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Ebike BMS Upgrade

An ebike battery from 2012 has given great service, but the balancing of some individual cells in this 16S Lithium Iron Phosphate battery started to take much longer than others. Eventually, some cells would not balance at all. Each cell has its own “channel” on the battery management system (BMS). A red LED on the BMS should illuminate when the cell comes up to full charge.

On closer examination, some of the sense wires to individual cells were found to have become disconnected. These were resoldered which brought some improvement, but still balancing was not happening consistently. Some damage and corrosion on the BMS circuit board was then found. In the world of ebikes, things have moved on quite a bit since 2012. So it was decided to replace the stock BMS with an up-to-date Bluetooth enabled one.

A “JK” BMS was chosen, which seems to be a popular brand from various online forums. The one page “manual” that came with the BMS isn’t the best, and would probably get a “could do better” if it was a school or college project. Thankfully, with a bit of help from a number of YouTube channels, the BMS was fitted ok and started up. With the matching smartphone app installed, it’s cool to see all the individual cell voltages in real time and the balancing happening before your eyes.

If you’d like to see these kinds of fixes and mods that we get up to, drop in to our Monday night Electronics or Tuesday Open House.
 

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Stopping Time: A Sensor-Driven Interactive Art Installation

At Tog Hackerspace, we love helping artists bring their visions to life by combining technology with creativity. One recent project, led by me, Jeffrey Roe, involved modernizing an older artwork that originally used a film camera, and upgrading it to use a digital projector and new sensors. The high-level concept was simple but striking: if a person was detected in front of the screen, the video should stop, and the screen should go black.

This collaboration took place over several months, working around the artist’s availability and my own time outside my day job. We began by choosing a Raspberry Pi as the brains of the project. Initially, I used an ultrasonic distance sensor to detect when a person was present. I wrote the control software in Python, using VLC Player to handle video playback. The script managed VLC through subprocess calls, ensuring that the video would start and stop as needed. To make the setup more seamless, the Raspberry Pi was configured as a server to auto-start, log in the user automatically, and hide the mouse cursor from the screen.

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Dublin Linux Tech Talks + Swap Shop

We are hosting the Dublin Linux Community.

Showcase a project you like or something you’ve worked on recently. There’s a projector screen in the space that you can hook your laptop up to. It doesn’t have to be anything super professional! If you think it’s interesting then other people probably will too!

We will also have a swap shop for any random tech and gadgets that you think might be useful to someone else. Please note that you do not need to be a member of TOG to attend but if you are interested in joining we will be doing tours of the space if you’re interested in joining.

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Tog Hackerspace at the Phoenix Amateur Radio Club Annual Radio Rally

We are excited to announce that we will have a stand at the Phoenix Amateur Radio Club Annual Radio Rally on Sunday, February 16th, 2025. The event will take place at Coolmine Community School, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.

This rally is a great opportunity for amateur radio enthusiasts, electronics hobbyists, and makers to come together, exchange ideas, and explore the latest in radio technology. Whether you’re a licensed operator, an SWL (shortwave listener), or just curious about the world of radio, there will be plenty to see and do.

At our stand, we’ll be showcasing some of the projects and activities from Tog Hackerspace, including:

  • Amateur Radio and SDR (Software-Defined Radio) demonstrations
  • Homebrew electronics and DIY repair projects
  • IoT and embedded systems that integrate with radio communications
  • Information on upcoming workshops and events at Tog

We’re always eager to chat about all things radio, hacking, and making—so be sure to stop by! Whether you want to discuss your latest radio setup, learn about our hackerspace, or just geek out about RF technology, we’d love to meet you.

Admission to the rally includes access to a variety of traders, exhibits, and talks from experienced operators. And of course, tea and sandwiches will be available on the day to keep everyone fueled up for a great day of radio and tech.

Mark your calendars, and we’ll see you there!

For more details on the rally, check out the Phoenix Amateur Radio Club (EI2PAR).

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If you’re interested in joining Tog Hackerspace or learning more about our events, visit www.tog.ie or drop by one of our open nights.

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Free Seed and Plant Swap

Join us at TOG for a free seed and plant swap on Saturday 15th March from 2 to 5 PM. Many of us at TOG are keen vegetable gardeners and the coming of New Year makes us look ahead to Spring and Summer in the hope of a good harvest. We’ll be planting lots of seeds on the day and hopefully no one will go away empty handed. We have lots of pots and we’ll have a bag of potting compost too.

If you have anything surplus that you’d like to share, why not bring it along…. seeds? plants? cuttings? We’d love to hear your own stories of what you like to plant in your own garden or space. Tell your friends and family about the event. If you’re involved with any community gardens, then definitely tell them also. The kettle will be on all day with plenty of tea and coffee and biscuits. TOG is a non-profit space run by unpaid volunteers. Donations are always welcome.

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A Day to Finish What You Started – Finish-a-thon

At TOG, we love hacking, tinkering, and creating—but let’s be honest, sometimes projects get left unfinished. That’s why we’re hosting a Finish-a-thon, a one-day community hackathon dedicated to wrapping up those lingering projects. Whether it’s coding, crafting, designing, writing, or fixing, this is your chance to make real progress and cross something off your to-do list!

Event Details: 📅 Date: Saturday, 15th February
⏰ Time: 10:30 AM – 7:00 PM
📍 Location: TOG Hackerspace, Unit 1B Motor City, Kylemore Road, Dublin 12, D12 CF6V
🍕 Bonus: Stick around afterwards for our monthly open social with homemade pizza!

What’s the Plan?

  • Kick off at 10:30 AM with a casual start.
  • Share your project or join someone else’s.
  • Work throughout the day with the support of the TOG community.
  • No official prizes—just the satisfaction of progress (and maybe some fun surprises!).

What Can You Work On? Anything goes! This is an open hackathon where you can:

  • Squash that annoying bug in your open-source code.
  • Wrap up a writing or design piece.
  • Complete an electronics kit gathering dust.
  • Revamp, repair, or refine something you’ve been meaning to finish.

What Should You Bring?

  • Whatever tools and materials you need for your project.
  • A laptop is always a good idea.
  • TOG has plenty of spare parts and resources, but be prepared to take home what you bring.

If you don’t have a project, no worries! There’s always someone who could use a helping hand.

We’d love to get an idea of numbers, so please register on Meetup or Eventbrite if you’re coming. If you’d like to support the space, consider giving a donation via Eventbrite to help us continue hosting great community events. Any questions? Just ask!

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/a-day-to-finish-what-you-started-finish-a-thon-tickets-1232717704839?aff=oddtdtcreator

We look forward to seeing you there!