The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Tag: Rants

And kvetching, too

Sharp EL-531W vs. EL-531X Calculators

(Typo in the permalink: should be W vs. X. Fixing it will break all the auto-linkies. Hate it when that happens.)

When our lass first began using calculators, I put a pair of Sharp EL-531W calculators in harm’s way around the shop, where they still reside. The new EL-531X seems to have an identical key layout and internal logic (*), as well as the same under-ten-buck price, but I don’t like it nearly as much:

Sharp EL-531W EL-531X calculators

It’s maybe 10 mm wider and doesn’t fit readily in my hand. I’m sure the rounded-rectangle stylin’ mimics a phone, but the cheapnified keys look ugly (particularly the ones around the arrow keys at the top) and don’t feel nearly as good.

The new one fills a gap next to the lathe, where it should collect plenty of swarf.

(*) Including engineering notation with multiple-of-three exponents, which I regard as vital.

2017-08-30
Wasabi NP-BX1 Batteries: FAIL

I just got a new pair of Wasabi Power NP-BX1 batteries for the HDR-AS30V helmet camera, charged them up, and ran them through the CBA:

Sony NP-BX1 – Wasabi FGHI – 2017-08-08

Huh.

The new ones (H and I) cost near twice as much as the 2-1/2 year old previous pair (F and G), while delivering less energy at a lower terminal voltage. Tested ’em twice to be sure and the curves overlay just about perfectly, so it’s not a fluke.

The rep assures me the replacement cells will deliver their promised capacity. We shall see.

2017-08-16
Riding With Scissors

Well, bypass pruning shears, anyway …

Although NYSDOT did cut back the Japanese Knotweed along Rt 376 north of Maloney Rd, perhaps because they were repaving that section, the overgrowth south of Red Oaks Mill continues unabated:

Rt 376 – SB at Walker – Overgrowth – 2017-07-09

I’ve been carrying shears to deal with the most egregious offenses, because some sport inch-long thorns:

Rt 376 – SB at Walker – Thorns – 2017-07-09

Unlike the NYSDOT Wappingers (a.k.a. Dutchess South) Residency , their Poughkeepsie (a.k.a. Dutchess North) Residency has no compunction about defoliation around road signs:

Rt 376 – SB marker 1117 – Sign defoliation – 2017-07-15

And guide rails:

Rt 376 – NB marker 1124 – Rail defoliation – 2017-07-15

So, obviously, different strokes for different Residencies.

2017-07-23
Ersatz Yellow Pages Scam

These mailings generally carry a “trash before reading” interest level, but this one stands out:

Biz Directory Scam – the deal

The Terms and Conditions feature some gems:

Biz Directory Scam – Terms and Conditions

The first few sections suggest their past behavior has required some … admissions … to avoid future issues.

Section 9 says the laws of Florida apply and the “agreement is performable” (whatever that means) “at United Directories’ address located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida”. They’re so afraid of their customers that the only address appearing on the mailer is in Atlanta, Georgia, but a bit of poking around suggests their HQ is inside what looks like a beachfront house across from Joe’s Crab Shack or a biz building up the street.

Section 11 says your “listing” will be renewed every six months at $396, so you pay nigh onto 800 bucks a year for a “customizable web page” nobody visits.

Section 12 tells you “Unpaid accounts will incur a 10% late charge” and “Any credits will be applied to the next subscription period.”

This will come as no surprise:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/phony-phone-directory-fla-firm-guilty-of-425-million-fraud-trading-on-yellow-pages-name-say-prosecutors/

Searching for obvious keywords + scam won’t turn up any surprises, either.

Sad fact: they actually have some listings.

I wish no ill will on anyone, but if somebody’s gotta be under the next meteor strike, I have a short list of candidates …

2017-06-30
Handbag Strap Rivet Repair

One of the leather strap anchors on Mary’s giant haul-everything-to-a-concert(*) handbag pulled its rivet through the canvas fabric:

Handbag – pulled-through rivet

We knotted the strap around the zippered opening and completed the mission.

Of course, it wouldn’t have pulled through if they’d splurged on washers, but noooo too expensive:

Handbag – intact rivet – inside

Some rummaging produced a pan-head M3 screw of suitable length:

Handbag – repaired – outside

A slightly battered acorn nut was a special treat for the inside, with another washer to keep me happy:

Handbag – repaired – inside

That was easy!

(*) At Tanglewood, where they don’t strip-search you on the way in, tow-behind coolers seemed de rigueur, and a good time was had by all.

2017-06-25
Yellowbook Do-Not-Deliver Delivery Option

Last summer I followed the procedure that should turn off (one of) the ersatz “Yellow Pages” directories littering our driveway.

This just arrived:

YellowBook Do-Not-Deliver Delivery

Seeing as how they have the wrong town in my address, there’s still another excuse available.

My guess: they’re paid by tonnage of books delivered and have a powerful incentive to continue delivering all of them, no matter what gets in the way.

You absolutely cannot make this stuff up.

2017-06-18
Amazon Packaging

The ample padding around this bag of fragile pecans leaves nothing to be desired:

Amazon – well-packed pecans

They’re firmly held in place on all sides, well protected from injury, and survived their shipping ordeal unscathed: not a bruise or break to be found. Well done!

That’s not always the case. A padded envelope recently arrived with an obvious wound:

Amazon – envelope perforations

Which came from its completely unprotected contents:

Amazon – unprotected PCB pins

Fortunately, the fragile glass front plate of that OLED managed to put itself flat against a small box inside the otherwise empty bag. it wasn’t broken, but due only to good fortune.

“Static sensitive parts enclosed”, indeed …

2017-06-17