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Open-Source Controller for the IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

blog.tindie.com

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Re: Open-Source Controller for the IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

#11

Post by PascLeRasc »

dbcurtis wrote: post #9

Well, on the one hand, it is great to have a replacement for the original controller. At a previous employer I had a Bekant with the stock controller, and those darn things are dreadfully unreliable. We had enough of those desks to get good reliability statistics... and the statistics are awful. So an open source replacement is great. That said: Who the heck needs a motorized desk????? When it came to spending my own…

Can the hand crank remember favorite positions? That's the big value add of this controller.

Re: Open-Source Controller for the IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

#12

Post by tinus_hn »

dbcurtis wrote: post #9

Well, on the one hand, it is great to have a replacement for the original controller. At a previous employer I had a Bekant with the stock controller, and those darn things are dreadfully unreliable. We had enough of those desks to get good reliability statistics... and the statistics are awful. So an open source replacement is great. That said: Who the heck needs a motorized desk????? When it came to spending my own…

Motorized desks are for flexible working places. People need to change their desks to the right height before starting to work and they are more likely to do so if it is easier.

Re: Open-Source Controller for the IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

#13

Post by IshKebab »

PascLeRasc wrote: post #11
dbcurtis wrote: post #9

Well, on the one hand, it is great to have a replacement for the original controller. At a previous employer I had a Bekant with the stock controller, and those darn things are dreadfully unreliable. We had enough of those desks to get good reliability statistics... and the statistics are awful. So an open source replacement is great. That said: Who the heck needs a motorized desk????? When it came to spending my own…

Can the hand crank remember favorite positions? That's the big value add of this controller.

I would imagine a ruler and some tape could do that. But yes a motorised system is a lot easier to use.

Re: Open-Source Controller for the IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

#14

Post by trillic »

PascLeRasc wrote: post #11
dbcurtis wrote: post #9

Well, on the one hand, it is great to have a replacement for the original controller. At a previous employer I had a Bekant with the stock controller, and those darn things are dreadfully unreliable. We had enough of those desks to get good reliability statistics... and the statistics are awful. So an open source replacement is great. That said: Who the heck needs a motorized desk????? When it came to spending my own…

Can the hand crank remember favorite positions? That's the big value add of this controller.

No, but an inconspicuous marking with a permanent marker can.

Re: Open-Source Controller for the IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

#15

Post by mabbo »

dbcurtis wrote: post #9

Well, on the one hand, it is great to have a replacement for the original controller. At a previous employer I had a Bekant with the stock controller, and those darn things are dreadfully unreliable. We had enough of those desks to get good reliability statistics... and the statistics are awful. So an open source replacement is great. That said: Who the heck needs a motorized desk????? When it came to spending my own…

I've got some leg/knee issues that come and go. I like to stand, but I often can only do it for an hour or so.

I've got the Skarsta at home, but I rarely crank it up because it's a lot of effort and I'll just have to crank it down again in an hour.

At work I have an electrically controlled sit/stand desk. It's great.

Re: Open-Source Controller for the IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

#18

Post by DataInSolutions »

dbcurtis wrote: post #9

Well, on the one hand, it is great to have a replacement for the original controller. At a previous employer I had a Bekant with the stock controller, and those darn things are dreadfully unreliable. We had enough of those desks to get good reliability statistics... and the statistics are awful. So an open source replacement is great. That said: Who the heck needs a motorized desk????? When it came to spending my own…

I also have a Skarsta. I got tired of hand cranking it and cut the crank's shaft to approx 12" length, then attached a $10 electric drill to it.

Works great but the cheap drill is a bit noisy. At some point I may upgrade that.

Re: Open-Source Controller for the IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

#19

Post by sethammons »

dbcurtis wrote: post #9

Well, on the one hand, it is great to have a replacement for the original controller. At a previous employer I had a Bekant with the stock controller, and those darn things are dreadfully unreliable. We had enough of those desks to get good reliability statistics... and the statistics are awful. So an open source replacement is great. That said: Who the heck needs a motorized desk????? When it came to spending my own…

I really like my motorized one I has memory settings. Meeting standing, working standing, sitting.

Re: Open-Source Controller for the IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

#20

Post by SEJeff »

tpetry wrote: post #16
SEJeff wrote: post #7

I wonder if this could be built with an esp8266 or esp32 instead of an arduino.

An esp32 would enable so much cool features. Like control by bluetooth/wifi, apple homekit integration, ...

My thoughts exactly! Basically anything you can do with an arduino you can do better and cheaper with esp*. It also gives you some interesting benefits (with the esp32 especially)
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