James Presentation is here:
SatellitesSat Oct 26 2024 – Capstone Project Update

Lynn will share how the Camosun Students are progressing on her Capstone Project.
Where: Quality Foods, View Royal, 27 Helmcken Rd #110
When: 9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation
This is a Hybrid meeting (in-person and on Jitsi).
Join Us Online here:
Sat Mar 30, 2024 Pre-run for Open House (Capstone Projects)

We’ll do a pre-run for the VicPiMakers Open House on 13 April. We’ll share the Capstone Projects, as well as others are invited to share projects (15-30 minutes).
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation
This is a Hybrid meeting (in-person and on Jitsi).
Join Us Online here:
Nov 11 2023 – Intro to NextCloud on a Pi

Why just run your own video conferencing server, when you can simultaneously run that AND mail, calendaring, contacts, calls, IM, file sharing, remote backup, and a web-based office suite, all in one intimidating package. Get your own thrift-store Google G Suite going with the open source Nextcloud platform on a tiny Raspberry Pi! Great for the privacy-conscious, the independent, and masochists. We’ll do it the hard way and make configuring Jitsi look like recess at kindergarten (and then do it the easy way). Warning: the hard way will race through dependencies including Apache, PHP, MySQL/MariaDB and openSSL, so expect some mild suffering.
Richard’s Blog here:
Actual process including configuring a web server and database and installing from a source tarball:
https://tech.kosmokaryote.org/2023/11/technology-nextcloud-on-raspberry-pi_22.html –
here are the pdfs
and here
Much briefer post using nextcloudpi via docker from my notes, as originally demoed:
https://tech.kosmokaryote.org/2023/11/technology-nextcloud-on-raspberry-pi.html
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation
This is a Hybrid meeting (in-person and on Jitsi).
Join Us Online here:
Learn Python on a Pico
Saturday, July 8th 9:30 am til noon and Saturday July 15th 9:30am till noon.
At Quality Foods Eagle Creek Shopping Center in the upstains boardroom
Register here: https://forms.gle/py3BzTUxfyfPj67o8
You need to bring a laptop:
- A windows laptop or
- Linux laptop or
- chromebook with linux enabled.
We loan you
- A Raspberry Pi Pico with LED and temperature sensor
- A micro USB cable
You build a digital thermometer that can
- Report the highest and lowest temperatures of the last 24 hours
- Signal when a room is dangerously overheated
Here is a description of the class
Sat., Jun24, 2023- Codon

Craig will give an introduction to Codon, yet another Python compiler. He will cover the basics, the good, the bad, and what it is good for, and what Codon is missing. Read the HTML here.
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation
This is a Hybrid meeting (in-person and on Jitsi).
Small Boardroom @ Quality Foods, 27 Helmcken Rd #110 · View Royal
Join Us Online here:
NetSIG – Mar. 23, 2023
NetSIG is a Special Interest Group focused on computer networking. Building networks for Today and Tomorrow!
Last month we explored MACVLAN interfaces, and how it makes it easier for Linux Containers (LXD).
This month, BRING YOUR PI, and a 32 GB SD Card, and we’ll do a Linux Containers INSTALL FEST on your Pi.
We will be meeting in-person at Quality Foods (small boardroom upstairs), bring a laptop and have Wireshark installed. This will be hands on. PLEASE BRING an ETHERNET dongle/port as we will be ssh-ing into your Pi, and configuring Linux Containers.
Quality Foods View Royal 6:30pm
27 Helmcken Rd #110 · Victoria, BC
Afterword, we will go out for a beer/coffee.
Sat. Feb 11 2023 – Linux Containers on the Quadra

After using Linux Containers (LXD) for a couple of years, Craig will share how to easily get your containers connected to the internet using a MACVLAN interface. No reconfiguration of the host is required. This technique can be used on Pi’s as well as other hosts.
We will set up containers using the MACVLAN network attachment, discuss limitations, and even run LXDware, a web-based GUI for LXD on a Pi.
We will be holding a Hybrid meeting (in-person & Jitsi).
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation
Small Boardroom @ Quality Foods, 27 Helmcken Rd #110 · View Royal
Sat. April 23, 2022 – The Challenge & Pi OS 64 bit

Jim will cover his pencil challenge.
Gordo will give an overview of 64bit Pi OS, and the cool features of the flash utility.
Gordo’s notes: https://gist.github.com/va7sdf/39a6c01d38eb1131532398fe69833862
QCollege has welcomed us back to meet in-person.We thank them for their support
Suite 303 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation
https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers
We will be holding a Hybrid meeting (in-person & Jitsi).
Sat. Jan 22, 2022 – The Challenge & Facebook Crash

Jim will give us another challenge to keep our brains sharp.
Craig will cover how Facebook could have disappeared from the internet (for a day). http://www.makikiweb.com/Pi/the_great_facebook_crash_of_2021.pdf
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation
Sat. Nov. 13, 2021 – Infrared Data Communications

Jim Briante presenting
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation (virtual)
10a Presentation
Jim’s Presentation Notes are here.
IrDA Infrared communication
Infrared Emitting Diode
• Angle of half intensity: ϕ,
• Relative radian power vs wave length
Infrared Receiver
• Series for remote control
• Automatic gain control (AGC)
• Data format compatibility
Data Encoding Methods
• Pulse distance encoding, Pulse width encoding, Manchester bi-phase encoding
Basic IR System –IR emitter/receiver
• External components/software
• Generating Pulses
• With PSoC PWM interrupts
• Raspberry Pi Pico State Machine
• Receiving Pulse
• Raspberry Pi Pico using interrupts
Single Pulse Application Example
IR Receiver for Continuous Data Communication
• What works for RS-232 data transmission and why?
Project Utilising IR emitters/Receivers using RS-232 Communication
Reference
Sat 25 Sep 2021 – Intro to Pi and Others Discussion

Intro to Pi & Others Discussion. We will review the course materials, and discuss improvements, and getting the word out.
Intro to Pi & Others is a four part series with each session building on the previous sessions, where Pi basics of software and hardware will be explored.
9:30 AM to 11:30 AM PDT
Sat. June 12, 2021 – Prototyping

9:30 AM to 11:30 AM PST
Jim will share with us his secrets in Prototyping projects, from concept to breadboarding, prototyping and printed circuit
board.
The discussion will touch on hardware/software tools used in each of the phases with focus on methods of prototyping and assembly.
See the presentation .pdf here.
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentations
Jitsi Virtual Meeting
https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers
Please contact markg@vicpimakers.ca if you are having trouble connecting to the meeting server.
Sat. Apr 10, 2021 – Sensors Part 2

Deid and others will share what sensors they have been using to sense the real world and report it to the computer world.
9:30 AM to 11:30 AM PST
Jitsi Virtual Meeting
https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers
Please contact markg@vicpimakers.ca if you are having trouble connecting to the meeting server.
Click to page 2 for presentation links and images.
Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 The Challenges

Jim will review the answers to the Challenge (1 and more). Did you get the answers right? Find out on Saturday. Find Jim’s Challenges here.
9:30 AM to 11:30 AM PST
Jitsi Virtual Meeting
https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers
Please contact markg@vicpimakers.ca if you are having trouble connecting to the meeting server.
Sat. Nov. 14, 2020 – Overview of IDEs
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation

Overview of IDEs for programming your embedded devices.
Be sure to BRING a LAPTOP, as these are hands-on sessions.
QCollege has graciously offered to use their campus for our fall meetings. This will be a hybrid meeting (in-person & on Jitsi). Seating is limited, please indicate if you intend to attend in person post to this event on meetup.
QCollege
Suite 303 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC
Sat. Oct. 24, 2020 Intro to Scratch (language)

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation
Introduction to Scratch. Scratch is a block-based visual programming language.
See Eileen’s presentation .pdf here.
And Jim will introduce Programming Challenge 2. Download the challenge here.
Be sure to HAVE a LAPTOP, as these are hands on sessions.
QCollege has graciously offered to use their campus for our fall meetings. This will be a hybrid meeting (in-person & on Jitsi). Seating is limited, please indicate if you intend to attend in person (post to the event on meetup here).
QCollege
Suite 303 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC
Sat. Oct. 10, 2020 – Computer Language Series
9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation

Learn the basics of Computer Languages: c, PHP, Python, Bash
All four languages will be covered, where it will be apparent the similarities and differences of each.
Be sure to BRING a LAPTOP, as these are hands on sessions.
This session: Libraries
QCollege has graciously offered to use their campus for our fall meetings. This will be a hybrid meeting (in-person & on Jitsi). Seating is limited, please indicate if you intend to attend in person (post to this event).
QCollege
Suite 303 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC
Jitsi
https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers
Sat. June 27, 2020 – ADSB Multiple Feeds
Details

9:30-10a Cocktails & Conversation
10a Presentation
Virtual Meeting: https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers
Interested in feeding your data to more than just Flightradar24 or Flight Aware? Unsure which feeder to install first? Confused by which dump1090 fork to install?
This presentation will demonstrate installing one feeder on your Raspberry Pi and then discuss the quirks to setting up the additional feeders (ADS-B Exchange, AirNav RadarBox, OpenSky Network, and Plane Finder) so that they all play nice together.
ADS-B Exchange: https://www.adsbexchange.com/
AirNav RadarBox: https://www.radarbox24.com/
Flight Aware: https://flightaware.com/
Flightradar24: https://www.flightradar24.com/
OpenSky Network: https://opensky-network.org/
Plane Finder: https://planefinder.net/
Here is the video of our virtual meeting:
Sat. May 23, 2020 – Django Explained

Saturday, May 23, 2020
9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers
Learn how django can solve your problems
Sat. May 9, 2020 – PI Hardening (Virtual Meeting)

Learn how to harden your Pi
We’ll be conducting this meeting virtually using Jitsi
https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers
Virtual Meetings – 2020

We will be conducting Virtual Meetings for the next few weeks using Jitsi, a free video-conferencing system. Please use Chrome or Chromium for the best experience, or download one of the pre-built clients: https://jitsi.org/downloads
Postponed – Projects and Challenges
Due to the current situation @ March 14, 2020, in-person meetings have been suspended until further notice. Please do join us on Slack or at our online learning sessions using Jitsi. Write to hello at vicpimakers.ca for invitations and information.
Q-CollegeSuite 303 771 Vernon Ave · Victoria, BC – 10am
1) Hack Challenge, by George
Modify a window alarm to be a useful or entertaining device. Window alarms to be supplied free March 14th, one per attendee.
2) Hack Challenge, by Deid
New “Christmas Light” patterns
3) … bring projects that you want to share or need help with… If you like, email a description to be added to this page.
It is fun to repurpose battery powered consumer products. For instance, here is a Leak Detector made from a window alarm. The article includes the window alarm schematic.
And George made a bike theft deterrent alarm with remote radio alerting from the same window alarm.

In normal operation, the window alarm senses separation from its external magnet via its internal reed switch and feeds its piezo disk with an oscillation. The window alarm runs on 3 button cells and draws no current when the reed switch is open. There is also a slide switch to enable/disable the alarm.
Here is a photo of the circuit board: The OUT signal from the 8 pin oscillator chip is a 10V DC wave, pumped up by the inductor from 5 volts. A voltage divider can be added to lower this chip output signal to less than 5v to feed another device.

Or the piezo can be used as a microphone, providing about 100mv into a very high impedance input
In May we can show what we achieved.
New “Christmas Light” patterns
Deid successfully connected a 50 light string of addressable LEDs to an ESP8266 to cause the lights to light and change colour and move and …

Deid created the following patterns:
- Primary
- Random
- Web Safe
- Follow
- Lead
- Random On ***
- All On
- All Off
- Rainbow
- Moving
- Colour
- Christmas
- Rainbow Group
- Dual Colour ***
*** Shown in the images

The ESP8266 C code to do this can be found here. Deid makes no representation that the existing code is good. In fact he knows some of it is not. Feel free to fix.
The challenge is to add more patterns and the code to implement the patterns. If you send Deid the code he will load and try the code. Unless someone comes up with a better way for folks to test remotely.
Sat. April 25, 2020 – Computer Language Series (part 6) (Virtual on Jitsi)

Learn the basics of Computer Languages: c, PHP, Python, Bash
All four languages will be covered, where it will be apparent the similarities and differences of each.
Be sure to have a LAPTOP, as these are hands on sessions. https://meet.vinnythegeek.ca/vicpimakers
This session: Functions