V29

thingiverse

Update By popular demand, I have added a de-badged version of the V29. It is labeled V29D in the thing files section. Originally, I put the version number on the whistle to tell them all apart as I was developing them. I kept it on the final design because it became part of the whistles story for me. Recently, Fusion 360 posted a video where they removed the lettering from the V29 using Meshmixer, and I was thrilled to see my design featured. I decided to trust your feedback. Enjoy! I have added their video below. The MakeItLoud V29 got its name because it is the 29th version I designed for this challenge. It is a survival whistle that is a completely original design. I designed it to be rugged, easy to make and carry, have a great design, and most importantly, very loud. It is designed to get you noticed in all conditions. For ruggedness testing, I spiked it into the pavement as hard as I could repeatedly. Then, I ran it over with my car twice. Finally, I left it in a glass of water for two hours to ensure that it would not sink and would drain and whistle immediately after taking it out. It still whistles. The design is meant to look as clean and simple as possible while still looking like a whistle. It was also designed to be easily gripped with thick gloves or cold hands. It has a raised lip on the bottom and grips on the top to allow you to hold it securely in your mouth even if you are blowing as hard as you can. There is a hole in the back for a key ring or lanyard so you can wear it around your neck or attach it to your zipper or keychain. Another huge focus was making it printable in one piece with no supports or rafting. I wanted someone to be able to print this before going for a hike or something with no assembly, cleanup, or fuss of any kind. The whistle actually has two slightly different tones produced at the same time by separate chambers on either side. The two different tones alternate between amplifying and canceling each other out, creating a shrill sound much like a pea whistle that is more attention grabbing and does not get lost as easily over background noise. Unlike a pea whistle, however, it does not jam if blown too hard and will not freeze up in cold weather. I tested the volume with my decibel meter, and it reached 118.7db. The harder you blow into it, the louder it is, so someone with a stronger lung capacity may reach louder levels. Be careful, as it can hurt your ears a little bit at that level. I started designing and printing prototypes from the day this challenge posted, knowing next to nothing about how whistles work. Through many hours of research and testing and constant trial and error, I produced a whistle that I am very proud of. It took 29 tries, but this whistle met all the goals I set out to achieve. For loudest results, blow as hard as you can in a burst! The international distress signal with a whistle is three long blasts. I hope you print it for yourself. Enjoy! Print Settings Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator 2 Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: .2mm layer height in model, but any is fine. Infill: 100% in model, but any is fine; may affect durability. Notes: To print with no supports, print with the flat top side down. I have to give a huge thanks to my good friend James, who printed all 29 versions for me with his printer. Thank you, James! Custom Section Why I Designed This Whistle As a teenager, I spent many summers working as a lifeguard. One time while trying to rescue two people at one time, I ran into trouble. Things did not go well, and the two people started pulling me under. Just in time, another life guard jumped in to help. The other guard was nowhere near line of sight but heard my whistle just as I jumped in and came right away to help. I wanted to design the best whistle I could because I know from experience the demands that they face and what it's like to depend on one.