Apellix Drone

Apellix Drones

I met with the talent and founders behind Apellix drones here in Jacksonville Florida and I was incredibly impressed.

Despite how they look these are not regular quadcopters, the photos and video are cool, but they really do not do them justice.

I won’t go into the technical secret sauce behind their work, but there is a very significant amount of power needed to lift the big drones, and their water supply hose.

If you’re familiar with DJI quads like the Mini 2 or the Mavic then you likely recognize the multi-rotor quadcopter formfactor.

However they actually use motors on both the top and bottom of each leg to push and pull the aircraft with added lift.

Definitely checkout my video, also checkout my other posts on drones

DIY Work Table

DIY Work Table

I designed and built a DIY work table out of wood.

I’ve recorded all the video for it to youtube which I’ll show here

I’ve posted an instructable here: https://www.instructables.com/DIY-Wood-Work-Table/

You can download the CAD design files from GrabCAD here: https://grabcad.com/library/wood-work-table-3

Helium Miner

I mine cryptocurrency with a Helium Miner

Helium cryptocurrency miner

Starting in January of 2022 I installed a Helium Miner on my roof. If you’ve never heard of Helium before, no I don’t mean the inert gas Helium. I’m talking about Helium the cryptocurrency. Everyone is familiar with Radio by now. Many people use WIFI, however like WIFI you can join the Helium LoRa radio network for internet or internet of things (IoT). In January when the market was high it made tons of sense. I planned to have the antenna up for at least a year to see how it would actually perform. I told my friend Jimmy about Helium and he got really excited. Some people think the Helium LoRa network might be a revolution, other think it’s another useless cryptocurrency altcoin. The difference is, to me at least, is that this a cryptocurrency with REAL infrastructure. It also can essentially incentivize the logistics of a redundant internet that would boost reliability in the event of power outages, storms, emergencies, etc. The antenna I have is installed about 4 meters high on the roof. I had to install it myself which was difficult and dangerous. From the online viewer I can see where it has communicated with and I can estimate how many HNT or Helium Network Tokens I’ve earned. Sometimes on the map I’ve seen network connections reach all the way to downtown Jacksonville from my house which is about 15 miles! That’s seriously incredible and I love the technology.

In all honesty, here are the downsides with installing a Helium mining antenna. Luckily you don’t need to worry about dealing with a HOA that doesn’t like how the antenna looks. The FCC has a ruling the protects the installation of antennas and satellite dishes. The amount of energy it uses is incredibly little, some compare it to a lightbulb. Small amounts of internet data are used for connectivity however there is some risk that having it on your network could open you up to hacking. When the cryptocurrency market was high I was making close to $60 a month with this antenna, now that the market has dropped I’m making half that value, though I still make the same amount of HNT. So I don’t plan on selling the HNT I just plan on collecting it even while the market is low. I don’t know if it will ever pay off, or whether the technology will ever become more mainstream but it is cool and cutting edge if nothing else.

Helium Miner
happy gator

St. Augustine Alligator Farm

The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is home to many different kinds of animals, not just alligators. I was able to see turtles, lizards, and even a few snakes during my visit. The farm offers a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with some of these creatures.

The alligators at St. Augustine Alligator Farm are well-cared for and seem to be healthy and happy. I was able to see them both in the water and on land, and they were very active. The staff was also very knowledgeable about alligators and answered any questions I had.

Overall, I had a great experience at St. Augustine Alligator Farm. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in seeing some of the animals up close.

If you’re ever in the St. Augustine area, be sure to check out the Alligator Farm. You’ll see some amazing creatures and learn a lot about them from the knowledgeable staff.

I stayed a night in a tiny house

Nocatee Car Show

Nocatee Photos

Nocatee is a really cool new housing development on the Southeast side of Jacksonville Florida. If you go there checkout Nocatee Station Field and the Nocatee Waterpark!

  • Nocatee Station Field
  • Nocatee Station Field
  • Nocatee Station Field
  • Nocatee Waterpark
  • Nocatee Waterpark
  • Nocatee Waterpark
  • Nocatee Waterpark
  • Nocatee Car Show
  • Nocatee Car Show
  • Nocatee Car Show
Tinseltown USA

Jacksonville Fog photos

My Drone crash, a story of recovery and repair

This is the story of my drone crash.

I thought it might make for a cool effect to fly at night through the fog around University of North Florida. But once I got flying I realized it wasn’t nearly as good, the lighting was poor and visibility was low. I decided to land within 5 minutes, but before I could come in for a landing my DJI Mini 2 clipped the top of a building and dropped on the roof. I was scared and embarrassed, this was the first time I’ve ever crashed my drone. It was already 2am, and so I decided it was better if I came back the next day during daylight. I took a screenshot of the GPS location where the drone was last seen. The drone crash happened when it was hovering, I didn’t realize how close it was to the wall. There must have been a slight breeze or a wobble for a second and when I went back to look at the screen all I saw was black.

After returning in the morning I talked with several maintenance people and surprisingly most of them only took care of trash and recycling. I eventually found one guy who helped me get onto the roof where I then found my drone, broken, upside down, nearly in a puddle. I know it’s just a drone, but I felt sad leaving it there overnight, and I felt worse seeing it broken and abandoned in a puddle. 4 of the propellers had hit the wall and needed to be replaced, but even worse one of the arm joints in the back was damaged. Part of the plastic from the body had broken and the arm was completely loose. I debated for a while on how to fix it, I could either pay DJI to repair it which might be expensive since I didn’t have DJI care insurance on it, or I could buy a replacement plastic body for $50. What I decided was to glue the broken plastic back on to the body with gorilla glue. The broken plastic was only for one of the three screws holding the arm to the body, I found without it, it was nearly strong enough on it’s own. But with the gorilla glue and all three screws back in place it was as good as new. Since repairing it I’ve done several flights with no problem, if the body breaks again I might buy a replacement but until then it’s good to go. It even still folds up without issue.

I’m looking for a new Job

I’ve worked in Aerospace for the last 4.5 years, I’ve worked in engineering for the last 10 years and I’m looking for a new job.

I have skills in Mechanical CAD programs like Solidworks, and Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Electrical, 3D Printing on Stratasys Printers, as well as DIY RepRap 3D printers, Deltas, and 3D Printers for Space.

I have professional certificates for Google IT Support, Google Marketing and Advertising, Solidworks, AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop.

Please add me or contact me on Linkedin, my Resume is updated, I have a letter of recommendation, references, and a portfolio