016 By request I did voltage measurements for my electrostatic smoke precipitator.
September 4, 2016 How to remove the motor and chuck from a cordless drill.
August 28, 2016 Added a list of the parts I had to buy for my BB-8 (v2) droid, giving an idea of the cost.
August 23, 2016 Added a video on the IMU/gyro for my BB-8 (v2) droid and demoing it.
August 12, 2016 Added an IMU/gyro to help stabilize my BB-8 (v2) droid.
August 7, 2016 Added main neural network overview page: what are they, examples, libraries, ...
July 24, 2016 Neat demonstration of lightning in a bottle.
July 17, 2016 Added how to make a spiral coil for a small Tesla coil.
July 10, 2016 Making BB-8 (v2) - Part 3 video, reattaching the head to the new fiberglass ball.
July 5, 2016 Added a page with the BB-8 droid's dimensions to help anyone making one.
June 18, 2016 Added a low friction high voltage test rig.
June 11, 2016 Added a how to make an ornithopter video.
June 5, 2016 Curie temperature experiment - demonstration and the science.
May 30, 2016 By request, made BB-8 (v2)'s 3D model available for download.
May 21, 2016 New - ornithopter, a wing flapping flying machine.
May 15, 2016 Major enhancements to the page about using a digital scale.
May 9, 2016 How I added three layers of fiberglass to the BB-8 droid's ball.
April 22, 2016 Added a video explaining and demonstrating the backpropagation neural network.
April 14, 2016 Added the ability for you to try the neural network yourself!
April 9, 2016 Added parts list and assembly diagram for BB-8's drive electronics.
April 3, 2016 Added a neural network software libary I wrote for people to play with.
March 30, 2016 Added piezo buzzer receiver circuit diagram for wireless transmission of electricity.
March 23, 2016 New - Added a donation page with ways to donate to/support RimstarOrg.
March 20, 2016 New - How to make a bottle rocket.
February 27, 2016 Added new BB-8 (v2) droid video showing it in action and part 1 of making it.
February 21, 2016 New rollers for BB-8 (v2) and STL files for 3D printing BB-8's gears.
February 15, 2016 How I added magnets to the BB-8 droid so the head can stay on.
February 7, 2016 New tips and tricks page for getting your crystal radio to work.
January 30, 2016 New page all about BB-8's drive electronics.
January 25, 2016 The design and making of my BB-8's RC receiver to Arduino converter circuit.
January 15, 2016 By request, I added a section about where to get piezoelectric crystals.
December 27, 2015 Added a video of my BB-8 (v2)'s drive system inside the bottom of the ball.
December 22, 2015 SpaceX makes history by landing 1st stage rocket back to Earth while also putting a payload into orbit.
December 13, 2015 Motors, batteries, gears, ... added to the BB-8 droid (v2).
December 7, 2015 Progress made on BB-8 droid (v2) - working motor drive system.
November 27, 2015 The photoelectric effect, a neat science experiment.
November 23, 2015 Blue Origin successfully launched a rocket to the edge of space and vertically landed it again.
November 15, 2015 New how-to-make page for my big Stirling engine and
an excellent working Stirling engine from someone in Germany.
November 14, 2015 Added video explaining how powering using atmospheric electricity works.
November 7, 2015 Generating electricity using atmospheric electricity.
November 1, 2015 Added power and efficiency calculations to the gravity light pages.
October 23, 2015 Scarier sound for ScareDuino for halloween by using Adafruit's Audio FX Sound Board.
October 19, 2015 Solar panels damaged with shattered glass and lightning.
October 11, 2015 A ball cyclotron, including how to make it.
October 3, 2015 Added MOSFETs to the electronics symbols for schematics page.
September 26, 2015 Added dimensions to the section on making a Wimshurst machine.
September 18, 2015 Added more how-to-make details, along with a step-by-step video, for the BB-8 droid (v1) and
added more details about the homemade amplifier for my laser communicator.
September 12, 2015 My first homemade BB-8 droid from the new Star Wars movies.
September 10, 2015 Started a gravity light gallery. More homemade gravity lights wanted!
September 5, 2015 New page devoted to Wimshurst machines in general.
August 28, 2015 Sunflower heat engine now running in sunlight... plus a how-it-works video.
August 23, 2015 New sunflower heat engine using a coffee bag.
August 13, 2015 Got much better sound from my laser communicator and photoresistor setup.
August 9, 2015 New page on using my laser communicator to transmit to a photoresistor.
August 1, 2015 How to make a flat plate capacitor for a Tesla coil.
July 26, 2015 How to make an alcohol stove using soda cans.
July 18, 2015 Planetary Resources' A3R spacecraft deployed from the International Space Station.
July 12, 2015 Added Hero's steam engine video - making it and showing it in action.
July 2, 2015 Very easy to make steam engine - Hero's steam engine.
June 27, 2015 New video on how I made the laser communicator.
June 21, 2015 DIY/homemade laser communicator.
June 12, 2015 New DIY/homemade capacitor for my small spark gap Tesla coil.
June 6, 2015 How to transmit sound using sunlight - the photophone.
May 30, 2015 Added a photo and video of powering a TEA laser using a Wimshurst machine.
May 22, 2015 New spiral primary coil for my small spark gap Tesla coil.
May 16, 2015 Detailed video on how to make my small spark gap Tesla coil.
May 3, 2015 Blue Origin successfully launches their New Shepard spacecraft to the edge of space.
April 14, 2015 By popular request... a small spark gap Tesla coil.
April 8, 2015 Ad Astra gets funding for next generation VASIMR 100 hour ion propulsion rocket.
April 6, 2015 Piezoelectric electrostatic generator made from a BBQ ignitor.
March 30, 2015 Extracting chlorophyll from spinach and fluorescing it with sunlight and my TEA laser.
March 23, 2015 Recent space news from Mars One, Google Lunar X Prize and Astrobotic Technology.
March 15, 2015 Fun with an Arduino and a speech synthesizer.
March 14, 2015 Added fuses and meters to the electronics symbols for schematics page.
March 11, 2015 Added a schematic and more details to the DIY 24 volt power supply page.
March 5, 2015 Powering a Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) using an electric fly swatter.
February 27, 2015 Updated solar shade finding iPhone and Android apps.
February 20, 2015 Using an electric fly swatter as a high voltage source.
February 11, 2015 Details about making a Stirling engine's displacer using steel wool.
February 6, 2015 How-to-Make video for wireless transmission of electricity and a calculation spreadsheet.
January 30, 2015 Massively updated explanation of solar panel specifications (maximum power current, voltage, ...).
January 26, 2015 Made a video explaining how the triboelectric effect works.
January 22, 2015 New page about the triboelectric effect and with the triboelectric series table.
January 1, 2015 Added a transistor protection section to the 30kV high voltage power supply page.
December 21, 2014 Fun with DIY wireless transmission of electricity.
December 13, 2014 Added a test for the effect on water conductivity on the Kelvin water dropper.
December 7, 2014 How to make a pinhole camera for viewing the sun or just having fun.
November 29, 2014 Recent news from SpaceX, Bigelow Aerospace, Planetary Resources and NASA.
November 22, 2014 Measuring solar panel's open circuit voltage and short circuit current.
November 15, 2014 How to make the Arduino controlled skull, includes the source code.
November 8, 2014 ScareDuino, my shoulder mounted, Arduino controlled skull.
November 1, 2014 Enhanced section on how to get a lifter/ionocraft to fly.
October 25, 2014 Added the Copenhagen solar cooker to the solar cooker comparison page.
October 17, 2014 Making holograms with plastic pyramid - includes Princess Leia and a flying pterodactyl.
October 12, 2014 How I made a simple solar panel for use in a video.
October 11, 2014 Domestic content requirements have been removed from the Ontario microFIT program.
September 28, 2014 Joule thief circuit powering a clock instead of the usual LED or CFL.
September 17, 2014 SpaceX and Boeing win the contracts from NASA to carry crew to and from the ISS.
September 7, 2014 Added a diagram and an improved explanation for solar noon to the page on finding true south.
August 29, 2014 Many more details added about the gravity light version 2.
August 22, 2014 New gravity light version 2 that runs for longer and gives more light.
August 9, 2014 New video showing how the corona motor (v2) was made.
August 3, 2014 New main corona motor page with explanation of how it works and a more powerful motor.
July 21, 2014 More symbols added to the electronic symbols for schematics page.
July 14, 2014 Tips about Fresnel lens and box solar cookers.
July 4, 2014 New page on electronic symbols, plus a video on how to read a schematic.
June 28, 2014 New video showing step-by-step how I made the nitinol wire/shape memory alloy inchworm.
June 22, 2014 Made a nitinol wire/shape memory alloy inchworm that walks!
June 15, 2014 Huge update to turning a PC monitor into a high voltage power supply.
June 8, 2014 Experimenting with nitinol wire (shape memory alloy).
June 1, 2014 Added details and example about solar panel specifications.
May 19, 2014 Lots more details added to the multiplier section of the how-to-make 30kV power supply page.
May 17, 2014 Video on how to read music and to adapt it to the 555 timer music player and the straw trombone
May 12, 2014 New high voltage power supply with easier to find parts.
April 28, 2014 Added Q&A about batteries and motors to the Van de Graaff generator FAQ page.
April 19, 2014 Enhanced the gravity light to power 3 LEDs and run for 8 minutes - video included
April 14, 2014 Gravity light (homemade) that powers an LED using a slowly falling mass
April 6, 2014 Making music instruments with drinking straws - a trombone and a trumpet
March 29, 2014 New calculator for figuring out how many solar panels you need.
March 23, 2014 Moving things with sound - Helmholtz resonators
March 18, 2014 Much improved voltage drop calculator for solar power system wiring.
March 10, 2014 Cleaning up smoke with a DIY electrostatic/smoke precipitator!
March 2, 2014 Added Van de Graaff generator FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page.
February 13, 2014 Added laser diodes to Star Wars TIE Fighter and Star Trek Enterprise models.
February 9, 2014 The mysterious ball bearing motor - how to make one and how it works.
February 2, 2014 Video about fixing my 30kV high voltage power supply.
January 25, 2014 Added an easy to use voltage drop calculator for solar power system wiring.
January 19, 2014 Repaired piano/keyboard key - encouraging repairing instead of throwing away.
January 13, 2014 Make a simple corona motor (or electrostatic/atmospheric motor)
January 3, 2014 Astrobotic plans to visit lunar skylight in October 2015.
December 14, 2013 New 2025 Mars crew landing date, Lockheed-Martin and SSTL selected for 2018 mission studies.
December 8, 2013 Added ion propulsion to a Star Trek Enterprise model!
November 30, 2013 Two new ion propulsion videos added, including one with a Star Trek Enterprise model!
November 20, 2013 How I did the linkage for my big Stirling engine.
November 17, 2013 About the thermoelectric effect (Peltier and Seebeck effects), and making ice.
November 5, 2013 Where to get a power supply for your lifter/ionocraft (an often asked question.)
November 1, 2013 Peltier module cooling efficiency testing.
October 30, 2013 Added details on the Google Lunar X Prize.
October 16, 2013 An easy to make laser - TEA laser.
September 30, 2013 Updated with the latest microFIT pricing and solar panel costs.
September 21, 2013 New how-to-make high voltage power supply video plus more added.
September 6, 2013 Awesome new music player I made for the 2013 Ottawa Mini-Maker Faire.
August 18, 2013 How to make your own electrolytic capacitors.
August 10, 2013 Make a simple AM radio transmitter.
August 3, 2013 DIY amplifier for playing the crystal radio on a loud speaker.
July 21, 2013 New Stirling engine for outdoor use with concentrated solar from Fresnel lens.
June 29, 2013 How to power a Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) using a joule thief circuit and AA batteries!
June 22, 2013 Many more "how it's made" details added for the 555 timer chip music player.
June 2, 2013 Concentrated solar power experiments with large fresnel lens, solar cell and cooling.
May 26, 2013 Franklin's bell science project - how to make it.
May 17, 2013 How to make musical instruments using a 555 timer chip circuit, a pencil and paper.
May 5, 2013 How to make a diode using a razor blade and a pencil for use with a crystal radio.
April 28, 2013 Updates to path-to-space page and added the Mars One settlement plans.
April 23, 2013 New section - Science and Electronics Projects!
March 25, 2013 Major updates to electret making, including new positive test results and
video detailing how to determine charge polarity using an electroscope.
March 11, 2013 Updated the calculation for a microFIT system given lower solar panel costs.
March 8, 2013 A portable crystal radio using a loop antenna coil!
February 12, 2013 Step-by-step video on how to make a Kelvin water dropper, including troubleshooting.
February 2, 2013 Make static electricity from falling water - the Kelvin water dropper.
January 21, 2013 Bigelow to supply inflatable module to NASA for Internationl Space Station.
December 26, 2012 How to use earbuds/iPhone earpods with a crystal radio.
December 10, 2012 Large, enclosed solar panel made of transistor solar cells.
December 2, 2012 New page all about crystal earpieces for crystal radios, including homemade.
November 17, 2012 Tips for weatherproofing transistor solar panel.
November 12, 2012 How to check for piezoelectric speakers in gift cards without damaging them.
October 20, 2012 New Part 2 How to Make a Van de Graaff Generator video with lots of tips and improvements.
October 13, 2012 Van de Graaff generator as Faraday cage experiment.
October 7, 2012 New how to make a Stirling engine and how it works video and some tips.
September 15, 2012 How to make a piezoelectric crystal speaker from scratch.
August 30, 2012 New How a Crystal Radio Works video (very detailed).
August 11, 2012 Mini solar tower (version 7) with a tower this time!
August 5, 2012 Details of and my experience with the commercially available, and excellent, Copenhagen solar cooker.
July 27, 2012 How to repair a solar panel whose glass has been shattered.
July 20, 2012 By request, added a crystal radio amplifier step-by-step how-to-make video.
July 16, 2012 Ontario solar Feed-in Tariff program Version 2.0 rules finalized and accepting applications.
July 13, 2012 Finally, a fresnel lens powered "solar tower" turning a paper turbine.
July 6, 2012 New - How a Joule Thief Works video!
June 29, 2012 How to get a piezoelectric igniter from a lighter and how it works.
June 25, 2012 Repaired camera tripod leg - encouraging repairing instead of throwing away.
June 22, 2012 Updated Copenhagen solar cooker - more construction, aiming and adjusting, videos, ...
June 18, 2012 Copenhagen solar cooker - A good solar cooker that's easy to make or inexpensive to buy.
June 15, 2012 New video - Day in the Life of an Off-Grid Solar Installer.
June 13, 2012 DIY solar pool heating system in Sardinia, Italy.
June 8, 2012 The joule thief - getting power from dead batteries.
June 4, 2012 A comparison of different solar cookers.
June 1, 2012 A simple amplifier for my crystal radio - includes a how-to-make video.
May 28, 2012 Added air changes per hour setting to solar house simulator and analysis at bottom.
May 25, 2012 SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft successfully berthed at the International Space Station.
May 22, 2012 Solar city Ottawa - a sample of the many different types of systems in our northern city.
May 17, 2012 Determining charge using an electroscope and electrostatics and magnetism video.
May 14, 2012 Rain water harvesting for flushing toilets and
Added mention to raise evacuated tubes off roof for snow accumulation.
May 11, 2012 Bigelow to use SpaceX for getting to/from their space station.
May 7, 2012 Tricks for aiming things (solar cookers, PV panels, solar air heaters, ...) at the sun.
May 5, 2012 Selected commercial solar cookers - ones you can buy.
April 30, 2012 Taught my first solar cooking class - course handout, tips and photos are here.
April 27, 2012 Planetary Resources to start prospecting near Earth asteroids by or in 2014.
April 23, 2012 Detailed introduction to solar cooking.
April 20, 2012 Beefed up the section on Van de Graaff generator belts.
April 16, 2012 Mobile full off-grid solar power system on a trailer.
April 13, 2012 SpaceX's first launch to the International Space Station is set for April 30th.
April 9, 2012 Art's hybrid solar oven that can brew percolating coffee and also fry and bake.
April 6, 2012 Solar panel made of transistor solar cells powering a calculator.
April 5, 2012 News - Astrobotic announces Polaris mission to moon's north pole.
April 2, 2012 The fun with crystal radios that I've had over the years - including my how-to-make video.
March 30, 2012 How to make a solar cell using a power transistor.
March 26, 2012 Sizing and selecting batteries for an off-grid solar power system.
March 23, 2012 Significantly lowered prices for Ontario solar Feed-in Tariff program and
a new high voltage probe video, including taking it apart.
March 20, 2012 Neat tool made by Guy for cutting solar air heater cans.
March 19, 2012 Working out your power needs for an off-grid solar power system.
March 16, 2012 New voltage, current, airflow video for a lifter plus more enhancements to these pages.
March 12, 2012 A more detailed off-grid solar power system diagram and parts descriptions.
March 9, 2012 New step-by-step construction video for a lifter (non-conventional propulsion).
March 5, 2012 Started a section dedicated to off-grid solar power.
March 3, 2012 Improved the heat transfer/loss calculator,
added Suntuf and twin wall glazing to the insulation table, and info about U-value and conversion to R-value.
February 27, 2012 All about heat transfer, loss and gain, examples, and a calculator.
February 24, 2012 Video of modified CooKit solar cooker contruction and use in below freezing weather.
February 21, 2012 Diagrams and more tips added to making a computer monitor high voltage power supply and
added an explanation of why piezo crystals show positive and negative spikes.
February 20, 2012 Solar cooked in below freezing weather: soya rice vegetable concoction and
the modified CooKit solar cooker that was used.
February 13, 2012 Finished the off-grid solar system battery mainentance pages and
SpaceX to visit the International Space Station in late April.
February 11, 2012 My improved How a Van de Graaff Generator Works video - with all the physics.
February 6, 2012 How to measure a solar system's battery bank voltage.
January 30, 2012 Details about amp hour meters for solar power systems.
January 23, 2012 Solar cooked gluten-free pumpkin sourdough bread/cake recipe.
January 19 2012 Made a step-by-step video of getting a piezoelectric crystal from a BBQ ignitor.
January 17 2012 How to use a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of solar system batteries.
January 16 2012 Winter results for David's DIY PEX coil solar water heater.
January 10 2012 A warning about window covering solar air heaters.
January 9 2012 Inexpensive iPhone and Android apps for doing solar shade analysis.
January 6, 2012 My fancy DIY shade finder tool for doing solar site surveys and how to read a Sun Chart.
December 19, 2011 New solar cooker - the Modified CooKit solar cooker!
December 14, 2011 Solar cooked winter solstice sourdough sunshine cake recipe and
reflector aiming method using distant viewing trick.
December 12, 2011 New solar cooking recipe section, starting with no-knead bread and pizza crust.
December 7, 2011 Baffle solar air heaters for odd shapes and
multiscreen screen solar air heaters.
December 2, 2011 New video for the simple DIY tool for finding year round shading.
November 25, 2011 Step-by-step how to make a Rochelle salt piezoelectric crystal and
a new video on testing Rochelle salt piezoelectric crystals.
November 22, 2011 Blue Origin reveals some of its orbital space plans and so
added Blue Origin to the Path to Space.
November 18, 2011 New page about my Cansolair installation and
a video detailing parts of the owner-installed Enerworks solar thermal/hot water system.
November 11, 2011 Finding sun shading/obstacle issues and
a simple DIY tool for finding year round shading.
November 4, 2011 Detailed video tour of the owner-installed Enerworks solar thermal/hot water system.
November 1, 2011 An owner-installed Enerworks solar thermal/hot water system.
October 27, 2011 JP Aerospace flies Tandem airship to record height to the edge of space.
October 24, 2011 Nuclear fusion including quantum tunnelling - and a new video.
October 20, 2011 Solar air heater with selectable input and output paths.
October 17, 2011 New detailed solar off-grid home video tour - a large system.
October 11, 2011 Started an insulation table for solar/renewable energy DIYers.
October 5, 2011 Passive solar house (well... box) simulator stable version uploaded.
October 3, 2011 Introduction to insulation: convection, conduction, radiation, R-values.
September 29, 2011 SpaceX reveals how they'll make their Falcon 9 rocket reusable.
September 24, 2011 Getting started page added to help newcomers to renewable energy projects.
September 14, 2011 How to repair things... starting with a knapsack and a bicycle lock key.
September 5, 2011 Various methods for finding true south for aligning solar collectors.
August 26, 2011 Video explaining nuclear fusion in the sun and how it gives us solar energy.
August 25, 2011 Data logs added for Guy's DIY can solar air heater.
August 23, 2011 Updated absorber and glazing subsections on main solar air heater page and
added schematic to homemade 24 volt power supply page.
August 16, 2011 Guy's DIY can solar air heater with measured savings for two seasons and
using an hour meter to measure runtime for solar heating systems.
August 12, 2011 Very efficient/interesting commercial solar air heater, Lubi.
August 10, 2011 First success with a car sunshade solar cooker!
August 8, 2011 August space news - Atlas V rocket selected for Boeing's Crew Space Transportation capsule.
August 4, 2011 Unique DIY solar hot water system using a PEX spiral coil/solar oven collector.
July 28, 2011 How to design reflectors for solar cookers (and other things.)
July 27, 2011 July space news - SpaceX's Dragon scheduled for December docking with ISS and
Bigelow moving directly to BA 330 (330 cubic meter) inflatable habitat development.
July 22, 2011 Full details on how I designed my fresnel lens and mirror solar cooker.
July 14, 2011 Fresnel lens AND MIRROR solar cooker; cooking from below and without goggles!
July 12, 2011 Where not to put a chlorinator in a solar pool heating system.
July 11, 2011 Mini solar tower version 5 partially rotates a small paper turbine.
July 5, 2011 Mini solar tower version 4 now up to 165C (330F) plus.
Also added Don's prototype fresnel lens solar cooker.
June 25, 2011 Mini solar tower for generating electricity using fresnel lens.
June 18, 2011 About sunlight capture areas for solar cookers as a start to a
new section on designing solar cookers.
June 17, 2011 All about fresnel lenses - or what I learned making my solar cooker!
June 10, 2011 Fried an egg for lunch with my fresnel lens solar cooker!
June 7, 2011 How to make a Van de Graaff generator.
June 5, 2011 Bruce's feature rich fresnel lens solar cooker.
June 1, 2011 My new fresnel lens solar cooker!
May 27, 2011 DIY solar air heater types and
miscellaneous additions to the main solar air heater page.
May 26, 2011 Rain water powered piezoelectric generator lighting an LED!
May 22, 2011 Derelict rear projection TV = two new solar cookers!
May 20, 2011 Extracting and testing piezoelectric disks from gift cards.
May 11, 2011 Firsts and mishaps in solar cooking - started a solar cooking log.
May 6, 2011 Complete video of the design, construction and use of my cone solar cooker.
May 5, 2011 How to mount a transistor to a heatsink.
April 29, 2011 News about SpaceX's $75 million award from NASA for launch escape system... and planetary lander and
minor updates to the "path to space" since things keep happening.
April 28, 2011 Details of AccuCut machine used for making electric rocket.
April 25, 2011 Sizing steps added for DIY solar pool heating hose/tube length.
April 16, 2011 Started solar cooking! Nothing beats solar cooked rice from
a homemade solar cooker.
April 11, 2011 How to make a sun finder for pointing a solar cooker at the sun.
April 6, 2011 More shower on/off valve water use tests, foot pedal activation idea, ...
April 5, 2011 SpaceX's Falcon Heavy added to the 'path to space' page as a result of recent announcements and
added news item re the Falcon Heavy to main space page.
April 4, 2011 2 gallons/7.6 litres for a full shower?! Yup. See the table of times and calculations.
April 1, 2011 How to size a DIY or commercial solar pool heating system.
March 31, 2011 Vaccum energy tapping design page now has general idea at top.
March 29, 2011 Ran across a great Ontario microFIT (PV feeding the grid) video.
March 25, 2011 The Airship to Orbit program - a novel way to go from Earth to space.
March 18, 2011 How to use a watt meter to save electricity!
February 18, 2011 Save water and heating costs by using a low flow shower head!
February 11, 2011 Much added to the 'path to space' page as a result of recent announcements and
added news item re Astrobotic Technology's moon plans.
February 7, 2011 More ways to clear snow off solar panels (plus added diagrams.)
February 4, 2011 Solar snow pre-melter experiments.
February 2, 2011 New Ontario Commercial Feed-in-Tariff (CFIT) program for renting of roofs/property for solar systems.
January 25, 2011 Assisting in melting snow off solar panels with strips of black tape and
a new main winter solar issues page.
January 20, 2011 Added a main 'Space' page.
January 19, 2011 Worm bin temperature measurements in mid-winter.
January 18, 2011 Realistic analysis of the future of humans in space.
January 17, 2011 Made a very full video about heat retention cooking.
January 10, 2011 More info on just about everything to do with DIY solar air heaters and
added types and CSA Performance Factors for commercial solar air heaters.
December 22, 2010 New main efficiency and conservation page and
how to do heat-retention cooking - cook long grain brown rice with 10 minutes on the stove instead of 45!
December 16, 2010 New main composting page and started doing green bin composting for the winter.
December 3, 2010 Ideas added for DIY dry cuprous oxide solar cells.
December 2, 2010 Revised how the vacuum energy tapping theory calculates space energy density.
December 1, 2010 Ontario microFIT/FIT Feed-in Tariff program details (up to $0.802/kWh). (Updated Dec 13 - See News)
November 18, 2010 How to square a frame for a solar array.
November 15, 2010 Barium titanate doorknob capacitor propulsion experiment!
November 12, 2010 Much improved Part 2 video for solar air heater temperature control and new assembly photos.
November 7, 2010 Abundant detail, circuits and videos on temperature control for solar air heaters!
October 4, 2010 In the testatika, the electric field is through the horseshoe magnet itself and not the gap between the legs.
September 10, 2010 New very detailed report of the DIY spiral hose type of solar pool heater in Tuscany!
Also, now introducing RSS support for rimstar.org! Click the button above.
August 26, 2010 Ontario's microFIT program now paying $0.642/kWh for non-roof systems.
August 15, 2010 DIY spiral hose type solar pool heater in Tuscany!
August 14, 2010 More details about solar pool heating control and automation.
July 15, 2010 New high voltage, infinitely adjustable horizontal rotating test platform.
June 24, 2010 Diagrams and ideas for the testatika principle experiment.
June 14, 2010 Visitor report, "Testatika demonstration with over 30 engineers".
June 12, 2010 Better mixing technique for Barium Titanate capacitors: K=27!.
May 15, 2010 Demonstration of charge holding in vacuum energy capacitor (work-in-progress).
May 7, 2010 More details on Ontario's $0.802/kWh Feed-in Tariff program and
spreadsheet calcs show lower voltage needed for vacuum energy tapping and
convincing evidence of mesh at center of 3kW testatika machine.
April 21, 2010 Making Barium Titanate capacitors for a high dielectric constant.
April 16, 2010 Much more likely explanation for what the testatika 3kW machine's sectors consist of.
March 21, 2010 Calculated required voltage for particle creation from vacuum energy and
a new design idea from how this might be going on in the testatika.
March 16, 2010 Last part of off-grid cottage size/type system on a motor home added.
March 9, 2010 Added AC and battery wiring to off-grid cottage size/type system on a motor home.
March 5, 2010 Derived surprisingly good formula for vacuum energy tapping theory calculations.
March 2, 2010 Added solar panel wiring, including to charge controller and battery description page.
February 27, 2010 Very, very detailed desciption of installation of off-grid cottage size/type system on a motor home.
February 23, 2010 First vacuum energy tapping theory calculations.
February 16, 2010 New video about inductive charging using an electroscope and
major updates to vacuum energy theory.
February 8, 2010 First vacuum energy tapping theory experiments.
February 3, 2010 Fuller explanation of the vacuum energy tapping theory.
February 1, 2010 Vacuum energy tapping theory and designs (experiments in progress.)
January 12, 2010 Feed-in Tariff program replaces Standard Offer Program in Ontario for solar power and
added Matrix Energy's products to solar air heater manufacturer info.
December 16, 2009 High voltage power supply with positive, negative and ground AT THE SAME TIME!
December 14, 2009 High voltage NEGATIVE voltage multiplier.
November 27, 2009 Major updates to solar air heater manufacturer info!
November 14, 2009 A new 312,000 PV solar panel solar farm in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada!
November 6, 2009 Testatika HV pulsing of magnets and converting to low voltage DC!
October 10, 2009 Added a video of how I harvest my worm castings (poop)!
October 6, 2009 My tricks for doing container gardening in our parking lot.
September 5, 2009 New food section, my growing efforts starting with... broccoli!
September 2, 2009 Some recent testatika work with 276mm disk and insulated HV plates.

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