tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14071693753317016272024-03-13T15:51:59.094-07:00Martin Melchior's homepageMartinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-55438213915593687512015-03-22T13:41:00.002-07:002015-03-22T13:41:30.284-07:00Building a BK Monolith+ clone, a 500w RMS subwoofer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg7Ex4cIkXW2mVDmpm2xgT40tB5LVBqMbF3EZ1JZRpWYYD1J2PWeIP7Tncjg2aY262AmNSv4cC1BX6AmHNx9Os5soHCk4k1qCbZFyVibx9qMN-ZM6g5T_3sP-XVoK8KpwGnzIY5zFm_8/s1600/1425621852061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg7Ex4cIkXW2mVDmpm2xgT40tB5LVBqMbF3EZ1JZRpWYYD1J2PWeIP7Tncjg2aY262AmNSv4cC1BX6AmHNx9Os5soHCk4k1qCbZFyVibx9qMN-ZM6g5T_3sP-XVoK8KpwGnzIY5zFm_8/s1600/1425621852061.jpg" height="280" width="320"></a></div>
The <a href="http://www.bkelec.com/HiFi/sub_woofers.htm" target="_blank">BK subwoofers</a> have a wonderful reputation:<br>
<br>
<ul>
<li>Excellent components</li>
<li>BK is the OEM manufacturer for REL subwoofers</li>
<li>Attractively priced ; you are buying them directly from the OEM and they make virtually no marketing (except the word of mouth on the Internet)</li>
<li>They're UK built</li>
</ul>
<br>
Although everyone knows they're very well manufactured and excellent purchases... they come with a major issue: they forgot the wife acceptance factor. And the name "Monolith" certainly does not help. Which wife would want a huge wooden monolith sitting in her living room?<br>
<br>
This was exactly the problem a friend of mine was facing: he quickly realised his wife would never agree with him spending the cash for a big block of wood sitting in the living room. This is the very reason why he asked me whether we could build one ourselves. He figured if he came back with a beautifully built subwoofer that he made himself, his wife would never dare to say no. And the story proved he was right.<br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2015/03/building-bk-monolith-clone-500w-rms.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-91814941712252123702015-02-19T05:32:00.001-08:002015-02-19T05:33:24.336-08:00Bose QC15 make an adaptator from a damaged cable and use standard 3.5mm cables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ9EqYc46eTLBGiDnHoRBsP79FTE0sthCVLyxWRVojoxuVjoY8utyauZuwt-Rv6NtIhgBqm3mMyfRvqlC3hNXY5dD1iB7-QeauN1G4jvzhgxXzzldMWtmgRwQwAvyiLlWybzy-vp-hqk/s1600/1414764991872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ9EqYc46eTLBGiDnHoRBsP79FTE0sthCVLyxWRVojoxuVjoY8utyauZuwt-Rv6NtIhgBqm3mMyfRvqlC3hNXY5dD1iB7-QeauN1G4jvzhgxXzzldMWtmgRwQwAvyiLlWybzy-vp-hqk/s640/1414764991872.jpg" height="112" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The connector can be easily opened <br>
by sliding a thin blade on the side</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Bose QC-15 are wonderful headphones, no doubt about it. One of the things that bothers me is the silly connector: if the switch is useful to some people, its shape renders the headset useless unless you have and use the Bose's original cable. A 3.5mm female socket on the headset would have made the it compatible with any 3.5mm male/male cable and this is something I did not want to accept: for this reason I decided to hack an old broken cable to recover the connector and add a standard a 3.5 female jack where the cable originally was.<br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2015/02/bose-qc15-make-adaptator-from-damaged.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-39323698567322457562015-01-04T13:24:00.002-08:002015-01-07T00:17:57.185-08:00Repair burnt tweeters on B&W DM602 S3 speakers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Bfu3bYOkd7UzOrRHfp2HsF9PgBTEJQodlF1USyo2OsF4dAxR53WhgyyTXeqsHerJjqvYJ9EI6zJ0wHVZbZVnvDAsKjkwdU3z5yypGNzPMOB8v0qrHJQ-7Fcx5yolRa0OhOISG5FJjMs/s1600/1420405634711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Bfu3bYOkd7UzOrRHfp2HsF9PgBTEJQodlF1USyo2OsF4dAxR53WhgyyTXeqsHerJjqvYJ9EI6zJ0wHVZbZVnvDAsKjkwdU3z5yypGNzPMOB8v0qrHJQ-7Fcx5yolRa0OhOISG5FJjMs/s1600/1420405634711.jpg" height="200" width="151"></a>The second hand market is filled with great audio gear. For example, last week I bought a high end Yamaha amplifier (DSP-A1, 5x 115W RMS) for only 18€ on eBay and just had to clean the volume potentiometer (I used <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r-t4G1mo5Q" target="_blank">this technique</a>)!</div>
<br>
This time I purchased the exceptional B&W DM-602 S3 speakers (on eBay as well) for 91€ with two defective tweeters. In good condition, these speakers sell for 200 to 300€ and replacement tweeters cost 75€ plus shipping so I guessed 91€ was a regular deal at worse.<br>
<br>
First thing I did when I got my hands on them was to detach the tweeters: remove the woofer, the tweeter can be removed from the inside by twisting it. As expected, both tweeters were burnt and read 'open circuit' when measuring the resistance at the terminals.<br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2015/01/repair-burned-tweeters-on-b-db602-s3.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-84142765435108821232014-11-16T09:08:00.001-08:002014-11-16T09:08:58.436-08:00Configure your WR703n with a switch (or two)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEpcurpe3KT365ERa7S7daUmmUwkjDmAwLum0g8ZxPyi4do_K6eRbDDlgvAGZQx-_FIVDWCoKtIKQ3AU0NDZf0DjtkEPslYvEzHZ5QwVUB8E-JNqs8Up-d7TKNeLDmWyaOTx7wp9ZI6U/s640/1415649971403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEpcurpe3KT365ERa7S7daUmmUwkjDmAwLum0g8ZxPyi4do_K6eRbDDlgvAGZQx-_FIVDWCoKtIKQ3AU0NDZf0DjtkEPslYvEzHZ5QwVUB8E-JNqs8Up-d7TKNeLDmWyaOTx7wp9ZI6U/s640/1415649971403.jpg" height="180" width="320"></a><br>
The TP-Link TL-WR703n is a versatile piece of hardware and very handy to have with you when you need WIFI connectivity... The problem is that you need to configure it to fit your needs every time.<br>
<br>
This mod aims to re-configure it by the flip of a switch (or two):<br>
<br>
<ul>
<li>Choose between WIFI Access point or client.</li>
<li>Choose between bridged or NAT/DHCP for WIFI & wired networks.</li></ul><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/11/configure-your-wr703n-with-switch-or-two.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-18405886428453736602014-10-22T13:33:00.000-07:002014-10-22T13:35:34.637-07:00Make your Raspberry pi b more power efficient with a cheap dc step down<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZ0VtllC-0hKBGYXiZnUBE2w4x21C-AXxwfWCTlKKgswnJ22jtSYkqeV3KlsQULqBhG8RfeXARInv-KAMwas1FQ8bwH0iofHX69NLArhrwAOmmXKnT3aNwqqe8Pe6gTeIckhUJQTdsW8/s640/IMG_20141020_202839.jpg" height="150" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modified RasPi B with a buck converter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZ0VtllC-0hKBGYXiZnUBE2w4x21C-AXxwfWCTlKKgswnJ22jtSYkqeV3KlsQULqBhG8RfeXARInv-KAMwas1FQ8bwH0iofHX69NLArhrwAOmmXKnT3aNwqqe8Pe6gTeIckhUJQTdsW8/s1600/IMG_20141020_202839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><br>
The raspberry pi b (the original one, not the b+) uses a linear regulator to bring the 5V down to 3.3V. That's a lot of waste: 33% of the power consumed by the pi is dissipated as heat here! A DC step down (buck converter) would definitely do better than 66% of efficiency. This would certainly improve the stability when running on a weak power supply and make it run much longer if on batteries. Without making any precise calculations, using a buck converter would make the raspberry pi consume somewhere between 20 and 30% less power (efficiency of about 90% vs 66%). Here is how I did it in 10mins for 1.29 USD:<br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/10/make-your-raspberry-pi-b-more-power.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-21983553201083951202014-06-28T22:32:00.001-07:002014-06-30T14:00:19.063-07:00Building a Wooden Ghettoblaster: Painting faux rust on the speakers (part 4)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOMo15zNwASQ2nZPj7-kUD7uDUbtLBuIHagozZMPGXT30cDhl63kkaZaWwzP2NsxLe0wf-NLiaeu4NhxaTfT_oY58h08CUjUTjMz96X9uMMlk8-VbXD4VgleHFqkdE-a1yMOVnDEKh9M/s1600/IMG_20140629_072243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOMo15zNwASQ2nZPj7-kUD7uDUbtLBuIHagozZMPGXT30cDhl63kkaZaWwzP2NsxLe0wf-NLiaeu4NhxaTfT_oY58h08CUjUTjMz96X9uMMlk8-VbXD4VgleHFqkdE-a1yMOVnDEKh9M/s1600/IMG_20140629_072243.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a></div>
This is the final post on how I built my wooden ghettoblaster.<br>
<br>
While my previous my three previous <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/buildinga-wooden-getthoblaster-front.html">building the front face</a>, the <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/Wooden-Getthoblaster-the-enclosure.html">enclosure</a> and <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/04/Wooden-Getthoblaster-the-electric.html">wiring it all</a>), this post will describe the final touches I brought to this project: painting faux rust and quieting the fan of the cheap Chinese power supply.<br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/06/building-wooden-getthoblaster-painting.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-64157483634368237632014-04-29T02:08:00.000-07:002014-04-29T02:30:36.665-07:00DUMMYRESEND scam on eBay: You will never receive a replacement for the item that arrived broken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ja8SZYWn8mqZf2Ky9afIxG7eKhOvuXMqd-haG4-srqk1tY3_FAdJAvPU-qGda04Ws83mMLwEdKzJZbJuI_XF0egELmAgHxmrKZhVHKGqlSPnkK2f97yMde-VdAE61NnCgqb05f9Welk/s1600/justice-gavel-color-orange-md.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ja8SZYWn8mqZf2Ky9afIxG7eKhOvuXMqd-haG4-srqk1tY3_FAdJAvPU-qGda04Ws83mMLwEdKzJZbJuI_XF0egELmAgHxmrKZhVHKGqlSPnkK2f97yMde-VdAE61NnCgqb05f9Welk/s1600/justice-gavel-color-orange-md.png" height="126" width="200"></a></div>
Ten to fifteen years ago people were scared to buy on-line and on on-line auction websites such as eBay, thinking chances of never receiving the ordered items was high without any way to ever see the item or money back.<br>
<br>
The web has now evolved and thanks to on-line communities any rip-off is now immediately documented (through direct feedback, blogs and forums). This means that and you usually get something for what you paid for. This does not mean that there are any loopholes and weaknesses in processes that unscrupulous sellers exploit. This article will go through what I call the '<b>DUMMYRESEND' scam</b> which usually happens when you get a broken item eBay.<br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/04/dummyresend-scam-on-ebay-you-will-never.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-17951911844832462292014-04-18T12:44:00.000-07:002014-06-30T14:01:25.164-07:00Building a Wooden Ghettoblaster: preparing the audio and electrical hardware (part 3)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADwhCpxhlRHHYzM9YQj5qxP_ED0uKoY7Rh6Q7mhj829azgCQzSd59iBqMjzfwxKnt-1zxrdwCbToJzXgrhaWXwWgbLdFOjL7VqjDoSDGDKPFv9mSO7Q7ztBSDetsG5RH1B2oG7WaAYM0/s1600/CameraZOOM-20140413145626641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADwhCpxhlRHHYzM9YQj5qxP_ED0uKoY7Rh6Q7mhj829azgCQzSd59iBqMjzfwxKnt-1zxrdwCbToJzXgrhaWXwWgbLdFOjL7VqjDoSDGDKPFv9mSO7Q7ztBSDetsG5RH1B2oG7WaAYM0/s1600/CameraZOOM-20140413145626641.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost finished, the speakers still<br>
need painting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
This post is the continuation of my two previous posts (<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/buildinga-wooden-getthoblaster-front.html">building the front face</a> and <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/Wooden-Getthoblaster-the-enclosure.html">the enclosure</a>) and I will go through the preparation and wiring of all the electrical and audio equipment in this project. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Note: there will be another post in the near future about finishing a couple of details (like painting the speakers in faux-rust).</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/04/Wooden-Getthoblaster-the-electric.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-2619728447802454092014-04-06T05:28:00.001-07:002014-04-06T05:28:29.519-07:00Set a 'secret' VPN with your second residence using OpenVPN and a cheap TPlink TL-WR703N<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqC_uSzpblfWFnu1cO2ucVOXHrDqPp7xnOjVQ2_nvU7qdYVOEPZhFAsoRLEJ_6bF9s1MDm9gwgni76jFui_4dB4imf6TPz2L_cc5F76R3cd1ngnkmCrjEwR0hLEEiaR4hwlLRVBi2VVxM/s1600/1396612766838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqC_uSzpblfWFnu1cO2ucVOXHrDqPp7xnOjVQ2_nvU7qdYVOEPZhFAsoRLEJ_6bF9s1MDm9gwgni76jFui_4dB4imf6TPz2L_cc5F76R3cd1ngnkmCrjEwR0hLEEiaR4hwlLRVBi2VVxM/s1600/1396612766838.jpg" height="200" width="150"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This hood is also a wifi<br>OpenVPN server !</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sometimes you want to connect with a remote NAS or backup service or simply want all your Internet trafic to come from another location.<br>
<br>
If you have a second residence with a broadband Internet access, chances are that your Internet provider will supply a preconfigured (and basic) router that fits most people's needs. This router will unfortunately not let you add a VPN server on it ... (even if it were allowed by the ISP terms and conditions) because they are not going to pay for functionalities 99.9% of the population doesn't know and care about.<br>
<br>
This post will summarise what you need to have and configure to get you on your way. As well as the best place I found to hide it (tip: it's in the kitchen... ;-):<br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/04/set-secret-vpn-with-your-second.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-72595772567445736652014-03-25T03:26:00.000-07:002014-03-25T03:26:55.774-07:00Hacking the Link Bluetooth receiver for auto-on and off (with power supply)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SsyhNBBbkt71Z2QckkF7t4hxJsSRhln6DJXmfLSGuFKgZwbQ88lgxcDCbsGI2nT3yWZy1uJfogUga_6RC2YJh8oP12EuvMtqBKjPDZ2s2P5yMh4w_YW7viazRj9wvbwlnw_zXsAZ7GY/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-1-86.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SsyhNBBbkt71Z2QckkF7t4hxJsSRhln6DJXmfLSGuFKgZwbQ88lgxcDCbsGI2nT3yWZy1uJfogUga_6RC2YJh8oP12EuvMtqBKjPDZ2s2P5yMh4w_YW7viazRj9wvbwlnw_zXsAZ7GY/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-1-86.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Link Bluetooth APTX audio<br>
receiver (BT V4.0 with AD2P)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Link Bluetooth is a cheap Chinese Bluetooth audio adapter providing a very decent audio quality. With this adapter you will be able to transform most stereos (or in my case the <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/Wooden-Getthoblaster-the-enclosure.html">Wooden Getthoblaster I'm building</a>) to receive Bluetooth audio.<br>
<br>
The Internet is full of cheaper (about 5€) Bluetooth receivers but these usually come with a bad sound quality and for this reason I decided to buy the <a href="http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/6028517656.html">cheapest APTX Bluetooth 4.0+EDR, AD2P adapter I could find</a> (22.99 USD):<br>
<br>
The problem is that the engineers who designed this adapter obviously did not think about the use I was going to make of it (shame on them ;-):<br>
<h3>
The device does not turn on automatically when plugged in</h3>
<div>
I want my Bluetooth receiver to automatically turn on when powered so I can hard wire it inside my stereo and not have to press any button to make it work. I was really disappointed it wasn't the case and decided to open the 'Link' to see what I could do.<br>
</div><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/hacking-link-bluetooth-receiver-for.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-87328954508657961582014-03-23T10:03:00.000-07:002014-06-30T13:55:29.496-07:00Building a Wooden Ghettoblaster: the enclosure (part 2)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiML7CB72l8BQhccnq1p2FIcAaXEF29_L536Q_CWsMVnnQ24kImdETqv4BzVmmYhpf7LDhbLb_53z6u1Ett_BsRs0BcWpjJGN_o5dpwgA3z5atLt77u5Xph0NgVuyzl3i4rD3QtsX2Z27w/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiML7CB72l8BQhccnq1p2FIcAaXEF29_L536Q_CWsMVnnQ24kImdETqv4BzVmmYhpf7LDhbLb_53z6u1Ett_BsRs0BcWpjJGN_o5dpwgA3z5atLt77u5Xph0NgVuyzl3i4rD3QtsX2Z27w/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-248.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wooden ghettoblaster case ready to <br>
receive its audio equipment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here are some news of my wooden Ghettoblaster project...<br>
In case you missed it, you can find <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/buildinga-wooden-getthoblaster-front.html">here</a> the first steps. I used marquetry techniques to give this ghettoblaster a retro look. I did not want to build yet another box with an amp and speakers (where would be the fun in that?).<br>
<br>
I had old 3 way car speakers lying around. These are meant to be flush mounted. If you're familiar with building speakers, reading on might make you scream (you've been warned).<br>
<br>
Googling around, I discovered a little of the science behind building speakers and lots of people arguing about technicalities (as always). I'm therefore not going to start a debate here... <br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/Wooden-Getthoblaster-the-enclosure.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-65361994636993862542014-03-20T03:22:00.001-07:002014-03-20T03:22:35.871-07:00Empirically computing the battery use of electronics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvytlR9PWy5wehf_q0Gdq3nTpfkgoecmrVm87VzKiqC4VM6KdzPwnVYitUwwLrMPLvSFNSkcBtyUuP925udJzG6Ta40oUdli62ESeopuIIGtGi3myrO1H6YRSi_rkBO3glwc1AzAqCdeI/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvytlR9PWy5wehf_q0Gdq3nTpfkgoecmrVm87VzKiqC4VM6KdzPwnVYitUwwLrMPLvSFNSkcBtyUuP925udJzG6Ta40oUdli62ESeopuIIGtGi3myrO1H6YRSi_rkBO3glwc1AzAqCdeI/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-222.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measuring the voltage while discharging the battery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My father uses a small electronic device to measure the heartbeat of his patients during a couple of days. After playing around with alkaline and Ni-Mh batteries he realised that Ni-Mh batteries would sometimes die before the end of the recording and that any brand of fresh alkalines would work:<br>
<br>
He came to the same conclusions most people usually come to (but failed to realise a couple of things):<br>
<ul>
<li>Any alkaline he ever purchased were doing the job fine... and could therefore buy the cheapest</li>
<li>NiMh rechargeable batteries should not be trusted (note: that is if you use them like anyone else).</li>
</ul>
<div>
This article will investigate how one can estimate the battery capacity and device power consumption.<br>
</div><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/empirically-computing-battery-use-of.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-82510787371861778132014-03-08T09:08:00.002-08:002014-06-30T13:52:19.068-07:00Building a Wooden Ghettoblaster: the front face (part 1)<div dir="ltr">
I have some car audio equipment lying around and always wanted to build something retro (from my youth), beautiful, functional and fun. This is the first part of an ongoing project.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_O4NU4gfL1Iwf9pNO5uBhnlqdOrx2SUaoSianGGRjl8P6K7p4jLAEY0ZTanqdN70k2KmyRq-8U7CNwRX5UiCMo9EsZ3owVBdpl-q6wBWh_S3uAPVVKXtLOLhclsi6Ucigz_kL-Pplkzg/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-1-52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_O4NU4gfL1Iwf9pNO5uBhnlqdOrx2SUaoSianGGRjl8P6K7p4jLAEY0ZTanqdN70k2KmyRq-8U7CNwRX5UiCMo9EsZ3owVBdpl-q6wBWh_S3uAPVVKXtLOLhclsi6Ucigz_kL-Pplkzg/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-1-52.jpg" height="200" width="150"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlgVKzSEg21MOhuN-i7WwIOxN0hCvZ6c1enHCIJ-t9p3QBw0gmGWYDZM-VSN_WsrddJPkqPF8aEWYE92l00zf1xmOYUAu_Mk1qbq47fTBLmS1MyF9yV3meQdYZZ6U-F55a5vjbX_CDM0/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-1-69.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlgVKzSEg21MOhuN-i7WwIOxN0hCvZ6c1enHCIJ-t9p3QBw0gmGWYDZM-VSN_WsrddJPkqPF8aEWYE92l00zf1xmOYUAu_Mk1qbq47fTBLmS1MyF9yV3meQdYZZ6U-F55a5vjbX_CDM0/s1600/1970-01-01+01.00.00-1-69.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a></div>
<br>
I don't know where this boombox/ghettoblaster idea came from but I had some spare wood and time. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br>
</div><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/buildinga-wooden-getthoblaster-front.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-38523545849174281832014-03-07T00:15:00.001-08:002014-03-23T06:00:28.058-07:00Give your old phone chargers a second life<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqD7cxqiCNNhCMBbzGdG7sU0I247qhXhsSgJROdW8ehBM8d-FWGhzorHJ6-xjV82Bn6SB5nnT6FidQrugndusZ_tqH3jtfII2lmoXEkIDwXfPCTuDZg7gjHy6BKRByBYYHSj9U7rSEzw/s640/1394181383960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqD7cxqiCNNhCMBbzGdG7sU0I247qhXhsSgJROdW8ehBM8d-FWGhzorHJ6-xjV82Bn6SB5nnT6FidQrugndusZ_tqH3jtfII2lmoXEkIDwXfPCTuDZg7gjHy6BKRByBYYHSj9U7rSEzw/s640/1394181383960.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old chargers converted to charge<br>
USB gadgets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
Ever thought about what to do with your old chargers? </h4>
<div dir="ltr">
Everyone gets a new phone every now and then. If your old phone is broken its charger probably isn't. Sometimes the phone is fine but the charger connector isn't (easy to check: the phone charges when connected to a computer but you need to wiggle the connector for a better contact).</div>
<h4>
Give them a second life</h4>
<div dir="ltr">
You can give your charger a second life by removing the old and useless connector and soldering an USB socket to it.<br>
This is much safer and cheaper than buying a cheap Chinese online: some of them are very dangerous (at least one <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57595435-37/after-a-death-apple-tells-chinese-to-only-use-official-chargers/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20">dead by electrocution</a> has been reported).<br>
</div><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/give-your-old-phone-chargers-second-life.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-45534021926737695752014-03-06T03:27:00.000-08:002014-03-06T03:27:41.569-08:00Enable the active noise reduction of a Bose Triport Tactical without connection<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmsJMYamt10k32J41E6n0XCsYQNe6QS8ORjv5Tvf6cESU7sFQ-uEHn5B2yrVDK7i5wiE1InLcZlXfwaJKxPhXU76feJ08_o4ghWpWXUFfY_ERv5pQN5bRVi-82TC7MWqckKKL-YIHQxs/s1600/1389560388029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmsJMYamt10k32J41E6n0XCsYQNe6QS8ORjv5Tvf6cESU7sFQ-uEHn5B2yrVDK7i5wiE1InLcZlXfwaJKxPhXU76feJ08_o4ghWpWXUFfY_ERv5pQN5bRVi-82TC7MWqckKKL-YIHQxs/s1600/1389560388029.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a>The Bose Tactical is a wonderful piece of equipment. It works as a regular headset when unplugged, <br>
the talk through function lets you listen and talk to your surroundings while keeping sound at a safe level (sound compression).<br>
<br>
Despite what I originally believed, the Bose Triport Tactical also comes with Active Noise Reduction (ANR) which is the same technology as the one found on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0054JJ0QW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0054JJ0QW&linkCode=as2&tag=martimelchsho-20">Bose Quiet Comfort</a> series. I discovered this feature thanks to <a href="https://plus.google.com/+JRSkola">JR</a> (thanks!) some info about how you can get it to work.<br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/03/noise-reduction-on-bose-tactical.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-33846467098893319352014-02-06T08:12:00.003-08:002014-02-06T08:12:17.642-08:00Don't ever mix fresh and empty batteries again<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAg2wE481fTtnmAIY67fHvNoKLHFdIc2BXC4x0UyM4BPXBvCQPqNPbg4IMzvEdsJSv6kEyt4cjH9nVYlOWq5117kC8KeuLeFNrWUjHrCyYb4PZNzRL3cnMMLQsE8xukcct-Iw18qEE1k/s640/1390414998684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAg2wE481fTtnmAIY67fHvNoKLHFdIc2BXC4x0UyM4BPXBvCQPqNPbg4IMzvEdsJSv6kEyt4cjH9nVYlOWq5117kC8KeuLeFNrWUjHrCyYb4PZNzRL3cnMMLQsE8xukcct-Iw18qEE1k/s640/1390414998684.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use the battery direction to indicate <br />whether it is full or empty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you're like me you waste your time trying to figure out which battery is full from the other ones.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://alkalines.eu/">Alkalines.eu</a> <a href="http://www.alkalines.eu/2014/02/never-mix-full-and-empty-batteries.html">solves that issue elegantly</a>: all you have to do is put your charged batteries upright in your battery box and the empty one upside-down.<br />
<br />
If you feel you are going to forget this, you can simply print their logo and stick it on your battery box.<br />
<br />
Read the original post <a href="http://www.alkalines.eu/2014/02/never-mix-full-and-empty-batteries.html">here</a>.Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-34015152044805885782014-01-18T05:21:00.004-08:002014-03-07T02:23:48.741-08:00Hacking the Bose Triport Tactical to work with your smartphone (or walkie-talkie)<div>
<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6fJ1OtrJjrr9sh0jdM6ydk0gX77qPFBlU9vbOQFYBNucHP0uVBxTvp3JbArs9VjvVj_Xluf8Pvnc7CMuVCcgoFuuqh-eDa2sHOn8uKHrT4uxJbWYf4wBzQDjLGwZobldeNQZuBgWuBE/s640/1389247815780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6fJ1OtrJjrr9sh0jdM6ydk0gX77qPFBlU9vbOQFYBNucHP0uVBxTvp3JbArs9VjvVj_Xluf8Pvnc7CMuVCcgoFuuqh-eDa2sHOn8uKHrT4uxJbWYf4wBzQDjLGwZobldeNQZuBgWuBE/s640/1389247815780.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">The Bose Triport Tactical Hedset is actually a rugged noise cancelling pair of headphones and I therefore HAD to play with them.</span><br>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br>
</span> <span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">My conclusions were however that these are useful if you want to hear both ambient noise and your radio (you can read my review <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/01/BoseTriportTactical.html">here</a>) simply because soldiers are meant to hear each other. This is its major difference with its little brother, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0054JJ0QW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0054JJ0QW&linkCode=as2&tag=martimelchsho-20">Bose Quiet Comfort 15 (QC15)</a>. The one I got was unfortunately broken: the speaker of the right ear cup was defective and although this part is not serviceable, it can still be swapped with a spare one (write-up in my other article <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/01/repairing-bose-triport-tactical.html">here</a>).</span><br>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br>
</span> <span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">This short article will describe the journey to make it work with a smartphone or walkie-talkie.</span></h2></div><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/01/BoseTriportTacticalAndSmartponhe.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-72840517504495384862014-01-12T13:21:00.000-08:002014-03-07T01:50:51.124-08:00Repairing the Bose triport tactical headset<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgSuKw3CVtmMpzhbHwClDrtwbSXBZTXDCOGRs2rqNX_wVz4A4XjEQHHvdJcUl_oQ2rpWWQM1LnugXtGBFvQqdBm2f2-mbfADjsoxiO7vqh6d5qqMs5pFrvUrm2hJ7N8nT6lzaOjl_uEY/s640/1389560925898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgSuKw3CVtmMpzhbHwClDrtwbSXBZTXDCOGRs2rqNX_wVz4A4XjEQHHvdJcUl_oQ2rpWWQM1LnugXtGBFvQqdBm2f2-mbfADjsoxiO7vqh6d5qqMs5pFrvUrm2hJ7N8nT6lzaOjl_uEY/s640/1389560925898.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bose Triport Tactical</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"Why should I buy the Bose QuietComfort 15 (QC15) when I can find at Army surplus or online the rugged Bose Triport Tactical headset ? ... especially when Bose claims it uses the same technology in both". This is how it all started. It even became obvious that I needed both, one for home and one for outdoors activities. If you're unsure about the differences between these two, I suggest you read <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/01/BoseTriportTactical.html">my other post explaining why they're completely different things</a>.<br>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
I got my US Army Bose Triport Tactical headset on eBay from a very nice man in selling army surplus. From the start I knew it would ask a little trial and error to understand the pinout of the AP-107 connector (or more precisely the AP-107BR, <a href="http://nexinc.thomasnet.com/viewitems/7-and-10-pin-waterproof-breakaway-connectors/waterproof-plugs-and-jacks">specs here</a>) since all I could find were the connector specs not its pinout but I was still far from expecting what follows...<br>
</div><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/01/repairing-bose-triport-tactical.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-53353046412948975292014-01-10T12:42:00.000-08:002014-03-06T03:25:46.930-08:00Is the US Army Bose Triport Tactical headset an alternative to the Quiet Comfort QC15 (Bose Triport Tactical vs Bose QC15)<div style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
I'm not presenting the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0054JJ0QW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0054JJ0QW&linkCode=as2&tag=martimelchsho-20">Bose QuietComfort 15</a> again. Everybody with a little knowledge about knows it is the best mass-market noise cancelling headphone there is. But what about the Bose Triport Tactical headset? <span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I mean, have you even seen the specs of the Bose triport tactical? It has noise cancelling, it is rugged, supposed to let you hear your surroundings, comes with a mic and even makes you look </span><strike style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">coo</strike><strike><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">l</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">, </span></strike><strike style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">bad-ass,</strike><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> crazy and stupid.</span><br>
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br>
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnL-b_h4ejfkSMIU2LpLNBOByEAgUIwgSVvThyphenhyphen71wDuwGVJGZGa24cFqhioFsSx3OtKD7FfxrjDwiV_xQxpNk4gmBoeHJHHBjMEkjrIZq-l9Lqn5WAyLJIONJoYryeLcJiit8z1j0QVI/s640/1389385377608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnL-b_h4ejfkSMIU2LpLNBOByEAgUIwgSVvThyphenhyphen71wDuwGVJGZGa24cFqhioFsSx3OtKD7FfxrjDwiV_xQxpNk4gmBoeHJHHBjMEkjrIZq-l9Lqn5WAyLJIONJoYryeLcJiit8z1j0QVI/s640/1389385377608.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">VS.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJ06qHjWSudW2nzrugPQBD9p3niHOoquusioVFaXMLvhZ86_Q952i0cbw3GhC8m9chHRFCsgOqXsB1KIGT0EZhZBAScF18ISUWKy69GYypkskk-oqt1GtWuwlphWGMpt3zR7BFnDmJCs/s640/1389385473783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJ06qHjWSudW2nzrugPQBD9p3niHOoquusioVFaXMLvhZ86_Q952i0cbw3GhC8m9chHRFCsgOqXsB1KIGT0EZhZBAScF18ISUWKy69GYypkskk-oqt1GtWuwlphWGMpt3zR7BFnDmJCs/s640/1389385473783.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<div>
<br>
</div></div><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2014/01/BoseTriportTactical.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-25531953547260744672013-12-27T04:16:00.000-08:002014-01-03T05:05:09.229-08:00Golden rules when buying a RF receiver<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPhpAJ33hDdPvIu-J8SB9ta5z7825gwMqf3umx7MCRqZapPGIvnodOQRF4RkOFL_OLzP4_AoBwRpwhB4XB_ketem-avIjjIYAby3e8-xXYDJSCt16zad_aW9lodNEduuSGphjVF0-XB8/s1600/1388143660676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPhpAJ33hDdPvIu-J8SB9ta5z7825gwMqf3umx7MCRqZapPGIvnodOQRF4RkOFL_OLzP4_AoBwRpwhB4XB_ketem-avIjjIYAby3e8-xXYDJSCt16zad_aW9lodNEduuSGphjVF0-XB8/s200/1388143660676.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RF receivers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
I have played quite a bit with RF receivers I purchased from eBay (coming from china). The range you can expect to get from one of these depends highly from the model you purchase.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Although I am not equipped to scientifically test and explain my conclusions, the results of my experimentations led me to draw the following conclusions:</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>You need an antenna</b>. If yours does not come with one, just solder a piece of wire. The wire length is going to depend on your frequency (google it)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You want a <b>receiver with a crystal</b>: those without (see picture, the two modules on the right) have none and have a terrible range (a 3 to 4 meters at most), I believe they calibrate their oscillations in the factory with a <strike>potentiometer</strike> variable inductor (red dot in the middle, thanks <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/11951419908949130695">John RC</a> for the correction), how can that be accurate?</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Buy a <b>shielded circuit </b>if possible (bottom row, middle one on the picture), you are less likely to be disturbed by noise.</li></ul><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2013/12/golden-rules-when-buying-rf-receiver.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-17750654339339203362013-12-23T06:54:00.000-08:002013-12-23T06:54:00.497-08:00Get a high end phone for a fraction of the cost<div style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71AVclgSW1mlIaK2ceLpziWWgnYCMD6coIaZC8sIa2fL1KPuoBQerZdt_mxDFl0-Dj0RJ-wjeuErn8xtkREamRmdMxzTecUkNpyRzHZbPDpUxp9GAvpgOD8Cd_3NiUwyNYra7xI9O5F4/s1600/450px-Galaxy_Nexus_and_Galaxy_S_III_side_by_side.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71AVclgSW1mlIaK2ceLpziWWgnYCMD6coIaZC8sIa2fL1KPuoBQerZdt_mxDFl0-Dj0RJ-wjeuErn8xtkREamRmdMxzTecUkNpyRzHZbPDpUxp9GAvpgOD8Cd_3NiUwyNYra7xI9O5F4/s200/450px-Galaxy_Nexus_and_Galaxy_S_III_side_by_side.PNG" width="150"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Galaxy_Nexus_and_Galaxy_S_III_side_by_side.PNG">Illythr</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">If you want a high end phone, I see three alternatives:</span></div>
<ul style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<li>Buy a high end phone (expensive)</li>
<li>Get a Chinese android based phone. You can usually get an equivalent of e.g. a high end / flagship Samsung for half the price. There are numerous options and a good investigation is needed as quality of build and stability vary a lot.</li>
<li>Get the previous high end phone from a big brand (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S3 by the end of 2013 when the S4 is under the spotlight) and flash it with an alternative rom such as <a href="http://www.cyanogenmod.org/">Cyanogenmod</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Here we're going to investigate the third option. Here is why:</div>
<ul style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<li>Flagship phones cost a lot but as soon as a manufacturer puts a new high end phone on the market, the price of the previous model suddenly drops.</li>
<li>Chinese phones are really cheap but a thorough investigation is needed to find a good one. Since each model is produced in smaller quantities, you get smaller communities working on updates (and support).</li>
<li>Stock roms (original version of Android installed on the phone) are usually loaded with bloatware (useless software pre-installed by the manufacturer) and not always state of the art android (to get you to buy the new version).</li>
<li>Finally, I suspect big manufacturers to plan the obsolescence of their phones using various techniques to speed up the decrease of performance over time.</li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
It is therefore my opinion that you will be better off with a custom rom on a last generation flagship phone than you would ever be with a brand new one (more expensive and the stock rom is usually slower) or a Chinese one (rom less optimised and less updates / community support).<br>
</div><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2013/12/get-high-end-phone-for-fraction-of-cost.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-23906706671199965852013-12-22T02:40:00.001-08:002016-02-07T05:02:15.737-08:00Remote control your electric heating by SMS - Review of the GSM-AUTO-AC<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpAepPuJ_xsEb-Sqns24iG082JkrhRjcGfQ45j_bpr2mkbt5sP975-Sx5hH66spAme0f3uzMehbQyoiPrrg22zY9O9yFlXJCyT9ZrzjfKXQa8kFm2yzR_k08HUb1lgdw36Izf563PPKA/s1600/i-PpzgWKf-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpAepPuJ_xsEb-Sqns24iG082JkrhRjcGfQ45j_bpr2mkbt5sP975-Sx5hH66spAme0f3uzMehbQyoiPrrg22zY9O9yFlXJCyT9ZrzjfKXQa8kFm2yzR_k08HUb1lgdw36Izf563PPKA/s320/i-PpzgWKf-L.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packaging and accessories</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
SMS controlled relay</h2>
GSM SMS Controlled relay (2 relays to be precise):<br>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Power: 110-240V AC</li>
<li>Power Consumption: Max 450mA, typically 60mA</li>
<li>Relay Contact: 2 x 230V @30Amp, Normally open and Normally Closed contacts(Form C), switching capacity 2.5Kw</li>
<li>GSM Bands: GSM 850/900/1800/1900Mhz</li>
<li>Operating Temperature: -20°C 60°C</li>
<li>Physical size: 130 x 100 x 50mm, 5 x 4 x 2inches</li>
<li>Protection: IP65 </li></ul></div><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2013/12/remote-control-your-electric-heating-by.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-59195156344309119742013-12-21T06:07:00.003-08:002013-12-22T02:48:29.594-08:00A new blog about environmental abberations is born: We Still Do itSpinning off from <a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/">martinmelchior.be</a>, <a href="http://www.westilldo.it/">WeStillDo.it</a> will point at all the things we think or hope we're doing right.<br />
<br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; "><a href="http://www.westilldo.it/" target="_blank"><img border="0" style="background-color:white;" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssKJi1Bt_vEwYwNppyLy8Sitd4otTzlerqpr3N7B2j_3URYRpaoCxgsQHuS7M9qabKTdsXE2-mgKJpNZQZy_HtIFpxfmfUSsALibnS66E8ePKXODJc3gcsFaUBS9YUkYjA3dZG0-Kroo/s320/Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div>The two first articles are already waiting for you:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.westilldo.it/2013/12/when-driving-becomes-greener-than.html">When driving becomes greener than cycling</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.westilldo.it/2013/12/plant-still-alive-after-40-years-in.html">Plant still alive after 40 years in a sealed bottle</a></li>
</ul></div><div>Stay tuned for more!</div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-74688692246128039422013-12-08T12:13:00.003-08:002013-12-08T12:13:39.422-08:00Spamdexing: spam comments on blogs to generate trafic<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbV0fE0EPovDlOWCVwf47BOTB5remZMW2WmMvqxQnKo5uXdQzZa531_J49vsXQ0LT7w9r0T9VVrAVzfSTZFg75YSisaxw9RLn8am9YERq5bLk-LevKoPSnXqy-Sg1uON3VVBMnIVuV9i0/s1600/800px-Spam_with_cans.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbV0fE0EPovDlOWCVwf47BOTB5remZMW2WmMvqxQnKo5uXdQzZa531_J49vsXQ0LT7w9r0T9VVrAVzfSTZFg75YSisaxw9RLn8am9YERq5bLk-LevKoPSnXqy-Sg1uON3VVBMnIVuV9i0/s320/800px-Spam_with_cans.jpeg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Matthew W. Jackson (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spam_with_cans.jpeg" target="_blank">copyright</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you're a blog or website owner and want to generate traffic, you will have to get good ranking in search engines and referred by other blogs, forums and websites.<br>
<br>
It looks like some sneaky webmasters (or specialised companies) found a way to do it... by spamming other blogs with messages that are unlikely to be removed: they post messages such as the ones below full of compliments with a link to their commercial website. These messages increase their rank in search engines.<br>
<br>
This techniques even has a name: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spamdexing" target="_blank">Spamdexing (see Wikipedia)</a>.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2013/12/spamdexing-spam-comments-on-blogs-to.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1407169375331701627.post-21361205459161217862013-11-15T13:30:00.000-08:002016-02-07T04:44:07.314-08:00Thumbs up: Sandisk RMA (despite the terrible UPS service)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgeIzbFd9dSMU2W8QNnt0ZscqgHYMOyaDM7TGekXshtZTNSqNda5Z0qKlcOMki_ldRBVIySqpcOI1Cc6QcomtNoQMTJrQY_y8Xt4nNh70NR0GpZPn0JxacdTBGKbP8Vju62Sx1jJQS8Y/s1600/SandiskUPS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgeIzbFd9dSMU2W8QNnt0ZscqgHYMOyaDM7TGekXshtZTNSqNda5Z0qKlcOMki_ldRBVIySqpcOI1Cc6QcomtNoQMTJrQY_y8Xt4nNh70NR0GpZPn0JxacdTBGKbP8Vju62Sx1jJQS8Y/s200/SandiskUPS.png" width="200"></a></div>
<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgop90EU3YZfOuXeF-EIhpjzdZeG33Qj5jcBmdSIFi36UzNJ0hBMg_GlTxdjYQV3JafznvMzIf5xaYVxN9ReNVfHpLAyREuMVwG_HE2MiFNhYLHPI1jNIYOJTmTLtPldouBsvWfxlaM5M/s1600/SandiskWaiting.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgop90EU3YZfOuXeF-EIhpjzdZeG33Qj5jcBmdSIFi36UzNJ0hBMg_GlTxdjYQV3JafznvMzIf5xaYVxN9ReNVfHpLAyREuMVwG_HE2MiFNhYLHPI1jNIYOJTmTLtPldouBsvWfxlaM5M/s200/SandiskWaiting.png" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">RMA waiting time explained</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sometimes shit happens, even when buing quality sdcards. This is exacly what happened with my SanDisk Ultra 32GB. Afer some time the card was not detected anymore (intermittently). So I went to SanDisk website and followed the procedure in their faq (format the card...) without success and for this reason I decided to contact them.<br>
<br>
Here is a short summary of all that went right and wrong in the process:<br>
<h2>
</h2><a href="http://www.martinmelchior.be/2013/11/thumbs-up-sandisk-rma-despite-terrible.html#more"></a>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447131343384913576noreply@blogger.com