Welcome to theFrankes.com!
Welcome to theFrankes.com. This blog has been around for decades now, and I do have a full-time job and family, so please be patient as I get it back up to modern standards. It’s a long, slow process that competes…
Testing ChatGPT-4 Mathematical Prowess
Apparently this new version is a lot better at math, so I tested it out with some simple calculations. Here’s how that went: This is pretty straightforward. A 3.65″ diameter is a circumference of about 11.5″, and that distance 1,750…
20% Off Rack Plans in May
Use code “MAY20SALE” to get 20% off rack plans in May. This code can only be used a limited number of times, so don’t delay! Go to the purchase page here and enter the code at checkout! Consider this…
How to Fix LETAU Cordless Blinds Mechanism
We got these blinds a couple of years ago from Amazon, and recently one of the string take-up mechanisms jammed because the string apparently came off the pulley wheel and wrapped around the shaft. I contacted customer service about how…
DIY Drum Sander
Backstory: We took down a red oak a couple years ago (Part 1 and Part 2) and I got it milled up for projects. Wifey wants a desk but the grain is a little tricky and my thickness planer just…
Printable A129 Duo Rear Mount for MX-5 Miata ND STL
I got the Viofo A129 Duo a couple years ago because I seem to keep getting cut off in my little Mazda MX-5 Miata ND (2016+). It’s a ragtop convertible with only one obvious place to mount a rear-facing camera,…
Outline an Image for Laser Cutting in Inkscape
Here’s how I start with a screenshot (bitmap) of a vector image and prepare it for laser cutting. Usually for cutting I need one path around the outside of the image (for the cut path), and then other paths that…
Stepped LED Brightness in ESPHome
I use ESPHome for a number of projects including LED task lighting, and my devices often use an inexpensive TTP223 capacitive touch sensor as a button. I like to be able to tap the sensor multiple times to cycle through…
TEMT6000 Illuminance Math with ESPHome
I use inexpensive TEMT6000 sensors in various projects to detect the level of ambient light. I originally hand-coded the firmware, but now I use ESPHome. My projects are usually 3.3V because I use pretty bare boards like ESP-12F instead of…
ESPHome SOS Morse Code Light Effect
I’m using ESPHome with Home Assistant for a bunch of home automation projects. I want to be able to flash some of the lights in a Morse code “SOS” pattern as an annoying alert that something has gone terribly wrong.…
Dealing with ESPHome Disconnects
I have a bunch of ESPHome/ESP8266 projects, several of which are have been plagued by repeated disconnection during seemingly random times of instability. Sometimes they’ll be fine for days, and then suddenly they start acting up again, and it can…