Hey, doesn’t everyone need a talking clock synchronized to GPS? Sure you do. I’m still convincing my wife how nifty mine is. :-)

Seriously Nick engineered this well. Right away it is easy to configure for UTC or any USA time zone including Arizona Alaska and Hawaii which could have been overlooked but were not. The firmware is setup to support any time zone in the world with an edit of text files on the micro SD card.

I’ve met Nick. I like his voice and think his is a pleasant neutral male voice. But what if you want an Australian female voice instead. Find her and get a recording of her speaking “At the tone Pacific time will be”, and her speaking each of 24 hours (“2 hours”), and her speaking each of 60 minutes (“29 minutes”), and six intervals of every 10 seconds (“20 seconds”). So you see that with fewer than 100 phrases recorded and put in the correct format on the micro SD card you can have any voice in any language.

This is an open source project. It means you can take the design and make and share improvements. It also means you can peek at how the software was written and see what degree of thought was put into the design. I did just that, and I can tell you that if you are listening to this clock when daylight savings time changes it will handle it perfectly. You know what else is carefully coded? If and when we have a leap-second placed into GPS time this clock will handle that perfectly also.

I’m delighted with this talking clock. I recommend it highly if you find the concept of owning a talking clock appealing as I do.

Randy | Feb. 8, 2018

I love this clock

For GPS Clock

This is a cool clock. I am glad I found it. I’ve been looking for an accurate clock for under my TV, and you can’t beat GPS. I looked for a digital clock that uses WWVB, but did not find one I liked. In addition, WWVB reception inside my house is spotty. Speaking of reception, GPS reception in my TV room was not 100%, which was what I expected. I solved that by placing the GPS antenna in the attic, and that works perfectly (outside was not necessary). Some dark stain for the wood and black paint for the hardware make the case look great. I did find the lowest brightness setting still too bright for watching TV in a dark room. I solved that in a low-tech way with tinted tape over the displays. Maybe some day I will take a crack changing the software to do that. A cool addition (hint hint) would be to use something like a photoresistor to change the brightness with the room light, but that would add cost and complexity.

Bryan | Jan. 24, 2018

Perfect Complement to a Pi 3 Model B

For Pi Power

I purchased this to use with my Pi 3 model B that I'm building a pool temperature monitor out of. I have a weatherproof enclosure that prevents me from using the mini USB power plug on the Pi itself.

I stumbled across this item when researching alternate power methods for the Pi. At first I thought I would be able to use the on board barrel plug but again the waterproof case enclosure wall prevented me from using that, even with a 90 degree plug. Thankfully I was able find alternate power points under the board of the Pi Power to solder a wired female barrel plug to so that I can use that instead to go the opposite direction of the on board plug.

The Pi Power board itself is flawless, I've been running tests on my temperature sensors for over 4 weeks, no issues at all with power to the Pi. As soon as the snow melts I'll be installing this under the pool deck and mounting the 3 temperature sensors.

If I had any recommendation at all I would rotate the barrel plug 90 degrees counter clockwise, so that you were guaranteed clearance for the barrel plug because of it being over the rest of the exposed Pi. But that is just how it would work better for me and this application.

Thanks for putting in the time to build and sell the Pi Power.

Arthur | Dec. 31, 2017

Very basic electronics skill required.

For GPS Clock

A very simple project and well documented. I have only very basic electronics skill and manage to solder the parts correctly within half an hour.
I live in an apartment and mounted the antenna just outside my windows. Cold start is around 20 minutes.

Richard | Nov. 30, 2017

GPS clock with lots of options

For GPS Clock

Works wonderfully.

Took a short time to assemble since the surface mount devices were already in place in the kit. My old eyes thank you!
Both AM/PM LEDs have clear markings on orientation. Had to go to the schematics to ensure that the colons LEDs had the same orientation (They do!)
If you click the documentation window all needed information is there including code on Github and Hackaday for future modifications you might want to make.
Programming and changing programs will be easy since the ports are already there to do it. Just need to solder connector pins when needed.

Could not ask for anything more from this. Hope I'll get emails when there are upgrades done in the future.

Highly recommended.

Cheers.

Response from Geppetto Electronics | Nov. 30, 2017

Thank you for your kind words!

In lieu of soldering a connector on the programming header, you can also use a pogo pin adapter. I happen to sell one...

Clive | Oct. 24, 2017

Very good GPS time - Update

For GPS Timing module breakout

I am by no means a time nerd, but did feel like getting back into running a timeserver for the NTP pool project. Looking around I saw dedicated time hardware that was more expensive than my fun project budget allowed. I looked into options and found this with some pretty great documentation how to setup NTP on a Raspberry pi with PPS enabled.

After tinkering around with gpsd and NTP, calculating GPS offsets, etc, I have a stable time reference. Comparing to other NTP servers including another one I built (uputronics ublox expansion board) I'm pretty happy.

-- Update --

I had a "senior" moment and didn't see the documentation from Nick's page expkaining the values I should have been looking at for time lock. The new documentation was different, and correctly shows the chipset locked in on fixed position mode.

My other pi with the ublox gps chipset is less precise, and it shows on comparison.

Overall, the SkyTraq Venus module is precise enough for my needs, and it solves the time issue perfectly. It was relatively easy to setup, and now my time server is about as accurate as NTP will allow.

Thanks for creating this little module. I hope it keeps ticking for many years. :)

Response from Geppetto Electronics | Oct. 24, 2017

The module defaults to taking a 1000 point (second) survey and then changing to fixed position mode. The key to seeing this is in the $PSTI,00 sentences. If you wait until the survey counter there goes to zero you'll see that your position never changes after that. It still communicates the type of fix because that can change despite the fact that the calculations are optimized differently. The PSTI,00 sentences also have quantization error correction information, which can make the PPS as precise as GPS can be made to get. Linux doesn't really have support for those corrections, but Linux is so imprecise on its own that there's no point applying them.

The datasheet you link to is for the navigation module variant. Try the datasheet linked to on the "Documentation" link on the product page. That's the one for the timing module.

Steve | Sept. 12, 2017

does what it says on the tin

For AVR ISP Pogo Adapter kit

Was easy to assemble and does exactly what it is supposed to do.

Edit 2019: I've had this little adapter for a while and it works great. My only concern has been that I've worried a bit about accidentally bending the pins, so I made a little 3D printed pin protector: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3405196

Robert | Aug. 28, 2017

Great little toy!

For POV Twirlie

Received it fast! But then again, I'm in the next state over. Looking forward to getting the programmer and pogo adapter so I can program my own patterns! The only suggestion I have is to locate the hole closer to the battery so it is balanced. It's kinda hard to keep it balanced on the tip of a pen before giving it a spin. I think swapping the locations of the button and hole would work perfectly.

Eric | July 3, 2017

Works like a charm

For FE-5680A GPS Discipline module

In just a few minutes after taking the module out of the box, I had a laptop power supply and a surplus FE-5680A hooked up. The GPS locked suprisingly quickly, and got the Rb calibrated in no time flat. Fantastic product!

Eric | July 2, 2017

µISP is the best AVR programmer I've used

For USB µISP

I just used this for first time, to copy flash and EEPROM from one Mega328P to another. Worked beautifully. Great prduct!

It's really helpful that it has a switch to select between 3.3V, 5V, or target power, and that it can supply 200mA of power to the target.

The last AVR programmer I used had an unshrouded 2x3 header. This one has a shrouded header, so the ribbon cable can't be plugged in wrong at the programmer end.

Robert | June 27, 2017

Great power converter for Amateur Radio use

For Pi Power

I purchased this board so that I could power my Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi 7” Touchscreen Display using standard car, and Amateur Radio, power (13.8vdc). The Power Pi has powered both devices beautifully for the last two weeks I've used it. I had several great e-mail exchanges with the board's maker, Nick Sayer; he was very knowledgeable, responsive, and helpful.

It's worth noting that the Power Pi GPIO header must be soldered onto the board before use (it ships un-soldered) and that you will need to purchase a 2.1mm barrel connector to feed power into the Power Pi. Make sure you check out the "Documentation" link on the right-hand side of the Power Pi page's description for the board's gritty details.

Kenneth | June 6, 2017

Pure wizardry . . .

For POV Twirlie

When I'm teaching kid with Arduino, it is fun to use blinking LEDs and persistence of vision to demonstrate both how fast computers are and a little bit about how the eyes (and brain) work. This simple little gadget is a great way to get their attention and interest. Here is an example of how I do that: http://www.makersbox.us/2013/12/arduino-beyond-blink-how-fast-is-fast.html

William | June 5, 2017

Nice kit, works great

For GPS Clock

Easy to assemble kit. Had an issue with one of the 7 segment displays, emailed the seller and he replied immediately even though after hours. Had a replacement part in the mail that day. Great product, can't beat the service!

Thomas | June 2, 2017

Nice features in a compact package

For EVSE Tester

Great device for displaying EVSE info when testing an EVSE unit. Shows important parameters and allows basic safety tests to be done. Well designed and effective.

Grzegorz | March 16, 2017

cool stuff

For Crazy Clock

I got it and already integrated with 24H wall clock. I will install it in my lab but now I'm testing it at home.
Works so far without issues.

Lars | Feb. 23, 2017

LOVE the clock

For GPS Clock

This is a quality design/build and something sexy to add to the ham/work bench. The ONLY change would be to add a firmware setting to disable the heartbeat led from being displayed, easily resolved with with a soldering iron or black electrical tape applied directly to LED for reduced illumination but... The tenth of second digit reminds me of my old Heathkit most accurate clock that gave many years of wonderful service. It's amazing how one gets attached to something. Spence - NS3F

Response from Geppetto Electronics | Feb. 23, 2017

Thank you very much for your kind words. Another option for the FIX LED is to mount it on the component side of the board. It wouldn't be visible through the front panel, but you could check on it when desired by peeking in from the side or perhaps drilling an auxiliary hole in the back panel.

Steven | Feb. 10, 2017

I just love this GPS clock

For GPS Clock

I am very happy with this GPS that I bought two. The unit is very well made and there was little assembly required. Great little accessory to have in your hamschack.

Gabor | Feb. 8, 2017

Excelent

For EVSE Tester

I received it within few days, even it was an order from Europe. I have built it into a portable EVSE tester case. Works properly.

Paul | Nov. 9, 2016

Great value

For GPS Disciplined OCXO

I ordered the OCXO variant on a Saturday and it showed up on Tuesday, I had to wait 2 more days for the antenna from Adafruit to arrive before trying it out.

Even though I had seen the pictures and videos, I was surprised at how tiny it was.

I plugged in the power supply and antenna and had a 3D fix pretty quickly.
But I kept losing fix.

I sent a message to Mr. Sayer. He replied in less than an hour with some helpful suggestions. In no time, I put the antenna outside with a clear view of over half the sky, and the issues keeping 3D fix were gone.

The OCXO variant takes a few days to get complete lock. Mine took somewhere between 4 and 4.5 days.

The waveforms look as expected on my scope. There are some small spikes on the peaks of the sine wave, identical at top and bottom, which aren't visible if I reduce my scope to 20MHz bandwidth. I don't expect it to be an issue for any of my devices.

I'm now working on converting a used Extron ADA 4 300MX video distribution amplifier to serve as a timebase distribution amplifier.

It works as advertised and Mr. Sayer is very helpful.

Recommended!

Vlad | Oct. 19, 2016

This is TINY

For USB µISP

Very small and nicely made, includes cable. Shipping was 1 day to San Francisco. Thank you for everything!

Wan-Lin | Oct. 10, 2016

FE-5680A GPS Discipline module

For FE-5680A GPS Discipline module

Thank you , very nice

i can't wait to setup my RB

Randal | Sept. 2, 2016

A fantastic frequency standard!!

For GPS Disciplined OCXO

As a hobbyist I found that I needed a reliable timing source for measurements, and associated experiments. I ran across this and gave it a try.

First, it was shipped to me quite quickly and arrived just a few days after I ordered it. When I opened the package, I was struck by how small the unit is! I don't know what I was expecting, since the photo from the creator didn't give a good sense of size, but I see now that if I had considered standard size of the dual BNC connectors I would have known right away that it is a very small unit. It was a pleasant surprise, and my error.

I wired it up, and fed it the lead to a "puck"-type GPS antenna that I have in a window across from my workbench. Within a couple of hours, it was indicating that it had a "pretty good" fix, and the next day it was showing it had its final 3D fix. (As a side note, the unit did seem to lose its fix once or twice over the following week, but I am sure that it was due to the lousy location for my GPS antenna and not the unit. It returned to the "3D Fix" state on its own.)

I then wired the output to my oscilloscope, and after a bit of novice fiddling on my part, found that the waveform the unit was outputting exactly matched the photo on Tindie. Encouraged, I then wired it to my frequency counter and found it to be a perfect 10.000000 MHz frequency and a nice 100.00000ns period.

Comparing the cost of this unit to other timing sources available, I found that the price was more than reasonable, given the tolerances stated do better than many other available or second-hand devices.

I will be using this unit as the standard source for all my measurements as it is the best and most accurate source I have available.

The designer of this unit, Nick Sayer, answered all of my questions quickly, happily, and patiently, as well as pointed me in the right direction to learn more. I hope that he creates more stuff to sell on Tindie, as I found this unit to be extremely impressive and can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Josh | Aug. 2, 2016

Excellent product and excellent seller!

For USB µISP

I have a project that uses a custom ATmega328p-based board that typically runs at 2V, but can run at up 3.3V during programming. Unfortunately, I didn't have a 3.3V programmer while a deadline was very imminent. Nick Sayer was extremely prompt in shipping it to me, and the product itself works well. After a few initial test programs were running much slower than expected, I realized the system clock was running at 1MHz, and the Arduino code was expecting it to be running at 16MHz. I then proceeded to upload the standard Arduino bootloader, but I didn't actually check the fuse bits on the bootloader, and I ended up bricking the ATmega328p. However, the onboard recovery clock on the programmer saved the day! I soldered a small wire to it, and then carefully held it up against my QFN32 packaged ATmega328p with one hand, while I hit "enter" with the other hand on the keyboard to tell the terminal to execute the avrdude command that would set the fuses back to what I really needed them to be all along.

So far, I am very impressed with this product.

Spencer | July 31, 2016

Review

For AVR ISP Pogo Adapter kit

Works great, dont have to solder the 2x4 pins anymore as I have the pogo adapter! Fast shipping and very easy to assemble.

Peter | July 26, 2016

The USB uISP is the simplest ICSP ive ever used!

For USB µISP

I love the USB uISP, it was by far the best documented, best designed, and easiest to use this far for me.

Robert | July 8, 2016

Easy, fun retrofit

For Crazy Clock

I was hoping the battery terminal connections would be in the same spot as in the ikea movement, but the board was small enough to slide in a different place and a couple wires to the battery connectors had it ticking away nicely.

James | July 6, 2016

Terrific board and terrific support by designer

For FE-5680A GPS Discipline module

I have purchased several (4) of Nick's GPS Disciplining boards for use with an FE-5680A Rubidium, an FE-5650A Rubidium and an FE-405B High performance crystal oscillator. Each of the boards worked perfectly and reliably even with un-powering and re-powering. The outputs of the Rubidiums were tracked via a program and were clearly well disciplined. Nick shipped the boards very promptly following my Tindie orders and has responded very promptly to email questions. His support has been exceptional. I can unreservedly recommend Nick's product. Jim

Nikolay | June 16, 2016

Great kit - excellent value!

For EVSE Tester

Great kit!
It was easy to assemble!
I wanted to modify the programming and control, and it was a breeze due to the open source software.
The only thing I missed in the documentation was the adjustment of the contrast - but Nick responded within 1 minute and it works great.

Michael | April 8, 2016

Perfect USB to Serial Adapter

For FTDI-be-gone

Why aren't these everywhere? FTDI has proven that their drivers can't be trusted, and maybe that's a good thing. Incorporating FTDI's chips into new hardware designs is now risky, and this handy little serial adapter is the perfect solution for a USB to Serial adapter. No proprietary drivers needed at all.

It just works. I'll probably pick up a few more just to have on hand.

David | Jan. 26, 2016

The Toast-R-Reflow Power board kit - Great product!

For Toast-R-Reflow Power board kit

I have to say Mr. Sayer's Toast-R-Reflow Controller kit paired with the Toast-R-Reflow Power board kit is a great way to get into the wonderful world of Surface Mount Technology (SMT). The kits went together quickly, no expert soldering skills needed to assemble. I went ahead and purchased the exact same oven as used by Mr. Sayer so everything in all the documentation (which is more than plentiful) applied to my project. I recommend these products highly! Also I had a question about a connection on the power board and Mr. Sayer replied quickly with the answer. I first saw the Toast-R-Reflow on Instructables (http://www.instructables.com/id/Toast-R-Reflow-Yet-another-toaster-reflow-oven-con/) and was very impressed with the project. Yes I am 100% satisfied.

David | Jan. 26, 2016

The Toast-R-Reflow Controller kit - Great product!

For Toast-R-Reflow Controller

UPDATE: I've been using my Toast-R-Reflow oven for many months now and I love it. It truly 'just works' and I couldn't be happier with it. <end>
I have to say Mr. Sayer's Toast-R-Reflow Controller kit paired with the Toast-R-Reflow Power board kit is a great way to get into the wonderful world of Surface Mount Technology (SMT). The kits went together quickly, no expert soldering skills needed to assemble. I went ahead and purchased the exact same oven as used by Mr. Sayer so everything in all the documentation (which is more than plentiful) applied to my project. I recommend these products highly! Also I had a question about a connection on the power board and Mr. Sayer replied quickly with the answer. Directory of photos of finished oven build and samples of my reflow work using the Toast-R-Oven @ http://volthauslab.com/Toast-R-Reflow/Photos The first time I saw the Toast-R-Reflow was on Instructables (http://www.instructables.com/id/Toast-R-Reflow-Yet-another-toaster-reflow-oven-con/) and was very impressed with the project. Yes I am 100% satisfied.
UPDATE: A tad past the one year mark on using my Toast-R-Reflow oven and it is preforming so well for me I thought I should update this review to share how absolutely satisfied I am with my oven. It is by far the best addition to my electronic workshop.

Josh | Jan. 21, 2016

Great little programmer

For USB µISP

This is a great little programmer compact & well built. It's a plus that there is also a case for it to keep things protected. I'm not a fan of the micro usb connector, but it seems solidly on the board.
A great feature, that I haven't tested yet, is the ability to solder on a header pin for a clock-recovery signal (to reset bad fuse settings, ie: external clock when there is none).
Easily allows you to switch from 3.3v to 5v
No problem with drivers on win8 x64. My new main isp programmer!

J.R. | Dec. 20, 2015

Cool little project

For Crazy Clock

Cool product and as expected. I like that it is compact and composed of surface mounted components. I've used other clock controller kits and if programming goes well with this one I may switch. I wish it was easier to connect a programmer. It would be great to have the board drilled for a 6-pin port. I've not used a contact-based method like this so we'll see how it goes.

Response from Geppetto Electronics | Dec. 20, 2015

Using a pogo pin ISP header saves space that's critical to achieving the minimal size. You can route on the opposite side of the board under four of the pads. That wouldn't be possible with a traditional through-hole header.

I sell a pogo pin programming adapter kit, or you can get one from SparkFun.

Stephen | Dec. 16, 2015

Excellent purchase

For Crazy Clock

Great product! We have a bunch of matching clocks here on campus and I rechipped one to sneak into other offices on occasion. Great reactions so far. The conversion was very easy.

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