Projects

Current Projects

Electronics, computers and garden fountains!

More for my own reference really, but listed here in case anyone is doing anything similar and could benefit from a 'shared experience'. Trippy, man!

But first, a bit of art. I call this one "Clanger Horn Fire".

I'm very much into 'plussing' as Walt Disney put it - going back and adding and making things better and improved.

Mail Shot

2006 - Sending out promotional pens and product information to past customers. I think this will eventually happen in 2014. I hope the pens won't have dried out by then.
UPDATE, 2008, the pens have started to dry out!

Task Status

RDS switching box strip-down - 15 illuminated buttons It's in the garage. I saw it there yesterday.

Computerised light chaser unit - circuit is constructed, 12 channels, 18 x par 16s and transformers ready, relays and diodes ready. I'd like to have 3 pin XLRs for connecting the lights into the control box in a neat way. Will have to take the plunge and do the relay and diode circuit and 'take the plunge' (farewell chaser circuit?!?).

I got another one! Now built, interface with box-mounted buttons and switches and use, again with relays, for 12V lighting.

Infra red sensor purchased for garden to switch on the 7 x 12V garden lights (2 x 50W, 5 x 20W) -- see right. 200VA transformer seems too weak to power them, so the 50W bulbs glow about as bright as a candle. Not sure what's going on apart from a transformer being overloaded, which it shouldn't, so will have to use a few to get round the problem.

Intercom unit - purchased and installed. Very good!

Ultrasonic water fogger unit - see Disney patent. 5 transducer unit purchased and tested (makes a lot more fog than 2!) then stopped working! Will be replaced. May buy another one for added fog.

Jumping faux-laminar jet fountains

USB DMX sequencer

The story of a domain name...

On 20th December 1999 I was considering registering my then name, beneden.com, the domain name. Back then of course, domain names were in the region of £180 per year. So I decided I should sleep on it. The next day I woke up and decided I should register it. One final check to make sure it was still there, and blast! Some person - I can't remember if he was Russian or Israeli - but his name certainly wasn't Ben Eden, had registered it that night! He did nothing with the name for quite a while, and I emailed him enquiring why a) no use was being made of the name and b) why he registered it in the first place because his name wasn't Ben Eden. I was intrigued what someone with seemingly no reason to register what I thought was my name would do with the site! No reply, but it was eventually developed as a photographer's website - presumably he changed his name to something better and more Western than whatever it was before. He is a London based photographer, even though his address seems to change regularly and was recently Hove. He's clearly very keen to remain the owner, as he has renewed it so that it expires in 2014. A lot could happen in 8 years, but me getting that domain name isn't one of them!

So, with my first choice of name gone, I registered ben-eden.com instead. I personally believe the hyphen breaks up the two names so that it actually makes more sense when you look at it - I've always thought throughout my life that beneden can be read as "ben-ed-en". I developed ben-eden.com as a website for my radio shows initially, then voice-overs, but I couldn't really warrant renewing it again and again with no financial gain, so I let it lapse. I re-registered it in July 2005 as a personal website filled with information and resources relating to my interests and hobbies, like the site you see today. It was well visited and I enjoy reading the feedback visitors send who have found the articles interesting or those who want to buy something. I especially like those who want to give me money. I changed my name for personal reasons in 2008 and this is the new website! No more ego!

Updated - Mon, 31/08/09