Crazy Idea....Digital Display Tap Handles

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John Paul Stoddard

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I got this crazy idea...

Tap Handles with a Built in Digital Display :)

Trying to find a Couple of those Digital Picture Key Chains cheaply to inset in wooden Handles...

Anyone ever try something similar?
 
Ugh. No. I doubt anyone wants to face an array of those.

Someone smarter than me needs to find a way to use scrapped phone screens for this...

Cheers!
 
Ugh. No. I doubt anyone wants to face an array of those.

Someone smarter than me needs to find a way to use scrapped phone screens for this...

Cheers!

In that case, it would be easier to use a complete phone... like those pre-paid ones from Boost or Verizon, they go as cheap as 25-30 bucks a piece

Or probably something like this one
 
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I was thinking the Key chain things with about 1.5 Screen but I am looking at several Older Phones due to larger screens.

I have a ZTE Prepaid phone right now. I guess compared to commercial "Retail" handles the cost of the phone would be comparable :)

Added advantage is you could Store several Labels on each one and cut them off when Not used...
They have the programs already installed..no need to programs
 
Oddly enough I got a coupon for a free Raspberry Pi Zero at a convention this week. (I have a old model Pi that I occasionally play with)

Seeing this thread got the wheels turning.

Here is what I would do (and if I ever get the Pi Zero, i'll give it a try):
Raspberry Pi Zero
Adafruit 0.96" OLED 16bit color display

You would need one of the above pair for each handle, with some misc cabling you could make this all fit in a standard wooden tap handle. The hardest part is powering these suckers. You could make it work with a rechargeable battery pack but you're not going to get much more than a day run time at most. (You could add a PIR motion sensor to turn the display on/off to save some battery life) I do like the EPaper idea that beardedbrews mentioned, they are just kinda bland displays.
 
Yes, I'm with you re:blandness but the advantage of only having to plug them in to change them is pretty attractive for this use case.
 
I kicked around the idea of putting a small digital picture frame into a wood tap handle. They make them for key chains and as refrigerator magnets. Some with touch screens. Make a rectangle tap handle from wood, split the tap handle, router out the pocket for the frame, router out a hole for the screen to cover what you don't want to see, re-join with screws from the back side. Store all of your label graphics in the memory never have to change the tap again just the JPG that it's displaying. It was on my list of things to do but I just never got around to it. Maybe I'll put it back on the list right up there with my Light up (LED) tap handles.
 
As long as we are debating options. While large, the iphone 4 or above can be bought for next to nothing. I have 2 myself. If a suitable design could be configured to embed the phone. easy changes via Bluetooth are possible. I use my old ones to stream Pandora to my secondary audio systems, like in my shop.
 
Seems like every idea I have, someone else had it before. Did anyone ever go anywhere with this?
 
I'm not tech savvy to follow this, but if someone comes up with a tap handle that can digitally display your beer, you'd make a fortune.
(Main reason for the post is to subscribe)….;)
 
they wanted a lot for what it was... i was thinking that there are some $13 1.5" e-ink displays on aliexpress that will work with the $10 raspberry pi zero W. The pi could probably be programmed to check an API or url on boot, pull down data from your homebrewery account on untappd for example, refresh the screen, and then power down again. Very low power, not that hard to build or program (i think), no need to charge a battery (though your tap handle would need to be powered whenever you wanted to update it....
 
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