Friday, March 1, 2019
Gen 2 Prius Troubleshooting
Rough notes for edit later
A big no-no for cars, especially hybrids, is to jump start it backwards, like black to red (negative to positive) instead of black to black /red to red (negative to negative/positive to positive). This can blew some main fuse or a fusable link, DC/DC fusible link. This may be a part that plugs in or a grey fuse assembly with an embedded wire that can burn out, underneath the main fuse box under the hood, or a fuse on top of the 12 volt battery in the back in a Prius. Still looking it up. Concept is same for other cars as well.
Prius 12v batteries are more expensive than most other car batteries because they are Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) car batteries, referred to as dry cell batteries, instead of the more common and traditional lead-acid based battery. Toyota uses dry cell batteries in hybrids because it's safer to not have hydrochloric acid a few feet away from the ~26 NiMH (Nickel-metal Hydride) hybrid batteries under the rear seat used for the actual hybrid power part of the car, because apparently there could be an explosion if there was a rear end crash and the HCl and NiMH batteries mixed. Being dry cell may be why AAA and Walmart don't carry Prius 12 v batteries. They may stock only lead-acid batteries.
Tools - Voltmeter.
https://priuschat.com/threads/how-to-change-fusible-link-under-hood.96616/
----
Misinformation I was told
False - If your Prius 12 v battery has no sloshing, it's probably frozen. Once it's frozen, it's dead. --Got that from Autozone. There is no sloshing because it is dry cell. Test it with a voltmeter. There is some truth to the idea though.
-https://www.cars.com/articles/2014/02/can-a-car-battery-freeze/
A quote from the link above.
"A 100 percent fully charged battery will not freeze until approximately minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit. A fully discharged battery can freeze at or around 32 degrees," Kimbrough said in a telephone interview. The difference between a fully charged and discharged 12-volt battery is not that big.
Related: How to Store Your Car for Winter
"When I'm talking about a fully discharged battery, I'm not talking about zero volts. A fully discharged battery is just below 12 volts. There's only about eight-tenths of a volt difference between a fully charged battery and a discharged battery," Kimbrough said.
A 12-volt battery has six cells, and Kimbrough said that if one cell is damaged, the voltage will drop below 12. Cells are connected in series, like Christmas lights, he added, and "you're never going to be any stronger than the weakest."
The electrolyte inside the car battery is made up of about 25 percent sulfuric acid and 75 percent water. The acid interacts chemically with lead plates to create electricity, leaving mainly water in a discharged condition that is more susceptible to freezing.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Frequent Flier Miles
Generalizations are bad in this case. Go airline by airline.
Southwest
Points aren't directly related to miles. Some $72 fares can be redeemed for different miles. Not sure why.
Chicago to LGA New York one way in Southwest
April 28 - $55 - 2725 points = Redemption value is $20.18/1000 miles
April 13 return - $66 - 3462 points
April 4 - $72 - 2,956-3,416 points
April 3 - $74 - 3,416
April 5 - $96 - 5,471
April 9 - $104 - 5,426
April 20 - $116 - 6,811 points = Redemption value is $17.03/1000 mile
$365 - 25,445 = Redemption value is $14.34/1000 miles
Southwest
Points aren't directly related to miles. Some $72 fares can be redeemed for different miles. Not sure why.
Chicago to LGA New York one way in Southwest
April 28 - $55 - 2725 points = Redemption value is $20.18/1000 miles
April 13 return - $66 - 3462 points
April 4 - $72 - 2,956-3,416 points
April 3 - $74 - 3,416
April 5 - $96 - 5,471
April 9 - $104 - 5,426
April 20 - $116 - 6,811 points = Redemption value is $17.03/1000 mile
$365 - 25,445 = Redemption value is $14.34/1000 miles
Thursday, September 29, 2016
2014 Relationship thoughts
Here are my brainstorming thoughts from 2014 that somehow got bumped up to look like my most recent post in 2016. I'm keeping it because I'm curious to compare what I was thinking or reading in 2014 to what I am today.
Going through this blog with ideas about how to make a marriage work brought up some ideas.
http://stepbystepjourney.com/?p=3682
1. Purchases/Freedom to fail: Remember you are in a relationship, not an autonomy. A relationship where both people feel valued by the other person regardless of their contribution. If one person is artistic and one loves functional comparisons between a lot of options, they can both have input, but realize you may have to make compromises. The person who has compared features, and come up with the one with the best value and ease of use may not be able to get it because if the significant other severely dislikes it because it doesn't come in the right color, or match the theme of the room, there could be a difference of priorities you get to talk out.
Doing the research and comparisons doesn't mean that your result is always "right". The other person who puts less effort into the selection process, or has a different method of decision making, such as referrals from friends or prefer a particular look or color, something that may not matter to the other person, just as some additional features may not matter to the other person ("You'll never use that." "But I might in the future!" ... and you end up using it once or twice and not could mean they were right. One may come up with the most logical solution, but that may not be the right decision for "the team". Both people in the relationship need to feel just as valued in the decision making process no matter their level of research or commitment to the decision.
This can be difficult for someone who, for example, spend a few hours comparing Consumer research, longevity, features, value, etc and having a spouse walk in and say they want one of the ones that got poor reviews, less functionality, but looks pretty. The point is that you have to trust the other person's descision making, even if it is not like your own. So marry someone you respect enough, so give them a break and let them fail sometimes. You can't be a perfectionist. If you don't respect their opinion, you can become controlling and the other person can feel suffocated and not valued and the relationship will fail. It comes off as you thinking you are better than them and don't value them, and that can wear a person down and make them not not feel valued. "Why did you marry me if you don't trust me to make any decisions? Do you think I am stupid?"
Some people consider themselves very good at making decisions. An outside person may objectively disagree when they look at how they do it, but it doesn't change the original person's perspective that they are good at decision making. I'm sure we are all a bit not perfectly self-aware in some areas.
Going through this blog with ideas about how to make a marriage work brought up some ideas.
http://stepbystepjourney.com/?p=3682
1. Purchases/Freedom to fail: Remember you are in a relationship, not an autonomy. A relationship where both people feel valued by the other person regardless of their contribution. If one person is artistic and one loves functional comparisons between a lot of options, they can both have input, but realize you may have to make compromises. The person who has compared features, and come up with the one with the best value and ease of use may not be able to get it because if the significant other severely dislikes it because it doesn't come in the right color, or match the theme of the room, there could be a difference of priorities you get to talk out.
Doing the research and comparisons doesn't mean that your result is always "right". The other person who puts less effort into the selection process, or has a different method of decision making, such as referrals from friends or prefer a particular look or color, something that may not matter to the other person, just as some additional features may not matter to the other person ("You'll never use that." "But I might in the future!" ... and you end up using it once or twice and not could mean they were right. One may come up with the most logical solution, but that may not be the right decision for "the team". Both people in the relationship need to feel just as valued in the decision making process no matter their level of research or commitment to the decision.
This can be difficult for someone who, for example, spend a few hours comparing Consumer research, longevity, features, value, etc and having a spouse walk in and say they want one of the ones that got poor reviews, less functionality, but looks pretty. The point is that you have to trust the other person's descision making, even if it is not like your own. So marry someone you respect enough, so give them a break and let them fail sometimes. You can't be a perfectionist. If you don't respect their opinion, you can become controlling and the other person can feel suffocated and not valued and the relationship will fail. It comes off as you thinking you are better than them and don't value them, and that can wear a person down and make them not not feel valued. "Why did you marry me if you don't trust me to make any decisions? Do you think I am stupid?"
Some people consider themselves very good at making decisions. An outside person may objectively disagree when they look at how they do it, but it doesn't change the original person's perspective that they are good at decision making. I'm sure we are all a bit not perfectly self-aware in some areas.
A grandma may say they did a lot of research for a product because a reviewer they like on the radio recommended it and their friend likes it. To them, they spent 2 hours researching something. To you who looked up consumer reports, comparison articles, and tech specs, you may find something very different. Devaluing someone has consequences. Tone matters.
One person may know that they have a tendency to not make logical decisions, but not know how to control it. One may be impulsive and know it, but not be able to stop it despite being aware of it. How your partner helps you and works with you, or criticizes, shames, or devalues you matters.
Second guessing a decision after you turned the decision making over to the other person is devaluing to them and can show you don;t trust their decision making. If the result of the decision is not ideal, remember you gave the person the decision making power. There is an argument that you shoudl give them the ability to fail, and continue loving and support them. If there is a way to reverse something that may be pretty bad, do so in way that doesn't hurt them, or just let them fail. A possible rule of thumb is to just let it slide and be happy if it won't matter in a year. Another argument is to just let them fail and go through it together because how they perceive you feel and value them is more important than money. Ultimately it is just money, which isn't the most important thing.
In economics, the assumption is that people make the best decision for themselves. In behavior economics, it's realized that people will not necessarily make the actual best decision for themselves since they are impacted by convenience, intrinsic, brand, feeling, sales, etc. Realize there are several factors that play into a decision, and realize that not all of them will be valued the same by any two people.
One helpful thing to think about is to imagine a spreadsheet with ALL the aspects of a particular item, hobby, etc. For example, knitting. A traditional guy may think that knitting is a waste of time because you
If one person, just becomes a yes person who isn;t involved in any descison making, then the other person may not respect them or their (lack of) opinion and start talking down and controlling them, telling them, or guilting them into doing something their way.
Counterpoint: Okay, so if a husband a wife are looking at getting a new washer. The husband is grilling the salesman to learn all the features, steam cleaning to save on water, dirt removal options, steam ironing, etc. The electronics jargon is going over her head because she has no interest in reading the manual despite her being the one to use the washer very often and usually puts stuff on regular wash and cold or hot depending on the pile. Her husband may decide that the best value one to spend more on an extra large front end loader with steam cleaning options, a rack for shoes and sweaters, several different options for reduced consumption of water, electricity, or gas depending on what was most expensive at the time, and despite the higher price, could pay for itself in 3 years. He may be tempted to ask her if this one with all these options was her first choice too. She may have been eyeballing the super basic top loader, the cheap washing machine that she'd used her entire life, knew how to work, and didn't think she had time to learn the wizardry of all the other options the model her husband thought was good. She also has the perception that the fewer features something has, the less likely something will break
2. Explore the origins of issues you have. Issues come up in a marriage. Deal with them in a loving non-judgemental way because you are with the person regardless of their past, something they can't change.
3. When talking, put yourself in their place. Acknowledge how they will likely feel. If you do fight, learn to do it in a healthy way that gets a resolution and fixes it. SOme people want to deal immediately. SOme people want time along to collect and recover.
4. People should feel responsibility to the family unit, despite different contributions.
5. Be careful not to try to force the other person to be just like yourself. Let them be the best version of themself. While this sounds nice, the difference is simple. "Accept them for who they are, but be tactful and not forceful when giving suggestions. Don't expect them to change, only share things that could help." Phrase things like "I
People will interact with people differently.
6. Phrasing is key. Don't come into a conversation thinking you have the answer, even if it is your current understanding. Come into it with "some knowldege" bu that you'd like to have other opinions as well. Not "I have an opinion right now. Here is why. Give me a counter argument and I'm open to changing." Say "I'm interested in this topic, let's chat." they can say no and you avoided spewing out facts they don;t care about. THis can be very good."
7. I like how he writes, "I've failed. Told her,, and SHe;s forgiven. SHe's done the same. i can't stress thsi enough."
--
Differences in financial viewpoints and intimacy expectations are likely the leading cases of hardships in a marriage.
-
Question: Current thoughts about marriage
-Physical attraction and cont romance
-
What do you envision marriage to be?
-
Why might arranged marrages last longer than love marriages?
Different expectations. You expect an
-
General stuff. Say I want to learn more about this. Don't force people to be Deveil's advocate. It is not generally pleasant in everyday conversation. Don;t come at something like, "i know something. Prove me wrong."
One person may know that they have a tendency to not make logical decisions, but not know how to control it. One may be impulsive and know it, but not be able to stop it despite being aware of it. How your partner helps you and works with you, or criticizes, shames, or devalues you matters.
Second guessing a decision after you turned the decision making over to the other person is devaluing to them and can show you don;t trust their decision making. If the result of the decision is not ideal, remember you gave the person the decision making power. There is an argument that you shoudl give them the ability to fail, and continue loving and support them. If there is a way to reverse something that may be pretty bad, do so in way that doesn't hurt them, or just let them fail. A possible rule of thumb is to just let it slide and be happy if it won't matter in a year. Another argument is to just let them fail and go through it together because how they perceive you feel and value them is more important than money. Ultimately it is just money, which isn't the most important thing.
In economics, the assumption is that people make the best decision for themselves. In behavior economics, it's realized that people will not necessarily make the actual best decision for themselves since they are impacted by convenience, intrinsic, brand, feeling, sales, etc. Realize there are several factors that play into a decision, and realize that not all of them will be valued the same by any two people.
One helpful thing to think about is to imagine a spreadsheet with ALL the aspects of a particular item, hobby, etc. For example, knitting. A traditional guy may think that knitting is a waste of time because you
If one person, just becomes a yes person who isn;t involved in any descison making, then the other person may not respect them or their (lack of) opinion and start talking down and controlling them, telling them, or guilting them into doing something their way.
Counterpoint: Okay, so if a husband a wife are looking at getting a new washer. The husband is grilling the salesman to learn all the features, steam cleaning to save on water, dirt removal options, steam ironing, etc. The electronics jargon is going over her head because she has no interest in reading the manual despite her being the one to use the washer very often and usually puts stuff on regular wash and cold or hot depending on the pile. Her husband may decide that the best value one to spend more on an extra large front end loader with steam cleaning options, a rack for shoes and sweaters, several different options for reduced consumption of water, electricity, or gas depending on what was most expensive at the time, and despite the higher price, could pay for itself in 3 years. He may be tempted to ask her if this one with all these options was her first choice too. She may have been eyeballing the super basic top loader, the cheap washing machine that she'd used her entire life, knew how to work, and didn't think she had time to learn the wizardry of all the other options the model her husband thought was good. She also has the perception that the fewer features something has, the less likely something will break
2. Explore the origins of issues you have. Issues come up in a marriage. Deal with them in a loving non-judgemental way because you are with the person regardless of their past, something they can't change.
3. When talking, put yourself in their place. Acknowledge how they will likely feel. If you do fight, learn to do it in a healthy way that gets a resolution and fixes it. SOme people want to deal immediately. SOme people want time along to collect and recover.
4. People should feel responsibility to the family unit, despite different contributions.
5. Be careful not to try to force the other person to be just like yourself. Let them be the best version of themself. While this sounds nice, the difference is simple. "Accept them for who they are, but be tactful and not forceful when giving suggestions. Don't expect them to change, only share things that could help." Phrase things like "I
People will interact with people differently.
6. Phrasing is key. Don't come into a conversation thinking you have the answer, even if it is your current understanding. Come into it with "some knowldege" bu that you'd like to have other opinions as well. Not "I have an opinion right now. Here is why. Give me a counter argument and I'm open to changing." Say "I'm interested in this topic, let's chat." they can say no and you avoided spewing out facts they don;t care about. THis can be very good."
7. I like how he writes, "I've failed. Told her,, and SHe;s forgiven. SHe's done the same. i can't stress thsi enough."
--
Differences in financial viewpoints and intimacy expectations are likely the leading cases of hardships in a marriage.
-
Question: Current thoughts about marriage
-Physical attraction and cont romance
-
What do you envision marriage to be?
-
Why might arranged marrages last longer than love marriages?
Different expectations. You expect an
-
General stuff. Say I want to learn more about this. Don't force people to be Deveil's advocate. It is not generally pleasant in everyday conversation. Don;t come at something like, "i know something. Prove me wrong."
What I'd like in a phone 2015
A while ago I posted what I thought a phone should have. Without looking at that post, I wan to write one again.
Camera that can take a clear picture despite having it taken by someone with shakey hands.
Water resistance ip67 or ip68 (or free/cheap replacement program) - I may be paying extra for peace of mind, but I get caught in the rain with my phone every so often.
Removable battery 2800 mAh or greater for a 5" phone (ideally 3500)
Either SDXC card slot or affordable internal storage at 64GB, though ideally 128 GB. *My S5 just had a 64GB SanDisk card go bad and a 32GB one died in my S3 a few years ago. I currently use about 60 GB. As apps get larger, more local space will be needed for use in no data areas.
A louder speaker phone for calls and music than the S5
Screen size variants for small handed people (~4" screen), people with large hands (~5" screen), and phablet size with similar specs (~5.7). 720p is fine for the 4-5" variants. 1080 is fine for 5-5.7". Much more just burns battery.
Strong, unlikely to break screen. Maybe make it thicker with the current Gorilla glass instead of thinner with the newest glass. Cracks are more common that scratches
A screen that has low battery draw.
Software that has low power drain options. (Maybe greyscale, only allow certain apps to recieve data, like google hangouts, a web browser, text, calling-like Samsung)
Rapid OS patches and updates (for security reasons)
Bonuses
Shock resistant
A way to use the screen if the screen is wet (in the rain on a wet phone)
fingerprint reader for fast unlocking
Givens
current bluetooth platform to work well with car stereos
Camera that can take a clear picture despite having it taken by someone with shakey hands.
Water resistance ip67 or ip68 (or free/cheap replacement program) - I may be paying extra for peace of mind, but I get caught in the rain with my phone every so often.
Removable battery 2800 mAh or greater for a 5" phone (ideally 3500)
Either SDXC card slot or affordable internal storage at 64GB, though ideally 128 GB. *My S5 just had a 64GB SanDisk card go bad and a 32GB one died in my S3 a few years ago. I currently use about 60 GB. As apps get larger, more local space will be needed for use in no data areas.
A louder speaker phone for calls and music than the S5
Screen size variants for small handed people (~4" screen), people with large hands (~5" screen), and phablet size with similar specs (~5.7). 720p is fine for the 4-5" variants. 1080 is fine for 5-5.7". Much more just burns battery.
Strong, unlikely to break screen. Maybe make it thicker with the current Gorilla glass instead of thinner with the newest glass. Cracks are more common that scratches
A screen that has low battery draw.
Software that has low power drain options. (Maybe greyscale, only allow certain apps to recieve data, like google hangouts, a web browser, text, calling-like Samsung)
Rapid OS patches and updates (for security reasons)
Bonuses
Shock resistant
A way to use the screen if the screen is wet (in the rain on a wet phone)
fingerprint reader for fast unlocking
Givens
current bluetooth platform to work well with car stereos
Friday, May 13, 2016
2016 Mac Applications For a New Computer
I got around to reinstalling apps on a computer. Here are my current thoughts about what to install, if you have the money.
Internet Browsers - Chrome and Firefox (with TabMix Plus extension) at the minimum (Chrome Canary, Sea Monkey, OmniWeb, Opera, Maxthon, Seamonkey are options if you have a lot of e-mail addresses) - Then install AdBlock Plus on all of them that it is supported on. Install Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, and Adobe Shockwave. You will need to manually allow Microsoft Silverlight to work on Firefox for Netflix to work on it.
CleanApp version 3 instead of 5, and do this before installing most other apps. Version 5 can auto-select associated files, like DocumentIMade.xlsx and delete that, if you don't unselect it. The earlier this application is installed, the sooner the log file will be created that documents all files created when a new application is installed so it can be fully uninstalled when it is ready to be removed. It does best
Office App - Microsoft 2016 (not free) or Openoffice.org or LibreOffice for Macs which are free
Audio recording app - Audacity or Garage Band. I like Audacity.
Photo editing App - Adobe CS6's Photoshop or Gimp (free)
Video editing App - iMovie/Final Cut Pro/Adobe Premier
Volume increaser/recording app - Audio Hijack (systemwide) or old Audio Hijack Pro (app specific)
AeroSnap for Mac - Just pay the $4 and buy Better Touch Tool. I haven't seen a good free option.
Backup Apps - Time Machine is free, but it doesn't let you browse your files easily when viewing the backup drive. I like Carbon Copy Cloner, not free, and/or Super Duper (free + paid version).
Clipboard manager - ClipMenu is free and holds dozens of copied text and images for use later. Great if on an unreliable connection to have in case whatever you typed gets lost.
DiskInventory X - Lets you view the size of files and apps on your computer, jut do NOT use the delete function built into this app. Uninstall them through CleanApp or a drag and drop.
External Drive Recovery - If you have cash to burn, Disk Warrior 5 can repair externally connected drives, including though 2012 computers connected via Firewire and in target disk mode.
Media Apps - iTunes is very functional for audio, especially if you want to change the format or bitrate. VLC can play most file types. Not sure of the best app for video. ITunes will do it. You may want to set up the default import settings to 128 or higher MP3 for good compatibility across platforms in iTunes.
Pictures - Not sure of the best app. Photos works, but isn't my favorite, but there aren't a lot of options. Picassa is another. My current understanding is that when you right click on the application and show Package Contents there is a Masters folder and another folder called Edited or something and combined they may be 16 GB, but iPhoto may be 30 GB large. Seems bloated and I can't drag and drop photos to an email, which is annoying. I have to drag to a folder of my desktop I create, and from there drag to my e-mail to attach.
Dual Boot Software - Bootcamp (free), for 1 OS operation at a time, or VMware (paid) if you want to run Windows and Mac at the same time (or Parallels (paid), but VMWare has better reviews). You can create a Bootcamp image and access it via VMWare (or probably Parallels), th downside being it takes up a static amount of storage on the hard drive (at least it used to). If the image created by VMWare or Parallels is on the variable disk space setting, which i think is the default, it will expand as needed without the need for preallocating disk space like you need to in bootcamp. Supposedly, VMWare has near native performance in version 8, so you don't loose much. Though I am not sure how much RAM or how many processors you have to allocate to the image. I am currently assigning all, or all - 1, of the processors to the VMWare, despite the warnings for good performance, but it is super sluggish on Core 2 Duo computers.
Internet Browsers - Chrome and Firefox (with TabMix Plus extension) at the minimum (Chrome Canary, Sea Monkey, OmniWeb, Opera, Maxthon, Seamonkey are options if you have a lot of e-mail addresses) - Then install AdBlock Plus on all of them that it is supported on. Install Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, and Adobe Shockwave. You will need to manually allow Microsoft Silverlight to work on Firefox for Netflix to work on it.
CleanApp version 3 instead of 5, and do this before installing most other apps. Version 5 can auto-select associated files, like DocumentIMade.xlsx and delete that, if you don't unselect it. The earlier this application is installed, the sooner the log file will be created that documents all files created when a new application is installed so it can be fully uninstalled when it is ready to be removed. It does best
Office App - Microsoft 2016 (not free) or Openoffice.org or LibreOffice for Macs which are free
Audio recording app - Audacity or Garage Band. I like Audacity.
Photo editing App - Adobe CS6's Photoshop or Gimp (free)
Video editing App - iMovie/Final Cut Pro/Adobe Premier
Volume increaser/recording app - Audio Hijack (systemwide) or old Audio Hijack Pro (app specific)
AeroSnap for Mac - Just pay the $4 and buy Better Touch Tool. I haven't seen a good free option.
Backup Apps - Time Machine is free, but it doesn't let you browse your files easily when viewing the backup drive. I like Carbon Copy Cloner, not free, and/or Super Duper (free + paid version).
Clipboard manager - ClipMenu is free and holds dozens of copied text and images for use later. Great if on an unreliable connection to have in case whatever you typed gets lost.
DiskInventory X - Lets you view the size of files and apps on your computer, jut do NOT use the delete function built into this app. Uninstall them through CleanApp or a drag and drop.
External Drive Recovery - If you have cash to burn, Disk Warrior 5 can repair externally connected drives, including though 2012 computers connected via Firewire and in target disk mode.
Media Apps - iTunes is very functional for audio, especially if you want to change the format or bitrate. VLC can play most file types. Not sure of the best app for video. ITunes will do it. You may want to set up the default import settings to 128 or higher MP3 for good compatibility across platforms in iTunes.
Pictures - Not sure of the best app. Photos works, but isn't my favorite, but there aren't a lot of options. Picassa is another. My current understanding is that when you right click on the application and show Package Contents there is a Masters folder and another folder called Edited or something and combined they may be 16 GB, but iPhoto may be 30 GB large. Seems bloated and I can't drag and drop photos to an email, which is annoying. I have to drag to a folder of my desktop I create, and from there drag to my e-mail to attach.
Dual Boot Software - Bootcamp (free), for 1 OS operation at a time, or VMware (paid) if you want to run Windows and Mac at the same time (or Parallels (paid), but VMWare has better reviews). You can create a Bootcamp image and access it via VMWare (or probably Parallels), th downside being it takes up a static amount of storage on the hard drive (at least it used to). If the image created by VMWare or Parallels is on the variable disk space setting, which i think is the default, it will expand as needed without the need for preallocating disk space like you need to in bootcamp. Supposedly, VMWare has near native performance in version 8, so you don't loose much. Though I am not sure how much RAM or how many processors you have to allocate to the image. I am currently assigning all, or all - 1, of the processors to the VMWare, despite the warnings for good performance, but it is super sluggish on Core 2 Duo computers.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Android Apps 10/19/2015
Barcode Scanner
Beep'n'go
BitStrips
C:Geo
Calendar widget
Cash
Chrome
Coffee Meets Bagel
Device Manager
Docs
Drive
DropBox
Duolingo
Ebay
FillUp
Facebook
Gas Guru
GPS Test
Groupon
Hangouts
Happn
HBOGO
Hinge
Inbox
JuicePlotter
Keep
Lumocity
Lyft
Lync
MapMyRun
Maps
Memo
Mint
My FitnessPal
Nova Launcher-backup most recent profile
OkCupid
PayPal
Peel Smart Remote
Google Photos
Pic Stitch
Play Music
POF
Sheets
Skype
SleepBot-backup online account
SMS Backup And Restore-backup SMS
SoundCloud
SoundHound-back up music online account
Speedtest
SpotHero
Spotify
Tinder
Transit
Bank App
Uber
Venmo
Viber
VLC
(Google) Voice
Weather
We Transfer
Zillow
All these are pushing my 16 GB internal storage limit even with the ones that could be moved to my SD card moved there.
Beep'n'go
BitStrips
C:Geo
Calendar widget
Cash
Chrome
Coffee Meets Bagel
Device Manager
Docs
Drive
DropBox
Duolingo
Ebay
FillUp
Gas Guru
GPS Test
Groupon
Hangouts
Happn
HBOGO
Hinge
Inbox
JuicePlotter
Keep
Lumocity
Lyft
Lync
MapMyRun
Maps
Memo
Mint
My FitnessPal
Nova Launcher-backup most recent profile
OkCupid
PayPal
Peel Smart Remote
Google Photos
Pic Stitch
Play Music
POF
Sheets
Skype
SleepBot-backup online account
SMS Backup And Restore-backup SMS
SoundCloud
SoundHound-back up music online account
Speedtest
SpotHero
Spotify
Tinder
Transit
Bank App
Uber
Venmo
Viber
VLC
(Google) Voice
Weather
We Transfer
Zillow
All these are pushing my 16 GB internal storage limit even with the ones that could be moved to my SD card moved there.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
A chat with Motorola Phone Engineers and their thoughts on Android phones
I had the opportunity to chat with two Motorola phone engineers in November 2014, a hardware lead and a developer. Here are some of their paraphrased replies to my questions as I understood them.
Me: What are the advantages of a Motorola phone?
Them: 1. Because the user experience is very close to pure Android, it takes us much less time to get Android release updates to Motorola users than competitors that use skins and have to update the skin to fit the new release.
2. Some of the devices are made of Kevlar/ ballistic nylon and are very durable. We do extensive drop tests for normal use, from about 5/6 feet as if people are putting the phone in their upper jacket front pocket, (the highest place someone would store their device).
3. The new Droid Maxx Turbo can give you 8 hours of battery life in 15 minutes of charge.
ME: Does the phone have to be off to charge that quickly?
Them: No. You can charge it while it is on.
ME:
Now this could mean that it charges it up to 10% in 15 minutes and the 8 hours comes from that much charge and depends on use, but hey...
in (CNET reports that it takes 2 hours to fully charge the 3,900 mAh battery on the Turbo charger, which is due to the Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 which will be showing up in other devices.)
Me: What are the advantages of a Motorola phone?
Them: 1. Because the user experience is very close to pure Android, it takes us much less time to get Android release updates to Motorola users than competitors that use skins and have to update the skin to fit the new release.
2. Some of the devices are made of Kevlar/ ballistic nylon and are very durable. We do extensive drop tests for normal use, from about 5/6 feet as if people are putting the phone in their upper jacket front pocket, (the highest place someone would store their device).
3. The new Droid Maxx Turbo can give you 8 hours of battery life in 15 minutes of charge.
ME: Does the phone have to be off to charge that quickly?
Them: No. You can charge it while it is on.
ME:
Now this could mean that it charges it up to 10% in 15 minutes and the 8 hours comes from that much charge and depends on use, but hey...
in (CNET reports that it takes 2 hours to fully charge the 3,900 mAh battery on the Turbo charger, which is due to the Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 which will be showing up in other devices.)
RCN Chicago ISP-Things you should know
In summary, 1. RCN has hidden cheaper intro prices than advertised, but you have to call and ask.
2. You can transfer an account to someone to get cheaper service with the intro pricing (which is less expensive than exiting customers), but both people may need to be on the phone at the same time.
3. The RCN plan I have allows them to increase the price of the plan by $5 every 12 months, for 3 years, after which, it can balloon.
Best practice, as I see it, is to call RCN for intro pricing and use $30/mo to $40/mo for 50 MBPS as your guide in Chicago as of Dec 2014. (That is cheap compared to the competition's advertised prices, which also may be inflated for people who don't call and ask for intro pricing.) Keep the plan for 3 years, and transfer to another person. Or, just make new roommates take the cable bill.
in Chicago, RCN is currently (Dec 2014) the ISP with the lowest advertised price for 50 MBPS Internet. (I have not heard a nice thing about a competitor, Comcast, from anyone. Poor customer service. Unreliable and slow service. Poor internet speeds at times. Hardware pickup is at a place without a phone line and isn't open during the hours posted.)
14 months ago, I took over the RCN account, which he had been the sole person on for 3-4 years, which had ballooned up to $150 with Internet as well as TiVo, HD channels, etc. and did an account transfer (possibly with both me and the old account holder on the phone at the same time) and got new customer pricing of $39.99 for 50 MBPS service +$5 modem rental, which was, and is, an incredible deal.
We did have issues with the rented modem and had to reset it regularly. I decided to save the $5 and bought a recommended Motorola Surfboard SB6121 modem (Docis 3.0) and while it did take 30 minutes of initial troubleshooting ot get it working, and it had to be cycled (unplogged, powered down, and plugged in again) twice that first month, we haven't had any issues with it since. So i saved $5 a month and my bill was $39.99 (They list $0 for tax, which i am cool with)
13 months later, my bill went up to $44.99. I called today (Dec 2014) and asked why. They said that there is a 3 year price lock, that the bill will not go up by more than $5 a month per 12 month period for 3 years. I heard that, and compared to the competition, that seems fair.
I then asked what would new customer pricing be. She said $30 for the plan I currently have. I said I didn't see that listed anywhere. She said that only they (workers) can see it and that it's the pricing for the 25 Mbps plan (I didn't see that plan on their site).
I asked how I could get my roommate on the account. She said it was along drawn out process. The equipment has to be returned for 30 days and the account has to have been closed for 30 days before a new account can be put on. "So we would be without internet for 30 days if we switched account holders?"
"Yes."
"When I picked up the account from my former roommate, we didn't loose a month of Internet service"
"You can transfer the account to someone but both people have to be on the phone at the same time."
"So I can transfer the account ot my roommate and save $15 a month?"
"looks like it."
"What's stopping me and him from switching back and forth every 12 months?"
"We can see who has been on the account for the address and they watch for that."
2. You can transfer an account to someone to get cheaper service with the intro pricing (which is less expensive than exiting customers), but both people may need to be on the phone at the same time.
3. The RCN plan I have allows them to increase the price of the plan by $5 every 12 months, for 3 years, after which, it can balloon.
Best practice, as I see it, is to call RCN for intro pricing and use $30/mo to $40/mo for 50 MBPS as your guide in Chicago as of Dec 2014. (That is cheap compared to the competition's advertised prices, which also may be inflated for people who don't call and ask for intro pricing.) Keep the plan for 3 years, and transfer to another person. Or, just make new roommates take the cable bill.
in Chicago, RCN is currently (Dec 2014) the ISP with the lowest advertised price for 50 MBPS Internet. (I have not heard a nice thing about a competitor, Comcast, from anyone. Poor customer service. Unreliable and slow service. Poor internet speeds at times. Hardware pickup is at a place without a phone line and isn't open during the hours posted.)
14 months ago, I took over the RCN account, which he had been the sole person on for 3-4 years, which had ballooned up to $150 with Internet as well as TiVo, HD channels, etc. and did an account transfer (possibly with both me and the old account holder on the phone at the same time) and got new customer pricing of $39.99 for 50 MBPS service +$5 modem rental, which was, and is, an incredible deal.
We did have issues with the rented modem and had to reset it regularly. I decided to save the $5 and bought a recommended Motorola Surfboard SB6121 modem (Docis 3.0) and while it did take 30 minutes of initial troubleshooting ot get it working, and it had to be cycled (unplogged, powered down, and plugged in again) twice that first month, we haven't had any issues with it since. So i saved $5 a month and my bill was $39.99 (They list $0 for tax, which i am cool with)
13 months later, my bill went up to $44.99. I called today (Dec 2014) and asked why. They said that there is a 3 year price lock, that the bill will not go up by more than $5 a month per 12 month period for 3 years. I heard that, and compared to the competition, that seems fair.
I then asked what would new customer pricing be. She said $30 for the plan I currently have. I said I didn't see that listed anywhere. She said that only they (workers) can see it and that it's the pricing for the 25 Mbps plan (I didn't see that plan on their site).
I asked how I could get my roommate on the account. She said it was along drawn out process. The equipment has to be returned for 30 days and the account has to have been closed for 30 days before a new account can be put on. "So we would be without internet for 30 days if we switched account holders?"
"Yes."
"When I picked up the account from my former roommate, we didn't loose a month of Internet service"
"You can transfer the account to someone but both people have to be on the phone at the same time."
"So I can transfer the account ot my roommate and save $15 a month?"
"looks like it."
"What's stopping me and him from switching back and forth every 12 months?"
"We can see who has been on the account for the address and they watch for that."
Friday, August 22, 2014
Less obvious comparison between the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5
*Work in progress*
Obvious comparison
Similarities
Very similar hardware and run the same version of Android (currently 4.4.2 as of August 23, 2014).
Both have the 801 snapdragon quad-core processor (though Samsung's is 2.5 GHz, 2.3 on HTC One).
Both have 2 GB of RAM
HTC One 5" 1920x1080 screen
S5 5.1" Super AMOLED 1920x1080 screen
Both have a power button and volume rocker, no buttons dedicated to opening a camera or fitness app like some competitors. Less to break I guess.
General differences
Samsung Galaxy S5
water resistant
replaceable battery
about 2 mm wider
about 1 mm thicker
about 4 mm shorter
I have large hands, and I prefer the slightly smaller width of the HTC One, but I don't like how the power button is at the top of the screen, and even my fingers have to reach to press it. Although, you can, in theory, just swipe the screen of the HTC One and it will turn the screen on, launch to the dialer, etc. though in my experience it can take several swipes, which is annoying for me.
Less Obvious Comparison
HTC One
Visually looks and feels more "classy" and "posh".
Practically, I didn't last more than 10 hours before dropping it. If I kept this phone, I would have to have a case for it on day 1. As a second user, the phone came to me with chips out of the aluminum. It is super slick and could have easily slid out of my pocket, and did slide out of my hands. I feel the personal need for a case on both which brings them to a similar playing field, but I would gravitate to the metal feel and look initialy, but after dropping it, I think the plastic is more my style, though the S5 can et the bezel damaged too, also looking not so great.
I have a huge hand, and my index finger has to stretch to reach the power button on the top of the phone. Samsung's side mounted power button feels more natural, but the side butto the S2 and S3 is known to stick causing the phone to turn itself off until cleaned by a professional, or, sometimes a new motherboard (generally meaning phone) is needed, which is a nasty design flaw in my opinion. I had that power button issue in three of the five S3s and one of three S2s I and my sister went through in the past 2-3 years.
The HTC One can enable a feature to use a wireless network for texting and calling, intended for use in buildings where cell signal is poor. I didn't see this option for the S5.
Samsung S5
---
plastic case with a dimpled back and a grippy backing. If you don't want to use a phone case, the S5 is less likely to slip out of your hands and pocket compared to the sleek (slippery) aluminum HTC One M8. Within the first 10 hours of use without a phone case, I dropped the M8. The plastic silver bezel of the S5 will get chipped and dented, but the back is pretty forgiving, thought he white back can get a little dirtly looing after extended use. The M8 metal will show crumpled metal if dropped and nicks will show on the back and sides after while.
ip76 certified. Waterproof.
The screen adapts to what you are doing for best viewing.
Camera fast autofocus, 16 MP, low light, it isn't the best. DOes have selective focus options if you select it before snapping. Has picture stabilization, which can take several seconds to shoot. 1080p and 4k video.
Less bloatware than the S3 and S4.
Air View.
My Magazine
Samsung Smart Switch makes it easy to transfer things from your old phone, both iPhone and Android.
S Health App w Heart Rate, food and exersise tracking
Fingerprint sensor
Download Booster which can use WiFia dn 4G speeds
Battery 14 hours
Ultra power Saving more, limits apps, 30% battery life
HTC One
Fits well in the hand due to the curve, though a tad tall.
Less lag than others.
4.1 UltraPixel, focus post snap without selecting an optin for doing so before the picture like on the S5. Dedicated depth sensor. 5 MP front camera, though i didn't notice it being any clearer than the 2 MP front camera on the S5.
Not as much detail as the S5 in good light. Maybe a little better in low light.
3D is cool gimmick.
Automatically creates a montage of pictures, which can be confusing at first because it looks like a picture in your gallery.
Presents news that you will likely find interesting.
Blinkfeed
Speakers are 25% louder than the M7
Build/aestheitics/durability
Battery life and charging time
S5 2800 mAh removable battery
~4.5 hours to charge on Micro USB
~2.5 hours to charge with USB 3.0 with included wall charger
With mostly a lot of web browsing I usually get 14 hours, longer if I am not on it and kill apps.
On Ultra Saver Mode, I held 6% for an hour.
Greyscale option, though in my limited tests, there dissapointingly wasn't a notable difference.
It's easy to adjust the screen brightness, a major power drain, by pulling down the menu from the top
S5
2600mAh captive battery
~4.75 hours to charge with Micro USB (No USB 3.0)
Camera
Obvious comparison
Similarities
Very similar hardware and run the same version of Android (currently 4.4.2 as of August 23, 2014).
Both have the 801 snapdragon quad-core processor (though Samsung's is 2.5 GHz, 2.3 on HTC One).
Both have 2 GB of RAM
HTC One 5" 1920x1080 screen
S5 5.1" Super AMOLED 1920x1080 screen
Both have a power button and volume rocker, no buttons dedicated to opening a camera or fitness app like some competitors. Less to break I guess.
General differences
Samsung Galaxy S5
water resistant
replaceable battery
about 2 mm wider
about 1 mm thicker
about 4 mm shorter
I have large hands, and I prefer the slightly smaller width of the HTC One, but I don't like how the power button is at the top of the screen, and even my fingers have to reach to press it. Although, you can, in theory, just swipe the screen of the HTC One and it will turn the screen on, launch to the dialer, etc. though in my experience it can take several swipes, which is annoying for me.
Less Obvious Comparison
HTC One
Visually looks and feels more "classy" and "posh".
Practically, I didn't last more than 10 hours before dropping it. If I kept this phone, I would have to have a case for it on day 1. As a second user, the phone came to me with chips out of the aluminum. It is super slick and could have easily slid out of my pocket, and did slide out of my hands. I feel the personal need for a case on both which brings them to a similar playing field, but I would gravitate to the metal feel and look initialy, but after dropping it, I think the plastic is more my style, though the S5 can et the bezel damaged too, also looking not so great.
I have a huge hand, and my index finger has to stretch to reach the power button on the top of the phone. Samsung's side mounted power button feels more natural, but the side butto the S2 and S3 is known to stick causing the phone to turn itself off until cleaned by a professional, or, sometimes a new motherboard (generally meaning phone) is needed, which is a nasty design flaw in my opinion. I had that power button issue in three of the five S3s and one of three S2s I and my sister went through in the past 2-3 years.
The HTC One can enable a feature to use a wireless network for texting and calling, intended for use in buildings where cell signal is poor. I didn't see this option for the S5.
Samsung S5
---
plastic case with a dimpled back and a grippy backing. If you don't want to use a phone case, the S5 is less likely to slip out of your hands and pocket compared to the sleek (slippery) aluminum HTC One M8. Within the first 10 hours of use without a phone case, I dropped the M8. The plastic silver bezel of the S5 will get chipped and dented, but the back is pretty forgiving, thought he white back can get a little dirtly looing after extended use. The M8 metal will show crumpled metal if dropped and nicks will show on the back and sides after while.
ip76 certified. Waterproof.
The screen adapts to what you are doing for best viewing.
Camera fast autofocus, 16 MP, low light, it isn't the best. DOes have selective focus options if you select it before snapping. Has picture stabilization, which can take several seconds to shoot. 1080p and 4k video.
Less bloatware than the S3 and S4.
Air View.
My Magazine
Samsung Smart Switch makes it easy to transfer things from your old phone, both iPhone and Android.
S Health App w Heart Rate, food and exersise tracking
Fingerprint sensor
Download Booster which can use WiFia dn 4G speeds
Battery 14 hours
Ultra power Saving more, limits apps, 30% battery life
HTC One
Fits well in the hand due to the curve, though a tad tall.
Less lag than others.
4.1 UltraPixel, focus post snap without selecting an optin for doing so before the picture like on the S5. Dedicated depth sensor. 5 MP front camera, though i didn't notice it being any clearer than the 2 MP front camera on the S5.
Not as much detail as the S5 in good light. Maybe a little better in low light.
3D is cool gimmick.
Automatically creates a montage of pictures, which can be confusing at first because it looks like a picture in your gallery.
Presents news that you will likely find interesting.
Blinkfeed
Speakers are 25% louder than the M7
Build/aestheitics/durability
Battery life and charging time
S5 2800 mAh removable battery
~4.5 hours to charge on Micro USB
~2.5 hours to charge with USB 3.0 with included wall charger
With mostly a lot of web browsing I usually get 14 hours, longer if I am not on it and kill apps.
On Ultra Saver Mode, I held 6% for an hour.
Greyscale option, though in my limited tests, there dissapointingly wasn't a notable difference.
It's easy to adjust the screen brightness, a major power drain, by pulling down the menu from the top
S5
2600mAh captive battery
~4.75 hours to charge with Micro USB (No USB 3.0)
Camera
Sunday, August 17, 2014
List of modern smartphones with a removable battery
Not many phones have removable batteries anymore, but it looks like LG finally realized that people don't want to carry a large external battery pack with them. Here are some smartphones from 2012ish and newer with removable batteries.
Sprint
HTC Evo
HTC Evo 3D
HTC Evo LTE (comparable to the Samsung S3)
Samsung Galaxy S2-Released 2011 (Dual core)
Samsung Galaxy S3-2012 (dual core in US)
Samsung Galaxy S4-2013
Samsung Galaxy S5 (and active/sport models) 2014
LG G2X (P999) -Released 2012 (dual core) (Not the G2)
LG G3 -2014
Additional phones by AT&T
Samsung Rugby
Sprint
HTC Evo
HTC Evo 3D
HTC Evo LTE (comparable to the Samsung S3)
Samsung Galaxy S2-Released 2011 (Dual core)
Samsung Galaxy S3-2012 (dual core in US)
Samsung Galaxy S4-2013
Samsung Galaxy S5 (and active/sport models) 2014
LG G2X (P999) -Released 2012 (dual core) (Not the G2)
LG G3 -2014
Additional phones by AT&T
Samsung Rugby
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
How to buy a car off Craigslist (and do all the paperwork) in Missouri
Before meeting up
Car seller needs to have:
1. Title of the car
2. (if the bank owns part of the car)A notarized lien release
Be nice to have:
Safety inspection document (if done recently)
Emissions if the car is less than 18 years old (if done recently)
Someone needs to bring:
Bill of Sale (Form 1957 in Missouri)
Buyer needs to:
They present original Title (on back, purchaser. Their info as seller. Put date (have 30 days) they sell vehicle. Amount of sale. If on front of title, if there is a leinholder. If there is you need a notorized lein release.
They will pull their plates. (Apply for temporary plates by a safety inspection, insurance. So you can drive without plates for 30 days, probably, as long as you have a bill of sale and copy of the title, front and back, in the car. And cops should let you go but there are no guarantees. (Known hole in system)
Get a Bill Of Sale( Form 1957 for Missouri. )
Take the Title and lein release and proof of insurance (call insurance company and add the car)
Need safety inspection (without plates is OK-ask if free)
(1996 and above: emissions if in STL or surrounding area, not rural)
Get paper saying it passes emissions and safety inspection
Personal property tax (waiver you get from assessor’s office 314-615-5500 -need a non-interest or a waiver and they will tell you how to get that. Maybe a download.)-because you haven’t paid personal property tax.
Bring the waiver into the Local Liscensing office.
They will take original title, copy of personal property waiver, safety inspection, emissions, bill of sale, insurance. They send those to Jeffoerson city and then you get plates. 4-10 days to get title mailed back to you.
--------
Monday, May 5, 2014
Android Apps May 2014
Astro (file manager)
Voice
Google Keyboard
Drive
Keep (for offline notekeeping)
Evernote
Meeting people apps
Flashlight (don't like it.)
SportyPal
QRDroid
JuicePlotter
Mint
Speedtest
SMS Backup And Restore
SoundHound
MyFitnessPal
Transit
eBay
Instagram
EasyTetherPro
Banking
Candy Crush Saga
Angry Birds Star Wars
Bacon Reader
Super Voice Recorder (not great quality for MP3 recording)
Snapchat
Save MMS (Separately downloads and saves received MMS attachments that SMS Backup and Restore misses and downloads them to your SD card.)
Voice
Google Keyboard
Drive
Keep (for offline notekeeping)
Evernote
Meeting people apps
Flashlight (don't like it.)
SportyPal
QRDroid
JuicePlotter
Mint
Speedtest
SMS Backup And Restore
SoundHound
MyFitnessPal
Transit
eBay
EasyTetherPro
Banking
Candy Crush Saga
Angry Birds Star Wars
Bacon Reader
Super Voice Recorder (not great quality for MP3 recording)
Snapchat
Save MMS (Separately downloads and saves received MMS attachments that SMS Backup and Restore misses and downloads them to your SD card.)
Thursday, February 27, 2014
How To Set Up A Windows Computer
Doing a fresh install of Windows and all the applications can be a long drawn out process if you don't have a clone that has the updates and applications installed on it already.
Sometimes, you just gotta do it old school to get rid of viruses, old applications, junk, fragmentation, super slowness, etc.
The prep work
When Windows is installed on a new computer, it likely won't have the drivers to use the hardware, so don't expect anything to work like the WiFi, Ethernet port, a good resolution video display (it may be super low resolution), the USB 3.0 ports may not work (USB 1.0 and maybe 2.0 may work and the CD/DVD drive may work).
So how do you connect to the Internet to download updates? Seems like a catch 22. You need to connect to the Internet to download the updates that allow you to connect to the Internet.
I've found that laptops with SD card readers tend to read SD cards. So before I wipe the computer, I go to the manufacturer website for the model number of a particular computer, such as www.hp.com and then the support tab, and then I type in the model number found on a sticker on the bottom or back of the computer. It then takes you to the download page for that model, like this one for one of the Samsung Series 7 model NP700Z5B-S01UB (found on the bottom of the laptop) where you will want to download, Usually under drivers, or download tab, at very least, the correct wireless and LAN drivers (device manager on the computer you will be installing it on will tell you the brand-Intel or Broadcom), maybe the video card driver. You can download more, but those will get you Internet connectivity. I recommend downloading updates via the Ethernet instead of wifi, it's generally faster, especially on older computers.
Install Windows
Put your Windows CD in, some computers will allow you to use a formatted USB with a copy of Windows on a flash drive, or from a network (which is more complicated). It takes several minutes to start up, then you have options to format the existing drives, leave any recovery partitions in, or format them too. At the very least, if you want to wipe it, format the largest drive, as tht has all the files and old OS on it. If you want to try keeping your old files and reinstalling an OS over the existing OS, don't format the drive and just install Windows over the existing partition that has your files. Your files will most likely be ok.
If there is a recovery partition for the same OS, you can probably leave it. If you want to start from scratch scratch or are going to change operating systems, then maybe format all the drives, merge them into one big drive, and do a fresh install and see if a recovery partition is created. If you ave the disk, a recovery partition may not be needed... if you keep the disk available. It should usually be fine without a recovery partition.
Recovery Partition
This is one area most people overlook, but I am bookmarking to come back to when I learn more about it. My understanding right now is that an OEM System Recovery Media OS won't create a recovery partition, but a true installation disk will, so when you press F4, you would be able to repair Windows without a disk if you use a true install disk. That's my guess. I manually format the drive with all the info and operating system when installing a fresh install of and leave the recovery partition alone if there was one from a previous install when I use the OEM disk.
Windows is installed (and it is ugly)
It may not look pretty because you don't have your display drivers installed, so it on a super low res setting and it may not connect to the Internet (you can try an Ethernet cable and turning on wifi, just make sure any buttons on the computer, like touch buttons that are red are turned blue, or switches turned off to on). This is where you take the SD card (formatted as Fat32 or even ExFAT-no 4GB max file size- for Windows Vista and newer) and slide it in. The computer should recognize it. You can now double click on the drivers you installed for the LAN for Ethernet, Wifi, and display, and anything else. If the SD card doesn't work, see if it recognized a USB 2.0 stick (a USB 3.0 stick may require drivers). If that doesn't work, see if a CD can be read. you may have to use another computer to copy or burn those network drivers to the USB 2.0 or CD.
Once the Ethernet or WiFi are connected, preferably LAN since it is generally faster, you can download any additional software or drivers from the support page for your model. So go again to ww.hp.com, ww.dell.com, www.samsung.com, for whatever brand you have, support tab, enter your model number, and finish downloading the things you need, chipset, Bios, USB, etc. Think twice about software packages. Some are good, most are junk. Read descriptions.
This can take 20 minutes to an hour depending on how many drivers there are.
Microsoft updates
Control Panel-Security-view and install Windows Updates-review updates ...1033 is the Windows 7 genuine notification. You can manually select what updates you want and right click on it and hide it if you think it will cause problems. Install these updates.
Installing these updates is a good start and will patch a lot of security holes. Expect it to take about 2-4 hours and restart 2-3 times, so you need to babysit it. Updates generally install faster when you connect via Ethernet instead of wifi. Yes, it is painful, so update a lot of computers at once, or watch TV.
Anti-virus
AVG Free or Avast Free are good choices.
Avast may require your e-mail to register for it every 365 days.
AVG works fine, but you have to put it on silent mode otherwise you can get annoying pop ups reminding you it's been updated. AVG can be temporarily disabled for a few minutes or until a restart if need be.
Don't forget to manually update them and not sign up for the paid versions, which are good too but go on sale for free sometimes at computer stores every year with rebates.
Anti-Spyware
Sometimes I install it, sometimes I don't.
Ad-Aware and Malwarebytes are popular.
Spybot Search and Destroy Free has a nice immunization feature. But it also is known for giveing several false positives, which can be annoying. The Tea Timer add-on can be tricky to use with registry backups or something, so I don't install it. Spybot thought 7Zip was spyware in 2009 if I remember right.*SpyBot will let you speed up scans by creating a whitelist of everything currently on your computer. It is probably safer to not have a whitelist, but hey, time is money too.
Browsers
Internet Explorer comes stock, but I don't like it's lack of a multi row tab bar, lack of bookmark extensions, and lack of AdBlock Plus support. It is also the most targeted in attacks, and probably the least secure browser since it is the most mainstream. So everyone else, especially businesses that have money, keep using it so hackers concentrate on IE only and leave Chrome and Firefox alone.
Chrome Good because flash player is pre-installed unlike other web browsers, so you can watch YouTube immediately. Bad because it seems to crash on me more often than any other browser when I have a lot of tabs and do video at the same time.
Firefox Firefox is an oldie, but goodie. But you have to install Adobe Reader, Flash, and Shockwave manually, as you do with Internet Explorer.
--Firefox Extensions
I recommend Tab Mix Plus for multi row tab support (I am a tab whore and use 3 rows at 66 pixels per tab-adjusted in Preferences-Tab Bar to change 'scrolling' to 'multi row' and 'Tab' to reduce min tab width if you need to scrunch more in there),
SoThink Web Video downloader (if you need to download a protected video, like from a news station)
Delicious bookmarks (may be an outdated bookmark bar, but hey)
Abduction - lets you capture high quality .png or low quality .jpg of Entire webpages (even the parts you have to scroll down to see). Another option is to save the page as a .pdf, but that may not be what you want to do.
Greasemonkey-some websites have scripts that require greasemonkey to run. There are some fun techy things you can do with scripts, like adding a button to YouTube to download videos, but generally not needed for the casual user.
Noia 4 Theme manager-It changes the look of Firefox and makes it "cooler"
Safai, Opera, and Chrome Canary are also web browsers if you want one for each e-mail address you have.
Now you can install Adblock plus for Firefox and Adblock Plus for Chrome. After they are installed, on the page that pops up on the browser restart, you can also opt in for Malware blocking and anything else that looks good.
Now you can install Adobe Reader, Adobe Shockwave, and Adobe Flash. Don't install Norton Security scanner, Lightroom trial, etc that they try to package along with those.
You may want to set up a System Restore point once you got everything working.
Applications
7zip (Free alternative to WinZip that opens and compresses.zip files)
Office
Microsoft Office
LibreOffice and OpenOffice (free alternatives-Have to change default save settings to be .doc and .xls)
Adobe Acrobat Pro (Lets you edit .PDF docs)
Creative
Adobe CS5/CS6 maybe if you need that stuff (Gimp is a free photoshop alternative)
Audacity (Free audio recording)
DJ
Traktor Pro 2
Atomix VirtualDJ Pro 7
Mixx (free)
Virtual DJ (free)
Video Editing
Sony Vegas Pro
Final Cut Pro for Windows
Adobe Premier Pro
Avid Media Composer
Windows Movie Maker (free)
Backup
Gotta work more on this. I haven't cloned a Windows disk yet. Here are some recommended ones to try.
DriveImage XML is free.
Acronis has good reviews.
The free built in Windows Backup saves your documents and files to a hard drive and lets you copy them to another computer. Doesn't save your applications though.
Seagate Backup saves files similarly as well.
Pictures
Picasa (I don't like it as much as iPhoto, but there is no iPhoto for Windows, but it's free and stores everything, and automatically can back up mid-res pics to you gmail account. You have to tell it not to upload full res pics because it will count against your free storage. Lets you do minor editing as well.)
Media Playback
iTunes (set import to .mp3 instead of .aac)
Windows Media player (set import to .mp3 instead of .wma - better with videos than iTunes IMO)
VLC (plays almost every format of audio and video. You may want to change it to the dark skin. no media library.)
Geek stuff (most people don't need this)
Belarc Advisor - Gives you some tech specs and application info. I did notice that it truncated the last digit of my computer's serial number on a Samsung but not on a shorter HP serial. It would be nice if it gave you the rotational speed of the hard drive and the MHz of the RAM. It tells you the Bus Clock of the main circuit board though.
Geekbench 3 - Tells you how fast your processor speed is on the computer and compares it to other computers. Yeah, you can go to the geekbench results browser and search for your computer there, but it is more fun, though it takes more time, to run it yourself, and compare it to other computers you have run it on that are saved in your free profile. It is kind of cool to say a computer is 4 times more powerful than another. It outputs a single processor speed and all processors together speed. The higher the better. I generally am scared of computers under a total score of 3500 because they will likely slow down and kill your patience in a few months.
You can type in your computer's processor or the model number and find out how it compares to other computers here. 3500+ is safe for regular use. 8000+ is achieved with quad core processors and is good for power users.
Notes
After running updates, anti-virus scans, and anti-malware scans, I remembered why I switched to Macs; They take way less time to update. Hours and hours less. That's because they aren't used by businesses as often and are not as financially capable targets. So let's keep it that way and not introduce Macs into the work environment so we can spend less time updating things at home. Or we could introduce them and demand Apple make them insanely secure with the money they are getting with their higher profit margins per unit.
Sometimes, you just gotta do it old school to get rid of viruses, old applications, junk, fragmentation, super slowness, etc.
The prep work
When Windows is installed on a new computer, it likely won't have the drivers to use the hardware, so don't expect anything to work like the WiFi, Ethernet port, a good resolution video display (it may be super low resolution), the USB 3.0 ports may not work (USB 1.0 and maybe 2.0 may work and the CD/DVD drive may work).
So how do you connect to the Internet to download updates? Seems like a catch 22. You need to connect to the Internet to download the updates that allow you to connect to the Internet.
I've found that laptops with SD card readers tend to read SD cards. So before I wipe the computer, I go to the manufacturer website for the model number of a particular computer, such as www.hp.com and then the support tab, and then I type in the model number found on a sticker on the bottom or back of the computer. It then takes you to the download page for that model, like this one for one of the Samsung Series 7 model NP700Z5B-S01UB (found on the bottom of the laptop) where you will want to download, Usually under drivers, or download tab, at very least, the correct wireless and LAN drivers (device manager on the computer you will be installing it on will tell you the brand-Intel or Broadcom), maybe the video card driver. You can download more, but those will get you Internet connectivity. I recommend downloading updates via the Ethernet instead of wifi, it's generally faster, especially on older computers.
Install Windows
Put your Windows CD in, some computers will allow you to use a formatted USB with a copy of Windows on a flash drive, or from a network (which is more complicated). It takes several minutes to start up, then you have options to format the existing drives, leave any recovery partitions in, or format them too. At the very least, if you want to wipe it, format the largest drive, as tht has all the files and old OS on it. If you want to try keeping your old files and reinstalling an OS over the existing OS, don't format the drive and just install Windows over the existing partition that has your files. Your files will most likely be ok.
If there is a recovery partition for the same OS, you can probably leave it. If you want to start from scratch scratch or are going to change operating systems, then maybe format all the drives, merge them into one big drive, and do a fresh install and see if a recovery partition is created. If you ave the disk, a recovery partition may not be needed... if you keep the disk available. It should usually be fine without a recovery partition.
Recovery Partition
This is one area most people overlook, but I am bookmarking to come back to when I learn more about it. My understanding right now is that an OEM System Recovery Media OS won't create a recovery partition, but a true installation disk will, so when you press F4, you would be able to repair Windows without a disk if you use a true install disk. That's my guess. I manually format the drive with all the info and operating system when installing a fresh install of and leave the recovery partition alone if there was one from a previous install when I use the OEM disk.
Windows is installed (and it is ugly)
It may not look pretty because you don't have your display drivers installed, so it on a super low res setting and it may not connect to the Internet (you can try an Ethernet cable and turning on wifi, just make sure any buttons on the computer, like touch buttons that are red are turned blue, or switches turned off to on). This is where you take the SD card (formatted as Fat32 or even ExFAT-no 4GB max file size- for Windows Vista and newer) and slide it in. The computer should recognize it. You can now double click on the drivers you installed for the LAN for Ethernet, Wifi, and display, and anything else. If the SD card doesn't work, see if it recognized a USB 2.0 stick (a USB 3.0 stick may require drivers). If that doesn't work, see if a CD can be read. you may have to use another computer to copy or burn those network drivers to the USB 2.0 or CD.
Once the Ethernet or WiFi are connected, preferably LAN since it is generally faster, you can download any additional software or drivers from the support page for your model. So go again to ww.hp.com, ww.dell.com, www.samsung.com, for whatever brand you have, support tab, enter your model number, and finish downloading the things you need, chipset, Bios, USB, etc. Think twice about software packages. Some are good, most are junk. Read descriptions.
This can take 20 minutes to an hour depending on how many drivers there are.
Microsoft updates
Control Panel-Security-view and install Windows Updates-review updates ...1033 is the Windows 7 genuine notification. You can manually select what updates you want and right click on it and hide it if you think it will cause problems. Install these updates.
Installing these updates is a good start and will patch a lot of security holes. Expect it to take about 2-4 hours and restart 2-3 times, so you need to babysit it. Updates generally install faster when you connect via Ethernet instead of wifi. Yes, it is painful, so update a lot of computers at once, or watch TV.
Anti-virus
AVG Free or Avast Free are good choices.
Avast may require your e-mail to register for it every 365 days.
AVG works fine, but you have to put it on silent mode otherwise you can get annoying pop ups reminding you it's been updated. AVG can be temporarily disabled for a few minutes or until a restart if need be.
Don't forget to manually update them and not sign up for the paid versions, which are good too but go on sale for free sometimes at computer stores every year with rebates.
Anti-Spyware
Sometimes I install it, sometimes I don't.
Ad-Aware and Malwarebytes are popular.
Spybot Search and Destroy Free has a nice immunization feature. But it also is known for giveing several false positives, which can be annoying. The Tea Timer add-on can be tricky to use with registry backups or something, so I don't install it. Spybot thought 7Zip was spyware in 2009 if I remember right.*SpyBot will let you speed up scans by creating a whitelist of everything currently on your computer. It is probably safer to not have a whitelist, but hey, time is money too.
Browsers
Internet Explorer comes stock, but I don't like it's lack of a multi row tab bar, lack of bookmark extensions, and lack of AdBlock Plus support. It is also the most targeted in attacks, and probably the least secure browser since it is the most mainstream. So everyone else, especially businesses that have money, keep using it so hackers concentrate on IE only and leave Chrome and Firefox alone.
Chrome Good because flash player is pre-installed unlike other web browsers, so you can watch YouTube immediately. Bad because it seems to crash on me more often than any other browser when I have a lot of tabs and do video at the same time.
Firefox Firefox is an oldie, but goodie. But you have to install Adobe Reader, Flash, and Shockwave manually, as you do with Internet Explorer.
--Firefox Extensions
I recommend Tab Mix Plus for multi row tab support (I am a tab whore and use 3 rows at 66 pixels per tab-adjusted in Preferences-Tab Bar to change 'scrolling' to 'multi row' and 'Tab' to reduce min tab width if you need to scrunch more in there),
SoThink Web Video downloader (if you need to download a protected video, like from a news station)
Delicious bookmarks (may be an outdated bookmark bar, but hey)
Abduction - lets you capture high quality .png or low quality .jpg of Entire webpages (even the parts you have to scroll down to see). Another option is to save the page as a .pdf, but that may not be what you want to do.
Greasemonkey-some websites have scripts that require greasemonkey to run. There are some fun techy things you can do with scripts, like adding a button to YouTube to download videos, but generally not needed for the casual user.
Noia 4 Theme manager-It changes the look of Firefox and makes it "cooler"
Safai, Opera, and Chrome Canary are also web browsers if you want one for each e-mail address you have.
Now you can install Adblock plus for Firefox and Adblock Plus for Chrome. After they are installed, on the page that pops up on the browser restart, you can also opt in for Malware blocking and anything else that looks good.
Now you can install Adobe Reader, Adobe Shockwave, and Adobe Flash. Don't install Norton Security scanner, Lightroom trial, etc that they try to package along with those.
You may want to set up a System Restore point once you got everything working.
Applications
7zip (Free alternative to WinZip that opens and compresses.zip files)
Office
Microsoft Office
LibreOffice and OpenOffice (free alternatives-Have to change default save settings to be .doc and .xls)
Adobe Acrobat Pro (Lets you edit .PDF docs)
Creative
Adobe CS5/CS6 maybe if you need that stuff (Gimp is a free photoshop alternative)
Audacity (Free audio recording)
DJ
Traktor Pro 2
Atomix VirtualDJ Pro 7
Mixx (free)
Virtual DJ (free)
Video Editing
Sony Vegas Pro
Final Cut Pro for Windows
Adobe Premier Pro
Avid Media Composer
Windows Movie Maker (free)
Backup
Gotta work more on this. I haven't cloned a Windows disk yet. Here are some recommended ones to try.
DriveImage XML is free.
Acronis has good reviews.
The free built in Windows Backup saves your documents and files to a hard drive and lets you copy them to another computer. Doesn't save your applications though.
Seagate Backup saves files similarly as well.
Pictures
Picasa (I don't like it as much as iPhoto, but there is no iPhoto for Windows, but it's free and stores everything, and automatically can back up mid-res pics to you gmail account. You have to tell it not to upload full res pics because it will count against your free storage. Lets you do minor editing as well.)
Media Playback
iTunes (set import to .mp3 instead of .aac)
Windows Media player (set import to .mp3 instead of .wma - better with videos than iTunes IMO)
VLC (plays almost every format of audio and video. You may want to change it to the dark skin. no media library.)
Geek stuff (most people don't need this)
Belarc Advisor - Gives you some tech specs and application info. I did notice that it truncated the last digit of my computer's serial number on a Samsung but not on a shorter HP serial. It would be nice if it gave you the rotational speed of the hard drive and the MHz of the RAM. It tells you the Bus Clock of the main circuit board though.
Geekbench 3 - Tells you how fast your processor speed is on the computer and compares it to other computers. Yeah, you can go to the geekbench results browser and search for your computer there, but it is more fun, though it takes more time, to run it yourself, and compare it to other computers you have run it on that are saved in your free profile. It is kind of cool to say a computer is 4 times more powerful than another. It outputs a single processor speed and all processors together speed. The higher the better. I generally am scared of computers under a total score of 3500 because they will likely slow down and kill your patience in a few months.
You can type in your computer's processor or the model number and find out how it compares to other computers here. 3500+ is safe for regular use. 8000+ is achieved with quad core processors and is good for power users.
Notes
After running updates, anti-virus scans, and anti-malware scans, I remembered why I switched to Macs; They take way less time to update. Hours and hours less. That's because they aren't used by businesses as often and are not as financially capable targets. So let's keep it that way and not introduce Macs into the work environment so we can spend less time updating things at home. Or we could introduce them and demand Apple make them insanely secure with the money they are getting with their higher profit margins per unit.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
How to pick (and test the life of) a battery
One cheap and awesome thing you can get is a battery tester to see what the voltage is of a mystery battery. I got this battery/volt tester/voltmeter on Amazon for $4.
If you really want to know at what point a battery is dead, for a particular device, use the voltmeter to see at what voltage the battery is when a battery dies in that device. So when the smoke alarm starts beeping, take the battery out, put it on the voltmeter battery tester, and note down the voltage at which that device thinks a battery is dead.
You may notice that different devices have different dead points. For example, I have a paintball hopper that uses two nine volt alkaline batteries and they test at 6.5 volts and still work (though it is not as powerful as it was when the batteries were full and has a higher probability of jamming if I overload it). If a smoke detector dies at, say, 8.1 volts, you still have life left in those smoke detector batteries, and batteries are expensive. I think a lot of partially charged alkaline batteries are thrown out each year because of this lack of knowledge that I didn't realize until I got a voltmeter.
Capacity is important. The larger the capacity, the longer it should power your device. Different technologies and brands have different mAh capacities.
Alkalines seem to have between a 1000 and 1400 milliampere (mAh) hour life. Lithiums seem to be worth twice the price at about 3000 mAh.
9 volt alkaline cart (on my voltmeter)
Good = ~9 volts-7.8 volts
low power = 7.7 volts - 6 volts
Replace = below 6 volts
9.6 Volt NiHM Powerex
Full = 10.42 volts (tested on a fully charged 230 mAh Powerex
What battery should I buy?
Info
Alkaline batteries discharge their voltage linearly. Rechargeable batteries initially drop to their rated voltage, then hold that rated voltage for a long time, then drop suddenly when they are dying. I propose that how dead something is is relative to the lowest voltage a battery can be and the device still operate. The back of the voltmeter says
A general 1.5 volt alkaline AA chart according to my voltmeter.
New = 1.52-1.57 volts*(as I've tested)
Good = 1.5 v - 1.28 v
low power = 1.27-1.15 volts
replace = below 1.15 volts (76% of rated capacity)
Starting AA voltages for new alkaline batteries by brand and age. Newer batteries tend to have more remaining voltage.
Brand Expiration date Voltage Birth date Age Shelf life left Qty Shelf Life
CVS N/L 1.52 © 2009... 4-5 yrs? N/L 1 ?
Kirkland Sig March 2016 1.52-1.54 (+one fluctuating battery) 2 years 5 ?
Energizer March 2016 1.54-1.55 ? ? 2 years 3 ?
Rayovac Dec 2016 1.55 Dec 2009 4 years 3 years 1 7 yrs
Rayovac Dec 2018 1.55-1.57* Dec 2011 2 years 5 years 5 7 yrs
Different devices require a minimum charge. A good way of knowing what that is is to take a battery tester to it when the device stops working to see what the minimum volt measurement for that device is.
For example:
Three Alkaline batteries at 0.99 volts each could not turn on a digital clock.
An old digital camera would not turn on at 1.4 volts. A rechargable battery at 1.2 v did not turn it on. So that is a super short battery life on that device.So I took those batteries out and used them in other devices.
A review on Amazon said that the devices a reviewer used would say an alkaline battery was dead at 1.4 volts (like the battery hungry camera I had). I don't know if 1.2 v rechargeable batteries would power a device that required 1.4 volts. Most cameras I've had since 2006 have been able to use rechargeable batteries though.
Though you can argue a battery is dead when a device can't use it anymore, though it may still power a different device, like a flashlight.
A 1.2 volt AA rechargeable battery freshly charged may start off around 1.3-4 volts, initially drop to 1.2 volts and stay there for a long while, about 85%-15% of its charge, and will be on the quick path to dying at 1.0 volts or so.
Here are some rough estimates, but maybe use these as a start as you get to know your battery. Look on the side of your rechargable battery to see what it's rated voltage is. Here is a guide for a standard 1.2 rechargeable AA.
A general rechargeable 1.2 volt NiMH AA chart
85%-100% =1.4 volts> and >1.25 volts
15%-85% = 1.10> and >1.25 volts (a bit under 1.2 v is still fine)
0%-15% = < 1.10 volts (about when the steep drop off may start)
While most devices that take AA batteries work with both 1.2 v rechargeable AA and 1.5 v alkaline batteries, I know of at least one camera circa 1996, a Japanese Minolta Dimage 7, that only showed low battery and refused to fully turn on with batteries at 1.3 v, but worked fine when the batteries were at 1.5 volts. That's when you get a new camera, because you can only use alkaline batteries that get to the 1.5 v and only from the 100%-90% of their supposed rated life. 1.35v / 1.5v = .9 Which means only 10% of the battery life was drained before the camera couldn't use the battery anymore. Kind of a waste.
This is a real concern for waste because other devices can use the remaining 90% of the charge, but I know I'd normally assume the batteries were fully dead and throw them out. Maybe that's why our moms kept half dead batteries in the refrigerator growing up; they would work in other devices.
Rechargable battery brand
Powerex was recommended to me in 2012 at Batteries Plus.
9v = 230 mAh
AA = 2700 mAh
Why? The mAh on these is among the highest of any brand, meaning more battery life per charge. I tried Duracel and Energizer with a rapid charger, but neither held their charge after maybe 15 charges on a 15 minute charger. A slow trickle charger seemed to bring them back to life.
There are some with low discharges, which hold more voltage over storage time, but they may come at the expense of a little capacity.
Best charger?
Apparently the rapid chargers can overcharge and burn out batteries. They are pretty convenient though.
In 2012, I went to Batteries Plus and asked for the most versatile charger at the best value. They sold me the 'Nurech-8' which will charge 4 x AAA, AA, C, D and/or two 9V batteries at a time. The user has to manually set the length of time of the charge, option A for small capacities, and option B for larger capacities. The battery life isn't really smart monitored, but maybe that's just one thing less to go wrong. I do feel a little bad about overcharging on option A if I am recharging a battery drained to 80% since it may overcharge it if I don't remember/set an alarm to manually take it out. Maybe it's not really an issue.
Option A will charge the batteries for 4.5 hours. Option B will charge for up to 9.5 hours. I don't know if there is a safety timer for 9 V.
9V NiMH 180 mAh takes 16 hours to charge. I use the 230 mAh Powerex 9 volt batteries, and leave them in there for over a day if they are dead dead. I can check on the voltage, but I'm not sure if taking them out resets the safety timer (if there is one). So while I'm not going to say it's the easiest one to manage, it works well.
I have been eyeballing this battery charger on Amazon that claims it can even recharge alkaline batteries up to 80% of their original charge.
If you really want to know at what point a battery is dead, for a particular device, use the voltmeter to see at what voltage the battery is when a battery dies in that device. So when the smoke alarm starts beeping, take the battery out, put it on the voltmeter battery tester, and note down the voltage at which that device thinks a battery is dead.
You may notice that different devices have different dead points. For example, I have a paintball hopper that uses two nine volt alkaline batteries and they test at 6.5 volts and still work (though it is not as powerful as it was when the batteries were full and has a higher probability of jamming if I overload it). If a smoke detector dies at, say, 8.1 volts, you still have life left in those smoke detector batteries, and batteries are expensive. I think a lot of partially charged alkaline batteries are thrown out each year because of this lack of knowledge that I didn't realize until I got a voltmeter.
Capacity is important. The larger the capacity, the longer it should power your device. Different technologies and brands have different mAh capacities.
Alkalines seem to have between a 1000 and 1400 milliampere (mAh) hour life. Lithiums seem to be worth twice the price at about 3000 mAh.
9 volt alkaline cart (on my voltmeter)
Good = ~9 volts-7.8 volts
low power = 7.7 volts - 6 volts
Replace = below 6 volts
9.6 Volt NiHM Powerex
Full = 10.42 volts (tested on a fully charged 230 mAh Powerex
What battery should I buy?
Info
Alkaline batteries discharge their voltage linearly. Rechargeable batteries initially drop to their rated voltage, then hold that rated voltage for a long time, then drop suddenly when they are dying. I propose that how dead something is is relative to the lowest voltage a battery can be and the device still operate. The back of the voltmeter says
A general 1.5 volt alkaline AA chart according to my voltmeter.
New = 1.52-1.57 volts*(as I've tested)
Good = 1.5 v - 1.28 v
low power = 1.27-1.15 volts
replace = below 1.15 volts (76% of rated capacity)
Starting AA voltages for new alkaline batteries by brand and age. Newer batteries tend to have more remaining voltage.
Brand Expiration date Voltage Birth date Age Shelf life left Qty Shelf Life
CVS N/L 1.52 © 2009... 4-5 yrs? N/L 1 ?
Kirkland Sig March 2016 1.52-1.54 (+one fluctuating battery) 2 years 5 ?
Energizer March 2016 1.54-1.55 ? ? 2 years 3 ?
Rayovac Dec 2016 1.55 Dec 2009 4 years 3 years 1 7 yrs
Rayovac Dec 2018 1.55-1.57* Dec 2011 2 years 5 years 5 7 yrs
Different devices require a minimum charge. A good way of knowing what that is is to take a battery tester to it when the device stops working to see what the minimum volt measurement for that device is.
For example:
Three Alkaline batteries at 0.99 volts each could not turn on a digital clock.
An old digital camera would not turn on at 1.4 volts. A rechargable battery at 1.2 v did not turn it on. So that is a super short battery life on that device.So I took those batteries out and used them in other devices.
A review on Amazon said that the devices a reviewer used would say an alkaline battery was dead at 1.4 volts (like the battery hungry camera I had). I don't know if 1.2 v rechargeable batteries would power a device that required 1.4 volts. Most cameras I've had since 2006 have been able to use rechargeable batteries though.
Though you can argue a battery is dead when a device can't use it anymore, though it may still power a different device, like a flashlight.
A 1.2 volt AA rechargeable battery freshly charged may start off around 1.3-4 volts, initially drop to 1.2 volts and stay there for a long while, about 85%-15% of its charge, and will be on the quick path to dying at 1.0 volts or so.
Here are some rough estimates, but maybe use these as a start as you get to know your battery. Look on the side of your rechargable battery to see what it's rated voltage is. Here is a guide for a standard 1.2 rechargeable AA.
A general rechargeable 1.2 volt NiMH AA chart
85%-100% =1.4 volts> and >1.25 volts
15%-85% = 1.10> and >1.25 volts (a bit under 1.2 v is still fine)
0%-15% = < 1.10 volts (about when the steep drop off may start)
While most devices that take AA batteries work with both 1.2 v rechargeable AA and 1.5 v alkaline batteries, I know of at least one camera circa 1996, a Japanese Minolta Dimage 7, that only showed low battery and refused to fully turn on with batteries at 1.3 v, but worked fine when the batteries were at 1.5 volts. That's when you get a new camera, because you can only use alkaline batteries that get to the 1.5 v and only from the 100%-90% of their supposed rated life. 1.35v / 1.5v = .9 Which means only 10% of the battery life was drained before the camera couldn't use the battery anymore. Kind of a waste.
This is a real concern for waste because other devices can use the remaining 90% of the charge, but I know I'd normally assume the batteries were fully dead and throw them out. Maybe that's why our moms kept half dead batteries in the refrigerator growing up; they would work in other devices.
Rechargable battery brand
Powerex was recommended to me in 2012 at Batteries Plus.
9v = 230 mAh
AA = 2700 mAh
Why? The mAh on these is among the highest of any brand, meaning more battery life per charge. I tried Duracel and Energizer with a rapid charger, but neither held their charge after maybe 15 charges on a 15 minute charger. A slow trickle charger seemed to bring them back to life.
There are some with low discharges, which hold more voltage over storage time, but they may come at the expense of a little capacity.
Best charger?
Apparently the rapid chargers can overcharge and burn out batteries. They are pretty convenient though.
In 2012, I went to Batteries Plus and asked for the most versatile charger at the best value. They sold me the 'Nurech-8' which will charge 4 x AAA, AA, C, D and/or two 9V batteries at a time. The user has to manually set the length of time of the charge, option A for small capacities, and option B for larger capacities. The battery life isn't really smart monitored, but maybe that's just one thing less to go wrong. I do feel a little bad about overcharging on option A if I am recharging a battery drained to 80% since it may overcharge it if I don't remember/set an alarm to manually take it out. Maybe it's not really an issue.
Option A will charge the batteries for 4.5 hours. Option B will charge for up to 9.5 hours. I don't know if there is a safety timer for 9 V.
9V NiMH 180 mAh takes 16 hours to charge. I use the 230 mAh Powerex 9 volt batteries, and leave them in there for over a day if they are dead dead. I can check on the voltage, but I'm not sure if taking them out resets the safety timer (if there is one). So while I'm not going to say it's the easiest one to manage, it works well.
I have been eyeballing this battery charger on Amazon that claims it can even recharge alkaline batteries up to 80% of their original charge.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
How to set up a new Mac (recommended applications)
Here is one approach for setting up a new computer if you had any software available to you. Please give any feedback.
Mavericks is a free upgrade. iLife should come stock. Anti-virus is an option. I have found AV programs like Sophos to be more annoying than helpful, but I think other people should install AV to prevent passing unscanned files. Any favorite Anti-Virus programs?
1. CleanApp-This will help uninstall applications that have been installed after CleanApp was installed.
Browsers
Safari isn't my favorite browser. It doesn't have a lot of extensions to customize it.
1. Firefox-Add AdBlock Plus and select the 'Block High Risk Websites', add Tab Mix Plus and select the option for 3 multi-row and reduce minimum tab size to about 80 pixels. Add Delicious bookmarks (or another crossplatform bookmark app). SoThink video downloader lets you download news video if you are on the news. Sometime links open in a window that doesn't
2. Chrome-Add Adblock Plus and select 'Block High Risk Websites'
(3. Opera can be another browser option, though some formatting stuff in Google Drive doesn't work. Not super customizable.)
Download Flash Player, Shockwave Player, Adobe Reader (if you don't have Adobe Acrobat) for Firefox.
Now time for the ideal apps that do stuff
1. Microsoft Office (Duh)
2. Adobe CS6 (Duh)
3. Audacity (audio recording) http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
4. Final Cut Pro (video)
5. VMWare Fusion (To install Windows and Linux if you don't want to only do dual boot)
6. Adobe Acrobat Pro (Lets you do some editing to .pdf docs)
Playback
1. VLC (plays nearly any format of video file. Can do audio files, but not as user friendly as iTunes. Can skip sometimes, but it is reasonably customizable, I go with a dark border and can turn captions on and off easily)
2. Maybe DivX (though be careful on the additional programs that may come with it. I may have picked up the horrible Bing Search.conduit from this) icefilms.info likes it, but most links will play without it using a flash player. I do not have a DivX player installed on my refreshed computer.
3. Perian 1.2.3 (updates Quicktime components to run more video files I believe, possibly .wma)
Potentially helpful or interesting things
1. PTH Pasteboard 4.4 (Remembers a list of things you have copied. Version 4.3 Doesn't auto open for me. I did add the .prefPane to auto run in Preferences, so as soon as you manually open Preferences, it auto opens PTH Pasteboard. Annoying, but not as annoying as not having it run once you start using it.)
2. UnRarX (Opens .rar files)
3. Transmission (can help download some large files)
4. Cinch 1.0.6-(Adds snapping of windows sides of the screen like in Windows 7) to Install it, you have to download XQuartz which may or may not slow down the system
5. CarbonCopyCloner (seemed to have less issues than SuperDuper in 2012)
6. Audio Hijack Pro-hijacks the audio of an application and allows you to mute or really boost the max volume of an application, like hijack Firefox to increase the max volume of a YouTube video to make it way louder even when everything else is maxxed out. It also records application audio.
7. MiniBattery Logger-documents battery charge, so you know how long your battery lasts or how long it takes to charge
8. Geekbench-tests speed of computer
To change default programs to open a type of file, right click on the file, get info, and you can change the default application there.
You can copy an entire iPhoto library to an external drive, and copy it from the external drive to your new install in the correct Pictures folder. It will keep the Albums you've created as well. AirDrop doesn't work well for large files >~5 GB. It can time out.
Mavericks is a free upgrade. iLife should come stock. Anti-virus is an option. I have found AV programs like Sophos to be more annoying than helpful, but I think other people should install AV to prevent passing unscanned files. Any favorite Anti-Virus programs?
1. CleanApp-This will help uninstall applications that have been installed after CleanApp was installed.
Browsers
Safari isn't my favorite browser. It doesn't have a lot of extensions to customize it.
1. Firefox-Add AdBlock Plus and select the 'Block High Risk Websites', add Tab Mix Plus and select the option for 3 multi-row and reduce minimum tab size to about 80 pixels. Add Delicious bookmarks (or another crossplatform bookmark app). SoThink video downloader lets you download news video if you are on the news. Sometime links open in a window that doesn't
2. Chrome-Add Adblock Plus and select 'Block High Risk Websites'
(3. Opera can be another browser option, though some formatting stuff in Google Drive doesn't work. Not super customizable.)
Download Flash Player, Shockwave Player, Adobe Reader (if you don't have Adobe Acrobat) for Firefox.
Now time for the ideal apps that do stuff
1. Microsoft Office (Duh)
2. Adobe CS6 (Duh)
3. Audacity (audio recording) http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
4. Final Cut Pro (video)
5. VMWare Fusion (To install Windows and Linux if you don't want to only do dual boot)
6. Adobe Acrobat Pro (Lets you do some editing to .pdf docs)
Playback
1. VLC (plays nearly any format of video file. Can do audio files, but not as user friendly as iTunes. Can skip sometimes, but it is reasonably customizable, I go with a dark border and can turn captions on and off easily)
2. Maybe DivX (though be careful on the additional programs that may come with it. I may have picked up the horrible Bing Search.conduit from this) icefilms.info likes it, but most links will play without it using a flash player. I do not have a DivX player installed on my refreshed computer.
3. Perian 1.2.3 (updates Quicktime components to run more video files I believe, possibly .wma)
Potentially helpful or interesting things
1. PTH Pasteboard 4.4 (Remembers a list of things you have copied. Version 4.3 Doesn't auto open for me. I did add the .prefPane to auto run in Preferences, so as soon as you manually open Preferences, it auto opens PTH Pasteboard. Annoying, but not as annoying as not having it run once you start using it.)
2. UnRarX (Opens .rar files)
3. Transmission (can help download some large files)
4. Cinch 1.0.6-(Adds snapping of windows sides of the screen like in Windows 7) to Install it, you have to download XQuartz which may or may not slow down the system
5. CarbonCopyCloner (seemed to have less issues than SuperDuper in 2012)
6. Audio Hijack Pro-hijacks the audio of an application and allows you to mute or really boost the max volume of an application, like hijack Firefox to increase the max volume of a YouTube video to make it way louder even when everything else is maxxed out. It also records application audio.
7. MiniBattery Logger-documents battery charge, so you know how long your battery lasts or how long it takes to charge
8. Geekbench-tests speed of computer
To change default programs to open a type of file, right click on the file, get info, and you can change the default application there.
You can copy an entire iPhoto library to an external drive, and copy it from the external drive to your new install in the correct Pictures folder. It will keep the Albums you've created as well. AirDrop doesn't work well for large files >~5 GB. It can time out.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Electronic Paintball Gun Comparison
From 2006-2010, I bought, traded, and resold electronic paintball guns.
Electronic paintball guns use a battery, circuit board, solenoid (which controls air flow to move the bolt which slides back and forth manually pushing the paintball forward), and a regulator that controls the air flow that then pushes the paintball out at 280 feet per second, the general field speed limit.
There are two general styles of paintball guns, also known as markers, spool valve and poppit valves.
Spool Valves
Pros
They are usually more quiet, which is good for sneaking up on someone, but bad for sound activated hoppers. They sometimes have less barrel rise though than poppit marker.
Cons
Spool valves are a little more maintenance. it takes more time to disassemble them, take DOW33 lube (Sleek lube is the standard) and rub it on the 3+ o-rings so they have a good seal. It gets kid of greasy. Generally speaking, they are more likely to have problems in cold weather.
Examples: Shocker SFT and NXT, Proto anything (Proto Rail, Reflex, PM5-8), Dye anything (DM4-14), MacDev Droid, Clone.
Here are some paintball companies
Angel-These paintball markers were known for using low air pressure and could shoot very fragile paint without breaking it. The markers were not easy to tech by owners and often had to be sent to a professional gun tech. They used to have a lot of banners with hot girls holding their guns. It was a common sight player got used to at competitions. Though since out of business, Angel used to sponsor the Team 'Joy Division' which allegedly refrigerated their paintballs which made them more brittle, too brittle for other guns to shoot without breaking in the gun.
Smart Parts-Team Dynasty was very well known. They shot the Shocker SFT and NXT with custom bodies and bolts. Ton Ton had a special frame.
DM12
Electronic paintball guns use a battery, circuit board, solenoid (which controls air flow to move the bolt which slides back and forth manually pushing the paintball forward), and a regulator that controls the air flow that then pushes the paintball out at 280 feet per second, the general field speed limit.
There are two general styles of paintball guns, also known as markers, spool valve and poppit valves.
Spool Valves
Pros
They are usually more quiet, which is good for sneaking up on someone, but bad for sound activated hoppers. They sometimes have less barrel rise though than poppit marker.
Cons
Spool valves are a little more maintenance. it takes more time to disassemble them, take DOW33 lube (Sleek lube is the standard) and rub it on the 3+ o-rings so they have a good seal. It gets kid of greasy. Generally speaking, they are more likely to have problems in cold weather.
Examples: Shocker SFT and NXT, Proto anything (Proto Rail, Reflex, PM5-8), Dye anything (DM4-14), MacDev Droid, Clone.
Here are some paintball companies
Angel-These paintball markers were known for using low air pressure and could shoot very fragile paint without breaking it. The markers were not easy to tech by owners and often had to be sent to a professional gun tech. They used to have a lot of banners with hot girls holding their guns. It was a common sight player got used to at competitions. Though since out of business, Angel used to sponsor the Team 'Joy Division' which allegedly refrigerated their paintballs which made them more brittle, too brittle for other guns to shoot without breaking in the gun.
Smart Parts-Team Dynasty was very well known. They shot the Shocker SFT and NXT with custom bodies and bolts. Ton Ton had a special frame.
DM12
Thursday, December 12, 2013
MacBook VMware Windows 7 Geekbench tests with different processor allocations
MacBook VMware Windows 7 Geekbench tests with different processor allocations
In a dual core computer running Windows 7 though VMWare Fusion 6, what are the Geekbench 3 benchmarks for OSX 10.9 and Windows 7?
MacBook 2.66 Core 2 Duo/4GB 1067MHz
Both processors routed to Windows 7
(Mac Single Core 1195/ Multi-Core 1507) 56% of not running a VM
(Windows Single Core 1349/Multi-Core 2452)
1 processor to Windows 7
(Mac Single Core 1444/ Multi-core 2395) 89% of not running a VM
(Windows Single Core 1306/Multi-Core 1305)
Not running a Virtual Machine
(Mac Single Core 1490 /Multi-core 2672)
In a dual core computer running Windows 7 though VMWare Fusion 6, what are the Geekbench 3 benchmarks for OSX 10.9 and Windows 7?
MacBook 2.66 Core 2 Duo/4GB 1067MHz
Both processors routed to Windows 7
(Mac Single Core 1195/ Multi-Core 1507) 56% of not running a VM
(Windows Single Core 1349/Multi-Core 2452)
1 processor to Windows 7
(Mac Single Core 1444/ Multi-core 2395) 89% of not running a VM
(Windows Single Core 1306/Multi-Core 1305)
Not running a Virtual Machine
(Mac Single Core 1490 /Multi-core 2672)
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Paintball hopper/loader selection
There are woodball and speedball guns. Woodsball guns are typically not electronic, mostly waterproof, and shoot maybe 6-15 balls per second. Some people use $2 gravity fed hoppers, which you may have to shake in case a ball gets stuck and can feed at about 6-8 balls per second. If you want to shoot about 10+ bps, you will want an electronic hopper so balls don't get jammed.
Speedball guns use electronics to shoot more rapidly and need an electronic hopper to typically shoot 12 balls per second or faster, or around 30 balls per second if the game is uncapped.
Generally speaking, the Dye Rotor, Virtue Spire, and Pinokio are great modern choices for speedball tournaments. Good less expensive options are old Vlocitys (preferably with a Gangstar, Select Force, or Virtue chip that won't make it force feed balls for more than a few seconds to save on batteries), old Torques, though those constantly spin and you hear it.
Here is a pretty comprehensive list of the specs of most speedball hoppers.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnYLGbkyTL21dGRnODl2azRuSVlyMFdrNnFHU0lValE&usp=sharing
Rotor v3 Method of operation: ? /Speed 50+
Pros: (has velcro for battery)-jams occasionally, but most durable and low profile, can get a 250 ball extension for ~$25 + shipping. Waterproof board. Tough plastic.
Cons: Expensive. One person commented that initial feed speed took a few seconds to get up to a fast speed feed. People say is can jam occasionally, maybe once every 20,000 balls. May not work well with reballs.
1 is bad/ 5 is great
Weight:
Speed: 50+ (not rated since there is a cap at 12 bps)
1. Profile (taller and bigger is worse): 4 (2 high capacity shell)
2. Capacity (higher is better) ~188 actual (200 claim) (250 claim with high capacity top shell): 3 (high capacity nose/5 )
3. Likeliness to not break paint (Has adjustable settings. People have broken paint in Rotors, probably with high tension though): 4
4. easiness to break down and clean (5 seconds toolless): 5
5. Likeliness of a jam (rare, but sometimes): 4
6. Likeliness to have the shell break (dropped off 3 story building, can withstand direct flame, waterproof board): 5
7. Likeliness customer support will fix an issue: 2?
8. Battery (life 80,000 shots): 5
9. Cost ($149 husstlepaintball.com/HC shell +$25): 1
33/44
Pinokio - Method of operation: bend sensor/Speed 30+
Pros: Simple. Works. Lifetime warranty on internals, official one year warranty on shells minus your shipping cost to them ~$10. Probably the least likely to jam of current markers since balls can spin freely even when the feedneck is full of balls 20 cases of 20,000 balls so 400,000 balls. Uses 9 volts instead of AA, so you only have to carry 9 V batteries in your bag. Less expensive than Rotor or Spire. Double tap the power button to feed. Can spray water inside it to clean it out.
Cons: One I had with the original black shell developed a problem with the bend sensor, so it stopped working. My shells cracked in nearly all of the places where screws were screwed into as well. High profile. Taller than Rotor, shorter, though way longer than a Vlocity.
Comments: After not using it for 4 years, I realized they had a replacement warranty so I wrote them a letter asking for a new bend sensor, and asking if they had spare shells, updated board, and a speed feed to replace the lid which I had lost. They gave me an entirely new smoke loader with a very nice Pinokio speedfeed. So I have the original black nose cone and a smoke hopper, but I don't care. It seems pretty nice. The old board was 20+ bps, an upgraded P-board does 30+, but battery life isn't quite as long.
Weight:
Batteries: 3 AA
Speed 30+
Profile (Biggest loader I am aware of): 2 (1 w nose cone)
Capacity (higher is better) 245 actual/~400 w nose: 5
Likeliness to not break paint (No adjustability, but it supposedly just doesn't break paint.): 5
Easiness to break down and clean (toolless nose removal, but you have screws to take it all the wa apart): 3
Likeliness of a jam (supposedly does not jam. Balls can spin freely even when the feedneck is full.): 5
Likeliness to have the shell break (Most of the areas where the screws screwed into plastic molded nuts cracked on my original black Pinokio, but it held together because of the nose cone, unlike my Vlocity Jr.): 2
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue (I sent it in under the lifetime warranty with a super nice letter and Pinokio replaced the hopper. I was amazed and super loved them.): 5
Battery life (20 cases of 20,000 balls so 400,000 balls): 5
Cost ($99 www.ansgear.com): 3
Total 35/40
Virtue Spire
Pros:
Cons: There may be complications with a low battery.
Batteries: 3 AA
Speed
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better):
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability):
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best):
Likeliness of a jam:
Likeliness to have the shell break:
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue:Total /35
Empire prophecy Z2 (V2 is a budget hopper)- I hated earlier versions of the Empire and Halo hoppers because of the shells breaking and frequent jams, but users love this hopper. Pretty different internals from those old hoppers though, and it looks good. Doesn't have as good of a battery life as a Pinokio, Rotor, or Torque. Has 240 round shell upgrade.
Weight:
BPS:
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better) : 1
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability): ?4
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best):
Likeliness of a jam: 4
Likeliness to have the shell break: 4
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue: 1
Battery life: 3
Total /40
Torque-constantly spins, and slips if there is resistance by balls not feeding, while turned on and makes some noise, but hasn't jammed on me. Still using batteries from 2008, but I haven't used it much. Low profile. I think the shells on this are extremely durable, since most cracks happen where there are screws and it it toolless. The shells are more durable than the than Halo and Pinokio. Unfortunately the company is out of business, so new shells would be hard to find if you ran over it with a dump truck.
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better) ~160: 1
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability): 4
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best): 4
Likeliness of a jam: 4
Likeliness to have the shell break: 5
Battery life: 4
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue:Total 23/35
Vlocity Jr w Gangstar chip-You can set the settings to be less of battery hogs than constantly grinding like the stock board. Has a high profile, higher than a Pinokio, though shorter in the back than a Pinokio, and with less capicty. Large mouth for feeding balls. 180 ball capacity. shells and feedneck crack after use..
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better):
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability):
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best):
Likeliness of a jam:
Likeliness to have the shell break:
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue:Total /35
Vlocity-smaller mouth but 190 ball capacity
Fasta-Bend sensor
at 30BPS (there is a slower 20+ bps Fasta as well). Operates with a bend sendor like the Pinokio. It is pretty cheap, but I'm not sure if it has the same warranty. Thin plastic feedneck is known to crack.
Halo B-Uses Eyes
Pros: used in some top tournaments around 2004ish. Fast with the right board. Has rip drive to use when batteries were dying, which I liked.
Cons: Shells cracked easily. Heavy. Jammed too often. Poor-mid battery life.
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better):
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability):
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best):
Likeliness of a jam:
Likeliness to have the shell break:
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue:Total /35
Empire B-Sound activated
Hoppers I've used
Torque
The good: What would you want in a hopper? One that doesn't jam, but has a reverse button just in case, has toolless disassembly of very few pieces, and has a thick plastic that is not as likely to crack as most other hoppers, and great battery life.
The bad: Although toolless, the Torque is kind of hard to disassemble because you have to push a button inside the hopper and flex the back plastic around some other plastic nubs, but it will likely get easier with practice. It also ALWAYS spins and makes noise you can hear from up to 3 feet away when turned on. The wheel intentionally slips when the balls aren't being shot out, and you can hear the motor whir it a little, so if you rely on super stealth... that may concern you. It is probably a bit heavier than the Vlocity Jr and Halo/Empire due to the thicker plastic (which I'm fine with if that means it won't crack).
It has no eyes, but doesn't need them due to its simplicity, and has good reviews. Good luck getting one though since they are discontinued. No spring to hold the plastic door open. Not a huge deal though. I have had two 9 volt batteries in this hopper for 4 years, only using them a hand full of times, but they are still going strong. I deduct that the battery draw when off is super low, which I like.
$25 used
Vlocity Jr. with Gangstar chip upgrade
The good: One of the lightest hoppers on the market. The Gangstar chip has a bunch of adjustable settings that, among other things like BPS speed selection, allows the motor to turn off after 12 seconds when balls aren't being fed to reduce battery consumption and eliminate hopper motor noise when not in use. Clear feedneck lets you know if a ball is about to be fed.
The bad: It is lightweight because of thin plastic, thin plastic which breaks. There are a lot of screw and nuts held by thin plastic which breaks. There are lots of small screw holes for paint to get into, so cleaning it can sometimes be annoying. The stock Vlocity and Vlocity Jr. boards (non Gangstar) allegedly eat your 9 volt batteries. My feedneck got a crack in it from a feedneck clamp being too tight, but the plastic is strong enough there for me not to worry.
It is one of the lightest hoppers, however, I don't like how easily the shells on this loader break due to the thin plastic. I've had nuts and screws come out and the plastic crack, which I patched up with super glue. However, I do REALLY like the performance of this loader which is customizable with the Gangstar chip. I have it set up to spin at 15 BPS because guns are capped at 13. The faster it spins, the more likely balls will popcorn, around inside which would be bad. I also have it set to turn off and not spin and use the battery when balls are not moving for more than 5 seconds. So it is quiet enough for woodsball. The loudmouth is larger than the standard small lid, so fewer balls fall out when filling with a pod. It does have a high profile though which may make it a little easier to get shot. I had a jam one time and I just had to shake it a bit.
You need a screwdriver to take this apart and paint can get in all the screw holes. The clear feedneck is cool, so you know if there is a ball there, also has a superficial crack in the plastic in mine and many others. Even if it is held together with duct tape, I'll still really like this hopper. I'd pick up another used one without cracks in a heartbeat for $20 if I could, if someone else would sell it. I have the Gangstar 1 chip and have no reason to upgrade to Gangstar v2. I know Select Force is also a popular upgrade. There are small pieces to loose, like nuts, screws, and the ever annoying spring to keep the door open until it is slammed shut. Not an issue if you use a speed feed.
Common modifications include black electical or duct tape on the front to hold the shell together because the plastic breaks. People also saw off a part of the feedneck for a lower profile. There are speedfeeds people add. There are two mouth sizes. I have the larger one and liked it, at least until the shell broke apart during a game.
$25-40 used
Pinokio
The good: Large ball capacity and super large capacity with the nose cone. Stronger plastic than Vlocity and Halo B. Great battery life. A person I talked to that used it said it has worked great for him.
The bad: My internals broke under normal use. It has a huge profile.
I wanted to like this hopper though it had a large profile. It feeds balls when a ball pushes back a tab stuck at a 45 degree angle in the feedneck and the tab flips back up. I found this system not to be reliable. The plastic of the hopper seemed fine though.
$50 used
Halo B
The good: I liked that it had the rip drive upgrade to manually feed balls if the batteries died. Happened once. it was kind of an experience. I lost to the guy who didn't have to break to spin it though. You can buy them cheap used.
The bad: The shells crack. There are a lot of small nuts, screws, and springs. Cleaning it can be annoying since you have so many screws and screw holes which can attract paint. It would jam occasionally.
Borrow it if you have to, but I wouldn't buy it. Too much maintenance and not enough plastic durability and paint feed reliability.
$20-35 used
Empire B
Same pros and cons of the Halo B except it had better battery life because it only spun once it heard a shot fired. Supposedly some quiet guns, some spool threads, didn't trigger it sometimes though according to a friend. This is about on par with the Halo, maybe better if you like better battery life and have a gun that makes it fire.
$25-35 used
Egg
Pros: cheap
Cons: Awkward, large profile, plastic can break
Standard 200 round gravity fed hopper
Pros: $5, no batteries, can take a beating, can get wet.
Cons: You may have to shake it to get the balls to come down. Can't shoot too fast or else the balls will get stuck until you shake everything. Usually works fine for the Tippman 98.
Using a gravity fed on an electronic marker can be annoying because you will have to shake it the entire time to make sure balls feed. Generally fine if you are just shooting a few shots at a time with a Spyder or Tippmann, but not for anything too competitive.
--
The Virtue Spire seems to be an expensive, but good option that rivals the Dye Rotor. It claims to not break fragile paint, feed quickly, and be easy to dissaemble.
I haven't used the Dye Rotor, but people that use it like it. It is a little heavier, but has a low profile, is great on battery like, 50,000 rounds supposedly. It is often times rated as the best hopper.
It is expensive though. $100 used, $180 new.
Prophesy-sound activated, proactive
http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=720187
Speedball guns use electronics to shoot more rapidly and need an electronic hopper to typically shoot 12 balls per second or faster, or around 30 balls per second if the game is uncapped.
Generally speaking, the Dye Rotor, Virtue Spire, and Pinokio are great modern choices for speedball tournaments. Good less expensive options are old Vlocitys (preferably with a Gangstar, Select Force, or Virtue chip that won't make it force feed balls for more than a few seconds to save on batteries), old Torques, though those constantly spin and you hear it.
Here is a pretty comprehensive list of the specs of most speedball hoppers.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnYLGbkyTL21dGRnODl2azRuSVlyMFdrNnFHU0lValE&usp=sharing
Rotor v3 Method of operation: ? /Speed 50+
Pros: (has velcro for battery)-jams occasionally, but most durable and low profile, can get a 250 ball extension for ~$25 + shipping. Waterproof board. Tough plastic.
Cons: Expensive. One person commented that initial feed speed took a few seconds to get up to a fast speed feed. People say is can jam occasionally, maybe once every 20,000 balls. May not work well with reballs.
1 is bad/ 5 is great
Weight:
Speed: 50+ (not rated since there is a cap at 12 bps)
1. Profile (taller and bigger is worse): 4 (2 high capacity shell)
2. Capacity (higher is better) ~188 actual (200 claim) (250 claim with high capacity top shell): 3 (high capacity nose/5 )
3. Likeliness to not break paint (Has adjustable settings. People have broken paint in Rotors, probably with high tension though): 4
4. easiness to break down and clean (5 seconds toolless): 5
5. Likeliness of a jam (rare, but sometimes): 4
6. Likeliness to have the shell break (dropped off 3 story building, can withstand direct flame, waterproof board): 5
7. Likeliness customer support will fix an issue: 2?
8. Battery (life 80,000 shots): 5
9. Cost ($149 husstlepaintball.com/HC shell +$25): 1
33/44
Pinokio - Method of operation: bend sensor/Speed 30+
Pros: Simple. Works. Lifetime warranty on internals, official one year warranty on shells minus your shipping cost to them ~$10. Probably the least likely to jam of current markers since balls can spin freely even when the feedneck is full of balls 20 cases of 20,000 balls so 400,000 balls. Uses 9 volts instead of AA, so you only have to carry 9 V batteries in your bag. Less expensive than Rotor or Spire. Double tap the power button to feed. Can spray water inside it to clean it out.
Cons: One I had with the original black shell developed a problem with the bend sensor, so it stopped working. My shells cracked in nearly all of the places where screws were screwed into as well. High profile. Taller than Rotor, shorter, though way longer than a Vlocity.
Comments: After not using it for 4 years, I realized they had a replacement warranty so I wrote them a letter asking for a new bend sensor, and asking if they had spare shells, updated board, and a speed feed to replace the lid which I had lost. They gave me an entirely new smoke loader with a very nice Pinokio speedfeed. So I have the original black nose cone and a smoke hopper, but I don't care. It seems pretty nice. The old board was 20+ bps, an upgraded P-board does 30+, but battery life isn't quite as long.
Weight:
Batteries: 3 AA
Speed 30+
Profile (Biggest loader I am aware of): 2 (1 w nose cone)
Capacity (higher is better) 245 actual/~400 w nose: 5
Likeliness to not break paint (No adjustability, but it supposedly just doesn't break paint.): 5
Easiness to break down and clean (toolless nose removal, but you have screws to take it all the wa apart): 3
Likeliness of a jam (supposedly does not jam. Balls can spin freely even when the feedneck is full.): 5
Likeliness to have the shell break (Most of the areas where the screws screwed into plastic molded nuts cracked on my original black Pinokio, but it held together because of the nose cone, unlike my Vlocity Jr.): 2
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue (I sent it in under the lifetime warranty with a super nice letter and Pinokio replaced the hopper. I was amazed and super loved them.): 5
Battery life (20 cases of 20,000 balls so 400,000 balls): 5
Cost ($99 www.ansgear.com): 3
Total 35/40
Virtue Spire
Pros:
Cons: There may be complications with a low battery.
Batteries: 3 AA
Speed
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better):
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability):
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best):
Likeliness of a jam:
Likeliness to have the shell break:
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue:Total /35
Empire prophecy Z2 (V2 is a budget hopper)- I hated earlier versions of the Empire and Halo hoppers because of the shells breaking and frequent jams, but users love this hopper. Pretty different internals from those old hoppers though, and it looks good. Doesn't have as good of a battery life as a Pinokio, Rotor, or Torque. Has 240 round shell upgrade.
Weight:
BPS:
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better) : 1
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability): ?4
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best):
Likeliness of a jam: 4
Likeliness to have the shell break: 4
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue: 1
Battery life: 3
Total /40
Torque-constantly spins, and slips if there is resistance by balls not feeding, while turned on and makes some noise, but hasn't jammed on me. Still using batteries from 2008, but I haven't used it much. Low profile. I think the shells on this are extremely durable, since most cracks happen where there are screws and it it toolless. The shells are more durable than the than Halo and Pinokio. Unfortunately the company is out of business, so new shells would be hard to find if you ran over it with a dump truck.
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better) ~160: 1
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability): 4
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best): 4
Likeliness of a jam: 4
Likeliness to have the shell break: 5
Battery life: 4
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue:Total 23/35
Vlocity Jr w Gangstar chip-You can set the settings to be less of battery hogs than constantly grinding like the stock board. Has a high profile, higher than a Pinokio, though shorter in the back than a Pinokio, and with less capicty. Large mouth for feeding balls. 180 ball capacity. shells and feedneck crack after use..
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better):
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability):
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best):
Likeliness of a jam:
Likeliness to have the shell break:
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue:Total /35
Vlocity-smaller mouth but 190 ball capacity
Fasta-Bend sensor
at 30BPS (there is a slower 20+ bps Fasta as well). Operates with a bend sendor like the Pinokio. It is pretty cheap, but I'm not sure if it has the same warranty. Thin plastic feedneck is known to crack.
Halo B-Uses Eyes
Pros: used in some top tournaments around 2004ish. Fast with the right board. Has rip drive to use when batteries were dying, which I liked.
Cons: Shells cracked easily. Heavy. Jammed too often. Poor-mid battery life.
Profile (taller and bigger is worse):
Capacity (higher is better):
Likeliness to not break paint (or adjustability):
easiness to break down and clean (quick and toolless is best):
Likeliness of a jam:
Likeliness to have the shell break:
Likeliness customer support will fix an issue:Total /35
Empire B-Sound activated
Hoppers I've used
Torque
The good: What would you want in a hopper? One that doesn't jam, but has a reverse button just in case, has toolless disassembly of very few pieces, and has a thick plastic that is not as likely to crack as most other hoppers, and great battery life.
The bad: Although toolless, the Torque is kind of hard to disassemble because you have to push a button inside the hopper and flex the back plastic around some other plastic nubs, but it will likely get easier with practice. It also ALWAYS spins and makes noise you can hear from up to 3 feet away when turned on. The wheel intentionally slips when the balls aren't being shot out, and you can hear the motor whir it a little, so if you rely on super stealth... that may concern you. It is probably a bit heavier than the Vlocity Jr and Halo/Empire due to the thicker plastic (which I'm fine with if that means it won't crack).
It has no eyes, but doesn't need them due to its simplicity, and has good reviews. Good luck getting one though since they are discontinued. No spring to hold the plastic door open. Not a huge deal though. I have had two 9 volt batteries in this hopper for 4 years, only using them a hand full of times, but they are still going strong. I deduct that the battery draw when off is super low, which I like.
$25 used
Vlocity Jr. with Gangstar chip upgrade
The good: One of the lightest hoppers on the market. The Gangstar chip has a bunch of adjustable settings that, among other things like BPS speed selection, allows the motor to turn off after 12 seconds when balls aren't being fed to reduce battery consumption and eliminate hopper motor noise when not in use. Clear feedneck lets you know if a ball is about to be fed.
The bad: It is lightweight because of thin plastic, thin plastic which breaks. There are a lot of screw and nuts held by thin plastic which breaks. There are lots of small screw holes for paint to get into, so cleaning it can sometimes be annoying. The stock Vlocity and Vlocity Jr. boards (non Gangstar) allegedly eat your 9 volt batteries. My feedneck got a crack in it from a feedneck clamp being too tight, but the plastic is strong enough there for me not to worry.
It is one of the lightest hoppers, however, I don't like how easily the shells on this loader break due to the thin plastic. I've had nuts and screws come out and the plastic crack, which I patched up with super glue. However, I do REALLY like the performance of this loader which is customizable with the Gangstar chip. I have it set up to spin at 15 BPS because guns are capped at 13. The faster it spins, the more likely balls will popcorn, around inside which would be bad. I also have it set to turn off and not spin and use the battery when balls are not moving for more than 5 seconds. So it is quiet enough for woodsball. The loudmouth is larger than the standard small lid, so fewer balls fall out when filling with a pod. It does have a high profile though which may make it a little easier to get shot. I had a jam one time and I just had to shake it a bit.
You need a screwdriver to take this apart and paint can get in all the screw holes. The clear feedneck is cool, so you know if there is a ball there, also has a superficial crack in the plastic in mine and many others. Even if it is held together with duct tape, I'll still really like this hopper. I'd pick up another used one without cracks in a heartbeat for $20 if I could, if someone else would sell it. I have the Gangstar 1 chip and have no reason to upgrade to Gangstar v2. I know Select Force is also a popular upgrade. There are small pieces to loose, like nuts, screws, and the ever annoying spring to keep the door open until it is slammed shut. Not an issue if you use a speed feed.
Common modifications include black electical or duct tape on the front to hold the shell together because the plastic breaks. People also saw off a part of the feedneck for a lower profile. There are speedfeeds people add. There are two mouth sizes. I have the larger one and liked it, at least until the shell broke apart during a game.
$25-40 used
Pinokio
The good: Large ball capacity and super large capacity with the nose cone. Stronger plastic than Vlocity and Halo B. Great battery life. A person I talked to that used it said it has worked great for him.
The bad: My internals broke under normal use. It has a huge profile.
I wanted to like this hopper though it had a large profile. It feeds balls when a ball pushes back a tab stuck at a 45 degree angle in the feedneck and the tab flips back up. I found this system not to be reliable. The plastic of the hopper seemed fine though.
$50 used
Halo B
The good: I liked that it had the rip drive upgrade to manually feed balls if the batteries died. Happened once. it was kind of an experience. I lost to the guy who didn't have to break to spin it though. You can buy them cheap used.
The bad: The shells crack. There are a lot of small nuts, screws, and springs. Cleaning it can be annoying since you have so many screws and screw holes which can attract paint. It would jam occasionally.
Borrow it if you have to, but I wouldn't buy it. Too much maintenance and not enough plastic durability and paint feed reliability.
$20-35 used
Empire B
Same pros and cons of the Halo B except it had better battery life because it only spun once it heard a shot fired. Supposedly some quiet guns, some spool threads, didn't trigger it sometimes though according to a friend. This is about on par with the Halo, maybe better if you like better battery life and have a gun that makes it fire.
$25-35 used
Egg
Pros: cheap
Cons: Awkward, large profile, plastic can break
Standard 200 round gravity fed hopper
Pros: $5, no batteries, can take a beating, can get wet.
Cons: You may have to shake it to get the balls to come down. Can't shoot too fast or else the balls will get stuck until you shake everything. Usually works fine for the Tippman 98.
Using a gravity fed on an electronic marker can be annoying because you will have to shake it the entire time to make sure balls feed. Generally fine if you are just shooting a few shots at a time with a Spyder or Tippmann, but not for anything too competitive.
--
The Virtue Spire seems to be an expensive, but good option that rivals the Dye Rotor. It claims to not break fragile paint, feed quickly, and be easy to dissaemble.
I haven't used the Dye Rotor, but people that use it like it. It is a little heavier, but has a low profile, is great on battery like, 50,000 rounds supposedly. It is often times rated as the best hopper.
It is expensive though. $100 used, $180 new.
Prophesy-sound activated, proactive
http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=720187
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Paintball barrel selection
Mike from Techpb.com had some thoughts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NwN03gMASew
Barrels impact the gun performance a lot. Tech PB likes these barrels in Florida where it is hot and humid.
Boring a ball is when you take a paintball and place it in several barrels until you find one where it it just large enough to get stuck about half an inch down the back of the barrel (off the gun). This is the traditional way of picking a barrel since it uses less air in the long run since air is not escaping around the sides of the balls.
The case can be made that traditional boring isn't good because some balls later on will be compressed and more oblong instead of circular or swell throughout the day. If they get stuck in the barrel, they can explode in the barrel. When that happens, the paint gets on balls that come out and causes them to become innacurate for quite some time. Shooting though it doesn't always clear it out. You have to clean out your barrel with a barrel swab or squeegee.
Industry standard is .689. (Balls can break inside it though.) Traditional boring may have you select around this size.
Planet Eclipse uses .693 and people like their barrels.
BobLong Marq .691
Dye UL Two piece .692
.693 CP 1 Piece 14"
.694 Bob Long Marq two piece (if humid)
Overboring means less broken paint. Oblong balls are less likely to break.
If you bore in the morning, and it gets warmer, the balls will get larger.
overboring means better consistency, though a bit less air efficient.
The Pros overbore.
12-14" barrels are the standard. Longer than that, like a 16", and the ball may just be bouncing around.
-----------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NwN03gMASew
Barrels impact the gun performance a lot. Tech PB likes these barrels in Florida where it is hot and humid.
Boring a ball is when you take a paintball and place it in several barrels until you find one where it it just large enough to get stuck about half an inch down the back of the barrel (off the gun). This is the traditional way of picking a barrel since it uses less air in the long run since air is not escaping around the sides of the balls.
The case can be made that traditional boring isn't good because some balls later on will be compressed and more oblong instead of circular or swell throughout the day. If they get stuck in the barrel, they can explode in the barrel. When that happens, the paint gets on balls that come out and causes them to become innacurate for quite some time. Shooting though it doesn't always clear it out. You have to clean out your barrel with a barrel swab or squeegee.
Industry standard is .689. (Balls can break inside it though.) Traditional boring may have you select around this size.
Planet Eclipse uses .693 and people like their barrels.
BobLong Marq .691
Dye UL Two piece .692
.693 CP 1 Piece 14"
.694 Bob Long Marq two piece (if humid)
Overboring means less broken paint. Oblong balls are less likely to break.
If you bore in the morning, and it gets warmer, the balls will get larger.
overboring means better consistency, though a bit less air efficient.
The Pros overbore.
12-14" barrels are the standard. Longer than that, like a 16", and the ball may just be bouncing around.
-----------
Unicycles
Unicycles come in different sizes.
Small wheels are good for precision movements. Big wheels let you travel faster, which is helpful in a parade.
Torker's 20" wheel on the Unistar DX will fit a 26"-32" inseam
Torker's 24" wheel on the Unistar DX will fit a 29.5"-35.5" inseam
http://www.torkerusa.com/bikes/unicycles/2012-unistar-dx
Some unicycles with large rims/wheels and thin tires are good for faster speed. These unicycles are generally around $100-$250.
Unicycles with smaller rims/wheels and super fat tires are better for bouncing and doing tricks. I rode a Torker DX and was able to jump quite a bit on it because the wheel was way fatter than most other unicycles.
The Torker DX retails at $329 and $349. A dealer said it costs them $230 and they have to pay shipping to the store. I have heard that the rim can taco if you land a large jump and the rim is hard to replace. I saw this new on eBay for $279 with free shipping.
I looked at a forum and 'Hunter' and 'Kris Holms' were also brands that were mentioned.
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