In their infinite wisdom and search for an affordable quality infotainment and navigation, Volkswagen partnered with Garmin. That would nog have been a big disaster, but in their search for a budget solution they put the standard Garmin/Navigon screens on a little arm that protrudes out of the dashboard not unlike a scene from the movie “Alien”. If you have an (otherwise fine) Volkswagen Up!, e-Up!, Skoda Citigo, or Seat Mii (which are basically the same cars), see how I converted a Garmin holder into a proper Magsafe adapter, holding your phone and charge it without extra wires running over your dashboard.
Tag: Hardware
Gardena Sileno verbindingsprobleem opgelost
In de zomer groeit gras als een malle. Eigenlijk zou je 2 a 3x per week moeten maaien als je het mooi wil houden, en met een kooimaaier wordt dat al snel klusje dat je uitstelt of overslaat. Dus kochten we een prachtige robotgrasmaaier van Gardena: De Sileno City met LONA technologie (daarmee maakt hij een mooie kaart van je tuin die je ziet in de app op je telefoon).
Bij het installeren meldde hij dat het lussignaal en de geleidingsdraad niet waren gevonden, ook al stond hij in de lader en was alles correct aangesloten (groen lampje in de lader). In deze post leg ik uit waar dat door (kan) komen en welke oplossing NIET in hoofdstuk 6 “Probleemoplossingen” in het boekje staat.
Remove DataTool Alarm
If you have a Triumph Motorcycle and the Datatool evo, S3 or S4 alarm gives you headaches, there are two things to know:
- The alarm is virtually irrepairable because it is filled with silicone
- There is an easy trick to remove/disable it without permanent damage to the bike or the alarm.
1N4148 diode as RF switch
For a recent experiment I was using BA389 PIN diodes to switch low power RF signals. I was asked why I didn’t use an ordinary 1N4148 for that. Since I didn’t know what an 1N4148 would do when used like that, and I also didn’t really know what a BA389 actually does, I decided to do some measurements.
Morse Code is not dead (yet)
Not everybody understands why I am trying to learn morse code on lcwo.net. Maybe I’m not even sure myself. But most people seem to think morse code is absolutely dead. I could tell you that’s not the case, but it is far better to find out for yourself. To be able to do that you need access to a radio which can receive CW (continuous wave) signals somewhere between 8MHz and 15MHz. This is the place where HAM Radio Operators hang out and try to talk to eachother. Morse code is still used there, mainly for DX-ing.
So how do you do that? With the power of the internet and a few very enthusiastic people in Dwingeloo, you can now receive radio signals right on your computer using radios all over the world. Lots of links in this article, have fun!
Join, don’t judge
Like many people, I like to dine in a good restaurant, where the mood is mellow, the waiter is a fine host, and the cook is passionate about good food and nice presentation. The courses are perfectly timed with your appetite, and each shiny polished plate of food contains the best looking, smelling and tasting food with the nicest textures. After desert, you get the best fresh mineral water coffee, and just sit there, satisfied, happy, in good company. The waiter discretely places the check on the table, and you happily pay whatever that check tells you to pay, and add a big tip for good measure, to show you had a great evening.
The Useless Machine
The past year, you may have seen me tweeting some “#secretproject” tweets. Last week, the project was finally revealed, and here is the video, in case you’ve missed it:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nkebVQL5zc]
This is what is known on the internet as a “Useless Machine” or “Leave-me-alone Box”. In case you want to make one, there are plenty of instructions online. I think you can build a basic version of this in about a weekend, and it will cost you less than ten euros.