Panasonic AG-HVX200 Recorder with AGPTEK VG0020 P2 card alternative

I found a better way to record video from a Panasonic AG-HVX200 video camera.  For the price of one Panasonic P2 memory card you can buy an interface that records in 720P to a memory stick or to an external hard drive.  It is the AGPTEK VG0020.  The adapter also has a HDMI output that you can connect to a bigger monitor.

I first tried the VG0020 at 1080i video from the camera.  It would not work with one monitor and with another monitor it had a noise bar wandering through the picture.  When I switched the camera to 720p the picture cleared up and it works with all the monitors that I have tried.

Here is a picture of the AGPTEK VG0200 setup.

The Video comes out of the component output via an adapter cable.  Audio is from the RCA audio in/out jacks.

Here is the video.  The audio level is a little low..

Panasonic AG-HVX200 to HDMI setup.

I have finally managed to connect a HVX200 camera to an HDMI monitor.  The secret is to use a YPBPR to HDMI converter.  You will also need a special connector to three RCA plug cable assembly.  The converter does not work with all monitors, so far 2 out of 3 monitors work with it.

Here is the eBay ad for the needed cable, make sure you get a male D Terminal connector.

This is a close-up of the cable from the ad.

This is where the connector connects to the camera.  You can go into the video in/out settings and select 1080i for the highest possible resolution.

Next up is to test a HDMI to USB converter/video capture adapter.

2019 Lancaster NY Hamfest

The 2019 Lancaster NY Hamfest is over.  This first picture is my stuff.  I only made about $30 in sales.  I still have a lot of stuff to get rid of!

These pictures are of some neat stuff for sale at the Hamfest.

 How about a Raspberry to laptop converter?

This looks like a duplexer, perhaps 800 MHz?

How about a coaxial tuner?

T1000S LED Controller with 72x8 WS2812 LED's

I recently purchased a T1000S LED controller thinking it would simplify running lots of addressable LED's.  I tried to figure out the software, resetting my computer date to get it to run but it just did not seem to be easy to do. Then I tried to find a image for the SD card with no results.  So I though I would just power it up and see what happens. WOW!  The seller had preloaded a demo on the SD card that was quite impressive!

At first I tested it with a common 32x8 LED array,

The connection was easy.  Red and black go to the power supply.  Then the LED arrays inputs go to the T1000S, red and white are power and ground, then green is connected to data.

Next up was my 72 by 16 array.  However the 15 amp power supply could only run 1/2 of the display.  Even then it was down to 4.77 volts!  I ran power to both ends of the array or else the lower 1/2 gets really dim.

This is the back side of the 72x8 WS2812 LED array.

 Here is a video of it running.


This is what the guts of the T1000S looks like.

To be honest with you the T1000S software, LED Edit, is a pain and I cannot get it to work after several hours of trying!

Playing with Arduino LCD Shields

A friend wants me to make a multi screen LCD display that looks like old fashioned VU meters.  I have developed the software but am trying to determine the best LCD screen for the task.  I have the 2.4 inch, 3.2 inch and 3.5 inch LCD screens to try out.

This picture compares the sizes of the screens.

This is the 2.4 inch screen.  It has some sort of push button switch.  

This is the 3.2 inch screen.  It uses a totally different pin arrangement. Why?  I do not know!  

This is the 3.5 inch LCD screen.  On this LCD pin A4 is the LCD Reset pin so it has to be disconnected and pulled high with a resistor in order to use A4 for the MSGEQ7.

The 2.4 inch and 3.5 inch LCD screens both work with the Adafruit ILI9341 driver.  You can use   uint16_t identifier = 0x9341; or tft.begin(0x9341); to set it up.  

The screen size needs to be manually changed in the Adafruit library.  The "Adafruit_TFTLCD" file is changed like the following for the 3.5 inch screen:

// Manually overide size

#define TFTWIDTH   320

#define TFTHEIGHT  480

//#define TFTWIDTH   240

//#define TFTHEIGHT  320

Now the 3.2 inch screen is more complicated to get working.  In the Adafruit library the file "pin_magic" needs to have these lines changed to designate the correct data pins as follows:

 #else // Uno w/Breakout board

  #define write8inline(d) {                          \

    PORTD = (PORTD & B00101111) | ((d) & B11010000); \

    PORTB = (PORTB & B11010000) | ((d) & B00101111); \

    WR_STROBE; }

  #define read8inline(result) {                       \

    RD_ACTIVE;                                        \

    DELAY7;                                           \

    result = (PIND & B11010000) | (PINB & B00101111); \

    RD_IDLE; }

  #define setWriteDirInline() { DDRD |=  B11010000; DDRB |=  B00101111; }

  #define setReadDirInline()  { DDRD &= ~B11010000; DDRB &= ~B00101111; }

 #endif

However the colors are not correct and text is backwards.....  A easier solution is to download and use the OPENSMART_TFT LCD driver.

2019 Keuka Lake Hamfest

I do not make it to the Kueka Lake Hamfest every year.  This year was an exception as I need to get rid of lots of stuff!  My shed has been overflowing with stuff!  This morning I discovered that a shelf in my shed had fallen down.  Fortunately there was enough junk under it to keep it from falling very far!  Anyway here are some pictures from the Hamfest.

This is my stuff.  Fortunately someone bought all my tuning cavities.  I was only getting $1 each at scrap metal.  I sold them all for $20 so I did not make any more money than if I had taken them to scrap metal!

 Here are some other vendors tables.

 I really like antique radios because I worked with them back in the day.