nuxx.net
Making, baking, and (un-)breaking things in Southeast Michigan.

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May 31, 2005


Click for huuuuuge…

To satisfy my desire to make something tonight, I pieced together some component video cables for a coworker. This is two sets of cables, one 18″ and the other 36″. The connectors are Neutrik NY352G’s and the cable is Belden 9259 copper shield / copper core / polyethylene foam coax. Heatshrink is random 3M stuff, and all parts were purchased from Parts Express, except the cable which is from the local Anixter location.

Off the top of my head I figure these cost about US$25 total to make plus about two hours of time. I’d put quality up there against the best commercially available component video cables.

And, it’s fun and gave me something to do.

Oh, I know the heat shrink looks like butt, but I didn’t take the time to trim the edges of it perfectly, and being adhesive-lined leaves gunk. Also, as the metal shells of the connectors heat, they keep shrinking the tubing long after I remove the heat, so some continue shrinking long after the heat gun is removed. This doesn’t matter, though, as all the solder points are dead on, and the heat shrink tubing is just there to look pretty, keep the connector together, and provide strain relief.

Yeah, I’m done babbling about cables now. Time to water the plants. Oh, that reminds me… New flower photos here and here and here. Yes, I know that the pansies are starting to look like butt. They’ve grown, but there are fewer flowers. Maybe there’ll be more flowers in a month or so. :(

electronicsmaking thingsmoved from livejournal

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May 29, 2005

I don’t know if anyone who reads this actually cares, but while I was initially taken back* by vinum‘s non-functionality on FreeBSD 5.4, it turns out that gmirror is quite a bit snazzier and thus far seems far, far easier to use. I’m also looking forward to combining it with gstripe to do RAID0+1 once I have the ability to hook four large disks up to this machine all at once.

gvinum exists as a replacement for vinum which hooks into geom, but it isn’t documented very well yet, and (at least in this case) I can’t see a reason to use it.

If anyone is interested in giving it a try, this simple series of steps shows just how easy it is to get a geom/gvinum-based mirrored root disk is. Gone are the days of installing to one disk then using this to bootstrap two more with vinum, a faked disk label with an ‘a’ partition that overlapped the vinum partition, etc.

After this finishes writing the mirror to the second disk I might try the standard tests… Pulling a disk, bringing it back into a sync’d mirror, etc. Or maybe I’ll go to bed.

At least this is getting done.

* I gave up on things for almost a week, thinking I had some weird hardware quirkyness because every other time I’d do a ‘vinum start’ the machine would dump core.

computersmoved from livejournal

Help?

May 28, 2005

If there is anyone who reads this who knows anything about writing widgets for OS X’s Dashboard, could you take a look at this widget and let me know why it’s not working?

I really, really just don’t know why.

Or, I guess if you just want to try it and see what happens, that wouldn’t be a bad idea either… For me it just.doesn’t.work.

Thanks!

http://www.nuxx.net/files/Liz%20and%20Steve.wdgt.zip

computersmoved from livejournal

!!!

May 25, 2005


Click for more…

…so while talking to tonight, it somehow came up that I had made floggers / whips out of both network and IDE cable while working at various jobs in the past. Typically they were made simply by bundling the cables (or strands thereof as in the case of the IDE cable) into whatever handle was handy, be it a pen tube or a plastic test tube.

Well, for some reason I decided to make another, and proper, CAT5-based flogger. So, thanks to some boredom and a random burst of creativity, an hour and twenty minutes later I had it done.

Thirteen tails, each twenty inches long, comprised of six grey pieces of CAT5e, and seven of blue CAT5. In order to make them softer, more flexible, and lighter they have had the conductors removed. They are bundled together inside the handle with three large cable ties and friction-fitted into a six-inch metal (aluminum, I believe) handle. A blue / blue & white conductor pair from inside the cables is wrapped on the ends of the handle for finishing. The strands were straightened to eliminate the curling typically found in network cable.

In the end it turns out to be rather solid, with the strands having a texture like that of tanned leather. The strands are very solidly seated into the handle and will withstand a decent tug. It can also be swung with all the force I can exert and nothing budges.

In order to see the other pictures of the completed assembly, either click the photo above or take these links:

· Flogger with measuring tape showing it’s length.
· Detail of the handle and wire wrapping.
· Detail of the strands of cable.

making thingsmoved from livejournal

Car work…

May 24, 2005

Hmm, so it looks like I’m going to need to take my car in for the weird clicking / squeaking suspension issue. It appears that I’ve got a problem with the driver’s side strut, as if I open the hood and bounce that corner of the car by pressing down on the portion of the car where the upper strut mount attaches, a clicking sound can be heard from the center shaft of the strut.

So, I’m thinking that it’s a strut issue… At least I know it’s safe enough to drive to Cedar Point and for the next little while. I wouldn’t mind doing the work myself, but because of the need to compress the springs and ensure that things are torqued to spec, I’m not going to do it.

Now to find a place that can be trusted who can get the car done in a reasonable amount of time…

For now I think I’ll just get an oil change and tire rotation, and maybe tomorrow I’ll do the rear brakes. Those have never been done, and I imagine they are getting close.

automotivemoved from livejournal

Yay!

May 23, 2005


Click for huuuuuuuge…

Thanks to I’ve got my brakes done. I was afraid to put too much force on the bolts, so I didn’t want to use too much torque. Well, Sean informed me of just how solidly those bolts are going to be seated, so using a large pipe-like device, I got them free. Rotors and pads are now replaced, and after the brief test ride around my court yard, things are good.

Now I’m going to go have a quick test drive, coupled with returning an unneeded part (cupped drill-mount wire brush which I thought I’d need to remove rust) and cash in my pocket change at Farmer Jack.

Yay!

automotivemoved from livejournal

!!!

May 23, 2005

Gee, it appears that the bolts holding the non-moving part of the caliper is not removable. It should be, but I was unable to move the bolts AT ALL. I gave up after tapping the wrench (socket and box) with a 3lb sledge, but both wrenches kept caming off.

Uhm…. Yeah. I guess I’m keeping the same rotors.

automotivemoved from livejournal

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May 23, 2005

Well, it seems that I can get all the stuff I need to do my brakes for about $115. That’s a floor jack, pair of jack stands, new OE-spec pads, and new rotors. I was thinking of taking the rotors to get turned, but buying new ones are $18/each, and I don’t think the hassle of taking them to be turned is worth it. I’ll probably get a new pair, then get the old ones turned before doing my brakes the next time, then pull the same swap in reverse.

automotivemoved from livejournal

…

May 23, 2005

Two things…

One, new icon.

Two, I need to do the brakes (well, front brakes) on my car. I think that since I don’t really have a way to get to the shop, I’m going to skip having my rotors turned. They don’t appear too grooved, and they were replaced the last time my brakes were done. The problem I’m having is figuring out what pads to get. I guess the OEM pads were ceramic, and OEM will cost $80.06. At AutoZone I can get a set of Morse-brand ceramic pads for $42.99, although I can’t find much info on the brand.

Can anyone recommend a moderately priced decent pads and some place to get them? I think that tonight after work I’m going to go pick up my dad’s floor jack and stands, and wash the dust (best I can) off the wheels. Tomorrow I’ll swap the pads… If I remember right, it’s only a couple hour job.

I think I also might have a suspension issue with the driver’s front wheel, but I want to at least get the more immediate need of an oil change and tire rotation (I’ll pay someone for this) and brakes (I’ll do this myself) before I go looking at the suspension issue.

UPDATE: Per the recommendation of a friend who’s brother is a mechanic, I think I’m going to go with some Wagner ThermoQuiet pads which are OE formula partial-ceramic, at $41.31 a set from a local non-chain auto parts shop. Now I just need to get the floor jack.

automotivemoved from livejournal

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May 16, 2005


Click for moblog…

Oh, yeah. Check out the car that was in ‘s parking lot this morning. Here is another shot of it, showing the back. I wish I had my better camera, because then one could see the (clearly) hand-formed Bondo bumpers and absolutely amazing paint / striping job. Maybe it’ll be there next time I’m visiting her.

automotivefound thingsmoved from livejournal