Geppetto Electronics

2,396 orders since Jul 17, 2014

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Ships from United States of America.

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The store will be closed February 12th through May 15th.

Overall Rating:

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.76)

Documentation: (4.23)

Shipping: (4.75)

Communication: (4.70)

All Reviews

William | May 24, 2024

GPS Adds Game Changing Capability to Consumer Timekeeping

For GPS Clock

Over the years, the tech toys that engage the casual time-keeping enthusiast have evolved from 60Hz AC clocks to the revolutionary Heathkit GC-1000 shortwave-disciplined digital clocks to the current crop of 60kHz VLF-disciplined clocks. Displayed time accuracy in sync with shortwave standard time broadcasts has been a gratifying accomplishment to the Time Geek in many of us. The next r/evolution is here with the Geppetto GPS clocks! Instead of a synchronization process that may take several minutes, the Geppetto GPS clock is already synchronized the instant the time is displayed. After an initial process of accumulating the almanac of GPS constellation data, the time is displayed with superb accuracy. Just like listening to shortwave time signals, you instantly know The Time at your location, no guessing about whether your clock is synchronized to a shortwave or VLF source. With GPS as your reference, you don't have propagation issues; there is the occasional "no GPS" notification when the constellation and your antenna placement isn't optimal, but that is rare. There is a display setting to guide you for the best antenna placement, and a multitude of display options for everyone's taste. Several options are offered for the clocks, such as GPS antenna and custom housing. If you are a time enthusiast looking for a no-compromise digital chronometer, you should check the devices offered at Geppetto Electronics. -BW

Ryan | Jan. 10, 2024

Great Product, but even better support

For FE-5680A GPS Discipline module

Not only is the board amazing, the seller went above and beyond in helping me troubleshoot my Rubidium Oscillator and helped me figure out what was going on with it. Will be buying other products from them as well! highly recommended!

Alexander | Dec. 6, 2023

Almost 9 years later and still going strong

For USB µISP

I bought this device from Gepetto in February of 2015. Since then, it's been tossed into many random drawers, been through two apartment moves, and yet every time I've used it it's always *just worked* which says something about the design and designer!
Many moons ago when I was getting into microcontrollers, the AVR Dragon was the new hotness. You'd think the official programmer board from Atmel would have been resilient, but nope. It somehow died, as did my MkII ISP. Yet between this, my PicKit 3, and my MPLAB Snap, I've got all the bases covered with devices that actually last and don't just randomly die while sitting on the shelf between uses.
Thanks for making such a great little programmer!

Michael | Nov. 27, 2023

Would buy again!

For AVR ISP Pogo Adapter kit

Arrive on schedule, is as described, works as intended!
PLEASE LENGTHEN THIS TEXT TO 100 CHARACTERS OR MORE

Lynn | June 28, 2023

Love the ability to build an insane clock!

For Crazy Clock

Ordered and received the week long clock movement. Now have it installed in and old clock with my custom designed clock face. So fun! Just had to buy this because it’s both nerdy and humorous. Totally my favorite thing to make. Thank you!

Jason | Jan. 5, 2023

Buggy design on Model I

For Toast-R-Reflow Controller

Not very impressed with the build quality (the ground plane was puckered from the board in the middle implying excess heat), but the board did light up and seemed to work. I was having all kinds of problems getting my temperature probe to work. I finally discovered that while the schematic calls for a FT533DA which is a 1.8V regulator (the D designation despite its deceptive 33 in the name) for the ADC voltage reference, the chip installed is labeled WXS which is likely a Microchip 3.3V regulator: the reference voltage is indeed 3.3V. This explains why the temperature probe readings were about 50% off at higher temperatures. I needed to bodge a voltage divider to get to the 1.8V reference correct as I don't have any 1.8V regulators lying around. Also there's no mounting holes for panel-mounting, so you've got to double-up the LCD-to-board holes for mounting and find the right size and length screws to get it to work.

Response from Geppetto Electronics | Jan. 5, 2023

I'm sorry about the mistake in the regulator. If you want to send your unit back, I'll be happy to replace it.

Don | Dec. 10, 2022

First USB to TTL with USB C connector

For FTDI-be-gone

Good break out of all signals. First USB to TTL with USB C connector. Some issues with drivers for a board which was not supposed to need proprietary drivers, but proprietary drivers seems to be the norm with Windows 11, (historically all version of Windows! Thanks Microsoft!) Seller worked with the Buyer to help resolve the driver issues and the help was appreciated. Thanks.

Seth | Feb. 27, 2022

Awesome product

For FTDI-be-gone

I'm an SysAdmin that sometimes needs an RS232 for equipment, like a battery backup unit. I can plug this into any computer without having to waste time finding a driver for it. Nick is always helpful when I have a question. Anyone need a case, I made one: https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/131851-case-for-open-source-driverless-serial-adapter

Al | Dec. 1, 2021

Nick Sayer is a seriously talented designer/builder

For GPS Clock

I got the version with the blue display - because I work on computer screens with the lighting dimmed - and got the "full-meal-deal" (complete kit). What a joy to simply plug it in an go! Initially I noticed that the ":" (colon character) separating the hrs/minutes/seconds were too bright - but soon found an option to disable them. Perfect. Easy to setup - no manual required. I highly recommend this product to anyone - even someone minimally technical. I ordered additional products and all were shipped the same day and arrived in a single package, much sooner than expected. Wow - everything was in stock and ready to go. Great customer service - imagine that. Thanks for a 10 out-of-10 customer experience.

George | Oct. 17, 2021

Sidereal Time clock movement

For Crazy Clock

An easy install into a standard 24 hour clock housing. Keeps very accurate time compared to my commercial sidereal clock.

A win.

Evan | Oct. 8, 2021

24-hour Sidereal is perfect

For Crazy Clock

I designed my own clock face with zodiacal boundaries and some reference stars, got it printed/framed at zazzle, and it looks and runs great with this mechanism popped right in. It's not quite the beauty of a spring-driven brass Waltham on the pier of an historic telescope, but it serves the purpose perfectly. Thank you for this little electronic gem.

James | Sept. 30, 2021

Sidereal Clock 24 Hour Option

For Crazy Clock

Very pleased. Keeps sidereal time to within a second or less per day. I used it to make my own wall clock with north circumpolar constellations around the outside.

Jim | Aug. 29, 2021

Excellent idea!

For AVR ISP Pogo Adapter kit

While exceedingly simple (A PLUS!), this solves a very common problem when needing to update a chip in a tight space. Trust me, if you program in system, this is a necessity.

Jim | Aug. 29, 2021

Fantastic product and great price.

For Crazy Clock

This is so much fun. I keep reprogramming to the different firmware's, I should just buy multiple kits!

Response from Geppetto Electronics | Aug. 29, 2021

It'd probably be a good idea to dump the EEPROM and take note of the calibration factor (bytes 4-5 - bytes 0-3 are a PRNG seed). The controller is fused to preserve EEPROM across reprogramming, but if something goes wrong and this calibration is lost, the movement won't be as accurate.

Åke | May 9, 2021

GPS clock in Sweden

For GPS Clock

My clock works fine. I bought a new GPS antenna to receive extra satellites (e.g GLONASS). In northern Sweden we often find that it is good to have GPS antenna with ability to capacity to catch many satellites. Otherwise I am very pleased.

Response from Geppetto Electronics | May 9, 2021

Unfortunately, the SkyTraq timing module does not support GLONASS or any other non-GPS satellites (it does support GPS WAAS systems, where they are available).

Joseph | May 5, 2021

An EV emulator that saves you $100s

For EVSE Tester

I'm not saying it does everything pro installer test gear does, but from what I saw, those items cost $250, $700 or even more. This does the basics -- great for determining if an EVSE is working and for troubleshooting and repairing it, even if you don't have an EV onhand. That's what it did for me.

Nick was quick and responsive to questions about usage.

Make sure you look at the mode markings on the board, not the dip switch numbers -- it's too easy to think of 1 as Mode A, when the switch is oriented so 4 is the first switch in succession.

Charles | May 4, 2021

Fantastic little device

For EVSE Tester

I use the device for security testing EVSEs. It allows me to put the EVSE into different states that each have their own security implications.

The device was a breeze to set up and use. The output in JSON format (usb version) is a nice touch - standing up a little Flask app that interacts with it was easy.

If you do any type of testing of EVSEs, pick one of these up and add it to your toolbox.

Patrick | May 2, 2021

Sidereal clock mechanism comes with American "I" shaft

For Crazy Clock

When I purchased this mechanism I knew nothing about the American "I" shaft hand configuration. I tried everything to get the existing minute hand on the mechanism and finally did a google search on why my clock hands wouldn't stay on the mechanism. There was no shaft nut included with the mechanism hands so I had no idea that I needed one. There was no documentation with the mechanism so I had to learn this all on my own.

Response from Geppetto Electronics | May 2, 2021

You should have gotten a little plastic bag of hardware, which includes two options for nuts to hold the minute hand in place - an open one compatible with the addition of a second hand and a solid one for applications that don’t use a second hand. If you didn’t get that bag of hardware then that was a mistake and I’ll be happy to send you a replacement.

The movement is a modified Quartex Q-80. A selection of alternate hands is available from klockit.com.

Dustin | April 21, 2021

Great kit, thanks!

For AVR ISP Pogo Adapter kit

The assembly instructions on the blog were really easy to follow. I added two extra wires to mine, so I could appy power through the port too. Love the kit! I was using a homemade pogo pin adapter, and this one feels much more reliable.

Mike | April 12, 2021

Works as advertised

For Annoy-o-tron Tiny

Order arrived fast and well packaged, this device is tiny and does EXACTLY what it says it will do. I am very pleased with my purchase.

Johann | Feb. 26, 2021

Prefect

For Annoy-o-tron Tiny

Absolutely super. I bought two, put them at different spots in the office. Very hard to find. Truly annoyed people. Huge success.
H

Tom | Dec. 27, 2020

What is your time worth? Good exchange of money for time!

For GPS Clock

If you are technically savvy, you'll like this clock. It's easy to set up. I used my own antenna and a spare 5V wall wart. It took 5mins or so to sync when first started. I got the blue led version for personal reasons. I have other GPS time keeping gizmo's on my desk. This clock gives me a visual display of the time that everyone is chiming to. I will probably purchase another unit and set it to UTC. They should look pretty good stacked.

Warren | Dec. 17, 2020

Fantastic, interesting, and great fun

For Crazy Clock

These are really nice, complete and ready to go "out-of-the-box" clock movements. I bought the lunar clock movement and am having great fun working with it. It's very nice that all the information about the clock and the software is available, and it's amazing that so much work and attention to detail has been made available. Overall very impressive. I've learned a lot about the moon just figuring out how to set the "moon age" time. I bought several since this is my first time experimenting making any kind of a clock and I wanted to have a backup in case I damaged it, but that wasn't a problem. The movements themselves are very standard, and all the work with installing the clock chip and programming was already done, so basically you're ready to go. For my first test I popped the movement out of existing cheap wall clock and popped this movement in, and it worked fine, I had a working lunar clock. It's been running several weeks now without a hitch. Since all the hard work has been done, I'm now just figuring out what kind of clock face and clock body to make.
Shipping was incredibly fast, shipped within hours of ordering, and received in just days. Quality is first rate.
Thank you for making all this available.

Response from Geppetto Electronics | Dec. 17, 2020

Thank you for your kind words!

I recommend Zazzle as a good source for customizable clock faces. They come with a “normal” movement, but my customized Q-80s drop right in.

James | Dec. 12, 2020

This is a Great GPS Clock

For BODGE BIN: GPS Clock prototype boards

I liked these so much, I bought all of them. As I noted in a review a few years ago on Tindie, Nick's GPS clock gets pretty much everything right. These BODGE BIN boards are all a version prior to the current v6 model, but work fine for me.

Neal | Nov. 16, 2020

Great Seller, Great service, product works fine as it should

For GPS Timing module breakout

The product works really well, as it should. Documentation is a little light, but there is enough info on google to figure it all out. The seller has outstanding communication and service. A very fair deal for a product that works really well.

Bernard | Oct. 11, 2020

Fast and easy to use

For USB µISP

Too busy using the programmer to write a review!

Works well with most of the AVR family. I had been using an Arduino to program other AVR chips and while this worked, it wasn't as smooth as i would like. This works 100% of the time and is much faster and simpler to use.

Bernard | Oct. 11, 2020

Fast and easy to use

For AVR ISP Pogo Adapter kit

Not much to say here.
Works well with the USB µISP.
Easy to put together. Pogo pins are high quality

Takafumi | Oct. 7, 2020

Great kits! Perfect functionality.

For GPS Clock

These are great kits. I have both V3 and V6. I actually might buy a few more. PCBs and parts are of great quality and functionality is perfectly implemented. GPS is super sensitive and locks very quickly. Customer service is great, too. I ended up with a defective LED. He overnighted it! Quite impressive and very much appreciated.

I have one installed as an independent clock, and the other one is used as timing source for an NTP server. It is working wonderfully.

An only thing I wish is if I can get SMA connectors and power connectors uninstalled. As designed and installed, they stick out from each side limiting casing options. I have a desoldering station, so I removed them and replaced them with right angle type.

Not mentioned specifically anywhere is that V6 can use battery for backup. It's a small CR1220 type. I imagine it is storing survey data for GPS. Works fine without but will take a while to lock as it has to survey every time. It was a super-cap on V3, I believe....

Benjamin | Aug. 29, 2020

Great for SDR

For GPS Disciplined OCXO

I'm using this with a Hackrf (att the 5V square to 3V) to measure Doppler shifts on satellites. If you need something to improve an SDRs clock and don't want to drop 2k on a rubidium clock, I say this is it. You could try to build your own OCXO, but kitting the build would prob cost around $150. In my mind, cost vs utility, this thing is a great bargain. Nice work.

Jonathan | July 11, 2020

Best clock ever.

For GPS Clock

Excellent build. Absolutely love this clock. I’m incredibly impressed with the quality and accuracy. Might even get a second one for dad.

Nathan | July 11, 2020

US built GPSDO with timing GPS from Tiawan with schematics.

For GPS Disciplined OCXO

I thought about buying one of those cheap GPSDO units from eBay but glad that I did not. After looking on the EEVBlog forum and getting some inside pictures and realized that they all use standard GPS modules and there was no schematics, help, or support my decision was made. This unit uses a SkyTraq Venus 838LPX-T chip from Tiawan that is rated for timing use and has all the schematics available.

The unit was able to lock on to the GPS satellites after a 5 minute or so acquisition. It took about a hour to get to level 1 and about 24 hours to get to level 2. It has bounced back and forth between level 1 and 2 several times while the OCXO aged and stabilized over a few weeks. It now sits on level 2 other than during thunderstorms or after a power outage. Since my location is not terribly far from Ft. Collins, CO I did a sanity check using a HF receiver and was easily within the margin of error doing such a comparison.

I did contact the maker with a question and was responded to. There was not really a malfunction just something that could of been improved and did end up improving my unit. Since the project is open source the improvement may make it to a future version.

On a previous review I noticed that a there was a post on a problem with the GPS. I did not have any problems at all using a ONSHINE ANT-555 placed on a ledge next to a non screen window that worked with no problems. The big thing is that the antenna needs to operate at 3 volts. I also recommend the antenna have a datasheet, use less than 20mA, have good gain, and have a low noise figure. Here is a short list of currently available antennas from Mouser that should work well: Taoglas AA.105.301111, Linx ANT-GPS-SH2-SMA, TE 602439004, Pulse GPSGMSMA, ABRACON AEACMK0660746-SG4 . You only need a singe band antenna since the GPS chip only receives the GPS L1 band. You can use a higher voltage antenna using a external bias tee if you need to.

Thanks to Nick for a great US built product.

Response from Geppetto Electronics | July 11, 2020

Thank you very much for your kind words. The only addition I’ll make is that for antenna power there is a solder jumper on the board to select between 3.3v and 5v antenna power. You can also, of course, as stated use an external bias-T.

Jason | June 1, 2020

OMG THE BEST

For USB µISP

Bought this a while back and it has saved me countless times. Never ever would i replace it. Thank You!

Steve | April 30, 2020

GPS Clock works great

For GPS Clock

Assembly went pretty quickly and I found a good GPS lock for the antenna on a window sill. For me it's useful that the antenna lead and the power cord are located on the sides as that allows placement in a shallow area. Assembly instructions are online only but are pretty descriptive. A couple of assembly pictures would be nice.

Laurie | March 21, 2020

Thanks so much. Only place with a sidereal (sky) clock!

For Crazy Clock

The only place I found offering a sidereal clock for our DIY sky clock. Thanks so much. And thanks for answering technical questions.

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