Hardware Relics

Home Forums Discussion Hardware Relics

Viewing 20 posts - 21 through 40 (of 63 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1120

    Things working any better?

    #1121
    DeVaultSetter
    Keymaster

      Oh, well while the weather is warming up for spring, the pebble button is wanting the firm touch again. Must be the contacts literally shrinking from the very idea of coping without all that nice permafrost around! 😛
      And yes, definitely not running the Vax or any other heavy equipment (jackhammers, compressors, generators) near this rig whenever switched on. Sensitive, (and not so) new age connections, if you know what I mean. And, kid gloves, so as not to precipitate any kind of impromptu spiral descent. 😛

      Is it W10 still on the laptop, or has it upgraded, and did you end up managing to connect two monitors on it?

      #1125

      Weird. I can understand keyboards doing that if they’re a membrane but a mouse shouldn’t be affected unless it’s got a pad under the button!

      Yep. I get the lights overhead flickering if I also run the microwave! 😛

      One laptop has W10 and cannot be upgraded to 11 for being too old while the other one is currently on W11. I haven’t had the chance to check the video ports since the new monitor was setup but will do so! The newest laptop may only support USB-C monitors, I’d need to check. The new monitor doesn’t use it and likes DisplayPort for access to all of its features. 🙂

      #1127
      DeVaultSetter
      Keymaster

        Okay, so you did have four monitors hooked up to the old desktop rig, do they all have dvi/hdmi/displayport connectors?
        Sounds like the new monitor is the one and same in use, right? (Still very much in antique DVI land here, and HDMI still for the televisions. 😛 )

        #1129

        Three of them and what I did was use the daisy-chaining feature of DisplayPort to clean up the mess of cables. Nice and tidy! 🙂

        Yep, that’s the one!

        #1237
        DeVaultSetter
        Keymaster

          As well as the Frigidaire, this establishment sports a fine and trusty Simpson Delta 402 washing machine.
          Washing Machine Now and Then

          The top image is how it looks now, the bottom, way back. Acquired in 1990, it has to date accommodated many a load without so much as a sneeze, notwithstanding the horrendous number of dirty hankies it has suffered unto. The only issue to date was the replacement of the broken lint catcher some years ago. Now, the drain pipe having caught the morning sun for many years, has developed small splits, so consequently it is held together by a few winds of handy gaffer tape. 🙂

          #1239

          Amazingly well preserved!

          My washer isn’t holding up nearly as well. No idea what year it’s from but it’s relatively recent. It’s developed a short that causes it to sometimes skip the spin cycle so I need to run the spin cycle manually. 😛

          Another annoyance that may be due to the water quality here (not sure) is that it’ll stain the clothes with what looks like rust stains. Minor staining but annoying all the same. Some clothes stain quicker than others, which is weird. My socks, for instance, don’t have any stain marks on them at all while my shirts get the staining. I don’t understand what’s up.

          #1241
          DeVaultSetter
          Keymaster

            Has happened here on the odd occasion as well, usually turns out to be something awry with the switches.
            The stain is odd, rust should generally rinse out – always rinse in cold here. For the existence of rust in the HWS or even the pipes, no issue with water for the bath or shower? How old is the hot water tank btw?

            #1243

            Nope but we do have heavy mineral deposits in the area, which may be part of the issue. I’ve had many a spigot clog up! 😛 A water softener may help at some point

            Got it three years ago after the old one kicked the bucket. Not only has it been leaking but the heating coils crapped out.

            I may try running some vinegar through the washer in case there’s something lurking in there 🙂

            #1472

            Been reading up online about cleaning up electrical contacts for my workshop’s toolkit and it sounds like DeOxIt is a well regarded go-to for reviving old electricals.

            Still need to order some more tools and tool storage but I’ll get there!

            #1848

            Finally got around to ordering the rest of the dissection tools 😛

            #1855
            DeVaultSetter
            Keymaster

              Sounds great, a piccy of the kit and the up and coming work in progress workshop is very welcome!

              #2023
              DeVaultSetter
              Keymaster

                Did they come through yet – don’t forget a multimeter, get one with a friendly interface. For your average meter newbie, gear like the DT830B Digital Multimeter used recently is a bit clunky, if not finicky. 🙂
                Have an old piano in the recess underneath the house, a Rosenkranz beauty which, despite a broken leg, lusts for a restorer’s touch and a good old tune up.
                Front panel of Rosenkranz upright piano
                It’s similar in design to the piano in the cover image, and the following restoration:
                Rosenkranz piano stained and Shellac'd
                Once had a socket wrench to assist with tuning, a tool of considerable utility now suspected as having done a bunk, so it’s turned out to be a heart wrencher instead. 😛

                #2026

                Yep! Got them the other week 🙂 Haven’t had the opportunity to do much with them yet, though. It’s either been pouring rain or too humid 🙁

                Yep, got a multimeter but I may need a new one. This one is ten years old and was a freebie from a discount store so I’ll need to test it and even then its accuracy may be rather questionable 😛

                Cool! I’d start with a bit of polish and see what it looks like after the dirt and grime comes up. Found a slab of marble buried in my garden bed under a few inches of dirt when I was digging one day and it cleaned right up!

                #2068
                DeVaultSetter
                Keymaster

                  Lucky you! If undamaged, might be worth something, especially to those who reported it missing from their art deco dungeon floor traps collection yonks ago. 😛
                  The Telstra TV3 Roki box, for all its shortcomings, has now found itself in perfect condition with a friendly, stable interface, and 100% proven reliability of service. The good times will not last, as it will be unceremoniously decommissioned by the provider, the cheapest replacement being is a Fetch mini.
                  The old TTV box will not remain a relic on these premises because the providers are accepting returns, which shows they care, in a roundabout Roki kind of way. 🙂

                  #2069

                  It’s nothing special, just a long rectangle about four inches wide and two feet long and an inch high. Think it was scrap from something. Not sure what! I’m using it as a pedestal for my miniature rock garden 😛

                  Hopefully the new one isn’t as finicky! Still enjoying my Roku Ultra. Absolutely no problems with it and it’s a lot more responsive than the other models. 🙂

                  #2074
                  DeVaultSetter
                  Keymaster

                    Lovely, could work in a terrarium too. 🙂
                    Fetch box is on the way, so once activated, there’s no going back to the TTV. The service operator said they were fine, mustering the temerity for the riposte “fine, for landfill?” not on tap. 😛
                    Acquired a nice clock like this the other day:
                    Belvedere Clock
                    Didn’t realize the url link for the clock is the actual image – cool!
                    Digital clocks are passé, and so are the keys that wind them, and if anything gets lost in clockland, the keys go first. As there is a dearth of “Swiss Army Knife” digital clock keys, procuring the right key for the clock can be a lengthy and expensive operation. Instead, the decision here is to try out a bunch of micro tweezers from Ali Express, the worst case is if they don’t come in handy for splinters and the like, they’ll make a wonderful gift for icky friends & foes at Tweezermas. 😛

                    #2096

                    Is the new one still using Roku or are they switching to a different backend?

                    Awesome! I like anologue clocks myself. Partly because I like the ticking!

                    Yep, tweezers of all sizes are indispensable! Splinters (never fun), repairs, and more! You may be able to find a kit with several sizes. 🙂

                    #2194
                    DeVaultSetter
                    Keymaster

                      The Oblivion desktop is kaput after being powered on after some months in storage. The lights and fans turn on, the DVD door works if operated, no BIOS beep or light on keyboard, nothing on screen either.
                      The old Skyrim PC has turned out even worse, the last windows session on it gone into permanent frost. On reboot there was a service exception BSOD, so rebooted. The Windows logo would show for a few seconds, then came the spinning dots animation followed by blank screen with no activity in the device at all. The machine would then power off/reboot with the same behaviour. Did check the UEFI settings, nothing out of order there.
                      Later power on would get rapid beeps from the box, right now, there is no response to the power button at all. The cause of the error is PSU, memory, CPU, or the whole kit and caboodle, who knows?
                      Thus it’s very much like the aftershocks of the disintegrating relics causing one to be propelled into the invidious situation of acquiring new hardware. 🙁
                      Done! 😛

                      • This reply was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by DeVaultSetter.
                      #2198

                      For the Oblivion system, have you tried replacing the coin cell battery? When they go belly up, the board can start doing some funky things.

                      Yeah, sounds like it’s time to replace the aging workhorses. Always sad when a piece of tech dies 🙁

                    Viewing 20 posts - 21 through 40 (of 63 total)
                    • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                    Home Forums Discussion Hardware Relics