Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
1 and 1 internet rocks!
I have a few domains on 1and1.com
I had to call them tonight for a tech support question...
I was VERY impressed...they answered quickly, politely, and handled my question immediately and correctly.
This was the best tech. support call I've had in YEARS.
WAY TO GO!
I'm glad Sean pointed them out to me!
Dirt cheap domains and they even come with a free starter website.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by "yours truly".
Link to 1 and 1
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
k0uc.com
I registered k0uc.com and put up a minimal site on it. Not sure what I'll do with in the long term. Ham radio related something or another.
www.k0uc.com
www.k0uc.com
6m FM
Well I finally connected up my 6m 1/4 wave groundplane. Have it on the Midland Syntech FM rig scanning 22 channels! Pretty much just noise tonight. The only repeater that I had any luck with in the past was the Burnsville machine. It doesn't appear to be working at the moment....so I had a simplex converstation with myself on the Cherokee AH-50..hi hi. At least both radios worked. Might have Doug go out for a drive with the AH-50 and see what we can do on simplex. The ground plane is only up about 10 feet, so it's a flame thrower by any stretch. I'd like to get it to the 20 foot level at least.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
http://www.nf6x.net/greenradio/6mcallfreq.html
6-Meter Calling Frequencies for Military Radios
The Military Collector's Group mailing list has selected the following calling frequencies for our green VHF radios:
51.0 MC General local FM use. Selected because all green 6M FM rigs can tune to this frequency, and crystal-controlled rigs are commonly tuned to this frequency when they leave the depot. Note that this freqency is at the edge of the radio control band, and is also near FM DX frequencies, so please limit use of this channel to low-powered rigs with lousy antennas.
51.6 MC FM DX work. Selected because all green 6M FM rigs can tune to this frequency, and it is compatible with known band plans. Also, rigs such as the PRC-68 can tune to both this frequency and 51.0 MC without reprogramming. This frequency is a common FM simplex frequency, so it should be used instead of 51.0 MC when possible, in order to avoid interfering with DX and RC users.
50.6 MC Alternate frequency, for AM, etc. Note that this frequency is at the edge of the "all-mode" band, and is near the digital/packet calling channel, so please use it with caution.
The Military Collector's Group mailing list has selected the following calling frequencies for our green VHF radios:
51.0 MC General local FM use. Selected because all green 6M FM rigs can tune to this frequency, and crystal-controlled rigs are commonly tuned to this frequency when they leave the depot. Note that this freqency is at the edge of the radio control band, and is also near FM DX frequencies, so please limit use of this channel to low-powered rigs with lousy antennas.
51.6 MC FM DX work. Selected because all green 6M FM rigs can tune to this frequency, and it is compatible with known band plans. Also, rigs such as the PRC-68 can tune to both this frequency and 51.0 MC without reprogramming. This frequency is a common FM simplex frequency, so it should be used instead of 51.0 MC when possible, in order to avoid interfering with DX and RC users.
50.6 MC Alternate frequency, for AM, etc. Note that this frequency is at the edge of the "all-mode" band, and is near the digital/packet calling channel, so please use it with caution.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Screen replacement success - with 5/8 update
I got the new screen installed in the AOD150. Works great....I think I broke a little more structural plastic, but there's plenty spare. :)
The new screen is matte rather than glossy....and my experience would tell me that's a good thing.
More later, but I'm happy to have my netbook back on the air (literally).
:)
B
5/8 Update:
The matte screen is wonderful. Very bright, just as bright as the glossy and excellent outside or in brightly lit indoors. I've been reading that the glossy screens are only for glitz factor in selling netbooks. They are OK...I'd have been happy with another one, but I think matte will be the future for netbooks as it is for "full-size" laptops. One benefit of the small netbook screen is the lower replacement price! A good thing for those of us that take our 'puters out a lot or have little kids around. Or big dads that should know better. Pick up the netbook by the base...not the screen.
http://myworld.ebay.com/screensusa - is where I got it. Fast shipping...excellent packing...perfect factory sealed screen.
Very happy with the screen. No dead pixels. Same Samsung brand screen as was OEM.
Project closed.
The new screen is matte rather than glossy....and my experience would tell me that's a good thing.
More later, but I'm happy to have my netbook back on the air (literally).
:)
B
5/8 Update:
The matte screen is wonderful. Very bright, just as bright as the glossy and excellent outside or in brightly lit indoors. I've been reading that the glossy screens are only for glitz factor in selling netbooks. They are OK...I'd have been happy with another one, but I think matte will be the future for netbooks as it is for "full-size" laptops. One benefit of the small netbook screen is the lower replacement price! A good thing for those of us that take our 'puters out a lot or have little kids around. Or big dads that should know better. Pick up the netbook by the base...not the screen.
http://myworld.ebay.com/screensusa - is where I got it. Fast shipping...excellent packing...perfect factory sealed screen.
Very happy with the screen. No dead pixels. Same Samsung brand screen as was OEM.
Project closed.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Sunday, May 02, 2010
AOD150 Acer screen replacement
I popped open my Acer AOD150 to see how difficult LCD screen replacement will be. Well......it's certainly not a piece of cake. On a 1 to 10 scale of difficulty, I rate it about 7 or 8. I don't recommend it unless you have worked on fragile plastic devices a fair amount. It's not easy disassembling without breaking the tabs and slots, etc. I'm pretty sure I didn't do it correctly as I broke a tab or two. There are plenty and it's built fairly well, but these are tiny fragile plastic pieces that don't appear to be made for disassembly and re-assembly. And then the industrial strength double-faced tape on the front of the screen is kind of a pain.
My new screen should be here this week.
Anyone with hints on this procedure, let me know.
I had it completely apart and put the broken screen back in, and it works no worse....so that's worth something.
About $65 for the screen from "Screenusa" on Ebay.
My new screen should be here this week.
Anyone with hints on this procedure, let me know.
I had it completely apart and put the broken screen back in, and it works no worse....so that's worth something.
About $65 for the screen from "Screenusa" on Ebay.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Closed circuit: Realtek audio drivers windows 7 on Acer Aspire One AOD150

I had the issue where plugging in the headphones would not mute the internal laptop speakers.
....and will probably have it again....I don't know how I fixed but I wanted to let folks know it CAN work.
If you don't have the 3.5 mm jack in "Jack information"....it's probably going to play in the speakers and headphones at the same time. Some people want that...but generally not.

I got the latest drivers from the Acer site and installed them and no go.
I ran RtlUpd.exe and then I seemed to have the 3.5 jack show up in the control panel.
Folks...this is not like the old days when plugging in headphones caused electro-mechanical switching to take place. The laptop audio port detects the headphones by resistance/impedance, so it's all electronic switching. It's a cool concept if they could make the drivers work like they should. You could potentially have the speakers on with the headphones. I've seen it work! What impedance load was being presented to the audio output amp, I don't know...so there's potential it was lower than expected and could damage the amp, especially at higher volume levels.
ANYWAY....hope that Realtek or Acer or Microsoft figures this out.
BTW...the microsoft generic drivers seem to work ok, but I wanted the stereo mix recording source, which I think is only available in the Realtek drivers. 

Fix one thing, break 2 others.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Blackberry 8800/8830 Closed Circuit Advisory
HANDY LINK ALERT
http://unique-stuff.co.cc/fixing_sticky_blackberry_trackball.html
Try this site before you order a new trackball or remove the one you have now.
Also, be very careful with the retaining ring if you do remove the trackball. They are easily broken when removing or installing. ALSO, I highly recommend have a spare ring before you remove the old one. They are cheap on ebay. Pick up a trackball too...can't hurt to have a spare I guess.
The strawcleaning trick that worked the best for me was the one with the split straw end the "wings" method. My trackball is really like new again.
Thank you mr/ms poster at http://unique-stuff.co.cc/fixing_sticky_blackberry_trackball.html
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
80s ladies.
Killing my hearing right now...80s tunes cranked in the headphones. Sure sounds good. I don't miss vinyl much.....plus I have more audio processing on this $300 laptop than we had in the studio back then. Belt 'em out Terri Nunn, Laura Brannigan and Martha Davis!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Dataq and amateur radio
Anyone ever used Dataq Instrumentation products with amateur radio...particularly for remote base operations?
Seems they have some reasonably priced options for for control and data acquisition/monitoring.
If you have drop me a comment here on this site.
I'm considering building a remote base with HRD, a Yaesu FT897 and some sort of control/monitoring circuitry. Would be nice to be able to meter/monitor status and control things at the remote site.
Seems they have some reasonably priced options for for control and data acquisition/monitoring.
If you have drop me a comment here on this site.
I'm considering building a remote base with HRD, a Yaesu FT897 and some sort of control/monitoring circuitry. Would be nice to be able to meter/monitor status and control things at the remote site.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Best Buy Sucks Again/Insignia DVD - Bad IDEA.
thank God for speakerphone and free cell minutes on the weekend. I'm on hold now for 18 minutes with Worst Buy. Good prices, but it REALLY sucks when something goes wrong. Thankfully, this is just a dead $40 DVD player. I M DONE with Best Buy.
There's no point going there anymore with Micro Center not far away and all the internet options. Don't they realize that? I guess they get us impulse buyers.
This was an Insignia DVD player that apparently had a 90 day warranty.
It will no longer power on.
I may go in the store and "accidentally" drop it on the floor...hoping it makes a bunch of small pieces and then pick up what I can and leave.
There's no point going there anymore with Micro Center not far away and all the internet options. Don't they realize that? I guess they get us impulse buyers.
This was an Insignia DVD player that apparently had a 90 day warranty.
It will no longer power on.
I may go in the store and "accidentally" drop it on the floor...hoping it makes a bunch of small pieces and then pick up what I can and leave.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Acer AOD150 USB Webcam
The webcam in my Aspire One D150 is intermittent at best.
I've seen a number of posts about it.
If I close the cover about 2/3 of the way, the camera works.
When my warranty is over, I'll probably take the thing apart and fix it. Hopefully a loose connection and not a broken cable...though it wouldn't be much of a loss.
The webcam is adequate...at best.
I must like saying "at best"
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