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The Demon Razor that Wouldn’t Turn Off
What do you do when a battery-powered appliance won’t turn off? And when it’s a sealed unit, so removing the batteries is impossible? And when its body starts to grow disturbingly warm? That’s the...
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Part Selection and Schmitt Trigger Oscillator
I often obsess over little details of my circuit designs, and the daisy-chain adapter for Floppy Emu is no exception. The design needs a small CPLD for the daisy-chaining logic, and for various...
View ArticleTake a Tour of BMOW Labs
They say you can tell a lot about a person by looking at his work-space. I thought it would be fun to take a break from stuffing boxes today, and make a short video tour of the BMOW Lair. I’ve...
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Explaining 4K 60Hz Video Through USB-C Hub
USB-C offers exciting new capabilities, including external monitors connected through the USB port. USB-C converters to DisplayPort or HDMI are common and inexpensive. USB-C hubs with external monitor...
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Shiny New Computer Setup
Upgrading to a new computer is exciting, but can also be a pain. Last week I replaced my primary desktop computer with a new laptop, and the setup has involved some bumps in the road. Read on for my...
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Intel Integrated Graphics Driver Crashes
Here’s a mystery for Windows-lovers (or haters) – unexplained crashes in the Intel integrated graphics driver whenever the computer is left unattended. A few weeks ago I upgraded to a new PC, choosing...
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Windows 10 Ongoing Crashes
My new computer continues to experience unexplained freezes and reboots, and I’m running out of ideas for fixing it. A few weeks ago I wrote about crashes in the Intel integrated graphics driver, and...
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Windows 10 Crashes Part 3 – New Clues
I’ve been struggling with unexplained Windows 10 crashes ever since I got a new computer in May. See part 1 and part 2 for the backstory. The symptoms were mysterious crashes and reboots that happened...
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Windows 10 Crashes Part 4 – 2K Video
I’m still chasing after unexplained errors and crashes with the new Windows 10 powered HP EliteBook x360 1030 G2 laptop that I bought in May. See part 1, part 2, and part 3 for the backstory. The...
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Windows 10 External Video Part 5 – Failure
I’m either very persistent or very stupid. After 4+ months, I’m still chasing unexplained problems with external video on the HP EliteBook x360 1030 G2 laptop that I bought in May. Recently I thought...
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Backyard Metal Foundry Dreams
Sometimes my brain works in unexpected ways. I haven’t started any new electronics projects lately, but my thoughts have been spinning in other directions. Last weekend I jokingly told my kids that I...
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Shelter In Place
My family and I have been ordered to shelter at home until at least April 7, to help stop transmission of COVID-19 in the San Francisco area. Many of you may already be living under similar orders, or...
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Constant Power Battery Discharge
Recently I’ve been looking at battery datasheets, in preparation for an off-grid solar project. I’ve noticed something strange about the “constant power discharge” numbers in the datasheets of several...
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Small-Scale Solar Experiments
While sheltering in place this week, I’ve been tinkering with a small-scale setup for solar power generation. I’ve got a 100 watt solar panel, and access to the sun. What fun things can I do with...
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Batteries – Lead Acid or Lithium?
What’s the most expensive component in a small off-grid solar setup? You might assume it would be the solar panels, but the cost of panels can be surprisingly low. For many people, the batteries are...
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Used Lithium Battery Mysteries
My used LiFePO4 battery (lithium iron phosphate) arrived yesterday. Who buys used batteries? I do, apparently. I’ve been putting the battery through its paces to see how much of the original capacity...
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Used LiFePO4 Battery Fiasco
After more thorough testing of the used LiFePO4 battery that I described in my previous post, I’ve reached the sad conclusion that it’s essentially a worthless piece of junk. Encouraged by stories...
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Residential Solar Power and the Duck Curve
Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Take a look at the growth of residential roof-top solar power in California. For individual customers who are blessed with sunny weather, installing...
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Building a 12V DC MagSafe Charger
Now that I have a solar-powered 12V battery, how can I charge my laptop from it? An inverter would seem absurdly inefficient, converting from 12V DC to 110V AC just so I can connect my Apple charger...
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Windows 10 External Video Crashes Part 6 – Conclusion
For most of 2019 I was going crazy trying to solve unexplained problems with Windows 10 external video on my HP EliteBook x360 1030 G2 laptop. I bought the computer last May, with the idea to use it...
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