Katy Posted January 12, 2017 Posted January 12, 2017 One of the best bits about working in a school has got to be the Design + Technology department - they'll generally make any customised contraption you can dream of. Here's the latest gem we have had off our D+T tech - an iPad charging box! We are about to have a two year iPad-in-the-classroom trial, and had just enough in the budget to get a class set of iPads on a 2 year lease. We then looked at the cost of a charging case solution and they were insane prices. Instead we bought a tough plastic case (has wheels and a pull-up handle to drag like a suitcase) and three 10-port USB chargers (2A per port so they actually charge up). He brought across the finished item today: http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/Katy_1985/ipad_case_zpsmruckdvc.jpg Front view of the case - you can just see the back of the three USB chargers to the left http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/Katy_1985/ipad_top_zpsmqxt5m7f.jpg Top-down view: the side panels even have internal grooves channeled out so the USB cables can push back into the sides. Other great things I've done with them is a rack mounted Raspberry Pi based temperature monitor - involved PCB printing, laser cutting, soldering although this time I did all but the PCB printing myself, just hijacked their machines. So has anyone else had any really great useful items made by their D+T department? 4
eddyc Posted January 13, 2017 Posted January 13, 2017 Our DT department are very good at working with us to use the laser cutter. All of our laptops have the school logo, asset number and contact address/telephone etched into the lids. Following a big robbery a couple of years ago we've repeated this with the iMacs too and mark the area beneath the screen. Looks really professional and much nicer than the blue dots
difinity Posted January 13, 2017 Posted January 13, 2017 Very nicely done, it looks better than some I've seen available online. 1
Garacesh Posted January 13, 2017 Posted January 13, 2017 That's cool! We bought some ready-made cases and they don't look as professional. The one thing I'd recommend though, is having some kind of access to the USB hubs that are powering them all so you can configure them en masse. 1
Lonix Posted January 13, 2017 Posted January 13, 2017 That's actually impressive, I'd take that any day. Have you considered making them and selling? A few years ago that would have been perfect for us. Although for us, Our D&T department only talk or shall I say demand when a technician is needed in their room to show students how to use IT......... 1
Katy Posted January 13, 2017 Author Posted January 13, 2017 The one thing I'd recommend though, is having some kind of access to the USB hubs that are powering them all so you can configure them en masse. It's just one screw to pull that panel out and get at the bottom, although these are just multi-USB chargers rather than hubs (and all configuring is done automatically via DEP anyway). 1
Katy Posted January 13, 2017 Author Posted January 13, 2017 That's actually impressive, I'd take that any day. Have you considered making them and selling? A few years ago that would have been perfect for us. Although for us, Our D&T department only talk or shall I say demand when a technician is needed in their room to show students how to use IT......... Nice idea but there's only one D+T tech, I was lucky to get enough of his time for that to be created really - usually it's loads of smaller, quicker jobs we get done. Suppose we're lucky as IT kind of "adopted" him when D+T was dropped a few years ago (he ended up just doing all sorts of odd jobs but based out of IT), happy ending as they brought his subject back a few years ago. 1
Marky_Gee Posted January 15, 2017 Posted January 15, 2017 very nice! Who makes the case you are using? 1
Katy Posted January 15, 2017 Author Posted January 15, 2017 Who makes the case you are using? Peli Products, it's this one without any of the foam: https://peliproducts.co.uk/im2620-storm-case-1487.html 1
mjs_mjs Posted January 15, 2017 Posted January 15, 2017 Peli Products, it's this one without any of the foam: https://peliproducts.co.uk/im2620-storm-case-1487.html If anyone else is thinking along the same lines, but is thinking of using the cpc copies that are 40-60£, the Peli ones really are worth the extra money as the cpc ones are built to the price you pay IMO (i have a few and a few are broken, wheels falling off, handle snapping).
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