I am building a vehicle called BIKAR(TM), a three wheel vehicle for one person (reverse trike) powered by a motorcycle engine.  To add reverse, I have built a drive train that incorporates a 4HP 12VDC motor linked to the driveshaft, so it will be turning all the time, like an alternator on your car.  I want the DC motor to provide reverse and limited forward movement for parking, but also charge the battery when the gas engine is moving the vehicle. There will be a deep cycle 12V battery on board to provide AC, which is why I need the heavy duty charging ability.

If anybody out there is familiar with automotive DC circuits and could help by reviewing my proposed circuit, or proposing a better one,  I  would appreciate it.  For more info on the BIKAR project, visit my website mechanical-enterprises.com or the BIKAR project on InnoVenture or my LinkedIn Profile.  Thanks for your help.

Mickey Dorsey

So, I had the opportunity to review some proposals at work recently. Fun times (enter sarcasm here). At times it felt dull and tedious, but there was definitely some learning points in there. Regardless of how many years of experience one has with submitting proposals, proposals can be better. Trust me. I may not be a pro at much, but when I see folks with 15, 20+ years of experience making kinda silly mistakes on their proposals, it does really make me wonder. For real.

Written by Adebola Oshomoji for MindSET Magazine

Following on from Doja’s ‘Do You Have to be an Engineer to be an Engineer’, I thought it would be a good idea to look into a few stories of people that have engineered solutions to problems without necessarily having an engineering degree. The creation of accredited engineering courses has ensured that we have the highest standard of engineers working within the industry. However, I do not believe that what you can achieve is (and should be) limited to the type of degree you’ve completed nor do I believe it to be the deciding factor for who you are and can be. If you have a solution, do you wait until you have the required degree to solve that problem? If you have the means and desire to educate yourself now, do you wait until you’re old enough (or can afford to) go to university to do so?

Are you still an engineer if you have no plans to use your engineering degree?

Kelvin Doe (DJ Focus)

“Creativity is universal and can be found in places where one does not expect to find it. And perseverance and passionare essential to nurturing that creative ability” – Kelvin Doe

Kelvin Doe (now 16) is the youngest of 5 children and was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Raised single-handedly by his mother, life wasn’t always easy for him and his family, but her resilience and self-belief ensured that none of them lived in suffering. From an early age, Kelvin was extremely creative and was a fan of taking electronics apart to see how they worked. For years, he had dreamt of creating solutions to many of his community’s problems, but could never afford to do so. From the age of 11, Kelvin felt that enough was enough and began collecting scrap electronic parts from trash yards on the way home from school. He was at times found building inventions in the early hours of the morning.

Armed with his creativity and his newly found resources, Kelvin (by the age of 14) built an amp, a mixer, a mini generator and an FM radio transmitter to launch his own radio station. Under the name DJ Focus, Kelvin became the voice of his community and his inventions helped to empower the youth. He didn’t stop there however. With Sierra Leone’s constant power failures, Kelvin Doe was desperate to find a way to light up people’s homes. He created home-made batteries to power his community’s lights. He now has further plans to build a windmill to help power the homes of his Freetown neighbours.

“It was tough and hard. I spent many frustrating nights trying and failing, but nevertheless, I persevered until I completed the project” – Kelvin Doe on making his own radio station

Kelvin’s amazing story caught the attention of David Sengeh (founder of Global Minimum inc.), who flew him to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)  to present his inventions to students and participated in hands-on research at MIT Media Lab. Kelvin Doe officially became MIT’s youngest visiting practitioner. He has also given lectures to undergraduate engineering students at Harvard College and presented at TEDxTeen 2013. He has long term aims to become a scientist so that he can improve the lives of his fellow Sierra Leoneans.

For the full article, be sure to visit MindSET Magazine's Blog.

Or Sis.

Whichever works.

For some reason, some people just love to ante up the drama in the workplace. And somehow, folks like to involve me in. Thanks, universe. Thanks.

I like to think of things in this way: A typical work week, Monday through Friday, 8 hours a day plus an hour per day for lunch equals up to 45 hours a week. Yeah, I know we spend a whole lot more in the office, just play pretend with me for a while. If you’re lucky, which I’m not, you might get 7 hours a night of sleep. So, a 24 hour day becomes 17 hours of being awale. 9 hours of the 17 hours you are at work. And we haven’t even considered travel time to and from the office. And the reality is that many of us spend more than 8 hours a day in the field getting business done.

In short, what I’m trying to say is that you see your work family more than your own family. Think about that.

Did you?

Good.

When you see your coworkers more than your spouses, children, pets, etc., wouldn't you want your work environment to be more comfortable? I know I do. You don't have to like everyone, but you should be able to be cordial and able to work with others to achieve the missions of your organization.

So why have drama? I don’t get it. 

Can someone explain it to me?

Written by Jenny Simpson for MindSET Magazine.

When it comes to the science-orientated CBS comedy show The Big Bang Theory there have been mixed reviews from ‘real-life’ scientists, resulting in various blog entries on why they love or hate the show. Some believe  that it gives a negative view on scientists, others simply enjoy the comedic approach to topics they identify with. Nevertheless, when disregarding personal opinions on the jokes and the characters, there is no denying that the show has brought science into our homes and popular culture.

Popular culture is often viewed as being something trivial, reflecting the tastes of the general public, but it’s also a way of introducing new ideas to the masses. I’ll use my sister as an example…

My sister Rosie is 12 years old and The Big Bang Theory is undoubtedly her favourite programme on TV. So of course she knows the theme song by heart, and can often be heard quoting Sheldon Cooper (bazinga!) Yet, I am also aware that it has inspired her to pursue new interests. Although she has always been interested in animals, since watching The Big Bang Theory this has developed into an interest in biology, with particular fascination in how animals live. In the show, a potential source of inspiration for this could be Bernadette. Bernadette is a microbiologist, and as well as achieving in her field is also considered to be one of the more socially accepted characters. Rosie says:

“The Big Bang Theory has made science more interesting to me. It’s a funny show that makes you take notice of the science facts – they are included in the stories and are shown in a fun way! My favourite character is Sheldon.”

At the moment she is into creepy crawlies – she has bought a Spider World kit, and can sit for hours analysing the ants living on our tree in the garden under a magnifying glass!

Television has always been considered a good way of capturing children’s attention, and if done in the right way can educate as well as entertain. It’s a way of making science accessible. For Rosie, The Big Bang Theory seems to be doing something right! After all, I never thought I would overhear my little sister discussing the Large Hadron Collider (true story), or be answering some of the science questions whilst watching The Chase. “Where did you learn that?” I asked. “The Big Bang Theory,” she said.

For the full article, be sure to visit MindSET Magazine's Blog.

Too good not to share:

1. Go to Youtube.
2. Pause any video (not an ad).
3. Click outside the video pane and type 1980.
4. Remember how awesome Atari was!