Campsites:Dorkbot

From ToorCamp Wiki

Dorkbot
Short Description	People doing strange things with electricity.
Contact	Jared Boone (earfeast)
Workshops	Michael and Dominic will host the Software Radio Workshop
Events	CRM114 discriminator - Thursday, in the power dome

Dorkbot

Organized by the DorkbotPDX group, but open to all Dorkbotters, or anybody who does "strange things with electricity".

We plan to spend a good deal of our time at ToorCamp, slaving over hot soldering irons, Arduinos, and laptops brimming with software like Pd, SuperCollider, EAGLE...

Campers, please contribute as you can. Let us know what you think of the plans and what you're looking forward to at ToorCamp.

Campers

Sorry folks, we've reached our limit. We can't take any more campers.

breedx
bzztbomb
earfeast
mark97229 (markgross)
Michael
Dominic
Pavel
Kelly
El Duque
Jesse
David
Alexander

Materials

Shelter/Living
- Sleeping tents, bags, pads, pillows (or wadded-up clothing)
  - Jared, Jason, Brian, Alex, Jesse and Michael have their own, El Duque is renting
  - Mark: room for one in his dome tent
  - Mark: a spare two-person Coleman dome tent -- Pavel & Kelly?
  - Jesse: two tents -- Dominic will use one
  - Jared: one extra sleeping pad
  - Jesse can bring a six-person tent if needed
  - Jesse can bring an extra sleeping bag
  - Jason might bring yoga mat for his tent, if he gets desperate
- Shelter tents
  - Mark: 12'x12' and 10'x10' pop-up
  - Mark: Two large tarps
  - Mark: one retired parachute for wind blocking.
  - Jesse will bring two 10'x10' pop-up shelters
- Tent stakes
  - Mark will bring extra stakes (about 28 of 'em)
- Workspace/Tables
  - Jason will bring a small or large folding table
  - Mark: flimsy 3'x3' folding table
  - Mark: one 6' or 7' folding table
  - Brian has a 2-1/2' x 8' table, but it needs transportation
- Chairs
  - Jason: folding chairs (1-2)
  - Jason: loungey folding camping chairs (2)
  - Jared: folding chairs (2)
  - Jason: ~3 plastic garden chairs if there's room
  - Mark: two plastic chairs if there's room
- Light
  - Jason: battery-powered lantern
  - Jason: flashlights (1 or 2)
  - Jared: gas lantern and fuel (uncertain how much fuel remains)
  - Jared: hanging candle lantern -- no idea how to hang it yet
  - Mark: 1 1w LED light (battery powered 4 AA-nicads) [1]
  - Mark: 1 5w LED light (wall wart powered 6V 750mA) [2]
  - Pavel is considering purchasing an LED lantern to bring
  - Pavel will bring an AC-powered fluorescent automotive work light
- Extension cords and power strips
  - Jason: extension (1)
  - Jason: power strips (2)
  - Mark: extension cords or power strips (1-2)
  - Pavel: power squid (1-2)
  - Pavel: long extension cords (2)
  - Brian: large three-prong extension (1)
  - Brian: power strips (2)
  - Jared: Kill-a-Watt to monitor power consumption
  - Jared: heavy-duty 40' extension (1)
- Batteries or DC adapters to hotwire lights to run from AC power.
- UPS? Site power may be intermittent...
  - Pavel has two APC Smart-UPS 1000 in need of batteries
  - Jesse can bring an APC Back-UPS 1500
- Cooler
  - Jason: medium-sized cooler -- size?
  - Mark: large cooler
  - Jesse has a 70 quart cooler that may keep ice for five days
  - Alex is considering getting a 5-day cooler to bring, along with ice
- AC line filter? Generator power might be kinda ugly...

Tech
- Computers (so we can estimate power requirements)
  - Jared: 1 laptop (85W)
  - Pavel: 1 laptop (85W)
  - Kelly: 1 laptop (65W)
  - Michael: 1 laptop (70W)
  - David: 1 laptop (72W)
  - Mark: 1 mini-12 (<40W)
  - Alex: 1 laptop (90W)
  - Dominic: 1 laptop (65W)
- Wi-Fi access point (in case we only get an Ethernet drop)
  - Pavel: Linux-hacked WRT54G
  - Jared: 802.11b access point
  - Pavel has a WRT54GC with crappy antenna, somebody bring SMA antenna?
- Ethernet cables
  - Jason has a couple long cables -- will measure to see if they'll work
  - Jared will search basement for l-o-n-g cable he made a long time ago
  - Jared: short ~6' cables (a few)
- Ethernet switch
  - Mark: five-port switch
  - Jared: D-Link gig-E 8 port switch
  - Brian: 4 or 5-port Netgear switch
- Projects
- Soldering equipment
  - Jared: Radio Shack iron and piles of solder
  - Pavel: soldering station
  - Brian: soldering iron
- Assorted tools -- wire cutters/strippers, dykes, screwdrivers
  - Pavel will bring his tools.
  - Jared: random electronics tool assortment
  - Jared: multimeter
  - Jared: assorted DC adapters, some with selectable voltage and tips
  - Mark: 100MHz scope
  - Mark: bench power supply
  - Dave: cordless Dremel and assorted bits
- Audio
  - Jason: Behringer 8-channel mixer (required for CRM 114 performance)
  - Pavel: 16-channel mixer
  - Pavel: two self-powered speakers (200W max) -- bring only one if you run out of room
- Audio cables
  - Jared has lots -- please suggest based on what you want to hook up.
- Audio adaptors
  - Pavel will bring.
  - Jared: 1/8" and 1/4" plugs and adaptors to go to 1/4" and RCA plugs
- FM receiver (there will be local broadcasts to listen to)
  - Jared: compact AC/DC Sony portable AM/FM with headphone jack

Food/Consumption
- Non-perishable food
  - ramen
  - onions
  - peanut butter
  - butter (just enough to cook a meal or two -- maybe a couple of sticks, max)
  - tropical and other fruits that are stable at warm temperatures
  - stable vegetables (bell peppers and ???)
  - mustard or mustard packets
  - ground beef sirloin (4 lbs) and steak seasoning packets for Sloppy Joes -- pick up on Friday run
  - hamburger buns for Sloppy Joes -- pick up on Friday run
  - egg beaters for breakfast burritos (equivalent to 24 eggs)
  - Jared: canned, sliced black olives (4 cans)
  - El Duque: canned olives for crackers
  - Jason: tuna for tuna melts (8 cans albacore in water)
  - El Duque: tuna (8 cans)
  - Jason: bread for tuna melts (1 loaf buttermilk, 1 loaf wheat)
  - El Duque: bread (six loaves whole wheat)
  - Jason: pasta (8 bags whole wheat)
  - Jason: pasta sauce (3 jars tomato and basil, no added sugar)
  - Jason: black beans (8 cans)
  - Jason: kidney beans (8 cans)
  - Jason: watermelon (1 "pretty big")
  - Jason: potatoes (1 bag red)
  - Jason: tomatoes (12 cans diced)
  - Jared: fresh tomatoes from the farmer's market (if I have the time)
  - Jared: garlic (2 medium heads), grown by my friend Byron -- need more?
  - El Duque: soft tortillas (approx 30 count)
  - El Duque: crackers
  - Pavel: granola
  - Jason: cheddar for tuna melts (1 block sharp, Tillamook)
  - El Duque: cheese (approx 2 pounds of assorted sandwich- and cracker-worthy cheese)
  - Jared: soy milk (boxed, room-temperature. if somebody can't stand it, we'll pick up some cow milk on Friday)
  - El Duque: salami
  - Jason: dried mangoes (1 bag)
  - El Duque: mayo (two 16oz jars -- better to prevent spoilage)
  - Jared: brown sugar (at least 2 cups)
  - Jared: ketchup (1 bottle)
  - Jared: tomato paste (2 cans)
  - Jared: Worcestershire sauce (1 bottle)
  - Jared: red wine vinegar (1 bottle)
  - Jason: dill pickles (one large jar?)
  - Jason: mixed nuts (1 large jar, "fancy"!)
  - Jared: Rooster sauce (Sriracha -- one mostly-full bottle)
  - El Duque: jam/jelly (three jars)
  - El Duque: Nutella (one jar)
  - Jared: salt (kosher), pepper, basil, cumin, cayenne pepper / chili powder, red pepper flakes, ???
  - Jared: baking powder, baking soda
  - Jared: cooking oil
  - Jared: olive oil
  - Jared: balsamic vinegar
  - Jared: pancake mix
  - Jared: cornbread mix
  - Jared: cans of corn for cornbread mix (6 cans)
  - Jared: honey (1 bottle)
  - Jared: pecans for pancakes
  - Jared: maple syrup for pancakes
  - Jason: coffee (several pounds)
  - Pavel: tea: ceylon black tea, green tea, and earl grey
  - El Duque: mate tea bags
  - El Duque: snack bars (two dozen)
  - Jason: toaster pastries (1 large box) -- how to toast? In a pan? With a laser?
- Beverages
- Water containment device
  - Michael: pick up a couple of 2.5 gal water jugs for reuse
- Camp stove
  - Jason: small 2-burner stove
  - El Duque: fuel canisters for Jason's stove (4-8 canisters)
  - Mark: 2-burner white gas stove and 0.75 gal fuel
  - Jesse: camp stove
- Cooking utensils
  - Jared: 12" cast-iron skillet
  - Jared: cheese grater, good for both hard and not-so-hard cheeses
  - Jared: conical burr coffee grinder?
  - Jared: can opener
  - Jared: food prep bowls (two)
  - Jared: measuring cups and spoons (for cases where eyeballing it might be risky)
  - Mark: 8 quart pot (for boiling water, etc)
  - Mark: 10' skillet
  - Jason: French press
  - Jared: chef's knife
  - Jared: wash basin
  - Pavel: cast iron tea pot
  - Dish soap -- Dr. Bronners?
- Dishes and eating utensils
  - Mark: assorted plastic Goodwill plates(7 of them), plastic cups 3ish
  - Pavel can bring silverware
  - Jared: two sets camping utensils
  - Dominic will bring his utensils
  - Michael is bringing a set of four plates/cups/cutlery
- Jason: unscented baby wipes (8 packs)

Personal Items You'd Hate to Forget
- Coat (they say the silo is pretty chilly -- in the 50s Fahrenheit)
- Toiletries (soap, shampoo, comb/brush, towel, deodorant)
- Sunscreen
- Bug repellant? Probably not a concern in the desert, though.
- Hats
- Refillable water bottle
- Sunglasses
- Headphones
- Earplugs (it might be noisy at night, or your tent-mate might snore...)
- Camera
- Video camera
- Duct tape

Getting There

Arrival Timing

Activities at ToorCamp begin Thursday, July 2. The typical travel day to ToorCamp is Wednesday, July 1. At the site, it gets dark around 9PM. I'd estimate four hours for dinner, finding resources, and pitching tents. I'd recommend that people arrive at ToorCamp by 5PM.

Departure Timing

The last day of ToorCamp activities is Sunday, July 5. The typical return travel day is Monday, July 6.

Portland

We have five campers coming from the Portland area. There are two vehicles that will make the journey from Portland.

Jared's Toyota Corolla

Excellent trunk for an economy car, but no big stuff.
Departing from NE Portland.
Brian (NE Portland) is the only passenger, at present.
One more passenger may be possible in a pinch.
Departing ~9AM on Wednesday, July 1.
Returning home ~11AM on Monday, July 6.

Mark's Honda Element

Seats three, if leaving room for equipment.
Is big enough to carry EZ-up tents and stuff.
Jason (SE Portland) is the only passenger, at present.
Can pick up people from anywhere in PDX.
Departing as early as practical on Wednesday, July 1.
Returning Monday.

Jesse's car

Returning Monday.

The plan is to share gas costs among the passengers of each car.

It'd be nice if Jared and Mark would meet up and caravan to ToorCamp. I'd propose a breakfast place on the way out of town -- perhaps NE Portland or Troutdale or thereabouts. There are lots of places to choose from on Alberta, but it'd be nice to have a location that Mark and Jason can catch on their way up I-205. Perhaps McMenamin's Edgefield? They have pretty tasty breakfast, speaking from personal experience... We can have lunch together and create mobile Wi-Fi clouds between cars on I-84, or something.

Elsewhere

There are several people coming from afar.

Michael and Dominic are arriving in Spokane at 2:15PM Wednesday. Picking up a rental car and supplies in Spokane. Arriving at ToorCamp approximately 5PM. Both are departing early Monday morning.

Pavel and Kelly are driving from San Diego. Arriving at ToorCamp the Wednesday AM and will be tasked with scouting a location for campground and reporting any last-minute needs to vehicles still in transit.

El Duque is arriving in Seattle around noon on Wednesday. Will drive a rental car to ToorCamp. He's picking up supplies on the way -- food, propane, ???. He's departing Saturday evening.

David is coming from Chicago, arriving in Spokane at 2:15PM *Tuesday*. Staying overnight in Odessa. Rental car? Willing to make store run. Departing Monday morning.

Alex is coming from Wisconsin, arriving Wednesday ~11AM at SEA. Renting a mini-van and willing to make food supply run on the way to camp. Departing Sunday morning.

Eating

Any food allergies among ye? Please chime in.

earfeast is a good cook and specializes in breakfast. But there's no way he's cooking every meal. Besides, there are a couple of other decent cooks in the group...

Propane-fired camp stoves are apparently allowed (please refer to official policy for the final word on this). So earfeast or breedx (or both) will bring their camp stoves for cooking.

Refrigeration... Hmmm... It might be best, if we want refrigerated goods, to drive in to town every day and buy things to keep in a cooler, along with fresh ice. Unless we want to experiment with evaporative coolers...

The silo is about 3mi S of Batum, WA. It appears there's not much to Batum, so if we need to buy food, we'll need to go further out, to Odessa (30 min away, pop 1,000) or Moses Lake (45 min away, pop 16,000).

Power and Internet

ToorCamp is providing blanket Wi-Fi, and Ethernet hook-ups to sizable camps. If we don't enter into the "sizable" realm, we should ask about jacking into another site's network. Which means we should bring an access point or two, and a switch or two, just in case.

Initially, let's budget 100W per camper -- one laptop and one soldering iron (the bare essentials!). It's important that we locate within 100ft of the ToorCamp generator, if we hope to get power from them.

Schedule

Wednesday, July 1: Drive to ToorCamp

9AM: depart Portland: Consider that the drive will take at least six hours. Adding in a couple of stops for gas and meals, I'd budget eight hours transit time.
Pavel and Kelly arrive, probably in the AM, will scout a campsite near the ToorCamp generator -- hopefully upwind so we're not breathing Diesel fumes all day...
5PM: Set up camp. Sunset begins at approximately 9PM with a 3/4-full moon. We should be generous and give four hours to campsite setup, considering we'll eat dinner sometime therein.

Thursday, July 2:

CRM114 Discriminator (breedx+earfeast) present a musical performance (or sonic affliction, depending on your tastes) early in the evening, in the "power dome".

Monday, July 6: Tear down camp. Return home.

9AM: Deconstruct camp.
11AM: Depart
7PM: Arrive in Portland

General Comments and Gratuitous Sharing

earfeast is all about the lockpicking, HAM radio, software radio, Bluetooth monitoring, GSM, and astronomy talks. Plus, picking the brain of Travis Goodspeed (who's done some awesome reversing on the TI MSP430 microcontroller). Blacksmithing sounds pretty awesome too...

Postmortem

What worked? What sucked? What to do different next time?

Don't bring as much shit. We had way too much stuff -- 3 stoves, mainly one got used. We all brought way way too much food, some notable portion of it went bad.
Plan physical camp layout in advance. While I think our layout ended up being pretty sweet, if we would have planned it in advance maybe we could have done something even sweeter.
Unified theme and/or group project -- could be fun, but maybe more trouble than it's worth?
Preplanned menu and cooking/cleanup duties.
More table space! Some of this could have been mitigated by having less shit, but we really did need more tables.
More higher chairs. We had a good number of camping/lounge chairs, but not enough "work" chairs (to go with table space)
Our own generator? Hopefully not, but considering the power challenges maybe so.