Ben Heck's Mechanical Television Part 1

[@gamerpaddy]

fix your Mic gain. distorted too much

[@theproducertm]

Volume jumps up and down between segments like crazy. I kept adjusting my phone's volume the whole time.

[@LooselyRigorous]

I still miss "BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES"

[@Storebrand_]

me to :)

[@jorenmartijn]

I miss the internet troll too. :)

[@skintstudios]

your mechanical/analog projects like this are my favorite as they tend to be simple enough to understand without in depth electronics knowledge.

[@skintstudios]

+JBroMCMXCI nothing wrong with electronics but when it comes to the architecture of computers etc i get a bit lost, his mods like console portablization are simple enough to follow and so are things like his can crusher and this, but, for example things like his videos on the FPGA tend to go over my head.

[@ElectronFunCom]

There's something wrong with your microphone gain levels. Sometimes I can barely hear you, while some other time your voices are very loud and distorted.

[@btmiller14]

interesting side note both the mechanical tv and the electronic version were broadcast in the uk by the BBC at the same time from crystal palace, but a fire at crystal palace and other reasons mechanical tv died. john logie Baird's other developments were in fiber-optics, radio direction finding, infrared night viewing as well as making a contribution to the first colour television tube, but not all went his way he once tried to create diamonds by heating up graphite shorting out Glasgow's power grid in the process.

[@The_Laser_Channel]

I can't wait for part 2! I have always been fascinated by Mechanical TVs....despite their very low resolution!

[@allluckyseven]

"Actually I've never done this with a fan before." Yeah, that will be taken out of context.

[@keyboardbandit]

Wow, i'm actually really looking forward to the next part of this project! I gotta say, the quality of your show has been getting better and better every episode! Seriously, this show could be on the discovery channel!

[@jasonteknut]

Why am I always surprised when some of my favorite channels reference my other favorite channels? Like EEVBlog, Ave, Matthias Wandel, GreatScott!, and PhotonicInduction.

[@A_S_M_R]

It must be a man thing.....I'm subscribed to all those channels! You should have a look at techmoan, bigclivedotcom and Julien Illet.

[@Gunbudder]

I prefer the whiteboard over the touch screen laptop. I want to see your hand poking the diagrams!

[@ConfuSomu]

me too

[@connorwilding2557]

Yer

[@AMacProOwner]

If it had anything that made it superior it would have been nice. But it just brings the viewer further away from you Ben!

[@jacobwood5805]

Agree!

[@7cleverboys]

maby a smart board would be even better

[@reddragon27284]

Seems like the imager is done backwards to me. I'm sure in Baird's design the light passed through the disc onto the photodetector from a brightly lit object.

[@Kryten85]

Going to be glued to the EEVBlog now for a cheeky "Batten down the hatches"!!!!

[@ohmygod1550]

0:50 Is that Sonic?

[@ussbased-a7074]

OH MY GOD!!! Sonic's body with Rick Sanchez'es head

[@OpenKeith]

no its Sanic

[@guerillagrueplays6301]

So happy to see the "lunchbox dev kit" bit; I was still using an Atrix HD as my phone up until about December, and absolutely loved the thing. Great little AMOLED screen and form factor, even if the battery life and RAM were a bit on the low side :)

[@jan_harald]

this is the most inspiritional element14 ad I've seen yet

[@JoshuaPritt]

The very last outtake: "and you'll die sad and alone." "mmm hmm" - totally true! I almost did a spit take.

[@HardyRyan]

Awesome! Ive been waiting for this episode for years. Love it!

[@Storebrand_]

DAT EEVblog though 👍

[@SharpblueCreative]

Why didn't you just cut a disc out with the relevant holes instead of using a vinyl record. You've got the kit.?

[@LucasTax97]

Are you going to have it scan the object directly, or use a lens to project the image onto a screen and then scan the screen?

[@elviswjr]

7:43 Almost sounded like EEVblog for a second.

[@UKSonicBoomBoy]

Great episode. I wonder if the scanning lines could be used as a 3D Scanner? The subject will have to turn on the spot. This will all depend on the resolution of course.

[@UmbreWolf]

Your RPM signal off the fan is more commonly refered as the "Sense or Tach" wire and typically puts out a predetermined pulse for each rotation the brushless DC motor gives. (For Example, Intels Fans give out 2 pulses per RPM to that wire. So you would take the pulses you'd get in minute and divide that by what ever amount of pulses where givin per rotation to get the RPM Value, all fans are different though, typically datasheets will tell you.

[@ashuku]

Why is there a copy of PS1 Medal of Honor on ben's desk? (4:19)

[@mnemonic5819]

LMAO! Fantastic EEVblogs impression! 7:42

[@gregnulik1975]

What if they switched out the disc in favor of a spinning cylinder ? Wouldn't the image be larger without having to increase the size of the TV as much ?

[@Shyshwak]

13:00 please what is the name of this song

[@mcrsit]

*whispering* "Use a blur filter in post-production to simulate PoV!" *flies away*

[@KennethScharf]

I don't think the original mechanical TV pickup used a flying spot scanner, but rather the image was focused onto the surface of the scanner disk and a large photo cell then picked up the light behind the disk. At least this version would work as a camera in a well light room, the scanner will have to be used in total darkness.

[@reddragon27284]

I agree.

[@robot797]

+Kenneth Scharf they didnt it was just a ldr and the room light was wat it saw that way thay had one pulsed signal to send

[@dylanfranz3985]

Can someone please tell me what is being said at 2:27 I can't die not knowing

[@crowdaddy6472]

is this similar to the flip cards ie draw pic in corner and flip cards to get picture to move?

[@maker_karen1785]

+RooBoy Hiphop Not quite, but sort of. If you break the image up into many lines, those lines get drawn individually and add up to an image, then the next image gets drawn line by line.But it happens very quickly so it looks like a solid image, only a little blinky.

[@johnsweda2999]

Couldn't you make the raster lines more compact? better resolution and bigger picture, by making the spiral bigger and at a steeper angle, with more holes spinning at 120hz would this work.

[@marco_evertus]

Bobby Dazzler! well now bob's my uncle!

[@TheBrokenLife]

Why are you using Illustrator for mechanical layout work?

[@maker_karen1785]

+Maxwelhse Ben will frequently start with a 2D drawing because it is faster and easier to manipulate and once he's happy with it, will import it into a 3D program and extrude the vectors to create the final design.

[@TheBrokenLife]

theHeckwithKaren Why not just start with a sketch in something like SolidWorks, which is intended for mechanical layout, and have a one stop shop? Every 3D part begins as a 2D sketch.

[@maker_karen1785]

Tomayto tomahto. It all comes down to personal preference and what software you feel most comfortable with.

[@TheBrokenLife]

theHeckwithKaren Mechanical software is designed for such tasks and is much more efficient at them (no manual calculations required). That's why It struck me as weird to use desktop publishing software for that purpose, but ok.

[@robot797]

the imager (camera ) iss all wrong the lamp is replaced by a ldr normaly and there is no sensor infront

[@robot797]

Yes. That is the way it is done

[@robot797]

They are for focusing Pin holes are not used the holes in the disk need to do all the work Nbtv camera type that in Google and you get a few diagrams

[@sarreqteryx]

OK, not putting the vinyl is understandable, but why not a CNC drill?

[@deckon123]

Fun fact. The mechanical television was invented by a guy called John logie baird who came up with the concept and built the first device in my home town of Hastings, England. However because his fame is greatly over shadowed by the other famous event the town is known for, and because its keeping with a great English tradition , the only thing named after him there is a pub. Slightly sad, but could be worse

[@Stormbolter]

You should add a sync signal and a Phase detector for easier sinc. You can also use a differential gear, but it's neater the other way. Usually the sync signal was a spike that was included in the video carrier signal and separated and filtered before passing on to the receiver.

[@vidrogic1499]

whats that schematic in background when you explain?????????

[@TheEvilMunkey01]

if you want to take the wobble out of the spinning record you could use skateboard bearings to run along the outside of the record. like how a band saw aligns it's blade to the cutting surface

[@maker_karen1785]

+John W Ben loves using skate bearings. We used them in the R2D2 soda cooler.

[@TheEvilMunkey01]

+theHeckwithKaren I really think keeping that record from wobbling is going to be a big part of getting the machine to focus the picture well. Super excited to see the rest of the build.

[@tomstern1681]

Very cool!!! I hope you'll get back to this idea in the future and introduce an improved version, which seems possible!

[@FRobot-rx4kz]

If you have a laser-cutter at hand, why use an LP as a spinning wheel instead of directly cut the wheel out of acrylic/cardboard/wood ?

[@KhanGarth]

i don't get how the holes in the disc translate to helping produce the image on the screen...

[@redwineismypassion]

where did you learn electronics?

[@jasonalmont7572]

Almost bought the atrix dock to toy around with. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

[@TheBlackAssassin28]

first time watching a video this early.. love your videos Ben.. very inspiring

[@element14presents]

+Shadheeskumar Thinakaran Thanks, glad you enjoy the show.

[@Sonicdude10]

So I see you will be using the classic Motorola Lapdock in the future. Not sure if Ben reads the comments or not but if anyone from the shop sees this, I can give some info on the lapdock that I have learned. I own 3 of the models for the Atrix and Bionic phones. Whatever you do, DO NOT get the lapdock 500. They don't work without the proper phone. Period. A Lapdock 100 will work but is much bigger and maybe not ideal for this. Now onto the Atrix/ Bionic lapdock specs. The screen is 1366 x 768 resolution at 11.6" size. Input is via micro HDMI. USB is micro again and works in an odd way. (More on that further down.) The keyboard is designed specifically for the Android OS and is a bit of a pain with Windows or Linux due to lack of certain function keys. (Windows/ Super Key, Insert, Pause, etc.) The touchpad can be disabled by double tapping the top left of it on the LED. Battery life is fairly good. I run a 1.6 GHz quad core Android stick solely on lapdock battery and even at high power and max screen brightness I can still get several hours run time out of it. Device power works with a magnetic switch (I'm guessing a reed switch of some sort) and the HDMI sense line. So long as that HDMI wire is grounded out the device will power up. Without it the whole things is powered off. The magnet switch controls the screen and maybe a few other things. When the lid is closed it shuts the system down but leaves the USB host connection powered so the target phone can still charge even when not using it. The USB is a bit weird in that the data lines work as normal for device mode but due to being designed for a phones said USB cable does not draw power in but rather sends it out to the host device. I measured the current and found on 2 of my 3 lapdocks it pushes right around 700 mA of juice. (Never tested the 3rd one...) If the host device does not need to run on 5V or uses external power then the +5V line in the USB connection will need to be broken. Ground connection will be fine. That's what I know of the lapdock functionality. Hope it helps.

[@yanno113]

Any idea who had given Ben the idea to make the mechanical T.V or at least how that person gave them the idea (through comments, email...)?

[@maker_karen1785]

We take viewer suggestions from the element14 Community on element14.com/tbhs. You have to create an account to submit, but it gives you the chance to win a free Ben Heck Show t-shirt and we might use the idea in a future episode.

[@yanno113]

Cool, thanks.

[@PositionLight]

Why are you using a DC motor? A 2-pole synchronous AC motor will rotate at exactly 3600rpm and can by synced to mains power. That's how Baird did it.

[@axores20]

hey boss where is the part 2? i cant wait to see :)

[@ObiTrev]

I'd love to see a spinning LCD Scanner head used in an updated version of the project sometime later.

[@SteveM000100]

Nice interlude, I feel Ben went into it knowing he was going to win...

[@Turtle_1976]

Being from Michigan, I love your shirt Karen!

[@maker_karen1785]

+Brian Popilek Michiganders in the house!

[@TanjoGalbi]

@1:12 I know he meant neon but that definitely sounds like he said ne-an!!

[@briantw]

It's called an accent, Jesus have you never left your block?

[@Archie3D]

I would use an optical camera lens to project the image onto the rotating disk, and put the photoelement closely behind the disk. This way natural illumination would be good enough. Also instead of putting the holes in spiral pattern, the scanlines can be interlaced. This should tolerate slower rotation of the disk.

[@Visuwyg]

I don't get it - would the camera only have worked in total darkness??

[@NukTap]

well it would work in light, but there was no housing to darken the insides

[@MDFRESCUER]

I thought that you try to get better this old technology and you'll add even much more holes into the disc, but... sure, it's another interesting episode. I am curious to see the resolution.

[@Ben_306]

Dear god please hurry on episode 2, I'd use this for an intercom system.

[@ZipplyZane]

The audio is weird on this. The high end seems to be missing.

[@TheLazurus]

Why are you playing tetris with type B? Type A is the only good one.

[@onesurvival596]

just some advice, don't use shirt mounted clip microphones the sound quality is horrible. sorry to say most people think the microphone clip goes around the neck clipped to the shirt. in fact the microphone clip needs to be placed at the end of your sternum (or just for fun clip the microphone to your upper arm by your armpit) it should sound much better than that muffled throat audio that is in this video.

[@james64468]

+one survival I was trying to figure out why it was loud then soft.

[@midnightshadowpony]

this is kinda weird and awesome! I love it!

[@kstringer24]

17:09 A MUL-timeter does not measure multis!

[@albiiiiii_]

Cant wait for the second episode :D

[@dstorm19]

Your should get a teknic clearpath servo, very useful

[@danielwgk]

I have an Atrix Lapdock for my raspi. I removed the phone holder and replaced it with a usb hub.

[@KayoMichiels]

8:16 You're "guilty" of destroying this disc!

[@rm2kdev]

no multimeter readout from the array?......................... guess it didn't work.

[@Rowsdow3r]

00:50 You're subject is Sonic The Hedgehog?

[@maker_karen1785]

+Flowmoshun Nice catch!

[@jan_harald]

make the scanspiral from one edge to other(from center to edge)(or at least a bit bigger) to get bigger picture

[@squirrelnut]

Lmao at the EEVBlog impression

[@hightde13]

I know this was inspired by an actual product but it would be cool to see a version that used physical 'pixals' or squares that could change angle to show a monochrome image. I've seen a large wooden version but one that could play some version of actual video would be neat to see.

[@themaconeau]

Could the CNC have done the holes better than hand drilling, considering the design was already in the computer? I know its splitting atoms but what's the worst that could happen, right?! :P

[@element14presents]

+themaconeau We thought about it. The CNC router would have been harder to get everything aligned to make it perfectly accurate and cutting vinyl with a laser cutter creates toxic fumes that are harmful to people as well as damage the optics and can potentially corrode the interior of the machine. That's why we laser cut a paper pattern and then used it as a guide.

[@themaconeau]

The Ben Heck Show Interesting. I suppose the time taken to make a jig to ensure the records were in the same spot for two runs of one CNC action would have been more time consuming than doing as was shown on the show. Just out of curiosity, how much to replace the laser diode/assembly for the laser cutter? I'll take a stab at about $5k, for shits and giggles :P

[@maker_karen1785]

+themaconeau Bingo. It's all about time and efficiency. From what I've seen, CO2 laser tubes run around $1000-$3000, but more often closer to $1000. Though that can vary depending on the quality of your laser cutter as some higher quality cutters require you to also buy an assembly for the tube, which can sometimes be swapped to save money, like the deposit on a car battery.

[@themaconeau]

theHeckwithKaren Thanks Karen, rock on \m/

[@maker_karen1785]

+themaconeau \m/

[@johneygd]

Definitely a cool project.

[@discodes999]

Is she always cold? She's always so wrapped up in scarves etc

[@Jagermonsta]

I still have my Motorola Atrix in storage. Great phone

[@sirareus]

I can't imagine it would be too hard to get Pong going on on this mechanical T.V. if the camera doesn't pan out super well.

[@ufoengines]

Have you guys ever messed around with what Manfred von Ardenne came up with using flying spot scanner tech? A cathode ray tube T.V. that watched you as you watched it. Very 1984! A Frank Gray would kits to convert your 1960's T.V. into such a rig.

[@kurtstation4858]

I am making a mechanical tv but i use a cd i mark the cd and drilled some holes

[@stevenallen512]

K1 = (n1-n2)/(E2-E1) = rpm/v ECEMF = EA - ERA ERA = IA x RA Speed (n) = ECEMF x K1 Kv = RPM / (E × 1.414 × 0.95) Motor Speed Calculated FTW! (Jeez I haven't used this math in YEARS! I literally pulled that off of an old note because I can't remember any of it, wow.)

[@wither8]

The tach is obvi a hall effect sensor ....saw the drill tear down, wanted AvE's snark, paused and watched 3 hours worth of him making fun of dewalt and harbor freight on a friday night, this is my life

[@usr6106]

cant wait for cant wait for part 2

[@briantrinidad8483]

love the eev blog ref

[@pyroslavx7922]

You can scan a laser beam with two rotating mirrors from (two) old laser printers...one for vert. an one for horizontal deflection... and a high power red laser from dvd burner (or just ebay, they got dirt cheap in the last years ;-), you can pulse red one really fast... Green ones are much brighter, but i am not sure if you can pulse a green laser for a long time, well you can but it might fry itsef.

[@MazeFrame]

Nice project. The audio is a bit rough tho.

[@WatchStarman]

Is it just me or are the audio levels super inconsistent in this video?

[@briansouth9325]

You should play some hand soldiered Atari through the mechanical tv

[@ASilentS]

"sit and spin" lul

[@allluckyseven]

Let Max play that giant Tetris game too! I bet he'll be the one to beat you, Heckendorn! *shakes fist*

[@JacGoudsmit]

I think it would have been a lot easier to mount the light sensors behind the camera disk. Just like on every other mechanical TV camera I've ever seen. For authenticity you could replace the LDRs with a tube, but I wouldn't go that far if I built one myself; I'd probably use photodiodes for speed, though. I'd also put an audio tape recorder in the circuit to record the video :-)

[@xanokothe]

This GameBoy is pretty awesome!

[@thumzie4542]

Hi Ben I'm Max I was born with holtoram my birthday is coming up so I should be getting an Xbox one however I've found the controllers to have the joysticks out of reach of my quite new thumbs if I do get this Xbox I would like to know if u could adapt a conroller for me and how much it would cost for u to do that thanks

[@WolfireGaming]

There was more padding in the middle of this video than a Build-a-Bear.

[@DaarkCloud]

I miss ben already

[@Mb0ts]

this is very interesting project

[@gusjohnnson9641]

Two words, audio leveling.

[@koolpfanski]

You need the screen! Use some wax paper. Put it near the spinning disk. The scan lines will rest on the wax paper. IR milk carton.

[@klaernie]

Ben, please don't destroy the atrix laptop dock! Rather make a nice adapter, that includes a USB hub and HDMI adapter, so that it is fully removable. The dock is far too rare, and it's such a nice package. I for example would love to see a dumb terminal attachment for the dock, so you can rock it oldschool the modern way!!

[@briantrinidad8483]

i second this motion

[@atariforever2002]

Are you not paying the heat bill Ben? She needs a hat, scarf and gloves in there?

[@dusk565]

But she absolutely rocks it.

[@Synthematix]

Good but way too many adverts