Block Erupter USB mod contest 2015 - 0.3/0.15/0.05 BTC prizes - closed

[TheRealSteve]

Wrong forum section? Feel free to move!

Block Erupter USB mod contest
BTC0.5 total prize money

Ah, the venerable Block Erupter USB - many a miner's first foray into ASIC Bitcoin mining.

But what are they doing now?  Collecting dust?  Fetching $5 each in flash sales only to be found on ebay for $15 each - and selling, too?  Still hashing away, forgotten behind a computer tower at a job you were fired from for completely unrelated reasons a long time ago?

Or maybe you modded yours.  If so, this thread is for you.

To celebrate the Block Erupter USB's upcoming 2-year anniversary, I'm 'giving' away BTC0.5 total (a small prize for a small device) in a contest.  Post your Block Erupter USB mods here, and I - dictator that I am - shall judge the entries. With any luck you could be a winner (aren't we all, though).

Prizes:

• 1st place: BTC0.3
• 2nd place: BTC0.15
• 3rd place: BTC0.05

It's not much, but it's more than you're going to get mining with one now, short of being a solo Bitcoin mining lottery winner :)

Rules:
1. Your mod must be a mod of the Block Erupter USB.  Let your imagination run wild - be creative.  Here's some things that have been done before and aren't going to score very high unless it's exceptional work:

• sticking heat sinks onto the chips and calling it a day
• overclocking
• turning it into a (generic) USB-UART adapter
• turning the heatspreader into jewelry
• using it to melt wax
• turning it into a door stop / will it blend / RHNB / taofledermaus treatment or general decommissioning/destruction of any kind

2. You must post evidence of the mod in this thread.  For some mods that means a picture will be good enough, for the more imaginative mods you might want to make a video and link to it. imgur is a great place for images and videos without sound, youtube is still the go-to place for full video.
3. You must post or PM an address to which potential winnings should be sent (at time of submission or if selected as a winner), and - lest I send BTC into a void - you must sign the following message using that address to prove receivership:

Code:

Block Erupter USB mod contest 2015

Duration:
I understand if you haven't already modded your Block Erupter USB - or don't have one to mod - but wouldn't mind a go at grabbing BTC0.3. That's okay, you've got approximately a month to acquire one and/or get modding.

• This contest opens effective immediately.
• This contest closes on 2015-05-04 12:00am PST (night of 3rd on 4th).  Not sure when that is?  Google is ever-so-helpful: current time pst

Contest address:

• Winnings will be paid out from the following address: 1BEUSBxMTLXvZzbYd3gvGckD4dbWiWRJgB
• Signature (message as in rule 3): HwvW9w97bUUMTvOL2TZYzb0154eAP95cqwWqDKIaxE2nJvunmOmNkqA9MZF7VDdoaE+RSdK0YsxLp1UaJ0E0KII=

Disclaimer / the fine print:
I will not give feedback on this thread other than clarification of rules and technical support for posting. This contest is open to any member of the BitcoinTalk Forum.  If you're not a member, now's a good time to become one.  By participating, you agree to the rules and disclaimer.  I'm not allowed to participate.  Bummer.  friedcat is totes allowed to participate, tho'.  Entries past the closing time will be disqualified.  I won't be responsible for entries not received due to technical errors.  3 winning entries will be chosen - the number shall be three.  Four shalt I not count, neither count I two, except if there's only two entries in which case the remainder of the prize money is distributed by the same weight as the original prizes to those two entrants.  Similarly, only one entrant?  Winnar!  There is no limit to the number of entries allowed per participant, but a single participant only qualifies for a single prize.  Results and winners will be announced on 2015-05-04.  That's May 4th, not April 5th.  My decision is final and no further correspondence will be entertained unless it is entertaining.  Prizes are not exchangeable for cash or other products - I mean, by me, you can do whatever you want with it when it's yours.  I do not accept responsibility for any tax implications that may arise from the prizes or the use thereof, for you poor sods whose Bitcoin is taxed strictly. This post may receive updates in the below section at any time during the contest period.  I told you this was the fine print bit, right?

2015/04/08: Added link to solo.nicehash.com
2015/04/13: Added wax melting video
2015/04/13.2: Clarified payout address submission
2015/04/15: Updated with contests section below


Contests:
1. Block Erupter USB mod contest 2015 - 0.3/0.15/0.05 BTC prizes
2. Block Erupter USB Three Days of Mining lottery 2015 - 0.1 BTC prize
3. Block Erupter USB - StickMiners Horizons - 0.1 BTC prize

[S4VV4S]

Nice one!

But why is this in Project Development?

[TheRealSteve]

Nice one!
But why is this in Project Development?

Thanks!  And that is an excellent question - unfortunately I couldn't pick a good section for it based on section names alone, so I decided to look for previous contests.. and between this section, the gambling section, and marketplace/services, this seemed the most appropriate
That said, I fully acknowledge there might be a better section - thus the "Wrong forum section? Feel free to move!" in the top right corner

[defcon23]

interesting !    watched!  

[S4VV4S]

Nice one!
But why is this in Project Development?

Thanks!  And that is an excellent question - unfortunately I couldn't pick a good section for it based on section names alone, so I decided to look for previous contests.. and between this section, the gambling section, and marketplace/services, this seemed the most appropriate
That said, I fully acknowledge there might be a better section - thus the "Wrong forum section? Feel free to move!" in the top right corner

I would move it to Bitcoin Discussion if I was you.

It would get more views as not that many members are "technical" 

Once again, Nice One! 

[TheRealSteve]

I would move it to Bitcoin Discussion if I was you.

It would get more views as not that many members are "technical" 

Darn those un-technical members!

I'll leave it to a mod to relocate if appropriate.  It'll get linked from my StickMiners thread later so it'll be found regardless

[achow101]

Awesome contest I'm waiting to see some creative projects!

[coinableS]

But what are they doing now?  Collecting dust? 

I still have a handful of these, I wouldn't be surprised if they become collectibles in a few years.

[novak@gekkoscience]

Oh wow I just saw this.  If I can come up with any more good projects (the USB-UART convertor is mine) I'll have  to enter for sure.

--
novak

[TheRealSteve]

Welcoming any and all submissions (that adhere to the rules)

There's two other Block Erupter USB(-related) contests coming up, keep an eye on my StickMiners thread for announcements (though I might cross-post across the contest threads anyway).  They'll be less involved and thus carry lower prizes (BTC0.1 each) - but if tinkering is not your thing, those should be relatively easy money

[macsheadroom]

Long since retired I had dozens of these running 24/7 for a few months, Overclocked with sidehacks kits. I taught myself hot air soldering among other things chasing the bitcon.

[TheRealSteve]

Just to note, the contest does mention specifically:

Here's some things that have been done before and aren't going to score very high unless it's exceptional work:

• sticking heat sinks onto the chips and calling it a day

Looks like you also messed with R1 for overclocking?

If you're an electronics geek by now, have a look at the LED and how it's being driven.  Funky.

Long since retired I had dozens of these running 24/7 for a few months, Overclocked with sidehacks kits.

Time to bring it (or possibly another) out of retirement! Details soon

[macsheadroom]

Just to note, the contest does mention specifically:

Here's some things that have been done before and aren't going to score very high unless it's exceptional work:

• sticking heat sinks onto the chips and calling it a day

Looks like you also messed with R1 for overclocking?

If you're an electronics geek by now, have a look at the LED and how it's being driven.  Funky.

Long since retired I had dozens of these running 24/7 for a few months, Overclocked with sidehacks kits.

Time to bring it (or possibly another) out of retirement! Details soon

I'm not expecting to even place but someones gotta get the ball rolling.

Bad heat sink placement and amateur soldering skills led to this ones death. Its the only one that died early. I guess I kept him for nostalgia's sake. all the others worked until I sold them on ebay long ago. I over clocked some blades too, those were the days.

I remember reading something about that funky LED driver, it got to be over my head.

I cant imagine why anyone would mine bitcoins with these anymore, do tell.

[TheRealSteve]

I'm not expecting to even place but someones gotta get the ball rolling.

True that - easy money, too, if yours remains the only entry

Bad heat sink placement and amateur soldering skills led to this ones death.

That poor thing

I cant imagine why anyone would mine bitcoins with these anymore, do tell.

Three days of mining for a chance at BTC0.1 - mining with a Block Erupter USB hasn't been this profitable since.. ever?

Block Erupter USB Three Days of Mining lottery 2015

[sidehack]

I did put out Blade kits, but nothing for the Block Erupter (except sending a handful of parts to one friend). I had at one time seventeen custom-overclocked to 460MH/s but I didn't make any kits for them. I think I still have two, one that works and one that smoked - I also killed the first one while trying to overclock.

I was thinking it might be interesting to rig up a BE with a software-adjustable voltage and clock but I don't think there's enough free pins on the micro. Maybe hardware-adjustable would be good enough.

[TheRealSteve]

Be sure to throw one at the mining lottery - just not the overclocked ones, as it seems you'd be quickly disqualified!

[sidehack]

I might point a BM1384 board at it if I can talk one into running at 6MHz instead of 100+

[macsheadroom]

Looking back I see I got those kits from member rumak and ebay, but I did get my blade kits from sidehack.

Come on guys, are you going let my hack job hack take this win, lets see em'! 

[btct22]

I got quite into modding my BE's  - I kept one stock one and all the others got at least a crystal replacement and extra heatsinks.

These two I got running at almost double the normal speed, clamped between two finned heatsinks.  They had the inductor removed and were directly powered with a variable power supply.  This rig was running for months under my desk on top of my PC.

[BitBlitz]

OK..  I had about 30 of these things running at one point.  
Because I preferred to run my Block Erupters with passive cooling, I always removed the heat spreader and epoxied them to proper heat sinks as soon as they arrived.  

I realized I had an 'ideal heat sink' for the last three I bought.  

Behold!  The 1GH/s coffee warmer with integrated hub...  What wasted heat??

 

Ideally, one would overclock them or run more than three for the extra heat, but my laptop would only run three stock Block Erupters per USB port before a powered hub was needed.  I didn't want to deal with extra cords.

These three avoided the early retirement faced by the other Block Erupters when more efficient hardware arrived.  
 
I eventually retired the mug to my office bookshelf, until today.

I once left the coffee mug on the kitchen counter (with the cables and hub removed), and the wife ran it through the dishwasher.  It survived, and still works today.