Megadesk(tindie.com)
tindie.com
Megadesk
https://www.tindie.com/products/gcormier/megadesk/
140 comments
When you automate slow moving machineries and it picks up your finger, that kind of situations may present quite inconvenient results, so,
These desks are designed to stop if the force increases an unexpected Amount (say, getting caught on something). Also, the moving parts are all hidden - so long as you are far enough away from (say) another desk tou should be okay.
But you can still accidentally yank a phone or laptop off the desk without tripping the sensor if the power cable is too short.
The permanent cable management will obviously be fine, but "I just need to charge my phone from that outlet in the corner for a few hours, I'll definitely remember to unplug it before I raise the desk" is the kind of thinking that inevitably leads to shattered screens.
The permanent cable management will obviously be fine, but "I just need to charge my phone from that outlet in the corner for a few hours, I'll definitely remember to unplug it before I raise the desk" is the kind of thinking that inevitably leads to shattered screens.
I've been considering a new desk recently, since I will be WFH for the foreseeable future, and I'm considering the Jarvis.
How's the lateral stability in a Jarvis? I want to be able to mount a gaming wheel with very strong force feedback to my desk, and the Jarvis's lack of a cross bar makes me doubt it's as strong as an UpLift V2 desk which I'm also considering.
How's the lateral stability in a Jarvis? I want to be able to mount a gaming wheel with very strong force feedback to my desk, and the Jarvis's lack of a cross bar makes me doubt it's as strong as an UpLift V2 desk which I'm also considering.
I happen to have both a Jarvis desk I bought 3 years ago, and just recently bought an UpLift v2 with the commercial crossbar package as an additional desk in my office. Both sit next to each other, making comparison easy.
I was content with my Jarvis until I received the Uplift. Stability comparisons are night and day: Uplift (with crossbar) has vastly superior stability at standing heights. The Jarvis has noticeable sway just using a keyboard and mouse, while the Uplift remains stable even when pounding on music gear. Both are stable at sitting heights. I found accessories (such as cable management) to be better with Uplift as well. It is enough of a difference that I am considering replacing the Jarvis with another Uplift desk in the future.
To Jarvis’ defense, I am comparing their 3 year old product to their competitors’ product I bought 1 month ago, and the overall desk experience with Jarvis is still good enough that I’m in no rush to replace it. I will be only buying standing desks with crossbars from now on, though.
I was content with my Jarvis until I received the Uplift. Stability comparisons are night and day: Uplift (with crossbar) has vastly superior stability at standing heights. The Jarvis has noticeable sway just using a keyboard and mouse, while the Uplift remains stable even when pounding on music gear. Both are stable at sitting heights. I found accessories (such as cable management) to be better with Uplift as well. It is enough of a difference that I am considering replacing the Jarvis with another Uplift desk in the future.
To Jarvis’ defense, I am comparing their 3 year old product to their competitors’ product I bought 1 month ago, and the overall desk experience with Jarvis is still good enough that I’m in no rush to replace it. I will be only buying standing desks with crossbars from now on, though.
Thank you for the info!
Do you think it's worth the extra money for the 4-legged Uplift? Would it be more stable than a C-frame or T-frame?
Did you also get Uplift's CPU holder? I'm unsure of the ability of it to fit over the crossbar of the commercial frames.
Do you think it's worth the extra money for the 4-legged Uplift? Would it be more stable than a C-frame or T-frame?
Did you also get Uplift's CPU holder? I'm unsure of the ability of it to fit over the crossbar of the commercial frames.
I went with the commercial C-frame with a 60” desk and I think the 4 legged version would be overkill. I have a 27” iMac sitting on a 4U rack monitor stand filled with devices and probably around 30 pounds of music equipment on top of the desk and it feels consistently stable with no strain when changing heights. Unless you are putting seriously heavy stuff on top I don’t think you need 4 legs.
No CPU holder, but I got the retractable keyboard tray. At the lowest height (under 24”), it collides with the crossbar when fully pushed back. This never impacts me because it is well below the lowest height setting I use for sitting and can’t imagine it being an issue for anyone else. If the CPU holder collides with the crossbar, though, it’d probably happen at an unacceptable height. I would check the dimensions of everything before purchase.
For my purposes, I have an an additional desktop machine I simply keep on the floor by the desk.
No CPU holder, but I got the retractable keyboard tray. At the lowest height (under 24”), it collides with the crossbar when fully pushed back. This never impacts me because it is well below the lowest height setting I use for sitting and can’t imagine it being an issue for anyone else. If the CPU holder collides with the crossbar, though, it’d probably happen at an unacceptable height. I would check the dimensions of everything before purchase.
For my purposes, I have an an additional desktop machine I simply keep on the floor by the desk.
My Jarvis (purchased a bit over a year ago) has a crossbar and is almost unmovable laterally.
They updated the frame to be less wobbly in early 2020: https://www.fully.com/the-new-improved-jarvis/ (so sibling comment may not apply)
I own that one (extended version) and in the "sitting" position (I assume that's how you would use the wheel) I can make it wobble front to back by a few millimeters if i really lean onto it, but side-to-side i can move it barely a millimeter or two even when yanking it rather hard. It feels really solid in that direction. In the standing position, it does move more.
I own that one (extended version) and in the "sitting" position (I assume that's how you would use the wheel) I can make it wobble front to back by a few millimeters if i really lean onto it, but side-to-side i can move it barely a millimeter or two even when yanking it rather hard. It feels really solid in that direction. In the standing position, it does move more.
Good to know! I'll give Jarvis another look.
I did a lot of research before I bought mine, and this was one of my concerns.
In my opinion, the Jarvis is the best one (for its price range) and I've been thrilled with it.
In my opinion, the Jarvis is the best one (for its price range) and I've been thrilled with it.
If you are OK with adding more hardware, you could use a physical device to press the preset buttons. Something like this - https://www.amazon.com/SwitchBot-app-controlled-device-mecha...
That’s actually kind of neat. It would probably get in the way of manual operation but it’s something I hadn’t considered - thanks!
IKEA has a new standup desk called IDÅSEN: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/idasen-desk-sit-stand-black-dar...
It can be controlled via Bluetooth with an app on your mobile. It is a much better option in comparison to Bekant in my opinion. The tabletop on IDÅSEN is much thicker too, making monitor mounts safer to install. If you are on the market for a standup desk with good value, pay $100 more and buy IDÅSEN instead of the Berkant desk mentioned in the Tindie campaign.
It can be controlled via Bluetooth with an app on your mobile. It is a much better option in comparison to Bekant in my opinion. The tabletop on IDÅSEN is much thicker too, making monitor mounts safer to install. If you are on the market for a standup desk with good value, pay $100 more and buy IDÅSEN instead of the Berkant desk mentioned in the Tindie campaign.
I had a feature request to support IDASEN and came to the same conclusion.
However, for myself (and I suspect others), I don't need yet another app to do something. I want to push a button and be finished in 1 second for something like a desk. Cognitive load on this should be zero.
However, for myself (and I suspect others), I don't need yet another app to do something. I want to push a button and be finished in 1 second for something like a desk. Cognitive load on this should be zero.
Generally these devices use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for control, which has a well-defined 'schema' where devices expose 'services' which contain a number of read/write/notify 'characteristics' that are used for control. It's pretty easy to reverse engineer this stuff, I spent around two hours doing it with a sleep number adjustable bed base. Once you have the protocol of course you can just write a program to connect to the MAC address and send the commands. Another response to the parent shows that this has already been done.
On Android the free (as in money) NRF Connect application lets you browse the services/characteristics, tells you which ones are read/write/notify, and snoop+send data. I also had to use the 'Bluetooth Snoop Log' setting in Developer Options and open the log in Wireshark to sniff some of the packets that the app sent. The log contains timestamps so you can wait 10 seconds between operations to make it really easy to identify what does what. All you need in Wireshark is a filter like 'btatt.uuid128 == ff...:ff' to filter to just the characteristic you want to sniff.
On Android the free (as in money) NRF Connect application lets you browse the services/characteristics, tells you which ones are read/write/notify, and snoop+send data. I also had to use the 'Bluetooth Snoop Log' setting in Developer Options and open the log in Wireshark to sniff some of the packets that the app sent. The log contains timestamps so you can wait 10 seconds between operations to make it really easy to identify what does what. All you need in Wireshark is a filter like 'btatt.uuid128 == ff...:ff' to filter to just the characteristic you want to sniff.
They do have a button as well.
Armin Ronacher also wrote a tool[1] which lets you control this desk with the command line. I wish this desk was available in India!
[1] https://github.com/mitsuhiko/idasen-control
[1] https://github.com/mitsuhiko/idasen-control
> IKEA has a new standup desk called IDÅSEN: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/idasen-desk-sit-stand-black-dar... […] If you are on the market for a standup desk with good value, pay $100 more and buy IDÅSEN instead of the Berkant desk mentioned in the Tindie campaign.
Given the prices it gets at, why not just go for a non-ikea desk e.g. a basic Jarvis is actually cheaper than that.
Given the prices it gets at, why not just go for a non-ikea desk e.g. a basic Jarvis is actually cheaper than that.
In many markets, the options are extremely slim to buy good alternatives. Ikea is almost everywhere - and even in countries where they are not present (I lived in two), businesses exist that can get you their products from neighbouring countries at a 20-25% markup.
When I price it out Jarvis is the same price or more expensive for the same size.
I just bought it last month and it's amazing.
Especially usually most standup desks are wobbly at their maximum height, while IDÅSEN doesn't even shake a bit.
Especially usually most standup desks are wobbly at their maximum height, while IDÅSEN doesn't even shake a bit.
Ha, I just built something like this with a Raspberry Pi for fun. My standing desk (a Conset) only had a up/down button so I used a RPi + relay hat + distance sensor + screen/buttons to allow height presets as well as control via Homebridge:
https://imgur.com/a/9YF7FuP
Not exactly cost effective, but it was a fun way to learn about relays.
https://imgur.com/a/9YF7FuP
Not exactly cost effective, but it was a fun way to learn about relays.
Out of curiosity, why did you go with height instead of timing? Wouldn't you get equivalent results without the use of the sensor by activating the motor for a set period of time?
Yeah I tried timing first but it was hard to get right. The weight of the desk affects it and it also goes down quicker then it goes up (not sure if that’s common with all desks - I would assume so). You also can’t use the regular up/down adjustments if you rely on timing as it would be out of sync (I have buttons to raise and lower regularly as well as moving to presets)
Generally things like weight and wear affect timing so it's better practice to measure.
somehow it looks useless and over the top and before you downvote:
I really like this with the hal sensors and that display. Nicely done :-)
I really like this with the hal sensors and that display. Nicely done :-)
I have one of these. It makes the IKEA desk much nicer. Being able to adjust to pre-defined heights is something that should have been supported from the start.
The only real complaint that I have is how difficult it was to swap the original board for this one. But changing boards was probably not high on the IKEA priority list.
The only real complaint that I have is how difficult it was to swap the original board for this one. But changing boards was probably not high on the IKEA priority list.
We can call it the "BEKANT Tatoo" when you stab yourself with a spudger trying to open that damned case.
I just realized that I have a problem, where I think "why would I pay $50 for a PCB that I can design and make myself?" and then conclude "therefore nobody would pay".
Maybe I should start selling some of the PCBs I made.
Maybe I should start selling some of the PCBs I made.
FWIW,
I would say that knowing how to design boards makes me MORE willing to buy other people's boards. Coming from a more mechanical background, I don't look forward to the tedium of reviewing and modifying all the footprints of "standard" sized SMD parts.
I like making music effects for friends, and branching out to things related to motor control, LEDs, sensors, etc. I prefer to have them pick and placed for me. Since an injury a few years ago, I battle vertigo when doing extended fine detail work.
I would be interested in seeing some of the designs, you've always been an interesting person to read from here on HN. Tindie makes that easy.
I would say that knowing how to design boards makes me MORE willing to buy other people's boards. Coming from a more mechanical background, I don't look forward to the tedium of reviewing and modifying all the footprints of "standard" sized SMD parts.
I like making music effects for friends, and branching out to things related to motor control, LEDs, sensors, etc. I prefer to have them pick and placed for me. Since an injury a few years ago, I battle vertigo when doing extended fine detail work.
I would be interested in seeing some of the designs, you've always been an interesting person to read from here on HN. Tindie makes that easy.
Your comment made me realize that I only enjoy building things when they have a component of learning, or when it's something I haven't done before. I have a similar problem where my vision goes blurry at the center if I focus near for long, but I've found that magnifying glasses help with that because they change the focal length.
> I would be interested in seeing some of the designs, you've always been an interesting person to read from here on HN. Tindie makes that easy.
Thanks for the tip and the compliment! My latest design is a flight controller I made for a remote controlled paper airplane, it's nothing fancy but has some good caveat solutions that might be worth posting.
I'll look into Tindie and possibly upload there, thanks again!
> I would be interested in seeing some of the designs, you've always been an interesting person to read from here on HN. Tindie makes that easy.
Thanks for the tip and the compliment! My latest design is a flight controller I made for a remote controlled paper airplane, it's nothing fancy but has some good caveat solutions that might be worth posting.
I'll look into Tindie and possibly upload there, thanks again!
> I only enjoy building things when they have a component of learning, or when it's something I haven't done before
Yes, yes, yes and yes.
This comment came at the perfect time since it's something I've been thinking about all morning and it even relates to PCB's :-)
I think I'm the same way. I have bare boards here (PCB designed and came back from fab), a stencil, paste and trays of parts. AND a customer and a damn healthy profit margin.
So why haven't I assembled, tested and shipped the boards I should have almost a week ago? Well, that's the question and I think your answer crystallized it perfectly for me. The fun part of solving the problem and coming up with a solution is done. Actually building and testing these things is BORING and I have to force myself to do it even though I know shipping just two boards will cover this month's car payment.
I was thrilled and excited to ship the first ones: precision analog electronics, a four-quadrant multiplying DAC and a domain I enjoy working in (machine control). But now that we're up to Revision 4, I am so effing bored with it.
Yes, yes, yes and yes.
This comment came at the perfect time since it's something I've been thinking about all morning and it even relates to PCB's :-)
I think I'm the same way. I have bare boards here (PCB designed and came back from fab), a stencil, paste and trays of parts. AND a customer and a damn healthy profit margin.
So why haven't I assembled, tested and shipped the boards I should have almost a week ago? Well, that's the question and I think your answer crystallized it perfectly for me. The fun part of solving the problem and coming up with a solution is done. Actually building and testing these things is BORING and I have to force myself to do it even though I know shipping just two boards will cover this month's car payment.
I was thrilled and excited to ship the first ones: precision analog electronics, a four-quadrant multiplying DAC and a domain I enjoy working in (machine control). But now that we're up to Revision 4, I am so effing bored with it.
It is also the learning aspect for me. And doing projects for friends helps to force good design decisions, and to mind BOM cost.
I ended up with "cervicogenic dizziness." I was forced onto team standing desk a couple years back. And I'm only 40. SMH...
Anyways, I think my 6 year old would love to play with paper airplanes that also could be flown remotely.
I ended up with "cervicogenic dizziness." I was forced onto team standing desk a couple years back. And I'm only 40. SMH...
Anyways, I think my 6 year old would love to play with paper airplanes that also could be flown remotely.
Ah, that's too bad about the dizziness... We're getting old, alas!
The controller works fine, but I still need to do some work on the aerodynamics of the body to make it fly well. I'll post the controller so you can try your own aircraft designs, though.
EDIT: I've also recently started live-streaming my design sessions (of whatever I happen to be designing at the time) here: https://www.youtube.com/c/StavrosKorokithakis
The controller works fine, but I still need to do some work on the aerodynamics of the body to make it fly well. I'll post the controller so you can try your own aircraft designs, though.
EDIT: I've also recently started live-streaming my design sessions (of whatever I happen to be designing at the time) here: https://www.youtube.com/c/StavrosKorokithakis
The seller provides all the Gerber files, BOM, etc. https://github.com/gcormier/megadesk
But it's pretty clear many are buying the pre-assembled kit. Hand soldering SMD components is pretty tedious.
But it's pretty clear many are buying the pre-assembled kit. Hand soldering SMD components is pretty tedious.
Yes, please feel free to build it yourself ;) Initially I offered kits as well - buy the PCB and all the parts to build it yourself.
I think I've sold about 6 kits total in more than a year since the last time it frontpage'd HN. It just wasn't worth keeping track of them and then effectively being a middle man for digikey. A lot of people want plug and play.
I think I've sold about 6 kits total in more than a year since the last time it frontpage'd HN. It just wasn't worth keeping track of them and then effectively being a middle man for digikey. A lot of people want plug and play.
I bought one of the kits and assembled it myself (although it looks like kits aren't currently for sale.) The only hiccup I had during assembly is the random board profile I found in the Arduino IDE had the chip layout reversed which took me a few minutes to figure out based on the source.
Yeah there was an issue a while ago with the ATTiny library and they switched the pin definitions. Was indeed a frustrating time to figure that out initially when the library switched it and all of a sudden everything stopped working!
The pin spacing on J2 looks like it would need a pretty steady hand to me. Though it appears only 3 of the pins matter.
I have access to a SMD oven (just a toaster oven with a fancy controller.) Manually applied solder paste, placed the parts and they flowed just fine. Same process with a hot air gun should work but will be a little more finicky.
I'll have to try that out. I suspect I'd still have trouble like accidentally shaking the components off center while putting them in the oven.
Low temp solder paste, a laser cut stencil, and a hotplate makes it pretty easy.
Time is golden, just because I could do something myself doesn't mean spending all that time on it is worth it.
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Ah, but I enjoy building.
I enjoy building, too. But there are so many things for me to build that I don't mind paying for shortcuts so I can use my limited time to build things I want to be building.
Even if your audience is other people who enjoy building, it can work because they might build on top of your thing. Think about an arduino. It's open source, and so maybe you could build it yourself, but there's all sorts of other fun stuff that you can build when you can just throw money at that part. It unlocks projects.
Personally, there's many things I enjoy but I try to focus on the ones I enjoy most. Which for me is generally things I haven't done before. Spending money rather than time is one means to enable that.
it's a general problem for developers to pay x money for something they could build themselves for y hours where y hours are worth x*10 money, even if you will not use y hours to build it yourself. But since the world has lots of people in it if even 10% of the people who can build something decide to pay for it that can be a profitable business.
This is why I made it open source. For those who have the time or drive, or enjoy it, they can get everything they need to do so themselves!
I think this must be true of software, too; I have thought, from time to time, "that'd be neat, but there's no way I could sell it", or even just "that'd be neat, but nobody else would want to contribute" (for FOSS). But... the same logic would imply that a lot of things shouldn't exist that do. Why do any of the BSDs exist, why does redox exist, why are there so many programming languages, why are there so many package managers, ... maybe, if I think it's neat enough to build, other people would want to use it. Maybe, if I would pay for it (if only someone would sell it), others would, too.
Oddly, I don't have that problem with software at all. I think it's the hassle of shipping that makes me think that, whereas software is deliverable immediately.
a) You can design and make it; I can't. I have basic electronics knowledge and that is definitely more advanced than anything I'd get done in a reasonable time.
b) Speaking of reasonable time, it'd probably take even you more than $50 in time, material and parts (mostly time) to make this. This doesn't look like the kind of PCB that you'd hand-solder either, bringing us to...
c) Making 1000 of something tends to be cheaper per item than making 1 of something, and I'll gladly take an option that's not only cheaper than anything I could make myself, but also ready to use.
You definitely should share your PCBs by producing them at scale if you're willing to do that.
b) Speaking of reasonable time, it'd probably take even you more than $50 in time, material and parts (mostly time) to make this. This doesn't look like the kind of PCB that you'd hand-solder either, bringing us to...
c) Making 1000 of something tends to be cheaper per item than making 1 of something, and I'll gladly take an option that's not only cheaper than anything I could make myself, but also ready to use.
You definitely should share your PCBs by producing them at scale if you're willing to do that.
Part of the costs is that I do assemble these by hand! My right arm is the pick and place machine.
I try to do batches of 25 at once, as any more and I want to smash something. I have an SMT stencil for all the SMT parts, and then put them in the oven.
The pin header is through-hole (will be stronger then SMT header) so it's done by hand.
Then going over everything with a loupe to look for solder paste that hasn't flowed or other issues, programming each one, and then verifying the functionality of each one on my own desk (see the video of the testing process).
All in all, quite a bit of my time, and not yet factored in is the entire logistics (storefront, shipping, customer support)
Unfortunately as it's a small operation, I also can't afford to buy these parts in what would be considered a big quantity - so I'm still paying fairly high costs. The jellybean capacitors and resistors I can order in real bulk (500), but the IC's and voltage regulators are name brand from DigiKey.
I try to do batches of 25 at once, as any more and I want to smash something. I have an SMT stencil for all the SMT parts, and then put them in the oven.
The pin header is through-hole (will be stronger then SMT header) so it's done by hand.
Then going over everything with a loupe to look for solder paste that hasn't flowed or other issues, programming each one, and then verifying the functionality of each one on my own desk (see the video of the testing process).
All in all, quite a bit of my time, and not yet factored in is the entire logistics (storefront, shipping, customer support)
Unfortunately as it's a small operation, I also can't afford to buy these parts in what would be considered a big quantity - so I'm still paying fairly high costs. The jellybean capacitors and resistors I can order in real bulk (500), but the IC's and voltage regulators are name brand from DigiKey.
Are these too small amounts to order fully finished products from somewhere with a pick-n-place machine, or is there another reason why that isn't something you're doing?
Making a PCB is pretty cheap, even making 10 PCBs costs around $15 nowadays. I usually panel my PCBs so I fit 40-100 in a batch, depending on size (and then only use one).
I usually share my designs, the ones I've uploaded have links to the manufacturer where you can order them, though I haven't really done assembly on any, yet. I might, if any design has people interested, though.
I usually share my designs, the ones I've uploaded have links to the manufacturer where you can order them, though I haven't really done assembly on any, yet. I might, if any design has people interested, though.
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Definitely!
- First of all, a PCB that I design and make myself would cost me way more than $50, counting my time
- $50 is nothing for a person with a fulltime job
- I have a family and busy life. Would love to make my own, but just don't have the time for all of that.
- First of all, a PCB that I design and make myself would cost me way more than $50, counting my time
- $50 is nothing for a person with a fulltime job
- I have a family and busy life. Would love to make my own, but just don't have the time for all of that.
I envy you. When it comes to this, I am severely challenged. There is a market for people who want to play, but have no affinity for building hardware. I don't know how big it is, but if you have something interesting, I would share it.
Hey, I started a few years ago with an Arduino and have dabbled on and off, I haven't really spent much time. I'm not great at hardware, but I know enough to have fun with it.
I would really recommend grabbing an Arduino and just making stuff, I think you'll love it and it's really not hard. They've done a great job making it beginner-friendly.
I would really recommend grabbing an Arduino and just making stuff, I think you'll love it and it's really not hard. They've done a great job making it beginner-friendly.
adafruit has made money on it.
There's money on providing easy to use hardware.
There's money on providing easy to use hardware.
I suggest they also program a child lock for the buttons. My son caught his fingers between a chair under the desk and the desk itself while pressing the down button, luckily I jumped in time to help. I've since then moved the controls on top of the desk and at the back.
The IKEA standing desk seems to have a safety key that needs to be plugged in for the desk to move.
Correct, the desk will not move without the key inserted, even with megadesk.
So THAT is what that is for... I have had some of these Bekant tables, never understood the reason that thing needed to be plugged in.
Crazy that this is here, this is the product of a friend of mine!
I will admit, my reaction to the price was that its not cheap either, but i also really did want my ikea desk to have this functionality and its pretty easy to justify given how much use my desk at home gets now. The solution he's made is very solid, never let me down, and was easy enough to install (Although Ikea make it hard by plastic welding the box shut).
I will admit, my reaction to the price was that its not cheap either, but i also really did want my ikea desk to have this functionality and its pretty easy to justify given how much use my desk at home gets now. The solution he's made is very solid, never let me down, and was easy enough to install (Although Ikea make it hard by plastic welding the box shut).
I recently got myself a commercial-grade Workrite Sierra HX Electric standing corner desk to make what appears to be a pretty permanent WFH situation more pleasant. Safe to say I won't be volunteering to go back to the office anytime soon.
Video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h6ja2epcja2cwd8/standing_desk.mp4
You can even kneel on the ground with this one, because it goes as low as 22.5" as per BIFMA G1-2013 requirements.
It seems to have the same up/down interface (panel and app) as the IDÅSEN from IKEA, which is interesting. Exactly this one: https://www.linak.com/products/controls/dpg-with-reminder/
Video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h6ja2epcja2cwd8/standing_desk.mp4
You can even kneel on the ground with this one, because it goes as low as 22.5" as per BIFMA G1-2013 requirements.
It seems to have the same up/down interface (panel and app) as the IDÅSEN from IKEA, which is interesting. Exactly this one: https://www.linak.com/products/controls/dpg-with-reminder/
IKEA Bekant contracted the design to https://rolgroup.com/
In the IDÅSEN they use Linak motors, gears and electronics. Most likely in yours too, which is a good thing. Linac motors are great.
I guess this makes mostly sense if you plan on extending the firmware. A stupid idea I was thinking about is a table that moves once a day into the standing position. I used to work at a standing desk and after a wile almost never used the feature. Maybe a warning-beep would make sense...
edit: mixed up the price, removed my first sentence
edit: mixed up the price, removed my first sentence
There's an open feature request to allow this type of functionality. Someone else wanted it to randomly move during working hours (a few times a day) to force them to alternate their position.
FYI, these motorized desks can be dangerous, so be careful. My friend had a desk in a high position, and lowered it, not knowing a chair was off to the side slightly under the desk. It hit the chair and kept going, and tilted the desk and his monitor and desktop tower fell off the table. I've also had the arm rests of my desk get caught under them. There's lots of things that can happen, like catching an open door's handle. A child can hit the button and get hurt.
IMO they should have some sort of sensor thing that detects a change in resistance or something.
IMO they should have some sort of sensor thing that detects a change in resistance or something.
My Jarvis will stop and reverse a few inches if it hits something. I have triggered it just setting my coffee cup down while it was raising.
Interesting, my Jarvis doesn't and it's 18 months old. I've had the same scenario happen that OP described.
> and desktop tower fell off the table
I think having the tower insecurely affixed to a moving desk was asking for trouble
I think having the tower insecurely affixed to a moving desk was asking for trouble
Most motorized desks I've interacted with (including the one I own) do indeed have a resistance sensor and will not only stop, but back up a bit if they encounter something.
None of the desks I've interacted with had this feature. I've almost crushed things a couple of times on a variety of different desks.
If anyone has concerns about the reliability/safety of electric desks and are also put off by crank desks, I can recommend pneumatic standing desks. They can transition between standing and seated very quickly, faster than either crank and motor. This looks like what we have in our office: https://www.standupdeskstore.com/pneumatic-adjustable-height...
I don't mind electric desks but I prefer crank operated ones, like the Adler Desk which totally slays, because there is no motor to burn out and need replacement: https://work.ohiodesign.com/adler-desk.html
For those worrying about motorised desks and their safety, I just want to recommend Ikea’s manual desk. It works fine. I don’t know why I’d want a motor in it.
I went to the store to have a look at that desk. They had three on the floor including one that was assembled three days ago according to the staff there.
They were all so wobbly as to be unusable. Put some pressure on where the monitors or where you’re hands would be and everything shook.
Knowing how robust ikea is, I hard passed and got the stationary bekant. It still comes with legs that are quite adjustable (but only when you assemble it, I wouldn’t think it’s easy to set it with stuff on it)
So yes a word of caution I guess, that desk can be rather wobbly.
I didn’t go with the motorized bekant because I heard the electronics are not reliable at all and fails way too much needing warranty service. The less I go to ikea the better, and since their warranty is bring in (30kg desk)...
They were all so wobbly as to be unusable. Put some pressure on where the monitors or where you’re hands would be and everything shook.
Knowing how robust ikea is, I hard passed and got the stationary bekant. It still comes with legs that are quite adjustable (but only when you assemble it, I wouldn’t think it’s easy to set it with stuff on it)
So yes a word of caution I guess, that desk can be rather wobbly.
I didn’t go with the motorized bekant because I heard the electronics are not reliable at all and fails way too much needing warranty service. The less I go to ikea the better, and since their warranty is bring in (30kg desk)...
I use the manual desk at standing height most of the time. At this height, if I really bash on the keys of my mechanical keyboard then I can see a tiny movement in the monitor (which is on an arm clamped to the rear edge of the desk). Otherwise nothing. I don’t normally bash the keys like I’m trying to break them, so yes, while it’s possible to make it move artificially, in real life I don’t see any movement.
Too bad ikea themselves do such a poor job at assembling their own furniture in the showroom then. Because of the wobble and the pain that it is to return ikea furniture without a car, I ended up spending half as much on a fixed bekant instead which is really good enough for my purposes as I don’t ever change the height anyway.
I use an Ikea Jerker desk as my main desk. I love it.
You can set it to any height you want, adjust the monitor shelf height, and it's so sturdy. For my home office I got two... one for work, and one for gaming.
They cost like $50 when you can find them on Craigslist.
No clue why Ikea stopped making this desk, it's better than anything they have made to date.
https://www.jerkersearcher.com/
You can set it to any height you want, adjust the monitor shelf height, and it's so sturdy. For my home office I got two... one for work, and one for gaming.
They cost like $50 when you can find them on Craigslist.
No clue why Ikea stopped making this desk, it's better than anything they have made to date.
https://www.jerkersearcher.com/
I left my Jerker behind when I did a cross-country move and I still regret it sometimes. Less so since I put together an Ikea order of some shelves and a tabletop designed to attach to them; it's not quite as solid as the Jerker was but I have SO MUCH SPACE.
I was curious so I looked it up the desk, and surprised, I did have one of those.
Sure you can adjust the height, but once you have your monitor, books and what not, it is a pain to make any adjustments.
It has been in "sitting" position for as long as I can remember.
Sure you can adjust the height, but once you have your monitor, books and what not, it is a pain to make any adjustments.
It has been in "sitting" position for as long as I can remember.
Get a bar chair/stool or something similar that puts your butt at a good height for standing, spend a day rearranging the desk to standing height. Now when your feet get tired standing you can just pull the stool out and sit for a while.
It's a lot lower-tech than a fancy adjustable desk but it's also a lot cheaper and lower hassle.
It's a lot lower-tech than a fancy adjustable desk but it's also a lot cheaper and lower hassle.
I was actually hoping this was going to be some WFH setup where someone had pushed multiple desks together like that episode of The Office
Am I the only one dismayed by the interface as described? User interface a few decades old were far simpler and IMO more functional -- dedicated buttons for everything (cheaper than micro controllers back then).
I'd suggest UP DOWN M1 M2 M3 with the only non-trivial function being a long-press on an M button to store position. Simple!
I'd suggest UP DOWN M1 M2 M3 with the only non-trivial function being a long-press on an M button to store position. Simple!
The idea is that this is a board retrofit into the existing housing / control setup. The BEKANT only has two buttons available, so this controller has two buttons to play with.
Of course, you could build a new controller and housing with whatever input buttons you want, but the cost then would go up considerably.
Of course, you could build a new controller and housing with whatever input buttons you want, but the cost then would go up considerably.
I initially set out to do a complete design as you described, but homemade housing/buttons will look... homemade. :)
I'm amazed at the tiny part size and part count/density "hobbyist-made" boards have achieved.
This is plainly not safe. A desk with memory needs to require a continuous button press to keep advancing the desk, so that if the operator or someone gets caught in the desk and can’t push the stop button, it stops as soon as pressure is released.
It would probably be better to just implement continuous current (proportional to torque which is proportional to force up/down) limiting on the motor, that would prevent the desk from pushing up or down at a force that could injure someone. Not sure if this is directly controlling the motor or just communicating with the actual motor controller. If the motor controller is separate it may already do this.
Fall-safe buttons would probably be ideal too - recessed/covered to minimise accidental contact. You don't want to collapse against your desk and have it crush your legs (though the motor/gearbox probably isn't that strong).
The motor could easily be that strong, depending on how many pounds loading the desk is rated for. My standing desk is an expensive model but it's rated for 600 pounds.
Hah! I am in the market for a standing desk and am 95% sold on the IKEA Bekant. Just waiting to move to commit to the purchase.
I wasn't keen on the crank but I figured I could live with it. This is a nice and fun addition :)
I wasn't keen on the crank but I figured I could live with it. This is a nice and fun addition :)
I bought the Bekant a couple of years ago, and then an Idasen just a few months ago. I highly recommend you consider the Idasen instead. It's double the price and the legs are arguably uglier, but overall it's so much more sturdy than the Bekant. There's no more wobble at the top, the desk surface itself is twice as thick, and the lever for raising/lowering it is way better than the buttons on the Bekant. I could tell it was going to be a better desk while constructing it; there's no more plastic stuff, all the pieces are held together with thick metal bolts.
The Idasen does look a lot better. Do you think it would handle a move (or two) well?
I bought a set of Uplift legs online and bought and stained a butcher block from Home Depot. Whole thing cost around the same as the Ikea desk, but is built like a tank, has programmable heights, and the butcher block is strong and thick enough that I could mount my PC tower hanging underneath.
Very happy with the Uplift legs. And stained butcher block looks pretty classy.
Very happy with the Uplift legs. And stained butcher block looks pretty classy.
While researching for standing desks to buy, I came across this [1] listing the problems with the Bekant. The stability issue is a design problem and hard to fix.
[1] https://www.btod.com/blog/problems-ikea-bekant-desk/
[1] https://www.btod.com/blog/problems-ikea-bekant-desk/
I had the ikea one and this one:
https://smile.amazon.com/VIVO-Ergonomic-Adjustable-Controlle...
The vivo one has been far better in features and reliability. I had to replace the ikea one because it started only going down and not up.
https://smile.amazon.com/VIVO-Ergonomic-Adjustable-Controlle...
The vivo one has been far better in features and reliability. I had to replace the ikea one because it started only going down and not up.
I've never owned an IKEA desk, but can vouch for VIVO's frames - I'm typing this comment using a mechanical keyboard on an IKEA Karlby countertop mounted to a set of VIVO V120EB legs and am experiencing minimal wobble (minimal desktop wobble, no monitor wobble thanks to the gas-spring monitor arm I have).
I also have my desktop at ~49" off the ground, including castors and a 1.5" thick countertop, and I've read that no standing desk has 0 wobble at this close to maximum height.
I also have my desktop at ~49" off the ground, including castors and a 1.5" thick countertop, and I've read that no standing desk has 0 wobble at this close to maximum height.
I have this one with an ikea kitchen counter top and it is an amazing combo, Highly recommend https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B073K1JSW7/ref=ppx_yo_dt...
If you still have the Ikea one, that was caused by a fairly wide-spread issue with the power bricks. They'll replace them under warranty with just an email with some info about the brick.
I've had one since 2015, and I've been quite happy with it.
The desk itself is great; sturdy, stable, and the size I prefer.
The one caveat; make _sure_ to keep your receipt. This desk has known issues with the power supply burning out. If you have your receipt, IKEA will honor their 7-year warranty and throw you as many new power supplies as you need.
The desk itself is great; sturdy, stable, and the size I prefer.
The one caveat; make _sure_ to keep your receipt. This desk has known issues with the power supply burning out. If you have your receipt, IKEA will honor their 7-year warranty and throw you as many new power supplies as you need.
I was too until I heard that it might not be the most stable desk, something that's very important to me. So I'm looking at Effydesk[0] right now.
[0] https://effydesk.ca/collections/electric-standing-desks
[0] https://effydesk.ca/collections/electric-standing-desks
I have been using a [1] Jarvis frame only, with an IKEA top for now close to 5 years and really loving it. I swapped the top out when I wanted to change color.
[1] https://www.fully.com/jarvis-frame-only.html
[1] https://www.fully.com/jarvis-frame-only.html
I have a Skarsta, which is a hand-crank-operated standing desk from IKEA, and I really like it. It's much cheaper than the mechanized version (Skarsta is $240 vs Bekant $400) and I don't miss having the electric controls, since I only change its position once a day at most.
The autonomous desk is sturdier, cheaper, bigger and actually has built in position memory settings etc.
It’s served me amazingly over the past few months WFH. Definitely worth a look.
It’s served me amazingly over the past few months WFH. Definitely worth a look.
I have one of these... it needs to be re-greased, since it's currently making lots of noise when raising and lowering. It would also be vastly improved by implementing acceleration instead of just starting and stopping its motion at full speed. That's a design decision I completely fail to understand, since it's trivial to do in software on the board.
Our desks accelerate and deccelerate. Maybe they’ve updated the model? I think mine is the smart desk 2 (their model numbers are confusing. I’m pretty sure I was looking at the wrong YouTube video while building it).
I've just ordered these, so I'd be interested in any opinions. (Ideally ones that validate my decision to purchase, let's be honest.)
Haha.
My wife got one for herself and we were impressed enough that I got one as well a week later.
It’s been about 2 months and they are doing excellently.
Honestly, I was surprised by the weight and sturdiness for the cost (under $400).
4 memory positions and a very decent vertical range (it goes higher than I would find useful being 5’8” tall, although I wish it went slightly lower than its current lower limit).
It has 4 auto memory positions that is convenient since we occasionally swap desks, so it holds both our standing and sitting positions.
I honestly have no complaints.
I found the accessories a little annoying though. The swivel drawer accessory wanted me to drill a hole, which I was not comfortable doing in the desk at all. So I returned that. I can’t speak to how useful it would have been. The cable holding undercarriage is excellent to hide all the wires, etc, but it sits really close to the desk, so it’s a little difficult to maneuver stuff in there, especially since I’m using it to hold my spike guard and have all the plugs plug into it. But once I managed to get everything plugged in it looks great.
So my wife and I are huge fans so far. I’m not sure how good it will be a few years from now, but I have no reason to believe it won’t last and be excellent.
So much so I am considering buying their ergonomic chairs as well, once this whole pandemic situation clears up a bit.
My wife got one for herself and we were impressed enough that I got one as well a week later.
It’s been about 2 months and they are doing excellently.
Honestly, I was surprised by the weight and sturdiness for the cost (under $400).
4 memory positions and a very decent vertical range (it goes higher than I would find useful being 5’8” tall, although I wish it went slightly lower than its current lower limit).
It has 4 auto memory positions that is convenient since we occasionally swap desks, so it holds both our standing and sitting positions.
I honestly have no complaints.
I found the accessories a little annoying though. The swivel drawer accessory wanted me to drill a hole, which I was not comfortable doing in the desk at all. So I returned that. I can’t speak to how useful it would have been. The cable holding undercarriage is excellent to hide all the wires, etc, but it sits really close to the desk, so it’s a little difficult to maneuver stuff in there, especially since I’m using it to hold my spike guard and have all the plugs plug into it. But once I managed to get everything plugged in it looks great.
So my wife and I are huge fans so far. I’m not sure how good it will be a few years from now, but I have no reason to believe it won’t last and be excellent.
So much so I am considering buying their ergonomic chairs as well, once this whole pandemic situation clears up a bit.
Thanks, really useful.
To be clear, you're talking about the BEKANT yeah?
Parent seems to be referring to https://www.autonomous.ai/standing-desks
Yes, that’s the one.
I have one and it is pretty good, at least considering the price. It is a little bit less stable feeling than I'd have liked, but overall ok.
Strange question, for anyone that has the Bekant non-motorized desk, is the desk wobbly?
I noticed that the motorized version is significantly studier, where the standard version was quite wobbly.
I noticed that the motorized version is significantly studier, where the standard version was quite wobbly.
On a related note, I recently converted my old Ikea desk to a standing desk using a kit off Amazon. Only like $150 to end up with a nice standing desk!
Kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TTVF1M5/ref=dp_cerb_2
The one I got isn't on sale anymore. Here's a more expensive dual motor one.
Here's the setup.
Ikea Desk + Vivo Stand + keyboard tray https://imgur.com/a/TlmKP1I
The one I got isn't on sale anymore. Here's a more expensive dual motor one.
Here's the setup.
Ikea Desk + Vivo Stand + keyboard tray https://imgur.com/a/TlmKP1I
What's such a kit composed of?
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23684036
Basically everything below the flat desk part.
Although I suggest you have a drill to make inserting the screws much faster.
Basically everything below the flat desk part.
Although I suggest you have a drill to make inserting the screws much faster.
My IKEA standing desk died after only one year, the crank jammed in the weirdest way and it cannot rise anymore.
Hmm, I could use this finally realize my dream of the "Squatting Desk".
So it's called the "Megadesk," but it has an ATtiny...
This seems a bit silly, but I have a whole configuration that I use for coding that is different to the config that I use for (say) gaming - different monitor settings, change in lighting, open/closed window shades etc. I'd like to adjust desk height similarly (I have two keyboards and mice, one positioned below the other one on a pull-out keyboard tray).
So, any ideas on where to start automating this particular kind of desk? The controller is a sealed unit and my google-fu is lacking when it comes to finding the protocol used to communicate with the desk itself.
EDIT: Found this: https://github.com/sarahkw/deskctrl/blob/master/schematics/r... not sure if my desk is a JRV1 or not yet but will find out.