Geogram ONE Case Revisions

Even though I just completed the first case design for my Geogram ONE, I've already designed a new case with many improvements.  The battery now has a form fitting pocket beneath the board so it doesn't shift under sudden moment, the circuit board is secured to the enclosure, the antenna is mounted internally (although the volume of the box only very slightly increased), and I included two pockets for magnets that will allow you to attach the enclosure to an object. I designed the new case in Solidworks, but re-oriented the .stl file for printing using Blender.

 Above is a screenshot of my model in Blender.  Below is the finished case with all the components installed before I seal in the electronics.  I opted to spray paint the outside of the case black and laser cut a black acrylic panel for the front to make the unit more discreet for mounting in my car.

Here is the finished unit hidden away in my Miata.  Personal Lowjack installed!

I've uploaded the build files here:
Geogram ONE revised case
Geogram ONE revised acrylic faceplate
**Note: the new case design requires 8, 3/8" #4 screws 

Geogram ONE

Awhile back I supported the Kickstarter "Open Source Tracking Device" project which later became known as Geogram ONE.  For supporting this project I was given a tracking device circuit board, an antenna, and lipo battery.  The tracking device works by connecting to the GSM cell network and relaying it's GPS coordinates to any phone or computer via text message.  You can set "geo fences" or speed/acceleration triggers to send you automatic alerts as well.  

Because it relies on the cell network, you need a SIM card for it to work properly.  Through online forums I discovered Telna Mobile, which offers 1000 free texts a month for $20/year with no monthly fees or minimum voice usage.  This offer was hard to beat, so I bought my SIM card and fired up the tracker!

The loose circuit board, antenna, and battery didn't have a nice form factor, so I set about designing an enclosure in Google Sketchup and Inkscape.  I 3D printed the ABS base with cutouts for the antenna and USB charging connection.  The face is laser cut and engraved from 1/8" clear acrylic.  If you were part of the Kickstarter campaign and have your own tracker, I've included the models below so you can build your own.

I'm currently thinking of fun projects/activities one might do with a tracking device.  Some of my ideas so far have been: Mail the tracker to someone and record the route it takes; Make a collar for a cat and see what yards it's trekking through; Some sort of cool mobile geocache?  If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Here are the files for building this basic enclosure:
Google Sketchup Model
STL format of above model
SVG of Acrylic faceplate

You'll also need 4, 3/8" #4 machine screws to hold down the face plate.  Happy building!

First 3D Printed Parts

 

I recently purchased a Solidoodle 3D printer and have been learning about and experimenting with 3D printing!  The video above shows my printer building up a lens cap layer by layer using fused deposition modeling.  ABS plastic filament is fed into the printer head, heated, and extruded into a very fine bead of plastic which slowly builds the part.  Each layer is only .3mm thick so as you might imagine it takes some time for the part to be fully created.

I've designed a few parts using the modeling software Google Sketchup, but I usually check the model sharing website, Thingiverse, to see if someone has already shared a design for an item I want to create.  Below are some of the first item's I've printed including, a lens cap and scuba mask mount for my GoPro (both from Thingiverse) and an antenna cap to protect the car cover on my 55 Ford Fairlane.