Adam@SheekGeek, Author at SheekGeek

First Weather Balloon Launch Video and Google Earth File (Pt. 2)

June 18, 2013November 20, 2011 by Adam@SheekGeek

With the payload tested in a rocket, everything looked ready to go. I took it off the breadboard and built it onto a strip board PCB to make everything sturdy.

The next step was to create the payload box. The professor had done this before so he gave us tips on using foam core poster board, hot glue and HVAC tape. We chose to cover ours in mylar by applying a spray adhesive to the surface, then laying a sheet of mylar on it, and using credit cards to squeegee it flat as best as possible. The mylar was applied to the insides of the box before gluing, and the outside afterward.

First Weather Balloon Payload Testing on a Model Rocket (Pt.1)

June 18, 2013November 20, 2011 by Adam@SheekGeek

Working with a professor at my college and Carolina Edge of Space in May of 2010 I, along with a small group of friends, sent a weather balloon 74,642 feet into the sky. This post is mainly about the payload I designed, built and tested for the project.

This project was inspired by many seen recently online where students have been sending cheap payloads into the stratosphere. It started around December 2009 when we all met for the first time to discuss the project. It turns out that one of the professors in the Earth Sciences department focuses on remote sensing (gathering data about earth from satellites, etc.) who had done some weather balloon projects in the past. We all got together to discuss a possible launch.

How to Replace XP with Linux

June 18, 2013March 3, 2011 by Adam@SheekGeek

Many people are curious about linux, or maybe have even tried linux at some point. There is a huge difference between people trying linux, and people using linux. Hopefully this article will sort of ease your transition into using linux, either as a full time OS or even just enough to get around if you ever encounter it. Once you are familiar with software on one OS, its tough to move on but with this article I hope to list out some linux software that replaces many of the XP programs I once loved and how to run certain irreplaceable Windows software on linux.

The version of linux used here is Linux Mint, which is built off Ubuntu.

(Image provided by Wikimedia Commons. Authors Larry Ewing, Simon Budig, Anja Gerwinski)

Reference Managment in Scientific Papers

June 18, 2013February 15, 2011 by Adam@SheekGeek

Citing references in papers has always been a tough nut to crack. Everyone has their own preferences and style when it comes to writing, and different scientific journals all have their own specifications for how to cite references. Some people swear by LaTeX and BibTeX, others use word and Endnote.

While writing my thesis, I’ve come across a set of applications that I believe can be useful for almost any and everyone who is writing a paper.

Overhanging Desk Work Light

June 18, 2013January 10, 2011 by Adam@SheekGeek

The SheekGeek office doesn’t have very good lighting and because of this, working on things at my work desk is always tough. I’ve tried a lot of different solutions to this problem such as the lighted helping hands set-up, sitting a small fluorescent light on top of my parts organizer, and even hanging the lamp from a couple of the bins on the top row of the parts organizer. None of these provided a good solution. The fluorescent lamp was rather blinding, and with every solution, my hands cast shadows on what I’m working on. This lead me to finally come up with a great working solution to my problem that casts no shadows.

A couple of years ago when I wrote for Hackaday I did an article about the Hacker’s Soldering Station. Since then, that station became too bulky and impractical for my office. I needed something that was easier to move, or possibly break down to take up less space. I looked around at what I had on hand and slapped together this quick fix that is the perfect solution for my needs.