Author Archives: Jim

Ryobi battery rebuild with more learning opportunities

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Jim

My 14 year old 12V cordless drill is finally back on the air, with a battery pack rebuilt for the manyth time.  Two more cells replaced this time, but once again, some surprises.  I remember when I thought the hard … Continue reading →

Posted in Battery Rebuilding | 3 Comments

Flame spreader

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Jim

I’ve wanted a simple flame spreader tip for a propane torch for many years.  I recently got around to looking on Ebay etc, but couldn’t find a cheap one.  It helped when I saw a picture of one that wasn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in HDR, Miscellaneous | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Prototype recording preamp mirror upgrade

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Jim

I’ve felt a little like the shoemaker’s shoeless kids:  The shiny new recording preamps I make for others have a little window so you can watch the LEDs from out on the floor, while the ones I use – slightly … Continue reading →

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Leaf vacuum repairs

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Jim

These are notes about a dear old Craftsman lawn vac, started in 2012.  More repairs and plans for the bag here.  I’ve scanned most of the manual here.  See end of life note near end of this post. —————————————————- It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Home Repair | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 63 Comments

Sweep first

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Jim

I’ve been drinking Instant Breakfast (for breakfast) for I dunno – 20 years? – and have always used a favorite old glass.  Today while I was washing it, it popped out of my hands, fell on the floor and broke. … Continue reading →

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Furnace repair

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Jim

The furnace failed to fire up the other day when I tried it for the first time this season.  I learned a fair amount about its components and how they work as I tried to figure out what was wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Home Repair | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Hacking dance shoes

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Jim

Well, that’s not quite right.  They’re not dance shoes until after the hacking.  Whatever. I wore cowboy boots for the first many years of my square dance history.  Given the usual western theme, I liked how they looked.  But more … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance shoes | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Optical interface to water meter

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Jim

I’ve wanted to be able to monitor household water flow for a long time.  A primary driver is to be able to spot unexpected use while we’re away, probably involving lots of water going where it shouldn’t – like from … Continue reading →

Posted in Home Automation, Water meter reader | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Interfacing to my Neptune water meter

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Jim

My water meter (with a Neptune T-10 encoder) is connected to an external RF transmitter (a Neptune R900) to allow drive-by meter readings.  Great!  I’d like that data for my home monitoring system.  (The bottom line is here.) That meter … Continue reading →

Posted in Water meter reader | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 74 Comments

LiPo conversions

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Jim

I’ve rebuilt several NiCd battery packs now, and all have been moderately successful.  But all except the one I used all new cells for (Ed’s DeWalt) have surprised me with one cell failing way earlier than I’d like.  Humpf. Now … Continue reading →

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