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Greg's Tinker Town

1,416 orders since Jan 06, 2019

Ottawa, ON, Canada

Ships from Canada.

Custom Work Available

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Overall Rating:

Review Breakdown

5
54 4
39 3
3 2
0 1
0

Average Ratings

Product: (4.95)

Documentation: (4.62)

Shipping: (4.73)

Communication: (4.86)

All Reviews

Michael | Dec. 1, 2023

Instant replacement received

For Megadesk Companion

Had a problem with my boards, which Greg instantaneously rectified by sending another batch that work great now. Thank you for the great customer service!

Michael | Dec. 1, 2023

Instant replacement received

For Megadesk

Had a problem with my boards, which Greg instantaneously rectified by sending another batch that work great now. Thank you for the great customer service!

Jile | Nov. 8, 2023

Very Neat Board

For alarmbuddy

It took a bit to figure out due to the amount of cables to the old board. I have 2 door sensors, 3 motion sensors, and a glass breaking sensor.

Because the new board doesn't provide power to the motion sensors I left the power lines connected to the old board. They used the same cable to connect the old board to power as the sensors and just connected 2 wires to each of the +/- ac inputs. So I was able to move two of them to the Alarm Buddy to be able to power both at the same time. To help with anyone else that might run into the same issue below is my breakdown of the old board and what I did with it.

The setup was super easy, connected to it's wifi, then entered in the details of my home wifi and it showed up right away. Named and labeled the sensors and it was good to go!

AC +, AC -: Originally had 2 wires for + and - on the old board, moved one each to the new board.

AUX +, AUX -: Left connected to the old board, this is how I powered the sensors.

Bell +, Bell -: Disconnected and capped. Assuming it was for an alarm bell somewhere.

Red, Blk, Yel, Grn: Disconnected and capped. This was for the panel at the front door.

Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z6: Moved over to slots 1-6

Com: 1 for each zone that was put in pairs into 3 com spots on the old panel. Twisted them into 2 groups of 3 and put them in each of the 3.3V sections on the new panel.

Ring A, TIP B: Disconnected and capped. I think this was for the telephone line connection but not sure.

Kirill | Oct. 28, 2023

Works perfectly!

For Megadesk

The controller works perfectly! I just plugged it in, calibrated and set up the desired positions. That's all. Of course I forgot to put back the safety pin and nothing worked initially. I even started panicking a bit, but since I found out that I forgot to put back the safety pin (grey plastic cylinder), everything starts working as it should. Hardest part was to open the original IKEA controller's case (with buttons). Spent around an hour and almost destroy case's edges. But the damaged part of the case faces the surface underneath the table so it doesn't matter at all (you anyway will never see it again). Definitely worth the money! Absolutely love the sounds it makes (bip-bip, bop-bop :)

About the shipping. I initially ordered shipment to Cyprus with tracking, but unfortunately this option is not actually available for Cyprus. So, I reorder the regular shipment without tracking. I placed the order on 9th September and it was available for collection in Cyprus Post on 13th October (took a little bit over a month). Just in case, I also payed customs tax (7.47 euro) when I collected the order from the post office (common thing for Cyprus).

Adrien | Oct. 18, 2023

Amazing

For Megadesk

It works great! So happy that I was able to upgrade my old desk :).

The Megadesk controller has truly transformed my IKEA Bekant standing desk experience. The added memory positions have been a game changer, allowing for seamless switching between work positions. I appreciate the attention to detail in keeping with the original enclosure—maintaining the desk's aesthetic while enhancing its functionality. It feels both robust and professional. Highly recommended!

Steven | Sept. 12, 2023

Turned this dumb desk into a megadesk

For Megadesk

Once you get into the enclosure of the controller, which is the hardest part, connecting everything together was straight forward (if you read the instructions, unlike me which did not read the instructions). Usage is as easy as can be considering you only have 2 buttons and I LOVE that you have the option to have unique memory settings for both the up and down buttons. I only really needed 2 settings, one for up and one for down and the fact that you let me set the 2-press action for both buttons is great.

It worked right away and the beeps are a nice touch so you know if things are working.

The memory settings was the only thing I was sad that I was missing from my standing desk and this megadesk fixed that for me.

The only thing that would have been nice is if the cable was a bit longer as I originally had the controller on the far part of my corner desk and the cable that came with it isn't long enough for where I had it originally as I have the bekant corner desk.

Shane | Sept. 2, 2023

Had some issues, but Greg's customer service is fantastic

For Megadesk

My first board seemed to be DOA. I reached out to Greg, he asked a little about what was going on, and when it was clear I had an issue that we weren't going to be able to troubleshoot he shipped a new board out ASAP (and it arrived faster than the original order). The new board is installed and working wonderfully. Very happy with my purchase!

Sergej | May 28, 2023

Made Bekant great again

For Megadesk

Bekant has one problem - no presets, but Megadesk fixes the problem. It also has serial support, so can be extended by tinkerers as a hobby project. For example, I can control mine with an iphone (homekit), voice (Siri) or local network. Now I love my desk, and it's fun to use ("hey Siri, table up").

The only con is that the original Bekant enclosure can be a real pain to open in order to replace the board. But I didn't have to open mine, as I control it via serial.

Lukas | May 23, 2023

Something that should be included by default!!

For Megadesk

I recently purchased an Ikea BEKANT standing desk and loved it so far. The only thing missing was a memory function so I could easily make the desk remember a couple of positions and recall them with simple presses without holding down the buttons each time.

Being a maker myself I already thought about reverse engineering the control unit but I was sure someone must've done that already. I quickly found this awesome project. While I could easily make it myself I opted to purchase the unit here in order to support the effort the creator had (also I didn't have the time right now).

It arrived in a bit over a week using standard shipping (based in Austria) and installation was a breeze. The only thing (that I was aware of due to other reviews and notes by the creator himself) I struggled a bit was the disassembly of the control unit as it was plastic welded together pretty much all around the perimeter. I ended up using a tiny flat screw driver and began prying on the short edges (where the mounting holes are). I also "weakened" the bond by using a razor blade. Then after applying a little bit of force the lid popped right off. After that the installation process was pretty straight forward.

I really like it so far and I'm planning on "hacking" together a homeassistant daughter board in the future, so I can use it in my automations.

I 10/10 can recommend purchasing this ready-to-go circuitboard!
Avatar
Response from Greg's Tinker Town | May 23, 2023
Thanks for the kind words!

On the topic of the daughter board - stay tuned :) I have something in the works.

Basile | May 4, 2023

Excellent product

For Megadesk

This is awesome and perfect for making my IKEA Bekant smart.
The description and the video are very useful!
It was easy to follow them, everything was clear. The only thing I had to do was to fight the enclosure to open it 😂

I have no excuse not to stand now 😄
Many thanks to Greg!

David | March 28, 2023

Great to bring new life to an old desk

For Megadesk

I started looking for a new desk with memory function but this was exactly what I needed. I didn't do the best job to pry the case open but installation was easy (just remember to put in the pin when testing it) and since it is mounted under the table you can't really see the scrapes anyway.

Ramon | Feb. 16, 2023

Excellent product, bought 2 of them, fast shipping

For Megadesk

Within a few days it arrived in the Netherlands, well packed.
Opening the Bekant took some force, used a dremel to get a start.
Once open, installation was a breeze.

Made a mistake with the second one I forgot to put in a piece of plastic, causing the interface to believer there was no safety pal inserted.
But that was all my vault.
The two of them works great, I highly recommend this

Can't wait to find the time and hook it up to Home Assistant (will need to read upon first how to get it done)
Not because I need it, but because it can! :-)

Zhaoxing | Jan. 12, 2023

works for my 2015 IKEA Bekant

For Megadesk

This is an awesome product. Plugin to my 2015 IKEA Bekant and it works like a charm! Enjoying my new standing deak.

Michael | Jan. 8, 2023

Works great, but installation is a pain

For Megadesk

The products works exactly as described. No documentation is included, so be sure to bookmark this page.
Installation was a real pain, as my controller was sealed all around, even in the front where two walls come up beside the „key-switch“.
I had to cut away some of the lid at the rear to get below the top plate, and use a good amount of force to snap off the rest of the plate all around.
Beware of the controller board directly under the top plate and make sure to apply force to the plate and not to the board.
When I finally managed to open the case with a bang, a part of the keyswitch fell off and I had to search the room for it :-)
Installation was no problem, and the flip-lock-connector for the ribbon-cable was helpful.

After repowering the desk everything worked. So I am happy. Great product!!!
Thank you so much Greg!

Dallas | Oct. 11, 2022

Great experience overall

For Megadesk

Like many people before me I did some research on how to automatically control my IKEA Bekant sit stand desk and came across this project as the best way to do it. I made an order and waited about a month for the shipping to arrive to Australia. Like most other people I struggled to get the unit apart, even after reading the reviews and watching the videos. In the end I drilled a hole in the front corner without the ribbon and then pried it apart with a screwdriver. This caused some damage to the plastic but since it is under the desk you can't see it.

But unfortunately for me the first the unit didn't work. I tried all the troubleshooting steps at https://github.com/gcormier/megadesk and had different results as expected. Fortunately the original unit still worked so I knew the desk was okay. I reached out to Greg with my issues and he quickly responded and sorted things out right away. This product is awesome and has stopped me going out to buy a new sit stand desk just to have a memory feature to change heights between sitting and standing.

Many thanks again to Greg for making and supporting this product.

Edward | Aug. 22, 2022

This is perfection

For Megadesk

Firstly, it arrived so quickly. UK delivery was in 4 days!

Same as everyone says, getting the top of the desk's control unit off is painful. It's got multiple long inner joins, I cracked a lot of mine but as it all ends up hidden I don't care. Just keep jamming a small screwdriver in sand pry it up. Work from the corners next to the cable, this makes sure you avoid the area with the ribbon cable.

The unit itself is easy to install. There's even a note on the board itself telling you where the red wire should go, making that step even easier. Follow Greg's video for help getting the ribbon cable back in.

Now that it's firmware got updated to let it perform the calibration steps, you don't need to keep the old board, although I have.

Very easy to use, it's literally the simplest functionality. Greg has made a great product and you should definitely buy one if you're on the fence.

His GitHub page has plenty of documentation.

Love it, great purchase. Nice one Greg.

Pi-1356 | Aug. 20, 2022

Worst exactly as described

For Megadesk

Worst exactly as described and it arrived safely (Canada > Miami,FL > Dominican Republic). Opening the Ikea control was difficult because it's welded shut, but that was fairly warned on the installation video. So no surprises there. What I ended up doing was taking a chunk off the side with an Exacto knife until I finally saw a glimpse of the inside. Then, I simply pried it off.

Thank you so much for this product!

Stephen | June 11, 2022

FANTASTIC UPGRADE Easier to open than feared with right tool

For Megadesk

SO SO SO glad that google took me to this fantastic desk upgrade. Using two button mode I now have double tap down to sit, double tap up to stand, its just what the Ikea should have done. If you are reading this wondering whether to buy - HELL YES.

Greg is a genius - all you need to do is open the unit (see notes below) swap over the circuit board, a replacement wire is supplied and buttons connect with a small ribbon cable that's easy to connect, sorted !

UK shipping - just SEVEN days.

The elephant in the room, opening the damned unit, lots easier than I thought and afterwards, once you push the bent plastic back with the shaft of a screwdriver, there is only a slight whiteish line at the top to say anything ever happened. For me the secret was as below, took just 5 minutes, don't touch anything else (don't go around all the other edges for example, not needed, doesn't help and causes unnecessary damage).
1. Just using a sharp thin blade open up the gap at the back near the corner away from the wire.
2. Insert a 2-3 mm screwdriver (I used one of those mains checker ones that has a neon light inside for mains voltage warning), you will need to push down and under the top cover, it will make some damage, but like I said above, afterwards its hardly visible. You need to work it in and lever open the top until just that corner snaps open. You are now home and dry !
3. Work around the sides snapping open first the near side then the far side.

Glenn | June 8, 2022

Works great! Easy to install! Definitely would recommened

For Megadesk

For the life of me i do not understand why IKEA does not currently sell a desk with the ability to set height profiles.

Thankfully this exists. Easy to install and works great.
- quick presses recalls that heigh profile (2 press for profile 2, 3 presses for 3)
- quick presses then a long press to set that profile to the current height

Izipizi. Hardest part about it is prying off the back plate to the controller housing, check out his video above on how to do that.

It looks like on his video that the ribbon cable sits very far into the port, but mine couldnt go very far in. But I was able to lock it in proply with the small latch.

Oh and don't be like me and forget to put the plastic key back in and wonder why it doesnt work lol.

took about a couple weeks to get to me in Australia.

VERY NICE APPLE SLICE

Dimitrios | May 20, 2022

Essential hack for your ikea POS

For Megadesk

This little board makes your BEKANT a joy to use rather than a chore. The hardest part, to quote everyone, is opening the box. If I do this again, I'm going to use a (tiny) power tool. It can be quite hazardous without the right equipment (yes, I drew a little blood). Still, huge thanks to the brilliant creator! Next up: connect to HA/mqtt, but thats another story.

Kevin | April 30, 2022

The addon that makes my Bekant complete

For Megadesk

The memory function is really a crucial missing feature of the original Bekant desk.
I can only imagine that IKEA has not implemented it for safety reasons.
However, plenty of other manufacturers have this feature.

Luckily there is megadesk providing me with that feature.

Shipping to Germany would have been 7 days or less without the easter holidays.

The tricky part was opening the control unit.
I drilled the corners as others suggested. But I still had to apply quite some force to crack the other welding spots.

Megadesk works fine for me but there are two things that deteriorate the very good impression (thus 4/5 stars):
- The desk isn't as responsive compared to the original control unit. You have to keep pressing the controls for a little while until the desk starts moving.
- I have the impression that the step size for height adjustment is bigger compared to the original controller. It's still fine enough but something you wonder when first experiencing.
Avatar
Response from Greg's Tinker Town | May 1, 2022
Hi Kevin! Thanks for the kind words.

The delay is indeed there as the firmware has to provide some sort of delay to know if you are going to release the button and use the memory function, or hold it to manually move the desk.

It is configurable in the firmware, but the firmware I flash contains a sort of "middle of the road" value that I use.

Moritz | April 20, 2022

Works as promised, well documented installation

For Megadesk

I have a BEKANT, the control module said 2020-22 Rec.: C and it worked well. I was a little surprised how much scraping was necessary to remove the lid of the box but it worked out well after a lot of prying.
Shipping to Germany was very fast taking 9 days from the day of ordering.

June | April 15, 2022

Best possible addon for an IKEA sit/stand desk you can get!

For Megadesk

Easy install, awesome functionality. Absolutely cannot have an IKEA desk without one. This totally transformed my desk into a workplace that I enjoy instead of fight with.

Michael | April 3, 2022

Simple but very effective!!

For alarmbuddy

I wanted something to replace the 35 year old alarm system in my house with. Not so much for the alarms, but to get alerts to Home Assistant when doors or windows are opened in my house.

I purchased on 2022-03-24 and received on NJ, USA on 2022-04-02

In a single afternoon I was able to solder on the included caps, mount the PCB in a printed enclosure, flash it with ESPHome, and get it integrated with Home Assistant. I powered the PCB off of my alarm system's included 19VAC power supply and wired up my inputs without the EOL resistors that used to be used.

There are a few things I needed to figure out from the source. If you need to do the same, make sure you check which version PCB you get. (mine was v3, but latest in the repo was v5.)

- Mounting holes are 71 mm x 49 mm
- Negative on the caps are on the right side.
- The programming port is FTDI standard with GND closest to the bottom.
- DTR pin (5th from bottom) is connected to GPIO0 in case you need to short to GND to flash firmware.

Greg's YAML file for ESPhome works perfectly. Just dropped in my SSID and password and it flashed and appeared in Home Assistant. My house only has 4 zones, but I've already added a few other sensors to some of the unused pins, so I appreciate the versatility of this PCB.

Artem | March 22, 2022

It just works!

For Megadesk

My first purchase on tindie. The Megadesk is the definition of a drop-in replacement. No issues installing whatsoever (aside from initial struggle with opening of factory control box, but that's nothing to do with Megadesk. F* you IKEA!), and operates like a clock!

After installing the Megadesk my Bekant table finally reaches its intended purpose and full potential. IT SHOULD'VE BEEN LIKE THIS FROM THE FACTORY!

True power and spirit of libre culture and grassroots approach to owning you furniture, bravo Greg!

Jimmy | March 15, 2022

It Works really well

For Megadesk

It took 3 Weeks to Receive with mail letter shipping. I recommend the tracking option. I installed it in 5 min after Watching the video.

I forgot to turn off the Power. It was making 3 continuos bip sound. Everything came back to normal after the Power reset.

I puchased that for my wife. I Made her Day.

Brian | Feb. 26, 2022

Excellent upgrade for my 2015 IKEA Bekant

For Megadesk

Case removal was difficult, the rest was easy. It didn't work on the first try, and when the Troubleshooting asked if I had inserted the safety key I had to laugh, that was the issue.

The review that suggested drilling out all the corners was the only way I got the cover removed. I had previously tried a dremel cutting wheel deeply around the edges and could only bend down the sides trying to pry it off. After drilling the holes, I used the shank of the bit as the pry bar in the holes. Mine was so securely glued on the ridges down the center from the control surface it bent and discolored before giving up.

Martin | Feb. 8, 2022

Works like a charm.

For Megadesk

During the installation, the opening of the plastic button housing of the IKEA desk is arguably a bit tricky, but the instruction videos on youtube really do help a lot.

Denis | Jan. 27, 2022

Works fine!

For Megadesk

Absolutely love my Megadesk!

Fro business owner: would be even better if you put a twice long wire in the set, so it can feet wider desks. I have a custom 180X110cm table, so I made an extension to the wire.

Gunther | Jan. 3, 2022

Excellent product

For Megadesk

Greg was very helpful both before my purchase and when the first shipping attempt failed. The device works exactly as described, and I seem to be one of the lucks ones as the lid of the controller box is only held on by one plastic piece that can be slightly bent to open, so the whole exchange took less than 5 minutes. Naturally I initially forgot to re-insert the "key" and panicked that it wasn't working, but with the human problem out of the way, it's all perfect.

Christopher | Dec. 31, 2021

I am in love

For Megadesk

Works perfect! Took about 20 minutes to get up and running, 17 of those dealing with the infamous case. I was being pretty careful and I still sliced through half my ribbon cable. Almost had a heart attack, thankfully it was the side without leads!

I thought about doing this myself, but as other reviewers pointed out, this was 1000x easier and a far better final product than anything I could do. Thanks for making this! Hello from Toronto!

Patrick | Dec. 13, 2021

Awesome!

For Megadesk

I recently bought the Megadesk because I was too cheap to get the more expensiv table that has build in height storage.
Shipping was considerably fast to Germany and about a week. Product looks well made and parts fit well in the case.

Opening the Controller though was a bit of a pain even with the help of the how to.
I ended up ripping of some parts at the back to pry it open. The lid or plate I'd rather call it is really thick, about 2-3 mm and you need to scorch pretty deep around the controller (not the front where the buttons are!) to get good leverage.

So far the controller does everything pretty well although I sometime struggle to get him to recognize my commands to raise/lower to desired stored position (might be only me with too fast/slow tapping of buttons).

Gavin | Nov. 26, 2021

One small change one major upgrade

For Megadesk

The item arrived quickly and was easy to install and works really well! Its amazing how much easier it has made the transitions from sitting to standing

Andreas | Nov. 23, 2021

A normal desk became a beautiful Megadesk!

For Megadesk

With the instruction video, it was very easy to install the board. I've been using it for a couple of weeks and it just works!
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