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2007 Maker Faire

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Revision as of 19:12, 11 May 2007 by Rjf (talk | contribs) (→‎Maker Team: updates per 5-11 email from Jim Bernard)
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Due to uncertainty as to what we would be ready and able to do in time for the Maker Faire, we waited until the last minute to decide what to do this year! Last year we converted Ryan Fulcher's Prius into CalCars' second lead-acid PHEV. This effort, which was successful a day after the finish of the Faire:

  1. helped spawn this website, sponsored by both CalCars and the EAA and graciously maintained by Ryan himself.
  2. began in earnest CalCars' efforts to document and facilitate do-it-yourself (DIY) PriusPlus PHEV conversions.
  3. inspired Ryan and Rich Rudman to develop a different PiPrius conversion kit now being sold by Manzanita Micro.

We were hoping that by now we would have complete plans and parts availability for DIY Prius conversions. Though we didn't make it, we are getting close. I designed a new, much better, more flexible, and easier-to-use, control board (not yet fully refined and debugged, but expected to be complete in time); many people have worked on documentation; and Chris Ewert has a nearly-complete and running conversion in Chicago.

In the meantime, CalCars has been making headway on a parallel project using safe Li-ion batteries from Valence Technologies to design and market in quantity a Li-ion Prius PHEV conversion kit. This will of course be more expensive than lead-acid DIY conversions. Some of the components will be on display at our Maker Faire booth.

To spearhead, speed, prove, and publicize the final stages of CalCars' DIY Prius conversion project, we decided to do another DIY Prius conversion at this year's San Mateo Maker Faire. James Philippi of Texas has been gathering parts to convert his 2006 Prius, and CalCars has a commercially-designed Li-ion battery box available from our Valence project. We plan to bring these two pieces together at the Maker Faire into the best yet DIY conversion, while once again showing to the public and media what can be done in a short time by a dedicated crew of amateurs and professionals.

Jim Bernard, an able EE and manager, has just joined our CalCars team and is our project manager for the 2007 Maker Faire. He is jumping in with two feet at a critical time, as we have little time left to prepare and I will be gone next week at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference in Long Beach. Many of last year's team will also be joining us for this outstanding event.

Please come watch and visit with us if you can. If not, watch this site for news as well as for improved DIY documentation from the completion of James Philippi's, Chris Ewert's, and more conversions that will soon be complete.

/ron

Maker Team

Name Subteam Invited Confirmed Phone Email
Jack Wiren Docs X X (408) 289-4495
Eric Simon Docs (650) 726-4699
Felix Kramer Education X X (650) 520-5555 fkramer(at)calcars.org
Sherry Boschert Education X Maybe Sun (415) 681-7731 sherry.boschert(at)gmail.com
Marc Geller Education X Sun, maybe Sat (415) 336-5678 marc(at)dybbuk.com
Amanda Kovattana Education X X akovattana(at)aol.com
Randy Reisinger Education X X (408) 858-1973 randyr20mac.com
Jim Bernard Proj Mgr X X (925) 367-3243 jimbernard(at)aol.com
Ron Gremban Technical X X (415) 924-9409 rgremban(at)forsites.com
Jim Philippi Technical X X (832) 407-2939 philippi(at)houston.rr.com
Chris Ewert Technical X X (630) 880-8809 chris(at)infolaunch.com
Carolyn Coquillette Technical X X (510) 435-6901 lusciousgarage(at)yahoo.com
Nick Rothman Technical X X nicholasrothman(at)yahoo.com
Ryan Fulcher Technical X No (206) 280-3054 rjf2007(at)eaa-phev.org
Walt Ferris Technical X Fri, Sat (415) 250-8822 walton-ferris(at)comcast.net
Tom Driscoll Technical X X (415) 456-4366 tdriscoll(at)calcars.org
Rob Protheroe Technical X (707) 849-2422 robb(at)comnets.us
Ron Freund Technical X rfreund(at)cup.hp.com

conference # 218.862.6100 with code 367.3243