Toastie

To-ta-lly cool! This is really a nice place to work! Have a nice day, Thorsten

That IS a nice photograph. It looks like some advanced Spanish inquisition set-up - but man, these Wellers ... I am on Chinese stuff (I believe) - works, though. Only one - and the dentist equipment is missing as well here - that comes in very handy I believe! So each station for individual temperatures? 145°C for what? Cool, really cool!!! Back in the days, they said of course you can upgrade a Sinclair Spectrum to 48k - but you need the 32kx1bit RAMs (which were never sold in any store as they are defective 64k chips with one bank messed up But the 64kx1bit chips worked perfectly well with on bank. Activating the other was total fun. More or less useless but fun. And yes - it still works and controls my LEGO trains OK, with a little help from an ESP32 ... Best Thorsten

Wait. When you put three of those next to each other and then operate the sliders simultaneously - you can beam your train to whatever location, right? Very nice! Hopefully, we get the display and "illuminated" push buttons as well (this is my dream for decades). Have fun, Thorsten

Oh, yes it is ... ... time goes by (but not so slowly as Madonna claims in her song "hung up") ... one thing after the other though - need to get a 1.5" OLED display up and running on the I2C bus. Waveshare made life easy and pre-selected SPI as default mode. It is very simple to change to I2C mode: Just move the default resistors connecting to GND over to VCC - pads are ready to go. There is only one tiny little problem: The resistors and pads are size 0805. My soldering iron looks like one better suited for sheet metal roofing (under the magnifying glass) ... Thanks again Werner! Best Thorsten

Well the Pi varieties are classified as micro-computers, aren't they? Whereas the ESP32 is still a micro-controller, right? The (now already old) ESP32 wroom "chip/module" is not necessarily what I would call a lame duck (https://www.espressif.com/sites/default/files/documentation/esp32-wroom-32_datasheet_en.pdf) ... at least as far as I am concerned: ESP32-WROOM-32 contains two low-power Xtensa® 32-bit LX6 microprocessors 448 KBytes ROM for booting and core functions 520 KBytes on-chip SRAM 8 KBytes SRAM in RTC SLOW 8 KBytes SRAM in RTC FAST 1 Kbit of EFUSE, 256 bits MAC WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n/d/e/i/k/r (802.11n up to 150 Mbps) Bluetooth v4.2 BR/EDR and BLE specification Wi-Fi mode Station/softAP/SoftAP+station/P2P Security WPA/WPA2/WPA2-Enterprise/WPS Encryption AES/RSA/ECC/SHA IPv4, IPv6, SSL, TCP/UDP/HTTP/FTP/MQTT Interfaces: SD-card, UART, SPI, SDIO, I2C, LED PWM, Motor PWM, I2S , IR, GPIO, capacitive touch sensor, ADC, DAC, Hall sensor, temperature sensor Operating temperature -40 + 85C Operating voltate: 2.2-3.6V Consumption: 80 mA typ Dimensions: 18 mm x 20 mm x 3 mm It sure can run a web server ... but I certainly wouldn't know how to do that. In my super simple applications it uses about 0.1% of its capabilities - so I am somewhat in line with what @oracid said: However, @Cornelius made his Legoino (BLE) code for ESP32's - no idea what other platforms are compatible with that library. Not important: An ESP32 Dev board is tiny and cheap, my favorite way of life All the best, Thorsten

Yes Sir! Thanks for clarifying! Best Thorsten

Oh, I didn't want to explain anything - I am excited about the fact, that a HAT of this sort, i.e. without any GPIOs, may very well expand into something (in the future, by some e-gurus that are certainly around here ) that features such pins/sockets/breadboard style layout as referenced in my post. What I know? Hmm, I believe it is safe to assume this is next to nothing compared to what others know! I like to play with hardware a lot - on a >total< laymen level. Since about 45 years. But nothing professional ever. What did I say? I guess I tried to voice excitement about a HAT that some may come up in the future that feature the PUp sockets along with the BLE features and some breadboard style area where I can plug in resistors, diodes, you know, the works I guess that was all. Best Thorsten

I had success with cutting the wire about 5 cm away from the sensor, applying matching heat shrinking tubing on each lead and pushing that as far into the sensor as possible, applying heat, soldering new wires to the old wires. Best, Thorsten

But hey, I have - let's call it a surplus of (9V) curves here - what about straights? I mean, they got it wrong once ... Have fun! Thorsten

Of course, it is! Man, when we get to this level of electronics (they may not target this, but - you know - they pave the road), then it is better to know what is going on. We are talking completely open access here. Sure, we can use libraries, suggestions, trainings, whatever - but hey: This is rock'n'roll. It is absolutely important when wanting to go nuts. As of now, we used hubs, some tried ESP32's (including me) - but this was wireless and software. We are now talking wires, GPIOs, hardware. Next level would be prototyping breadboards - like this one: https://www.makershop.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/arduino-uno-prototype-shield.jpg "They"'ll never do that, but folks will do that. Which is really cool. All the best, Thorsten

So I googled a bit - please educate me. The "hat" is a PCB featuring 4 PUp terminals, a "7.2 to 8.5 V" socket (please tell me they are not doing this stupid thing again - this works with 9V, I bet my megablocks off - and if not: Out with it! Does anyone have a 7.2 to 8.5V power supply at hand???) - plus some magic electronics, which decides on in/output as used in the hubs and then the Pi's GPIOs are configured appropriately? Or does the Pi all decide on in/output, because it runs a program that tries to figure that out? As the LEGO hubs can do as well? So the hat is dumb and features a few H-bridges? Very interesting! Best Thorsten EDIT: A few months in the lab can easily save a couple of hours in the library, I know ;) Did some more reading: "Powers your Raspberry Pi computer (except Raspberry Pi 400) and connected LEGO Technic devices when used with an external 8V ±10% DC power source, such as the Raspberry Pi Build HAT Power Supply, or a 7.5V battery pack". +/-10% - wow. I'd use a voltage regulator ... "Onboard Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller manages low-level control of LEGO Technic devices". So this is a Pi on a Pi, right?

Sorry for being so ignorant: A hat/HAT for a Raspberry Pi is the equivalent of a shield for an Arduino/compatible? A LEGO compatible breakout board? Is this what we are talking about? Thanks, Thorsten

Yeap - totally. This is going to be the route. Talk about illegal connections ;)) To Pi or not to Pi ... I am all into ESP32's. When a Pi is not only 3.14 something, then an ESP32 is maybe more than 2.71 or something. So let's get rolling ;) All the best, Thorsten

I believe this is not as straight forward as stacking them: The FX brick has a 3A max output per channel, as per their website. However, the 3A need a source that can sustain that amperage. Let's say you operate with a 9V battery box, again, as shown on the FX website: At 3 A/per channel = 6A total, that means you need to manage about +50 W total. The battery will drain in a very short time, and your wiring may very well dissipate a good fraction of that wattage as heat. I believe you would need additional power sources to manage all that energy should you add more motors. @Haddock51 has some nice threads here on EB. He operates >multiple< 9V motors moving one train powered directly from 9V track. Best regards, Thorsten

All good suggestions here and very good analyses, as far as I am concerned!!! Where are you heading to, though? Colors forever, internal ABS structure forever? What is "ever"? Your lifetime, or some stretch of "your" time on Earth? To do what (then)? Resale or re-enjoy? When a brick of whatever color (some are more demanding, others are boldly keeping up with "demand") is changing characteristics, this is usually called "life" maybe even "evolution" (can't keep your color? Sorry you are out; other species are coming ). Now, with regard to the OP: No light, no oxygen, and temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius is the way to go. Not too low, as this is also detrimental to - well - plastic. More on topic: Low temperature, only visible light exposure (e.g. from LED's, good choice) will probably make the bricks live longer than you can (currently) hope for. Let's not elaborate on Oxygen. Suggestion: Play well. It renders the mummification issues far less stressful. And I believe a little or even more "weathering" is going very well with the idea of LEGO. Just my two cents, absolutely nothing "serious". All the best, Thorsten

Good evening @nikzagvit I did not check for "fun" code, but there are certainly a lot of HiTechnic sensors still available: https://modernroboticsinc.com/product-category/hitechnic/ When you click on a sensor (even when it is marked "unavailable" or "withdrawn", there are little code snippets ... Best Thorsten

Well relax, I'd say. "Dumb" is an assessment you do, from your perspective - and that is fine! You believe this thread is dumb, I believe that the price is unethical. Who cares. Reason: I (personally) have a different perspective on LEGO bricks as you have. Which is perfectly fine as this perspective thing is one of the definitions of a public forum. Of course, you are right ... what else: There is a price, and folks who can afford that: Done deal. The Amazon guy was doing his space thing, because "we" use Amazon - and he can simply afford it, because we do Amazon. Again: Done deal. Certainly not his fault, but ours. Well, it is not even a fault: It is what we do and want. Over and out. The thing is: LEGO has this "play well" tag they use here and there and everywhere. Play, not gamble. But then: They do it as well; look at the price tags of recent flagship sets ... so why shouldn't resellers do it. In the end: Yes, it is as it is - and who cares. As it is always, when cracking down on "demand and supply". Playing or not. Best regards, Thorsten

For some reason, WALL-E is my favorite robot, maybe it is the look of the eyes (with us is living a dog - she had some hard time in the past - when she lived on another place on this planet). You captured that so nicely. Both, WALL-E and the look. Wonderful. Thanks for sharing, Thorsten

If there were a Nobel Prize for Ingenious LEGO creations, you certainly would be one recipient!!! Thanks for sharing and - as always - for your very nice video! All the best Thorsten

This is a fantastic idea and much more so realization! The Great Pumpkin ... since 40+ years I am in love with the Peanuts ... any chance that Snoopy will be there as well? (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lego_bro/33358243273) Very cool!!! Best wishes, Thorsten

Hmmm. So "contact" was a while ago, right? I did go the dark route last Christmas. Got this as a present (OK, I ordered it; MouldKing via BlueBrixx): Water: TLG's bricks/plates. Ship: MouldKing. Quality of ship pieces: Same or better. Ship colors: I am color-blind, leave it up to others. Price? Not even anywhere close to what TLG would ask for such a set - if they ever made it. Best Thorsten

This is all beyond belief. or not ... It really is ... I am so happy that this (tagged) thread exists. It represents the highest of building skills - in my humble opinion. To be honest - I personally believe that the models shown here - models, yes, stand for what LEGO is all about. With the now available pieces beamed into legt god heaven. This has become my favorite thread on EB: 1) No chance that TLG will ever release such sets ;) 2) Dedication to the detailing - at this scale - using every ("impossible") piece, but most importantly 3) the vibe. The positive attitude. The imagination. The fun folks have here. LEGO at its best. Thank you all. And all the best ;) Thorsten

@Lyichir a (deep, not slight) bow. Tipping hat - with a bright smile. Very, very well said! Best wishes, Thorsten

Hi Alex, oh man - sorry for not responding earlier!!! Either this email notification thingy failed on me or something else went wrong. You know, my heart was bumping so hard when watching the videos, seeing the Spectrums doing all this work - fantastic! It is so nice and encouraging to know that I am not alone (LEGO wise) with using the Speccy for LEGO control. So nice. I am very interested in your RoboTEK interface! Wow. I have "upgraded" my Spectrums with the vDrive from Charlie Ingley - my "tape drive" was simply not working anymore (tried it ...). Another beautiful thing. Nice. Really nice. Thanks a million for posting the videos! All the best, Thorsten

Yes. Best Thorsten