Looking for a Refrigerant Leak in a Recalled Dehumidifier @uxwbill

uxwbill Looking for a refrigerant leak (without success) in a recalled Chinese-made dehumidifier, before it goes off to the scrap heap. If I really cared and wanted to spend way, way, way too much time on this, I could pump it up with nitrogen and see how long it takes to decay.

Suspecting that this model might be covered under a recall, I submitted the paperwork and a few weeks later, got a nice little check in the mail. (This also worked with the previously mentioned and similarly recalled dehumidifier. For that one I could have opted for a check or a new unit. I decided to see how bad they are and opted for the replacement unit. That's been about two years ago, and it's still running. Time will tell. It does short cycle very annoyingly, though.)

Your recommendations for electronic refrigerant leak detectors would be welcomed. (I would like to get an H10 Pro, but can't justify the expenditure.) I believe the sensor in the Inficon is still good, as it went off when I let the nitrogen/trace refrigerant mixture out after concluding this video. It also passes its self test. It hasn't been used a lot.

updated 6 years ago

Looking for a Refrigerant Leak in a Recalled Dehumidifier

uxwbill 2020-09-14 | Looking for a refrigerant leak (without success) in a recalled Chinese-made dehumidifier, before it goes off to the scrap heap. If I really cared and wanted to spend way, way, way too much time on this, I could pump it up with nitrogen and see how long it takes to decay.

Suspecting that this model might be covered under a recall, I submitted the paperwork and a few weeks later, got a nice little check in the mail. (This also worked with the previously mentioned and similarly recalled dehumidifier. For that one I could have opted for a check or a new unit. I decided to see how bad they are and opted for the replacement unit. That's been about two years ago, and it's still running. Time will tell. It does short cycle very annoyingly, though.)

Your recommendations for electronic refrigerant leak detectors would be welcomed. (I would like to get an H10 Pro, but can't justify the expenditure.) I believe the sensor in the Inficon is still good, as it went off when I let the nitrogen/trace refrigerant mixture out after concluding this video. It also passes its self test. It hasn't been used a lot.

BeamNG Drive on an M3 Macbook Air

uxwbill 2024-04-29 | So, you want a computer (software) video? Here's one right now.

I was curious if this would work. Oh yes, I really did try it. Yes, it really worked. No, there isn't a native MacOS version of the game. (This is the standalone Windows version of the game as distributed by Humble, rather than the Steam version.)

I apologize for there not being sound in the video. The game does play with sound. I didn't feel like fiddling around a whole lot to get it working. You'll live.

This is running under CodeWeavers Crossover for Macintosh. In spite of all the translation and emulation overhead (it's x86-64 code!) and the game graphics set to "ultra", the performance is impressive in every regard. The M-series processors are absolutely incredible in terms of performance (especially with regard to power consumed).

System specs: M3 processor with 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD storage. If you're wondering, yes, it gets quite warm when doing this. It might even start thermally throttling, given the fanless nature of the system. I'm not sure. I need to look into whether or not one can pull temperature data from the M3 SoC.

You might be able to do all this with Wine as well (http://www.winehq.org), though I'm not sure how that approaches the question of CPU emulation. Nor am I sure how CodeWeavers approached it and I have yet to find any decent details on that. Software for 32-bit (x86) Windows systems runs fine, and I'm fairly sure Apple's Rosetta 2 provides only for x86-64 translation. I haven't tried any software for 16-bit Windows. (Wine on Linux will happily run Win16 programs as of this writing.)

Please don't make me ask you to read the video description. And definitely don't overestimate your car's braking ability. ;-)

I don't want to hear about how you don't like Apple products, wouldn't buy one, don't think anyone should buy one and so on and so forth. You buy the computer you like. I'll buy the computer I like. Bear in mind that working in IT as I do, keeping up with technology to at least some extent is important. I don't have any one "favorite" kind of computer or operating system.

Inspecting the Leaky Dehumidifiers Evaporator Coil

uxwbill 2024-04-28 | I've got more questions than answers. I still have to check the condenser coil. There was a very noticeable leak (audible and I could feel the escaping nitrogen gas) until I removed the fins from the area it was coming from. After the fins were cleared away, this leak stopped. I can't explain that.

You may have noticed several suspicious looking bubbles popping up between 3:20 to about 3:34 in the video. One of these is in the video thumbnail. Under the 'pressure' of keeping the dialogue and camera running, these went unnoticed by me at first. I dunked the coil again and they didn't show up, so I think it was just trapped air working its way out. The coil holds an impressive amount of water in its fins. (I have not put water in the tubing.)

Recalled Dehumidifier Leak Search Part 2

uxwbill 2024-04-23 | Come along for the next forty minutes or so and tilt at the windmill of the leaky recalled dehumidifier with UXWBill. Will some better tools and different methods lead to an answer? Watch and find out! (The maximum pressure my nitrogen regulator can handle is around 350 psi, and that's what I brought the system up to with trace refrigerant gas in the mix. It took every bit of that to get the slightest response from the leak detectors. Being as this was an R-410A system, I believed applying that much pressure to be safe.)

The previous video: youtube.com/watch?v=XpdkoMukFzE

I believe the leak has to be in the coils. I checked the rest of the line set anyway and found nothing.

Yes, dehumidifiers are a real thing. Most of them are air conditioning systems where the cooling effect has been deliberately short-circuited (evaporator and condenser coils in the same airflow path). The cold evaporator coil will cause moisture to condense out of the air, where it can then be collected in a bucket, pumped away or sent to a drain. Other approaches to dehumidification exist, such as small heated rods and desiccant chemical types. There are even some small dehumidifiers built around thermoelectric (Peltier) elements.

Tools used (not affiliate links; links may go bad over time):

Inficon Tek Mate G1 -valuetesters.com/inficon-tek-mate-hvac-refrigerant-leak-detector.html
Fieldpiece DR82 infrared leak detector: valuetesters.com/fieldpiece-dr82-infrared-refrigerant-leak-detector.html
Bacharach/MSA H-10 Pro: valuetesters.com/bacharach-h-10-pro-deluxe-hvac-refrigerant-leak-detector-3015-8004.html

Testo no longer sells the 550 digital manifold shown in the video. They have newer models.

Harbor Freight Two Stage Vacuum Pump, updated since I bought mine: harborfreight.com/3-cfm-two-stage-vacuum-pump-61176.html

Time stamps of interest:
0:00 - Introduction (what, why, how, backstory, etc.)
5:44 - Nothing's Ever Easy!
6:31 - Still Not Easy!
6:50 - Nitrogen only charge.
7:20 - Test pressures, nitrogen only.
8:03 - Timed pressure test start.
8:37 - Timed pressure test results.
10:40 - Nitrogen release.
11:16 - Leak detector gallery.
14:23 - Recovery cylinder with R-134a.
15:11 - Leak detector quick tests.
16:38 - Inficon Tek Mate G1
21:34 - Fieldpiece DR82
25:03 - H10 Pro
27:33 - Results of higher pressure and more leak searching.
29:25 - Vacuum pump test.
32:13 - Vacuum pump hose configuration.
32:46 - The next morning...what happened?
36:30 - Vacuum confirmation of the leak(s).
37:08 - What do the numbers (microns vacuum) mean?

I welcome corrections, amplifications, suggestions, and similar ideas to make the video better or increase all of our knowledge. Just be nice. And yes, I hold both my EPA 608 universal and 609 MVAC cards. I also hold certifications from a trade school for residential, commercial installer work (though I am not hugely confident in my skillset as an installer, especially for ductwork and sheet metal design/fabrication).

Poison Ivy: A Short Film by UXWBill

uxwbill 2024-04-11 | DO *NOT* BURN ANY POISONOUS PLANT OR VEGETATION, EVEN IF IT'S LONG DEAD!

About a year ago, I hired an electrician to upgrade the electrical service to a building. He later told me there was a lot of poison ivy around where the new service was to come in. This is how I dealt with it, here in the early spring of 2024.

Don't try this yourself. The smoke can cause a worse reaction than just touching the plant. It's also illegal in certain parts of the world. You could burn something down or start a nasty fire, especially in dry areas. Don't overthink it, either. This is just a silly little video that I made for fun. I burned all the leaves away, but I'll be surprised if that kills it off. I suppose it's possible that the plant in the video isn't poison ivy. No matter -- whatever it is, it's cooked well done now. You and you alone are responsible for the results of your actions.

If it was poison ivy, it seems the songwriter had it right. The night before, there were just a few small offshoots and leaves. Two days later, it was as you see it in this video.

My singing is just something I do for fun. I'm certainly not a professional, don't read music well, and definitely don't want to be "nominated" for any form of contest, reality TV or anything like that. So don't do that. I don't consider myself that good at it anyway. As I often say, I thoroughly enjoy bellowing along with the radio. :-P (Yes, this has come up in the past.)

Yes, "Poison Ivy" is an actual song, by The Coasters: youtube.com/watch?v=lbrtRlAtNys

Naughty Truck Newsreel: Broken Drivers Side MVAC Blend Door Replacement

uxwbill 2024-03-05 | Warning: not really a how-to and contains rambling. Don't watch if you have a rambling allergy or tendency to be obnoxious as a response to rambling videos. Still here?

On this installment of the Naughty Truck Newsreel from Nitwit Garage, your host and narrator looks into what's gone wrong with the driver's side blend door actuator on his 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic. I really can't complain -- the thing lasted over sixteen years, almost 260,000 miles and through countless cycles. And the replacement part sure was cheap!

If you have a similar truck (at least from model years 2002-2006 and the 2007 Silverado Classic) with the RPO CJ3 dual zone manual climate control system, you can likely reset all of the actuators by doing the following:

1. Set the blower speed to 3. There's no need to have the ignition on.
2. Pull the HVAC/ECAS fuse.
3. Wait TWO WHOLE MINUTES at least.
4. Put the fuse back.
5. Turn the ignition on. There's no need to start the engine and you may not want want to, in case doing so interrupts the microcontroller's "relearning" efforts. Just wait. The blend door will move through its complete range of travel twice. Be patient (notice a theme here?)...
6. Test to see if the blend door now works correctly.

You need a 5.5 millimeter stubby nut driver, which you probably can't actually get. I later asked the Keykeeper if he had such a thing that I could have stolen, and he did not.

If you have an actuator with a failing resistive track, performing this recalibration may buy you some time, though the fix is not likely to last. You may also have to do this if your truck's battery fails or after something like a jump start.

The IC inside the module is a TCA0372 operational amplifier. One of its many applications is for use as a bidirectional motor controller. See the datasheet here, complete with an example circuit that's probably very close to what is done in this module: onsemi.com/pdf/datasheet/tca0372-d.pdf .

I am well aware that both the airbag fault and service engine soon lights are both on, as I have these crazy things called "eyes" that let me see stuff. (They are also kinda handy for driving, if you can believe it.) As it's important that the airbag work so it'll keep you from getting hurt in a crash by breaking your face when it goes off, I would gladly fix it. However, it seems that new replacement sensors are no longer available here in 2024. I'm not going to pay good money for a used part that might soon fail in exactly the same way. I don't know if this situation will pass, so if you're watching in the future and airbag sensors for this truck are available at the bottom of cereal boxes, just know that they weren't when I wrote this and I'm probably far too lazy to go back and edit it should things change.

I don't care that the "check engine" light is on, and I ***really*** don't care that you care about its being on. If you really care that much, the code is for a minor evaporative emission control leak. I don't care to spend the rest of my waking life trying to find said leak, and after having asked several mechanics about doing the same, they didn't seem really enthused by the idea either. Now you know. Get off my lawn.

Not mentioned but explored in this video was the possibility of abusing my refrigeration service wrench to drive the 5.5 millimeter bit. It didn't work.

0:00 Intro
0:15 No affiliation with other "nitwit garages", if there are any.
0:40 What's gone wrong this time?
2:03 Temporary Workaround
2:51 A primer on appropriate tool use.
3:09 Tool Dichotomy: Hammers and Chisels
4:03 Borescope Exploration!
6:20 It's a boy!
6:50 Manual blend door operation.
6:58 Much ado about plugging in the old actuator.
7:23 Fault demonstration.
9:29 Super Krappy Part
12:04 Boldly going where no Scanning Electron "Candyham" has gone before!
12:37 What, why and how it works.
15:03 New actuator in operation
15:33 Recalibration Process
17:33 Thank you for watching!

Kaiweets KTI-W01 Thermal Imaging Camera Review

uxwbill 2024-02-22 | A sponsored review of the Kaiweets KTI-W01 thermal imaging camera. It's definitely better than the competing Topdon model I reviewed earlier. As always, I review products only on the condition that I'm allowed to be completely honest.

If you're interested in buying one, it's possible to do so from both Amazon and Kaiweets.

Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B0CB7Q6J79
Use code KTJQGDQL to take 10% off. It's valid until April 30th, 2024.
As of this writing on February 21st, 2024, there is also a "flash sale" going on that offers 20% off. This and the discount code can be used together for 30% off.

Kaiweets: kaiweets.com/products/kti-w01
Use the discount code UXWB15 for 15% off. I am told this works across the entire Kaiweets site and will not expire.

Details about the camera itself: The internal storage is 32 gigabytes in size, of which 28 are available for use. The PC software (for Windows only) is stored on the camera. I ran it briefly and it's much better than the competing offering from Topdon. Temperatures from -4°F to 1022°F (-20°C to 550°C) can be measured across two ranges that must be manually selected from the menu. Video can be blended in several steps between the 0.3 megapixel (VGA resolution) visible light camera to the 256x192 infrared thermal camera.

Internally, it's based on a system-on-chip from Allwinner. The 1.4.3 firmware version is current as of the time this video went live in February 2024. Kaiweets' representative indicated that future firmware updates would be available at their website, linked above.

The USB-C port does not operate in DisplayPort Alternate Mode, so an external display cannot be connected.

Kaiweets' representative indicated that they have had lots of requests for a storage media slot, and that they would consider my request for an HDMI or analog video output. A threaded tripod mount is to be included in the upcoming KTI-W02 camera. They also said that my request for a custom color palette would likely be implemented at some point. I will update this description accordingly if that happens. I have asked to review the KTI-W02 camera when it becomes available.

I plan to make a quick review video of the included software. I also have plans to do a long term update video at some point in the future, to see how well this camera has held up.

Times:
0:00 - What's Being Reviewed Today?
2:10 - Unboxing
5:41 - A Look at the Imaging Camera
9:23 - Menus and Operations
13:37 - Test Footage (still pictures and videos)
15:58 - Closing Thoughts

York Champion Tombstone Air Conditioner Running

uxwbill 2024-02-13 | Recorded February 2024. I happened to see this air conditioner running as I walked by, and thought it worthy of a little attention in the form of a video. Made sometime in the 1970s or early 1980s, this has been serving reliably for over forty (maybe even closer to fifty!) years. In that time, I'm sure it has seen plenty of abuse, as it's connected to a building used for student housing.

The outdoor temperature was around 44°F (~6°C). That's really too cold for air conditioning without special provisions on the air conditioner (such as a fan cycling switch and compressor crankcase heater). A later look at the control wiring indicated that this is a cooling-only unit. (I'd be surprised if any of these were made as heat pumps. It would have been pretty early days for that.)

At the time this was made, York was a part of Borg-Warner (the automotive parts manufacturer).

Happy New Year 2024!

uxwbill 2024-01-01 | Ringing in the new year 2024! Please celebrate responsibility, so you can be here for the next one!

Product Review: TopTes Tools PT520B+ Gas Leak Detector

uxwbill 2023-12-20 | Yet another explosive gas (and *flammable* refrigerant) leak detector from TopTes Tools. With all the caveats of a sample size of one, I don't really recommend this model.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these, you can do so here: amazon.com/dp/B0C3BZYGT1 . This is not an affiliate nor a tracking link.

The sensor is a Figaro TGS2611 and more details are here : figarosensor.com/product/entry/tgs2611-c00.html

Timeline:
0:00 - You'll Never Guess What I'm Reviewing!
3:50 - Warnings
5:24 - Extra Features
10:59 - Sensor Examination
13:00 - Dead Battery Time!

Gas Leak Tests:
13:48 - Butane
16:02 - Gasoline
18:12 - Natural Gas (long and boring)
24:37 - Isopropyl ("Rubbing") Alcohol, 50%
26:30 - Acetylene
27:25 - Propane
28:49 - Final Verdict

Quick Product Review: Tesmen TM-510 Digital Multimeter

uxwbill 2023-12-19 | Here's an inexpensive 4,000 count true RMS digital multimeter with fully automatic mode and range selection. Is it any good? Let's find out, hopefully in one clean take! While this is a sponsored review, I review products only on the condition that I am allowed to be completely honest about them. In looking inside the meter, I did not find anything alarming with regard to its design and circuit board layout.

I am not sure if the mentioned blue and red models actually exist.

Want one? amazon.com/dp/B0BLZ7GN2X

Not only was this done in one clean take, what you are watching is the first and only take. Since I know my life is a comedy and I've been bitten by its ringing before (in more than one sense!), I meant to disable the telephone while making this video. I forgot, but luck was on my side.

A Repairable Remote Control?!

uxwbill 2023-12-03 | Here's another reminder to take the batteries out of stuff that isn't being used. Whoever designed this should have been given an award. It's the first remote control I've ever seen where you can leave the profanity, dynamite, bench vise and service mallet at home. What is this sorcery?

This is a slight variation on the remote control Zenith included with a new TV for the last few years they made CRT TV sets. I've always thought it was an excellent design -- easy to use and comfortable to hold. Two patents are mentioned on the battery cover, though neither are "design" patents:

patents.google.com/patent/US4377006A/en
patents.google.com/patent/US4425647A/en

Does anyone want to try and track down the design patent, if there was one?

No, I don't know what's up with the audio in parts of this video, other than to say it's just another great example of why I think a purpose built camcorder still reigns supreme.

Product Review: Topdon TC004 Thermal Imaging Camera

uxwbill 2023-10-18 | This is a product review of the Topdon TC004 thermal imaging camera. Please expand the video description for extra notes.

Want to buy one? amazon.com/dp/B0BRK4SGD2 (link goes to Amazon US, and is not an affiliate or tracking link of any sort...)

As a standalone thermal imaging camera, this seems to work well. I believe the occasional pauses have to do with sensor calibration.

Unfortunately, software bugs hinder the ability to use this with your computer. The provided software for Windows computers struck me as opaque and incomprehensible, beyond working with locally stored images you've taken previously. It claims to let you perform further analysis on images. I didn't have the patience to study it in any detail. Maybe if you do, it is more useful than it looks.

Videos recorded with the camera are stretched and very distorted from the native 256x192 (HxW) to fit in a 1280x720 frame, in PAL format only at 25 frames per second. There's no point to this -- the sensor hasn't got anywhere that much resolution and is oriented differently (look at the screen!), which only makes it worse. Still pictures turn out fine. To get the videos into my editing software (Serif MoviePlus X5) took some massaging beforehand with VideoLAN's VLC. I can only guess that MoviePlus couldn't handle whatever container was used by the camera. It can certainly handle h.264 encoded video.

The camera operates in two modes: as a USB mass storage device or a USB video class camera (think "webcam"). Neither one works quite correctly, although the mass storage mode is at least usable for its intended purpose on any major computing platform.

Internally, it is a Linux based device and appears to be built around a Huawei system-on-chip. Depending upon its mode of operation, the camera presents as several different USB devices. Those are:

in mass storage mode: "Linux File-Stor Gadget Device", VID 0525, PID A4A5, serial number SN7890 (dubious)

in USB video class ("camera") mode, there are two devices enumerated:
1. USB Composite Device, VID 12D1, PID 0000 (!)
2. USB Video Device, VID 12D1, PID 0000 (!)
and the name "Iray MCamera" is also seen, with a reported serial number of 12345678 (obviously dubious).

in firmware update mode, two devices are enumerated
1. RNDIS, "Multifunction Composite Gadget", VID 1D6B, PID 0104
2. USB Serial Device, "Multifunction Composite Gadget", VID 1D6B, PID 0104

It Still Runs!

uxwbill 2023-10-18 | A short, sharp video, recorded in August 2021. This is the clock and timer assembly from the gas stove in the Roach Palace. It still runs, even after the console on the stove was clamped in the jaws of the tractor's loader as the palace was being torn down.

Just how tough were Telechron clocks? You will be amazed.
telechron.net/features/nothing.htm

I still have this clock and it'd probably run like new if I cleaned and oiled it. Maybe I will.

There's been a bunch of sabre-rattling lately about blocking ads on Youtube. So, I hope to put a real bee in their bonnet when I tell you that I allow and encourage you to block ads on my videos if you wish. It's your computer, after all. They can cram it. (And if that's the end of my Youtube account for saying so, well, it's been fun.)

Its Hard To Pitch Shift A Car Horn...

uxwbill 2023-06-19 | Or is it? Find out in this totally serious video from UXWBill and the Casio SK-1 keyboard. Some ideas really sit around for a long time in my video making queue.

Although the SK-1's sampling capability is very limited, you might be surprised how far it can go: youtube.com/watch?v=HFlyxQLwicQ . Many people are quick to say it's just a toy, and I don't think that's fair. For a compact battery powered keyboard, it has some more advanced features beyond the sampler: several selectable envelope settings, vibrato, portamento and a basic additive synthesis function that behaves similarly to drawbars on an organ.

For those wondering: I took piano lessons for a short time when I was younger. I played the piano badly then and I can still play it badly today. I would have played it badly for you in this video, were it not for the fact that even when you play the piano badly, it oftentimes calls for two hands. (Yes, I know there are one-handed professional pianists. The camcorder I presently have won't really stand up on its own. I have no idea what you do with a tripod or why I'd want to own one. You didn't see one in Naughty Truck, which is true because you're reading it on the Internet. Don't make me bite you.)

I have been thinking about revisiting my piano lessons, learning to play the guitar and maybe even the organ. To this end, I picked up a Hammond Maverick 5000 organ for free from Craigslist, which was nothing other than a great example of poor decision making. (Yes, I know the Hammond LSI organs are unreliable at best. I thought I'd get lucky.) Because I don't know what's good for me, I really would like to find a Baldwin MCO series Overture organ with the Fun Machine. I've played one of these and the Fun Machine really lives up to its name. Unfortunately, these too are hot garbage.

The video thumbnail is a painting by George Cruikshank entitled "The Head Ache". It is in the public domain within the United States and many if not all other parts of the world.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Cruikshank

See? I have culture, and not just between my toes. (cue rimshot sound FX)

What Do Dreams Taste Like?

uxwbill 2023-06-19 | Dreams apparently also contain a whopping forty-nine percent of your recommended daily allowance of sugar.

Product Review: TopTes Tools PT520A Combustible Gas Leak Detector

uxwbill 2023-04-04 | A thorough review of the TopTes Tools PT520A combustible gas leak detector. It seems like decent value for the money and compares well to much higher end and higher priced models.

Buy one here: amazon.com/dp/B0BTM3G8DK (not an affiliate link)
10% off discount code: UXWBILLYT (valid March-June 2023)
There is also a 10% discount "coupon" checkbox available as of this writing on Amazon's US store. Whether you can "stack" it with the discount code I do not know. Tell me if you do and it works!

I believe TopTes is using the Winsen MP-4 gas sensor in both of their detectors.
winsen-sensor.com/sensors/combustible-sensor/mp-4.html

I would like to see TopTes improve their instructions with a warning about butane temporarily disabling the sensor. I would also like to see them improve the PT520A's display so it is readable in sunlight or bright room lighting. Finally, it would be nice if they'd sell the replacement sensors, so you can renew your leak detector after the sensor wears out.

The TopTes detectors are not designed to detect byproducts of combustion (carbon monoxide, etc.). Be sure you're getting the right product for the job you're doing.

Index:
0:00 - What Am I Reviewing Today?
3:40 - Unboxing - What's Inside
4:53 - Partial List of Gases Detected
5:21 - Testing Methodology
6:28 - Controls and Sensitivity Ranges
7:14 - Editing Oops
7:17 - Back to the Review
7:47 - Butane Test & Caution, High Sensitivity
12:00 - Butane Test, Low Sensitivity
12:55 - Sensor Details (it could be user replaceable, another butane caution)
15:07 - Butane Test, Medium Sensitivity
16:25 - Gasoline (Fresh)
18:49 - Gasoline (Stale)
20:14 - Natural Gas
21:51 - Propane
22:14 - Acetylene
23:10 - Final Thoughts
24:27 - Sneak Peek (Upcoming Tesmen TM-510 Multimeter Review)

Happy New Year 2023!

uxwbill 2023-01-04 | Ringing in the new year. Better late than never.

There Are Forty of Them

uxwbill 2022-12-01 | I always knew my longwindedness on Youtube would pay off.

Here in the year of our lord 2022, iMovie for iPad doesn't export 4k60 video even when that's what the source is, and the Youtube app doesn't default to uploading the full quality video. We are totally not living in the future yet...

TopTes Tools PT210 Gas Leak Detector Review

uxwbill 2022-11-16 | A product review of an inexpensive explosive gas leak detector. #TopTes #PT210

Buy one here: amazon.com/PT210-Detector-Natural-Locating-Combustible/dp/B0B62W49KD

A word about this detector and the sensor it uses, as promised in the video: after realizing that the sensor cover can be unscrewed, I could see a name stamped into the sensor body. While many are made by Figaro Engineering (figarosensor.com), the one used in the TopTes detector comes from Zhengzhou Winsen Electronics Technology and appears to be their MP-4 product. It is actually socketed in the the two detectors I received. (You are responsible for the results of dismantling your gas leak detector or changing the sensor. Neither I nor TopTes Tools recommend or approve doing so.)

More details are here: winsen-sensor.com/sensors/combustible-sensor/mp-4.html , including a detailed usage manual for the sensor. In addition to Winsen stating that their sensor has a ten year lifetime, the manual also suggests that exposure to butane gas could impair sensor operation. ("If lighter gas sprays the sensor, it will cause extremely damage.") I'm not sure if they mean in its liquid or gas form. Perhaps in gas form, butane causes only a temporary failure of the sensor to operate? In any event, the manual included with this leak detector does suggest using lighter fuel or "stove gas" to test it before searching for an actual leak.

I only review products on the condition that I can be completely honest in doing so. TopTes Tools initially agreed to this requirement. After seeing the video, they asked they I edit out the part where the product did not work properly. They stated I could mention the problem in the video description. I declined to do so, especially as this is a product intended to alert the person using it to a dangerous situation. Somehow I don't think I'll be getting any more products from them to review (although they did offer to send me four more of these as giveaways, something I asked them not to do).

Timeline:
0:00 What am I reviewing today?
1:38 Unboxing
4:36 Battery Related Science or Something
5:00 First Power Up
5:25 Comparison with Other Gas Leak Detectors
6:04 Butane "Lighter" Gas Test / First Problem
10:45 Natural Gas Test
13:25 Additional Commentary / Battery Test
16:02 Propane Gas Test
16:52 Acetylene Gas Test
17:38 Closing Thoughts

Do NOT "correct" my pronunciation of the word "solder". Here in the United States, the "L" is generally considered silent. If I'm in a good mood, I'll just delete your comment. If I'm in a bad mood, I'll ban you from commenting forevermore. I wouldn't "spin the wheel" and try your luck, given how busy I am with work and by implication, how I often track towards "tired and irritable". You have been warned. :-)

Naughty Trucks Air Conditioning System Misadventure

uxwbill 2022-05-24 | Mistakes were made and things were learned. Everything ultimately worked out fine. Naughty Truck is a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic K1500, and is so known as a result of several electrical gremlins.

On hot (90F+) days, the air conditioner has been outputting approximately 45F or slightly cooler air when pulling in fresh air under normal driving conditions. Performance is better in recirculation mode, as you'd expect.

While I don't often endorse anything, the Harbor Freight Tools 3 CFM two stage vacuum pump shown in the video has worked very well for me. I've tested it to pull down as far as 70 microns. I don't know if the model they sell today is the same or not, but here is a link (US only, as far as I know): harborfreight.com/3-cfm-two-stage-vacuum-pump-61176.html

I believe (but have not exhaustively proven) that the HFT MVAC service port adapters are vacuum tight, or at least that mine still are. On the BBPOJ, I was able to reach a 300 micron vacuum with them and held very near to that in a decay test.

Vacuum pumps having greater air flow (CFM) can get the job done faster and you might want one for evacuating larger refrigeration systems. That said, I've used the HFT pump for residential HVAC work as well, and been quite happy with it. I don't see the need to spend a whole lot of money on fancy yellow cased pumps that seem to be quite popular.

Procedures shown in this video should only be attempted by trained/professional HVAC/MVAC technicians with the proper licenses. If you attempt anything shown in this video, you're doing so entirely at your own risk and bearing all responsibility for the results whether good or bad. I'm not responsible for the results of your actions.

I hold both the EPA 608 Universal and 609 MVAC certifications. I will readily admit that my approach and the equipment used are a mix between approaches and devices used for HVAC and MVAC.

Oops!

uxwbill 2022-01-18 | As 'Furhead once put it, "don't wait too long for car insurance". While playing with the Windows 10 game recorder, I did something that won't buff out. Yes, it still drove after that crash!

Yes, it's Beam NG drive. Yes, I bought a copy of it. Yes, I still play Rigs of Rods and generally like it better, even if it sees little development these days. Yes, I'm sure there are better tools for game capture than what comes built in to Windows 10. No, I don't care. Please don't be an Internet Twelve Year Old, even if you are twelve years old. (Actually, I probably don't have to tell most twelve year olds that.)

Exactly One Cold Start

uxwbill 2022-01-08 | The temperature's low and off to work I should go. Is Naughty Truck up to the challenge?

Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit.

Happy New Year 2022!

uxwbill 2022-01-01 | I hope you all have a safe and wonderful New Year.

I am past running on fumes as I write this (2:20 AM!) and must go to sleep soon...

From a Chromebook to a Regular Laptop...

uxwbill 2022-01-01 | Edit: Stop suggesting I run or install Windows on this. Buy your own and do that, if that's what interests you.

One last video, before the new year comes a-calling! Let's take an Acer C720P Chromebook that Google forgot and start down the road of making it into something useful.

Stuff to know, do and read: https://mrchromebox.tech/
Gallium OS: galliumos.org

I have a lot of time for low power computers (although it could be said that you have to!)...they are much more interesting to me than fire breathing high performance systems. You are responsible for the results of your own actions.

Intermittent Heat Trouble: Goodman GMSS960803BNAA Furnace

uxwbill 2021-11-27 | Attention DIYers: you attempt anything shown in this video or mentioned here entirely at your own risk. Know your limits and when to call a professional.

I first noticed this Goodman 96% AFUE furnace acting up when it didn't respond to the thermostat's request for heat. Later, I heard it try and fail to ignite. Fault codes 1 (retries exceeded) and 7 (low flame sense signal) were recorded. Try as I might to catch it in the act, it wouldn't mess up on camera.

Let's see what all might be wrong with it, and if I can fix it. Furhead, the Keykeeper and a dead mouse also show up in this video to lend a hand and provide some amusement along the way. The dead mouse didn't actually help out very much, but as with so many other dead mice, that's a common problem.

Gas pressure looked acceptable, all other subsystems in the furnace appeared to be working as intended, and the flame sensing rod was cleaned. It looks as though the burner box, if not the "inshot" burners themselves, could also stand to be cleaned.

Of the two furnaces in the building, this is the one most used and depended upon, as the other is shut completely off when the building is not in use. (I think they should consider leaving the other one on and set at a lower temperature as a backup.)

At some point, I should probably get and educate myself on the use of a combustion analyzer for furnaces. They are seriously not cheap, though.

I should have brought my own flashlight. I forgot that I have a search magnet. It's a large one I got at an auto parts store many years ago and comes with the added bonus of the magnet head lighting up. It would probably have been too large for this job, so I should probably buy a smaller one or steal the Keykeeper's magnet when he's not looking. I did try poking the search magnet behind the draft inducer, and the screw refused to give up and stop hiding back there.

The Hammond organ is still going strong, in case you want to know.

The Curbled Electrolux vacuum cleaner (youtube.com/watch?v=Hm4ZdnJ1K68) is also still going strong. Not even a basement flood in 2018 could kill it. You should have seen the dust that came out of it after I let it dry out and tested it. Evidently it was the truth at one time, that nothing sucks like an Electrolux!

Credit to Bizzarefurhead (his spelling) for the brief "manometer" interlude.

Youtube can take their mandatory 2FA for monetizing accounts and blow it out their hind end.

Tearing Down The Roach Palace!

uxwbill 2021-09-07 | It. Is. Gone. (and there was much rejoicing!) Spoiler: I wasn't there when the main part of the house came down, so you won't get to see that. Oh, how I wish I would have been! I really wanted to see it come down! Please take a (big!) moment and keep reading...

The gas stove actually dates from 1988, had a digital timer available as an option (probably very expensive!) and was made by Tappan for GE. I'm curious what liquid is (was?) used in the oven thermostat capillary tube and bulb. The GE service manual says only that it was "caustic". Whatever it is, it flashed into smoke (exactly like that from a fire) and dissipated almost instantly when the tube got broken. (Amazingly, the fluorescent lamp tube above the stove's console was unbroken when the tractor grabbed it.)

When I say that the stove wouldn't bring a pot of water to the boil, I mean a large pot of water. Small ones it would, medium ones took a long time. That's been my experience with every gas stove I've ever used (one from Whirlpool and another from Maytag, both slightly newer than this one).

Every water pipe in the Roach Palace had burst, something I discovered when I had the water service restored not long after purchase. One had to pull up a part of the kitchen floor and reach down about two feet to get at the shutoff valve. I was somewhat amazed there WAS a shutoff valve!

Still of the impression it could be saved at the time, myself and a good friend started gutting the kitchen. During that process, I discovered newspaper used as insulation in the walls. Unfortunately, none of it was sufficiently intact to make out a date or any headlines.

Things really went downhill when my father suggested we take the metal roof off of the kitchen to see what was under it. Part of me knew better, yet it happened anyway with no plan to repair/replace it, and that was the beginning of the end.

Until I bought it, there were no smoke detectors anywhere in the house. I later learned the humidity would set them off! Of all the circuit breakers in the box, only about half did anything. Someone tried to wedge a Siemens two-pole breaker onto the bus bar in the Square D box...and went on to try and power a 240 volt A/C with it, to predictably successful results, I'd imagine.

About three or four years ago, there was a rash of vandalism. Many people were affected. They got into the Roach Palace, the yard shed, some of our cars, and the new garage. (How they did that had me puzzled until I remembered the old "credit card" trick. I've since resolved this problem. Amazingly, the Roach Palace's door wouldn't yield when I tried that, which explains why they went in through a window.) They even unplugged the DVR, and then, as a way to really thumb their noise at us, plugged it back in after they left. The only real damage was to the dial glass of my Zenith 6S52 radio, which came with the palace. It could have been much worse.

I'm not sure what happened with the deinterlacing around the 16 minute mark. Nor was I going to re-export it, after the computer spent nearly two hours on that task! You'll live.

We have tractors (most specifically, an International Harvester 756) that could certainly have taken most if not all of the old house down. I didn't want to chance having the old house fall onto the new garage or somewhere else that it shouldn't have. I was nervous about that happening even though the people I hired have done this before.

I wanted to save the TV antenna mast, so the Keykeeper, myself and our father all took it down. I cut the legs off with a saber saw and then we lowered it down to the ground with a rope. I'm not sure what I'll do with it. Someone approached me about wanting it for use as a concrete "drag", and I may just send it their way.

Since the last part of this video was shot, more dirt was brought in and the lot graded further. So far, nothing has grown or sprouted.

Everything in this video took place over about three and a half weeks in August 2021.

Next project? Quite possibly having the trees removed from the yard. I don't know what, if anything, I'll put in place of the palace.

Trivia: the name "Roach Palace" comes from an issue of Consumer Reports Zillions, which was a magazine they published for children. One of the restaurant reviews in it ended with words to the effect of "tune in next time, when we review the Roach Palace".

Happy New Year 2021!

uxwbill 2021-01-01 | Here's to a happy, safe and much more enjoyable 2021! Headphone users beware of loud noises in the latter portion of the video!

2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic K1500 Reaches 200,000 Miles

uxwbill 2020-11-10 | I bought this truck in 2013 with about 94,500 or so miles on it. It's still going strong (and on the original fuel pump no less!)...

Think it'll make 300,000 miles? I'm hoping for that and many more. When a major selling point of a new car or truck is the size of its touchscreen, there's been a major wrong turn made somewhere. The modern car and truck are made completely of Do Not Want.

VF displays are awesome, but mechanical odometers have 'em beat when it comes to all those numbers rolling over.

Trane TUX080C942D2 92% AFUE Furnace Gas Valve Problems Part 2: Replacement

uxwbill 2020-09-14 | Replacing the gas valve in a Trane TUX080C942D2 92% AFUE furnace and firing it up in heat mode for the first time in who knows when.

I am aware that many pipe dope compounds will activate electronic gas leak detectors. I believe that the detector's alerting was legitimate, as it did not go off when placed near the pipe dope, only the union.

I'm also aware that the "warning style" CO alarms can take hours to sound in the face of small amounts of CO emission. I never did find the handheld tester I have (also from Klein Tools), and even if I had, I'm not sure how much I trust it. On any furnace (including brand new ones) where I've placed it in the heating airflow leaving the supply ducts, it's almost always reported small amounts of CO (1-3 PPM IIRC).

Trane TUX080C942D2 Gas Valve/Gas Pressure Problems, Part 1

uxwbill 2020-09-07 | Low inlet gas pressure, water damage and a possible bad gas valve in a Trane 92% AFUE furnace. Don't screw around with natural gas or similar fuels. Call a professional if your heating equipment isn't working. You have been warned. I'm not responsible for your actions.

These gas valves emit a noticeable click (or thunk) when the solenoid is energized. This one doesn't. Even with the low input pressure, I'd still expect it to open and the furnace to fire (however unreliably). I've seen a larger propane-converted furnace with a 36G valve that would still fire, with only 9" WC inlet gas pressure when the valve opened.

I have seen a kit consisting of a barbed plastic piece that fits into the pressure test access ports of the 36G gas valve. I have yet to buy one.

amazon.com/White-Rodgers-Emerson-F921003-Adapter-valves/dp/B007Q2FXI4
supplyhouse.com/White-Rodgers-F92-1003-Adapter-Kit-for-36G-Gas-Valves

Product Review: Snugmax Vickers 200 Power Bank/Generator

uxwbill 2020-08-27 | This is a sponsored product review. As always, I only review products where I'm allowed to be honest and unbiased in discussing the product.

This seems to be a very good power bank/generator in my experiences with it thus far. The stated 222 WH rating seems quite close to the truth. I ran a 120 volt, 100 watt incandescent bulb for a little over two hours before the batteries gave out.

There are standard lithium ion 18650 cells inside, so they could probably be replaced in the future. Based on what happened with the manual, I have no particular reason to believe I received a "better than usual" cherry-picked example.

This product is no longer for sale new, though you might find one on the secondhand market. The Vantop Group is still in business as of this writing in mid-2022, you should be able to look them up for product support. I continue to be quite happy with the example I received and use it frequently.

Borg Warner Norge Refrigerator (Model REF131305A?)

uxwbill 2020-08-17 | All the major US automakers produced household appliances at one time. Borg Warner, a large auto parts maker, also threw their hat in the ring with Norge appliances. GM had Frigidaire, Ford bought Philco, Chrysler offered Airtemp HVAC, International Harvester brought out a line of refrigeration appliances (at the very least) and Nash Kelvinator (later AMC) also had their own line.

Even though coppertone is by far and away not my favorite appliance color, I hated to think that someone would hack this poor old thing into little bits, especially if it still worked. It's also blatantly illegal to vent refrigerant, although I'm sure they did when cutting apart the chest freezer. (No, I didn't see it happen.) So, I checked out what I could see of the refrigerant circuit by the light of a cell phone and when it looked undamaged (no doubt by some miracle), I loaded this refrigerator up into my truck in the dead of night and spirited it away. I'm also sure that none of this looked even slightly suspicious.

The moral of this story is obviously that I should not be allowed to own a pickup truck. Although, if you've been here long enough, you'll remember the chest freezer that came home in the trunk of a Mercury Grand Marquis. (That freezer was donated to charity.) Not being allowed to own a pickup truck may not be enough to put me off.

I would guess that this thing served faithfully in someone's kitchen until coppertone appliances fell out of favor and it then was banished to a basement. There it likely continued to serve until the house where it lived was suddenly gutted and remodeled. (I'm just guessing. This thing smelled like it had been shut up and turned off for a very long time. So maybe it just sat in the basement.)

One of the digits in the model number is nearly impossible to read. The serial number is E 243229. If anyone can decipher a date of manufacture from it, let me know. I'd love to hear from anyone who knows more about the Spencer behind the "Spencer Relay".

This refrigerator peaked right at 1.8 amps under heavy thermal load, and dropped to about 1.5 amps when the box was cooler. By comparison, a 1990s GE refrigerator under normal operating conditions was pulling about 2.5 amps worth of current. Most of the heaters I've seen in frost free refrigerators pull between 6-11 amps. Insulation in a newer refrigerator will likely be better, although that may let the manufacturer just use less of it for the same effectiveness.

And now, the long awaited update: the refrigerator portion is at 39°F (4°C) and the freezer around 15°F (-9.5°c) with a 95°F (35°C) ambient.

College153s 2019 Ford Mustang Exhaust System Upgrade Project

uxwbill 2020-06-08 | My brother, college153, makes a cameo on Youtube with an exhaust upgrade for his brand new 2019 Ford Mustang GT. It's equipped with Performance Pack 2 and a six speed manual transmission. It's been a longtime dream of his to own one of these.

You're probably not alone in wondering where I've been. Since everyone obviously reads video descriptions (and the Youtube mobile app makes it so easy), I'll start by saying that I've been perfectly well and in good health. I took a new job around the time the second video prior to this one (about the online UPS) was uploaded. I love it, the pay's great, but it keeps me very busy. Even through everything that's been going on, I've still been incredibly blessed to have a full time job. There are also many other things I'm working on. No, it's not an HVAC/R job. I have basically given up on doing that for another company: all I ever got for job offers were deadbeats and scammers. Somewhat surprisingly, I didn't enjoy being in the field as much as I thought I would during my classes. Maybe someday I'll do it for myself, but that's a long ways off if ever.

In other words, while I"m not quitting Youtube or anything like that, it'll probably be a while before there are more videos. (Even if I did, everything I'd ever uploaded would still be here, and I'd drop in to manage and answer comments periodically.)

College153's Youtube channel: youtube.com/user/college153 (although I think he's actually got another one these days...)

Happy New Year 2020!

uxwbill 2020-01-02 | Ringing in the new year, with some help from the neighbors. Now, what to do about the problem of writing "2019" for the next six months?

MAFIAA: http://mafiaa.org

The Keykeeper later brought to my attention that I'd left the clamp meter outside. By the time I rescued it, it read 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tripp Lite SU1500RTXLCD2U Online UPS

uxwbill 2019-07-08 | The first "online" or "double conversion" UPS I've ever seen. As it turns out, Tripp-Lite does still have information available on it and it might even still be a current model.

tripplite.com/smartonline-120v-1.5kva-1.35kw-double-conversion-ups-2u-rack-tower-extended-run-snmpwebcard-option-lcd-display-usb-db9-serial~SU1500RTXLCD2U

It does some very interesting things and I feel pretty safe in saying that it's a heck of a score, especially in working condition!

Ventilation Blower Motor Replacement

uxwbill 2019-06-21 | Replacing the motor in a furnace blower assembly repurposed as a room ventilator.

The old capacitor was actually closer to 30% out of specification, even when it still met the 7.5µF specification.

I wouldn't have had to fold over the sheet metal, but I didn't notice that at the time.

Box Fan on a STAND!

uxwbill 2019-06-20 | I finally got one!

Breezemaker seemingly is (or was) a brand of Lasko.

Reviving the Forgotten Allis-Chalmers Model B Tractor

uxwbill 2019-06-17 | The Keykeeper, Furhead and myself all visit the farm to try and get a forgotten Allis-Chalmers tractor running again.

The clutch was merely stuck and dislodging it proved easier than I thought it would on a subsequent visit. The electric starter can still spin the engine over even with the mowing deck engaged. This put enough load on the clutch to break it free, and it works normally again.

The carburetor needs some help, as it's gotten full of rust and other junk. It's off the tractor right now and being cleaned.

The generator is a bit more involved. When I sent it off to have a much-deserved restoration done, it came back with what I was told was a "solid state regulator". The printing has long since worn off, and all I can tell you now is that it was a Transpo branded part. I cannot find any currently produced regulator of that type and brand. However, the Transpo D100 "drop out relay" looks identical to what I have, and I have to wonder if maybe the generator rebuilder thought the tractor had an external regulator. (Why they would have thought so, I can't say. The old regulator was still attached to the generator when I sent it in.)

If that's what I have, the Transpo D100 isn't a regulator. It's a device used to prevent backfeeding once the generator's output voltage drops below that of the battery. I'm just not sure. The tractor never overcharged its battery after the generator came back.

The generator appears to be good., as it will run when "motored", or supplied with external electrical power. (To my great surprise, its direction of rotation is polarity insensitive. It always turns in the same direction when running as a motor. I'm probably overlooking something that I know which would explain this.)

"Motoring" a generator is mostly an academic exercise, but some early lawn tractors used their generators as starting motors in this way.

Quick Diagnostic: 2005 Honda Accord Air Conditioning Failure

uxwbill 2019-06-17 | Another simple and cheap little part brings a complex machine to its knees. I have since found the pressure control and it is OK. There are no other leaks (based on its holding a nitrogen charge for several hours with a Schrader valve core pilfered from a dead Trane condensing unit).

Unfortunately, the compressor clutch also appears to have failed in some way. It's getting power, and has continuity, but will not pull in. (Whatever ultimately governs the air conditioning system in this car "believes" it's turning the air conditioning on, as the condenser fans start and power is supplied to the compressor clutch.)

For those of you who know these specific cars better than I do, what if anything is typically replaced alongside the compressor? I believe the compressor to be mechanically intact, apart from the clutch mechanism.

My approach might be a bit unusual since my education was in HVAC/R, but I do have my EPA 609 MVAC certification. I also tend to be flexible in my use of terminology, probably more than I should be.

A Little Bit of Driveway Repair

uxwbill 2019-06-17 | One from the archives. Recorded April 2019.

The Heil Files: Let Me Level With You About Why Your Furnace Isnt Working!

uxwbill 2019-06-03 | Remember when there used to be a toy at the bottom of the cereal box?

Yes, I replaced the capacitor first to verify that it was or was not the problem. As you can see in the video, the original capacitor was within 5-6% of the correct value, more than within tolerance. The original fan motor was absolutely choked in heavy dust, grease and cat hair. Lots and lots of cat hair.

The corrosion on the furnace likely comes from two cat litter pans placed next to it. My hands certainly smelled like cat pee when I was done. That basement also smelled absolutely awful.

This furnace dates from 2003. I can only guess that someone lost their level when it fell into the furnace while it was being installed. Being an 80% efficient model, it certainly could have gotten past the heat exchanger. But why didn't they bother to get it back?

I suspect something terrible (maybe a major flame rollout?) happened in the burner area. There's a large mess of wire all around the burner area, and it's all tied together with wire nuts, which certainly wasn't done at the factory.

The audio in this video is a great example of why I shun recording video on a phone, and prefer an actual purpose built camcorder.

Product Review: DANIU Laser Rangefinder/Tape Measure

uxwbill 2019-05-06 | While perhaps not the most precise review, I'm hoping this is at least one of the more amusing rangefinder reviews out there. This is a sponsored review. As always, I accept products for review only if I can speak freely and honestly about them.

Warning: This video contains strobing patterns and flashing lights around the 4:20 mark.

Buy one here: http://bit.ly/2CLNdeM (on sale for a limited time!)

Leaky Upstairs Bathtub

uxwbill 2019-04-29 | Follow along as I figure out why the upstairs bathtub recently started leaking at random times.

Thanks to weasel2htm for recording the drum sting (or "rimshot"), as performed by Bill, of the band "Not A Planet".

Revisiting the Hammond L-102 Organ

uxwbill 2019-04-28 | More service for the Hammond L-102 church organ...finding out why the tonewheel motor wasn't starting reliably, giving it and the tonewheel assembly what was probably a much needed drink of oil, testing all the tubes, installing a new rectifier tube and starting to assemble a list of service parts to install as time permits. I'll probably source the replacement run capacitor for the tonewheel motor from an HVAC parts source!

I'm going to order some more Hammond organ oil, since there isn't much left.

Amazingly, my tube tester still works! I wouldn't have the audacity to say it's even still vaguely in a state of calibration, however.

From the "I should have had the camera running but didn't department"...I wasted some time playing with the other organ, a Baldwin "MCO" series with a "Fun Machine". Baldwin wasn't lying. It really is fun to play with and I wouldn't mind finding an organ with that system for my own use. I made up some very goofy songs and sang along with the Fun Machine accompaniment. The newer organ doesn't sound as nice as the Hammond, and is more of an early FM synthesizer at heart than an organ.

There was only one downside to this. It took me a long time to figure out how to make the Baldwin organ work as an actual organ again, and I'm still not 100% sure it does so on the lower manual. (The owner's manual isn't very helpful in this regard.)

One probably shouldn't admit to goofing off with the organ in a church, but I'm already going to be doing a huge amount of time in the sin bin anyway, so...

Repairing a Harbor Freight Solar Panel

uxwbill 2019-04-27 | One of the four panels in this kit stopped working. In this video, I look at why and what could be done to fix it.

While not perfect, the Harbor Freight 63585 system still makes for a pretty decent introduction to solar energy. To my surprise, it's actually gone up in price (about $50) as of this writing.

Revisiting the Toro Carefree Electric Lawn Mower

uxwbill 2019-04-27 | Now with a sharpened blade. It's still mowing at a rather gentle pace, and for a limited time, though it seems to work a little better overall.

Comfortmaker AG042GB1 Air Conditioner Contactor Replacement

uxwbill 2019-04-16 | !!! NOT A HOW TO VIDEO !!! For your own safety and well being, call an HVAC professional if your air conditioner needs repair. Don't try to do anything in this video if you aren't 100% sure of what you're doing and the risks associated with it.

Be aware that some types of outdoor power disconnects do NOT fully remove all electrical power from the outdoor unit!

Here's one from the video archives, a long delayed "part two" for this video: youtube.com/watch?v=q7riHN877M4 .

The compressor within is a Copeland scroll model, and it's my understanding that these can sometimes start up and run backwards. I'm not sure if that's what this one momentarily did or not. See jaykay18's video here: youtube.com/watch?v=p6bMVcjxNLc .

Products Unlimited ultimately seems to have become part of the TE products family. te.com

St. Patricks Day Biscuits and Gravy

uxwbill 2019-03-18 | Perhaps this time around, we'll tell you how to make the gravy!

Maybe you can add the food coloring to the biscuits at the right time (with the milk) and tell us how much differently they turn out.

Exploring/Troubleshooting a Hammond L-102 Organ

uxwbill 2019-03-16 | This older organ has, after many years of reliable service, started acting up every so often. To my great surprise, it's running on most if not all of its original components. Seemingly it dates from the mid-1960s.

I'm not sure if the tonewheel motor started up like it should on the first try. It makes a fairly pronounced noise that I did not hear until after the organ had been on for a few minutes. Subsequent startups were instantaneous.

While the capacitors likely should be replaced, I don't think they're the main problem. The 5U4 rectifier tube doesn't make particularly good contact in its socket. I also wonder if it could malfunction in such a way to pass AC when it shouldn't -- maybe a partial short? (My tube tester is similarly unrestored and probably got wet in a basement flood, but I'm tempted to see how the tubes test, mainly for curiosity's sake. The best test of a tube's functionality is always how it behaves in an actual circuit.)

I don't even want to think about those paper capacitors in the tonewheel assembly. That's pretty firmly in the category of "things that aren't going to happen".

Stay tuned for part two. Even though I haven't shot it yet, there is likely to be one. Maybe I can get it to act up at that point. It'd be interesting to see if there is any sort of flash over or other light show taking place, especially in the rectifier tube.

It looks like there is a bare spot one of the power cord's wires once it goes into the audio/power chassis. I didn't notice this until I edited the video, but I'll definitely find out for sure if it is or isn't a problem.

A fuse should probably be added to the power/audio chassis. I'm really surprised it hasn't got one. I will probably add one.

The speakers within would actually appear to be from Rola, who at one time was related to or controlled Celestion, so one of my guesses wasn't that far off.