The FrankenBebi Project

[cap-couillon]

It's Alive!...  With the sad demise of Bebi Electronics of Fiji, we have decided to start an "open source" project to resurrect the Bebi Owl. This post is not a solicitation for business, but rather a request for input from the cruising community. The Owl was too good a product to let fade into the past. We hope to resurrect it with this project.

The goal is to offer a replacement for the Owl anchor light taking advantage of the latest technology, while keeping the price and quality in line with the original Owl light. We plan to offer the FrankenBebi in three versions.

• A complete, ready to install FrankenBebi
  
  
• Build your own FrankenBebi kit with parts and instructions.  (Igor not included)
  
• An open source list of parts we use to assemble the FrankenBebi free to anyone who wants to figure it out and/or modify it for themselves.
  

.

We currently have several prototypes under test, and expect to have finished prototype products (version 0.03) ready in 4 to 6 weeks. We need 5 or 6 beta-testers to put these prototypes through their paces.  If anyone is interested in being a "beta-tester", or would like more information about the project, The Castle Gates Are Here

We are not sure at this point that we can offer the original Bebi "lifetime" warranty, but we know we can offer a 5 year, no questions asked, replacement. If this project is successful we will also offer to replace any original Bebi Owl light bearing the "A Genuine Owl Light" logo that fails to operate. This offer is out of respect to the original Bebi Electronics founders and crew.

Note: We do not expect to have these lights "certified to meet USCG requirements" by an outside laboratory due to the cost of testing.  Please be aware of the risks of using "uncertified" equipment,  even if it meets requirements. You may bear the burden of proof.

Regards,
Cap' Couillon and the FrankenBebi Project

(For a quick view of the typical goings on at the FrankenBebi project, click here)

[SalientAngle]

(For a quick view of the typical goings on at the FrankenBebi project, click here)

lol, cap, with the video link... I'm getting my all hallowed's eve on with susan sarandon and rocky horror picture show  ;D

[CharlieJ]

That is fantastic. Micheal was too nice to have his work just die.

If possible, I'd like to repost this on the Trailer Sailor board (TSBB)

[cap-couillon]

That is fantastic. Micheal was too nice to have his work just die.

If possible, I'd like to repost this on the Trailer Sailor board (TSBB)

Post away CharlieJ (hey, that rhymes...) The more the merrier. My last Owl went with my last boat,  so I am presently without an Owl, but the test versions of FrankenBebi are working well so far. Tks for your interest

Cap Couillon and the FrankenBebi Project

[SalientAngle]

I like open source, it's GNU...

[Wade]

That's great. The owl was a great product. I was lucky enough to buy two last year. I wish I had purchased running lights from them then also.

[Tim]

Cap Couillon, Good luck on your project, it is a great concept, I have had a Bebi for years.

Michael and Kendra are friends so I wanted to check with them about this. I just received an email back giving their blessing to your project.

The one thing mentioned was

and his design is going to have some problems with heat, with not just the LM317T, but the sense resistor is going to be very stressed, as well as the devices themselves at the higher drive levels that he's proposing.

They are busy adjusting to the changes in their lives, but doing well, and hopefully will be coming to the States for a visit next year.

Tim

[cap-couillon]

Michael and Kendra are friends so I wanted to check with them about this. I just received an email back giving their blessing to your project.

Thats great news Tim. I have been worried from the inception of the idea about the founders reaction, but since they shut down the website I had no way of contacting them to ask. Figured eventually the word would get back to them as the cruising community is a relatively small world. Glad to have their blessing, it makes me feel better about carrying forward with all their hard work.

and his design is going to have some problems with heat, with not just the LM317T, but the sense resistor is going to be very stressed, as well as the devices themselves at the higher drive levels that he's proposing.

We have gone through a number of design iterations, so I am not sure which one they are referring to.  The latest (v0.03) under test is driving the LEDs at ~60% of rated current. Any heat generated is "wasted" power, so we hope our latest version reduces this to the absolute minimum possible using proven technology. One thing a cruiser does not need to do is waste power. Rather keep the beer cold, than the anchor light hot. So far, the latest design seems to be working well.

Thanks again for the message from Michael and Kendra. Next time you contact them please pass along our thanks for the blessing, and their design input. If they would ever like to contact me directly rather than through the email listed on the FrankenBebi Webpage, send me a PM and I will forward you my personal email address to pass along.

[cap-couillon]

New news at the FrankenBebi Project website.

The site has been to moved to a new server which should eliminate the earlier problems we had during periods of high traffic.
We now have an official "webmaster" who has improved the look and navigation as well.

The project continues to make progress. Igor has posted the latest news and updates online, as well as sending out the new newsletter later tonight. We have also posted a schematic of the latest (ver: 0.10.3) prototype under test including the photoswitch circuit. Other additions include a white-paper on the goals and design philosophy of the project. At this point, the project is still (for the most part) on schedule to meet our goal of distributing the beta-test versions in early December and production versions in early January 2014.

Applications for Beta-Testers have now been closed. Thanks to all who applied for your time and interest.

As always, we appreciate any and all input and suggestions either here or via email. Contact info is available on the site. We are hoping with the assistance of the new webmaster to be able to integrate some type of comments section on the site to allow interested individuals to kick around additional ideas based on the FrankenBebi design. Right now, all our energy (and funds) are focused on the original goal of a replacement for the original Owl, but we have had some great suggestions for future efforts.

Thanks again for your interest and support.

[cap-couillon]

New news at the FrankenBebi Project

Prototype PCBs arrived Friday afternoon, and the first try at population and assembly into the case was successful, A few issues, but it would seem the basic design premise is sound.

Schematic and PCB rendering for the next iteration (ver: 0.11.03) have been posted. New version includes a blocking diode to prevent damage from reversed power leads, and some additional significant design changes.

Coming soon... A documents repository will be added to the webpages, containing all relevant files, including the Eagle
.sch and .brd files, .pdf copies of schematic  and board layouts as well as licensing information. The project is being released as Open Source Hardware, under the CERN OHL v.1.2 Open Source Hardware License.

Thanks for your interest and support.

More info on the latest updates may be found at the project webpages

[cap-couillon]

New news at the FrankenBebi Project

Cheops' Law: Nothing ever gets built on schedule or within budget
We have had some changes in our release dates. For the full story, follow the above link.

Documentation:  Now available online
Documentation pages are now online at the website. This area contains zip archives of each posted version of the FrankenBebi up to and including the latest untested v0.11.03. Each file includes the native Eagle Lite sch and brd files, standard image files of the schematics and board traces and layouts, and additional files concerning licensing and appropriate use.

Download and enjoy.

As always, if you have questions or comments, please contact us via this thread, a PM, or via the Email address listed on the website.

[skylark]

Did you crack an Owl open to see what circuit they used to regulate the current?  Or ask the previous builder?  Or is this a new design?

I will not be cracking my Owl open, sorry.

[cap-couillon]

We have a dead Owl on hand supplied by one of our grave robbers. We have not performed an autopsy yet as the epoxy potting compound does not lend its self to disassembly. Many hours with a die grinder so as not to destroy the components . 

The FrankenBebi design is new from the ground up. Current control with the 317 linear controller is pretty std, but the rest of the design is original.  The basic current control / array portion has been under test for ~1500 hrs with voltage variations from 10.5Vdc to 15.5Vdc with no observed problems and no visible variations in intensity.  The photo-switch portion has been under test for ~350 hrs and is working as designed.

Let us know if you have any other questions

[skylark]

The PCB looks great.  It might be a challenge to fit the assembly into a pvc cap, but if you figure out the right length for led leads and bend them at a 90d angle, you should be able to build it outside of the cap, and slide it in to the predrilled cap.

The PCB could be populated and used as is (without a pvc cap) for a cabin light, just need a way to mount it.  How about two mounting screw holes in a future version?

Have you noticed if there is any heat at the LM317?

Do you have PCBs to sell?  What is your policy on people assembling and reselling?

[cap-couillon]

All good ideas... some of which have already been kicked around.

We are hoping in the  near future to get an area up on the website where we can all collaborate online to discuss and help each other with the possibilities of other applications. There would seem to be lots of uses for some of the bits and pieces we have designed, possibly in totally non related items. The photo-switch is small, very efficient and could be packaged as a stand alone item to run anything up to 10A. We have  no desire to pursue this as we have our hands full with the FrankenBebi, but the designs are there for another cruiser with an idea. We all help each other out, and move on from there.

As far as assembly, we are using the basic form you described with a little variation. Still working out a few kinks to avoid stressing component leads during assembly, but making progress.  Need to have a reliable method suitable for DIY as we will be offering kits as well as fully assembled FrankenBebi lights.

I had the same thought about cabin lights. The PCB is small enough for a retrofit in most fixtures. Of course you could mfg your own fixture as well. The current LED's are waaaay too bright to be used for an interior light in my opinion. The data sheet carries a warning not to stare directly at them. Also the color (cool white) while it meets USCG color standards is not my favorite for cabin lights. Should be probably be replaced with a warm white array. Our manufacturer (Cree) makes several suitable components, and we have been very impressed with the consistency of their products. Binned parts cost extra, but not as much as failed products.   This would require a change in the value of R1 to match the allowable forward current of the array, but this is trivial to figure out and implement. As far as mounting holes, we are running out of room on the board without another re-design of the traces. Not necessary for the FrankenBebi, but I thougnt of using a plastic bracket and some hot glue for the application you suggested.



We will be doing this for our own use, but would like to see someone else pick up the ball if they wanted to produce them for sale. As "Open-Hardware" you are free to use and modify  our work as long as you follow the Cern Open Hardware License.  It means you have to offer your product under the same conditions, and terms and credit the original developers and copyrights.  In a practical sense.... we would be willing to provide unmodified PCBs at a very reasonable price. The difference in price is tremendous when you go from 10 to 500 at a time. This woild not be until we are ready to go into final production however.  In the meanwhile, you can download the Eagle files and use Eagle Lite to generate the proper Gerber and drill files to get your own prototype boards if you wish. Again, I would suggest you take a look at the Cern Open Hardware License (v1.2), which is also inluded in the download packages.  

As to the LM317 we have noticed no indications of major heat dissipation. This is as expected, as the array total voltage drop (including the 317 current control circuit) is very closely matched to average battery voltage (12-13 Vdc) Even at equalization cycle voltages (14-16 Vdc) the heat sink on the 317 does not get warm, let alone hot.

Thanks for the interest and questions.

.  

[boblamb]

Hey Mates;
  Not sure about all the technical stuff involved here.  My simple question is "Are you marketing a version of the Bebi Owl Anchor Light?"  And, if so, what is the cost and availablility?
  I have one of the original Bebi's but it's not working.

Thanks
Bob

[cap-couillon]

Thanks for your interest in the project Bob...

My simple question is "Are you marketing a version of the Bebi Owl Anchor Light?"  And, if so, what is the cost and availablility?

We hope to have the final release available for shipping as a kit, or as a ready to use anchor light in early Feb 2014.  Final costs have not been set in stone yet, but the kits are expected to be in the $12 - $15 (usd) range.  The ready to use lights are expected to be in the $40 - $60 dollar range depending on what options you want (day-night switch, long lead with lighter plug, etc).

I have one of the original Bebi's but it's not working.

As stated in our OP, if you have an "Original Owl Anchor Light" with the original logo on it that is not working, we will replace it for the cost of shipping. While we are not associated with the original Bebi-Electronics or their founders, we offer this out of respect for Michael and Kendra and the old staff at Bebi-Electronics who produced a great product and would replace it for you if they could. When the commercial sales site is up, it will have the info you need to get your dead owl replaced. (Do Not Flush It Down The Head!)

Hope this answered your questions. You can always keep up witn the latest news on the FrankenBebi Project  website.

[s/v Faith]

Thanks for your interest in the project Bob...

...As stated in our OP, if you have an "Original Owl Anchor Light" with the original logo on it that is not working, we will replace it for the cost of shipping. While we are not associated with the original Bebi-Electronics or their founders, we offer this out of respect for Michael and Kendra and the old staff at Bebi-Electronics who produced a great product and would replace it for you if they could. When the commercial sales site is up, it will have the info you need to get your dead owl replaced. (Do Not Flush It Down The Head!)

Hope this answered your questions. You can always keep up witn the latest news on the FrankenBebi Project  website.

How very very cool of you!  Grog, and a pending order from me sir!

[cap-couillon]

New news at The FrankenBebi Project..

First up, we now have our own domain, FrankenBebiProject.org and new email addresses to match. Shiny new toys for the holidays. If you have our older pages bookmarked, you will be forwarded to the corresponding page on the new site. All the old email addresses are still usable, but as always, it is best to update your bookmarks.

Along with the new domain, we have made a few changes to the web pages, mostly just housekeeping issues. We have however added a quick-mail form to our contact page so you can contact us directly without having to copy and paste our email address.

We have also added a short (5 question) survey to the home and news pages on the site. If you have the time, please stop by and fill it out so we have a better idea of what  the community at large  wants from the FrankenBebi anchor light. No personal information requested, just the facts ma'am.

Meanwhile, testing of existing designs  continues along with some new experiments by our latest team members.

Igor will have the full newsletter for late December mailed out sometime this weekend. See the website for how to subscribe if you want "the rest of the story"....

Thanks again for your interest and support.

[skylark]

http://frankenbebiproject.org/news.html

Thanks for keeping us up to date