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$23 Ultrasonic Car Parking Aid — Parallax Forums

$23 Ultrasonic Car Parking Aid

ercoerco Posts: 20,260
edited 2010-05-17 19:58 in General Discussion
Another Ebay free ship DoD (Deal of the Day). http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230470674845

Several threads about making these in the Forums, but heck,·this is cheaper than a Ping or a Stamp. Carpe Sonar!

!BsiV49QEWk~$(KGrHqEOKjUEvYWm7I-NBL4Pi14JhQ~~_35.JPG

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·"If you build it, they will come."

Comments

  • HollyMinkowskiHollyMinkowski Posts: 1,398
    edited 2010-05-13 04:23
    I could really use this.
    I just can't park unless there is lots of room.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2010-05-13 05:00
    My thoughts (as a hobbyist, not a Parallax employee) are this...first of all, I disagree with the description:

    "When you pull into the garage, you see the green light illuminate, then midway it changes to yellow, and when the light turns red you're right where you want to be."

    How do they know the perfect spot for my car? Garages vary in size and depth and there doesn't appear to be any adjustment on this device based on the description meaning it's not really a one-size-fits-all solution. And finally, the real thing about this type of device that I can't handle...for the types of people on these forums, I would think this is the worst thing to get. People here are typically hobbyists who like to build their own things. I will gladly pay a little more to get something customizable and that I hand-crafted myself. =)

    It's devices like this that encourage people to buy pre-made devices instead of experimenting and building things for themselves. I think that is the draw of certain other MCU products that shall remain un-named...some encourage the end-user to not have to get their hands dirty, so to speak. <sigh>

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    Chris Savage

    Parallax Engineering
    ·
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2010-05-13 05:05
    Holly: So you can program chips all day long, but can't park a car?

    Col Gracie in "Titanic" movie: "Women and machinery do not mix!"

    [noparse]:)[/noparse]

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • HollyMinkowskiHollyMinkowski Posts: 1,398
    edited 2010-05-13 05:28
    I have no skills with mechanical things at all. Cars are too complicated,
    anyone that can keep one going must be a genius. I tried to fix a flat
    on a bike once, I ended up needing a new wheel after I tried to keep
    the tire from rubbing by adjusting the spokes.

    If something wiggles in a project and it really shouldn't
    I just use my trusty hot glue gun to stick it down. It's my
    favorite tool. My second favorite is a little tool I bought
    that nibbles away at thin metal and plastic...I'm a great nibbler.

    I can't drill a hole in the right spot, somehow it always
    ends up in the wrong place. My switches never line up
    all nice and neat, my front panels are a mess.

    I hate working on something that is greasy and messy. I'd make
    a terrible mechanic smile.gif

    I want to get better at mechanical stuff, I even bought a tiny lathe
    but I never got to use it and now it's a long way away on a shelf
    in my parents garage....probably just as well.

    I wasn't born with the mechanical gene.
  • BradCBradC Posts: 2,601
    edited 2010-05-13 14:43
    HollyMinkowski said...
    I have no skills with mechanical things at all. Cars are too complicated,

    I worked with an engineer like that once. She could write the firmware, build the hardware, design the box.. you name it, she could do it, and she could organise me and keep the business running and she could understand my code. Now, when she cracked the head in her car it was another story entirely. Give her a spanner and you'd get a blank look of confusion in return.

    I thought it odd then, and I still think it odd now. Take it apart until you find the broken bit, replace that and put the rest back in the reverse order you took it apart. It *has* to work, really!

    I have two philosophies I live by :

    1) "You can do anything until proven wrong"

    2) "You can't stuff something up so badly that you can't pay someone else to fix it"

    Thankfully, from lawnmowers ..to.. microwaves ..to.. 9 Litre marine Diesel engines, I've never had to rely on No. 2.

    Additionally, I love cars you can fix with a screwdriver, set of metric spanners and a 5 pound "precision adjustment tool".

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    "Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?"
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2010-05-13 15:48
    @Holly: You showed such enthusiasm when you posted about your first visit to Harbor Freight. I was sure that boded well for a bright future for you in mechanical fabrication!

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • Spiral_72Spiral_72 Posts: 791
    edited 2010-05-13 16:26
    HollyMinkowski said...
    I want to get better at mechanical stuff, I even bought a tiny lathe
    but I never got to use it and now it's a long way away on a shelf
    in my parents garage....probably just as well.


    OOOoooh, I want! [noparse]:)[/noparse]

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    "puff"...... Smile, there went another one.
  • HollyMinkowskiHollyMinkowski Posts: 1,398
    edited 2010-05-14 19:29
    @BradC

    That engineer you describe is just like me smile.gif

    At my last job I ended up writing lots of code, building prototypes, saving money
    on most of the parts the company used, finding a thousand other ways to save a buck...etc.
    The things I couldn't do were design circuit boards and anything that involved a wrench.

    Designing circuit boards is very hard for me, I start the design program up and my mind
    just goes blank. I have no idea why it's so difficult for me.

    @erco
    I loved harbor freight!
    I bought lots of stuff like cheap multimeters, shrink tubing, zip ties, sets of tweezers.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2010-05-14 19:44
    These sensors can be flush mounted right into your wall! lol

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B00005AXI7/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0

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    Chris Savage

    Parallax Engineering
    ·
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2010-05-17 05:17
    @Chris: Here's the INSIDE of that guy's house:
    http://www.lilligren.com/Redneck/redneck_flatscreen_tv.htm

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2010-05-17 17:46
    @erco,

    That redneck remark is a bit personal...

    smilewinkgrin.gif

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    Whit+


    "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney

    Post Edited (Whit) : 5/17/2010 5:52:07 PM GMT
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2010-05-17 19:58
    Wow...yeah I saw a redneck humor page that had something similar, but the back of the TV was protruding through the window of the trailer and was literally outside.

    http://officespam.chattablogs.com/archives/redneck-flatscreen-tev-7.jpg

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    Chris Savage

    Parallax Engineering


    Post Edited (Chris Savage (Parallax)) : 5/17/2010 8:03:24 PM GMT
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