General Stuff(tm)

[stephen_usher]

Apparently the post-person failed to deliver any post today as no-one was on our reception at five past two this afternoon. *sigh*

P.S. Well, well. The receptionist says that she was at her desk at 2:05pm and was there without a break since 1:40pm. she's going to have stern words with the postie on Tuesday.

[stephen_usher]

When I got the Apricot Xi out on the bench on Wednesday evening in anticipation of the arrival of the TexElec pads I found that the hard drive was finding it difficult to start spinning up.

This morning, after getting back from work, I opened the machine up again and took a look.

Knowing that previously the problem had been the brake pad sticking to the brake disc on the drive that was my first port of call. This time I looked more closely at the pad. Oh dear... it was a horrid sticky mess. The "sponge" had degraded and become had but also gooey.

So, with a penknife I removed its remains and dug out the felt I use for re-felting Microdrive cartridges and cut a 4mmx5mm piece and stuck it to the brake actuator arm.

After reassembly, success. The drive is no-longer reticent to start up but spins down just as quickly as it had before.

Another thing fixed.

[rubber_jonnie]

Apparently the post-person failed to deliver any post today as no-one was on our reception at five past two this afternoon. *sigh*

P.S. Well, well. The receptionist says that she was at her desk at 2:05pm and was there without a break since 1:40pm. she's going to have stern words with the postie on Tuesday.

Yes, postal operations are not quite what they once were...

[rubber_jonnie]

When I got the Apricot Xi out on the bench on Wednesday evening in anticipation of the arrival of the TexElec pads I found that the hard drive was finding it difficult to start spinning up.

This morning, after getting back from work, I opened the machine up again and took a look.

Knowing that previously the problem had been the brake pad sticking to the brake disc on the drive that was my first port of call. This time I looked more closely at the pad. Oh dear... it was a horrid sticky mess. The "sponge" had degraded and become had but also gooey.

So, with a penknife I removed its remains and dug out the felt I use for re-felting Microdrive cartridges and cut a 4mmx5mm piece and stuck it to the brake actuator arm.

After reassembly, success. The drive is no-longer reticent to start up but spins down just as quickly as it had before.

Another thing fixed.

We like fixed stuff here

[stephen_usher]

I like the new strip LED desk lamp I've just bought.

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IMG_3660.jpeg (244.31 KiB) Viewed 17511 times

I can make moody computer pictures with it.

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What I've actually bought it for is to light the LCD displays on the Apricot Portable and Macintosh Portable at the portables event in Cambridge in May as they don't have backlights and the diffuse ambient light makes the displays almost impossible to see.

[stephen_usher]

Apricot RAM board re-designed to be purely a RAM board for the Xi/PC and submitted to PCBWay.

[stephen_usher]

I've got fed up with the game of "hunt the chip" so I've decided to put up some storage.

Bought four of the "Really Useful Boxes" 16 x 0.3L wall storage packs and glued them to the wall with "No More Nails".

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So, that's 64 boxes for all those nice TTL chips and capacitors.

I've conductive spray paint on order so that I can spray the insides of the boxes to make them anti-static. Then I've "just" got to move the chips over and label the boxes.

[exxos]

I have some huge racks and I still cannot find anything I still have my huge rock I purchased a few years ago in order to help me organise stuff better. But my workshop just becomes a dumping ground for various stuff and there is just simply never any room to start doing anything

[PhilC]

The boxes and racks are such a good idea. Although the more I buy, the more I need. And I still have foam pads full of chips that need boxes of their own.

[rubber_jonnie]

I've got fed up with the game of "hunt the chip" so I've decided to put up some storage.

Bought four of the "Really Useful Boxes" 16 x 0.3L wall storage packs and glued them to the wall with "No More Nails".


IMG_3665.jpeg


So, that's 64 boxes for all those nice TTL chips and capacitors.

I've conductive spray paint on order so that I can spray the insides of the boxes to make them anti-static. Then I've "just" got to move the chips over and label the boxes.

I'm approaching this stage now, I just have so many parts it's ridiculous, and finding stuff is becoming a trial.

Trouble is, I'm not sure I have a wall big enough for all the little drawers I'd need!!!