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curls <borskyc@yahoo.com>: May 29 08:53AM -0700 My car's CD player reports Check CD and ejects many CDs. I've managed to get the radio out of the car, and opened it until I can now see the laser lens.   I plan to clean with Qtip and isopropyl alcohol 91%.   Is there anything else I can clean? Or lube with white lithium? Photos: http://postimg.org/gallery/13v02pwm6/ I can't spot a glass surface (mirror). Is the white rotating disk in the middle good to clean? Can the lens unit be rotated on the spindle so I can wipe the part close to the center (in case there's dirt in there - although it looks clean)?   ---- Additional, here's details on what's happening that's in error. Does it indicate anything?   There are disks that consistently read without trouble. The same disk will work every time. It's been only 4 out of about 20, but it's the same 4 CDs every time that get initially picked up just fine. The rest of the CDs have trouble and will eject with Check CD repeatedly. Then on one of the re-inserts, they'll read. The CDs are books on CD from the library. I've washed most of them, and they look good (not scratched or dirty).   Once read, if I turn off the radio, when I restart it goes back to Check CD. However they don't physically eject and will keep spinning around reporting a Check CD, until finally at some time they'll start reading.   All CDs once read, will continue fine until the end of the CD or until I turn the radio off. (Pausing works without trouble and the CD starts right up.)   Twice maybe three times in 20 or so hours of playing there's been a skip later in a CD. However it's always repeatedable at exactly the same spot, and there's at least once, been dirt on the CD to match (I didn't look the other times).   Thanks!!

vjp2.at@at.BioStrategist.dot.dot.com: May 28 11:26PM Are such radios sold in the USA via the internet? Is the station really "fixed"? Someone gave my uncle a radio which is said to have a special "chip" that receives a Greek radio station. He mentioned to me that years ago he had another one that suddenly switched to a Philipine station and he gave it to a Filipino colleague. Amazon and Alibaba have such Metrosonix radios but not station specific, but also do not seem to allow being sold in the USA. THe search terms I used were <SCA FM radio>.   - = - Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist http://www.panix.com/~vjp2/vasos.htm ---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}--- [Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards] [Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Phooey on GUI: Windows for subprime Bimbos]

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>: May 28 06:33PM -0700 On Sat, 28 May 2016 23:26:44 +0000 (UTC), >USA. THe search terms I used were <SCA FM radio>. > - = - > Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist   Yes, but not quite in the way you describe: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiary_communications_authority> In the USA, additional SCA carriers used to be quite common on most FM stations. They were used to subscription handle background music (MUZAK), commercial free radio, and all kinds of data broadcasting (stocks, paging, sports scores, traffic reports, etc).   Most of that died starting in about 2002 with the introduction of digital FM radio. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_Radio> The IBOC signals occupy the spectrum just outside of the normal FM stereo signals formerly occupied by SCA sub-carriers. SCA and IBOC cannot coexist on the same frequency.   In the USA, FM broadcast channel spacing is 200KHz. Stations licenses in a given geographic area are assigned on alternate 200KHz slots giving broadcasters a 200KHz guard band to allow for junk receivers with rather wide IF bandwidth. SCA sub-carriers never went above about 80Khz, so there was no increase in occupied bandwidth. IBOC changed all that by grabbing all the spectrum between +/-100kHz and +/-200KHz: <http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/crud/KCSM.jpg> Such an IBOC transmitter is now transmitting on top of the adjacent channels frequency. If the adjacent channel is not occupied, no problem. If there's a station there, big problem.   In some parts of Europe, FM stations are assigned on 100KHz channel spacing, making both SCA and IBOC an impossibility. I don't know which countries are like that.   -- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca>: May 28 10:59PM -0400

jurb6006@gmail.com: May 28 10:13PM -0700 >about 80Khz, so there was no increase in occupied bandwidth. IBOC >changed all that by grabbing all the spectrum between +/-100kHz and >+/-200KHz: "   But bear in mind there were adverse implications. When it was simple "store cast allocation" it was at 76 KHz, locked to the 19 KHz stereo pilot. The deviation was very low and did not produce much in the way of sidebands.   I don't know how familiar you are with high end audio but there are tuners out there that can switch between narrow and wide band IF, and I think a few, very few, variable. The wider bandwidth results in much lower distortion. However then there is more noise and you need a stronger signal. But the ultimate THD at "full quieting" is actually enough I used to be able to hear it. But on weaker stations you might want the narrow IF bandwidth. I think a couple of vary rare high end tuners used variable, maybe Studer Revox or something. In the 1980s, GM car radios got so damn good I thought maybe they had it but after seeing the print (was VERY hard to get) I do not see it. I think the Delco 2000s are Schotz tuners but I don't know if they vary the IF bandwidth. Later car stereo designs wen into multiple antennae and front ends that switched, quite transient free actually, between up to four of them. Yup, four front ends. I seen it.   Now, this digital information bothers high fidelity tuners. they are coming out with modifications to the ones with the worst susceptibility. I mean even tuners built in the 1970s. Some of them were damn good. Now, the digital information makes for like "hash" or whatever, an unpleasant background noise.   I saw a modification for it and surprising to me is it was not something to cut the IF bandwidth, it was strictly in the ratio detector. It seems the newer quadrature detectors don't have much of a problem with this, so far I saw.   Of course next year they will probably try to put four sports video channels in an FM bandwidth and we just all have to buy new radios. Leave me out, I have all the music and movies I will ever need. Even porn. Well I got that from a buddy for whom I am providing an "offsite backup".   But there is no breaking the laws of physics. When you cram more into that carrier there is a cost. Either noise or distortion. Maybe both, or maybe you can take your pick. The distribution of harmonics in FM is a funny thing, it is not like AM which is simple. They go up high to insert their digital data and probably 85 % of the people do not notice, but then some do.   Actually it is all going digital soon, a couple of countries are in the process of that right now. That eans if you drive an older car you will need to but a convertor, or just play disks. Or AM. As far as I know they have no plans to fuck AM up anymore than they did with AM stereo. And that wasn't so bad because AM is not supposed to be high fidelity.   But when the transistion comes you will have like 500 stations.   Know what ? When I was a kkid we had like five TV stations and we had to sit down and talk about what we were going to watch. (before Star Trek...) We looked at a paper with the schedule on it. Actually we watched some of the movies they rated the worst lol, but that is not the point. Today with the cable there are 500 channels and nothing to watch.   Orwell - less is more.

Bruce Esquibel <bje@ripco.com>: May 29 11:28AM > it to a Filipino colleague. Amazon and Alibaba have such Metrosonix radios > but not station specific, but also do not seem to allow being sold in the > USA. THe search terms I used were <SCA FM radio>.   I'd be kind of suprised if any of those stations were still active.   Here in Chicago, it was probably the early 90's that was the height of popularity, I think there were 2 greek stations, one polish and 3 or 4 others that were probably used for pocket pagers (normally silent except for bursts of tones or a data carrier).   The basic idea was the "broadcaster" would get the station from overseas (probably via a C-Band dish/receiver) and rebroadcast it on someones sca channel (an ordinary FM station set up for it). They would then rent the modified radio for like $5 a month or sell you it with a "lifetime" subscription for $100 or around there.   Usually the radios, which were cheap garbage imports, were fixed to the primary channel by crazy glueing the tuning shaft or otherwise disabling the tuner. The boards were just simple 4 wire things, power, ground, detector in and audio out. Since they were meant as a dedicated service, there wasn't any reason to make the radio work both ways, normal and special. These were all handmade and varied quite a bit, depending on what make/models the local wholesale importers had.   The adapters were numerous, the most basic/simple one used a PLL chip (either NE565 or NE566, maybe) and off the shelf resistors and capacitors. They usually worked well enough but had problems with leakage from the main carrier. There was another design, I want to say MC1340 as the centerpeice which had the best performance (dead quiet) but required custom rf coils and oddball capacitors, still simple to build but upped the cost quite a bit.   In any case the boards were probably not even 2"x2" and were easily tucked in somewhere, usually the battery holder (4xC or D cells).   As far as legality of them, although I don't think anyone considered them a crime to own, you couldn't open up a cottage industry by building them and selling them. There was no reason to stop anyone from making one, but they fell into that gray area where selling one was in some violation of FCC rules and regs for 3rd party interception of a private (or intended private) broadcast.   The thing is, once the internet and access to it became the norm (early 2000's), I really don't think those rebroadcasters could survive. On nearly any platform or device there is usually one or two applications available for listening to radio stations from aroound the world, if not dozens of websites that retransmit them.   I'd guess there are plenty of 80+ year old grandmothers from the old country who can work turning on and off a radio rather than firing up a laptop but I doubt there is enough to make any money off them.   -bruce bje@ripco.com

jurb6006@gmail.com: May 28 02:07PM -0700 Now dammit, I know how a ramp generator works and I know how a relaxation oscillator works, which is what the ramp generator sometimes becomes in a scope. I wish Jim Yanik was around.   I got two. One is a Tek 465B that works but B sweep does not. the waveform that the plates indicates that when switched it IS switching to B sweep but not starting.   The other is a 204, and the main sweep seems to have the same problem. the final amps are fine in both units.   The problem I have with these is actually following the schematics. Seriously, I think if I could print them out on HUGE paper I might be able to follow it. But that is not practical at this time nor is it practical with these schematics the way they are split up.   I hae already got TWO copies of the PDFs so I can have two instances open, because with the new and improved Acrobat Reader it won't open the same copy twice and I haven't been able to find a way to open two pages at the same time in one instance. Having to go from page 250 to page 146 is a bunch of bullshit.   But anyway, we got two scopes, kinda similar in design, with the same problem. What is the common problem when the sweep doesn't start ?   I understand the principles of operation, it is just that I can't run their gauntlet. From the time base part go to this board for the triggering, and then this board for the switching of the triggering and then way the out in bumfuckt Egypt somewhere to trace the signal.   It is just so much of a bitch to follow.   The Hameg is a 204. It works fine in XY mode. There is a slight DC shift when you change the time/div setting, pretty much at the lower ranges.   The Tek is a 465B and actually woks but B sweep does not. It IS switching to B sweep but B sweep never starts no matter what you do. On page 267 of the service manual, Q6036 has the same voltage on all three terminals but does no check shorted. That makes it somewhat suspect but doubtful it causes this problem. I supplies a calibrated voltage to the ramp generator. Generally if you give it a little more voltage you get more ramp. This gets no ramp, just sits there. In fact if the circuit is entirely open somewhere that is pretty much what would happen.   Maybe I should rethink this Q6036.   Any pointers welcome on either scope. I know they ain't the cat's ass but I would like to see them work.

"tom" <tmiller11147@verizon.net>: May 28 05:54PM -0400 <jurb6006@gmail.com> wrote in message news:8168144b-e201-4fec-bdd5-158f8a0c0a2f@googlegroups.com... Now dammit, I know how a ramp generator works and I know how a relaxation oscillator works, which is what the ramp generator sometimes becomes in a scope. I wish Jim Yanik was around.   I got two. One is a Tek 465B that works but B sweep does not. the waveform that the plates indicates that when switched it IS switching to B sweep but not starting.   The other is a 204, and the main sweep seems to have the same problem. the final amps are fine in both units.   The problem I have with these is actually following the schematics. Seriously, I think if I could print them out on HUGE paper I might be able to follow it. But that is not practical at this time nor is it practical with these schematics the way they are split up.   I hae already got TWO copies of the PDFs so I can have two instances open, because with the new and improved Acrobat Reader it won't open the same copy twice and I haven't been able to find a way to open two pages at the same time in one instance. Having to go from page 250 to page 146 is a bunch of bullshit.   But anyway, we got two scopes, kinda similar in design, with the same problem. What is the common problem when the sweep doesn't start ?   I understand the principles of operation, it is just that I can't run their gauntlet. From the time base part go to this board for the triggering, and then this board for the switching of the triggering and then way the out in bumfuckt Egypt somewhere to trace the signal.   It is just so much of a bitch to follow.   The Hameg is a 204. It works fine in XY mode. There is a slight DC shift when you change the time/div setting, pretty much at the lower ranges.   The Tek is a 465B and actually woks but B sweep does not. It IS switching to B sweep but B sweep never starts no matter what you do. On page 267 of the service manual, Q6036 has the same voltage on all three terminals but does no check shorted. That makes it somewhat suspect but doubtful it causes this problem. I supplies a calibrated voltage to the ramp generator. Generally if you give it a little more voltage you get more ramp. This gets no ramp, just sits there. In fact if the circuit is entirely open somewhere that is pretty much what would happen.   Maybe I should rethink this Q6036.   Any pointers welcome on either scope. I know they ain't the cat's ass but I would like to see them work.     +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=     Do you have waveform 73 on schematic 8? That is the B start gate. Start there.

Trevor Wilson <trevor@SPAMBLOCKrageaudio.com.au>: May 29 08:46AM +1000 > Maybe I should rethink this Q6036.   > Any pointers welcome on either scope. I know they ain't the cat's ass > but I would like to see them work.   **The 465B is a great old 'scope, BUT, like many Tektronix 'scopes of the time, tunnel diodes are used in the sweep systems. The tunnel diodes used are VERY hard to source.       -- Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au   --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

N_Cook <diverse@tcp.co.uk>: May 29 10:33AM +0100 > The Tek is a 465B and actually woks but B sweep does not. It IS switching to B sweep but B sweep never starts no matter what you do. On page 267 of the service manual, Q6036 has the same voltage on all three terminals but does no check shorted. That makes it somewhat suspect but doubtful it causes this problem. I supplies a calibrated voltage to the ramp generator. Generally if you give it a little more voltage you get more ramp. This gets no ramp, just sits there. In fact if the circuit is entirely open somewhere that is pretty much what would happen.   > Maybe I should rethink this Q6036.   > Any pointers welcome on either scope. I know they ain't the cat's ass but I would like to see them work.   With any old-school-scope repair, it is sensible to check out all switch and header contacts for corrossion problems, before getting bogged down in circuit minutei. The "well it was working fine, before I left it on the shelf for a year" scenario.

N_Cook <diverse@tcp.co.uk>: May 29 09:07AM +0100 On 27/05/2016 23:11, Jon Elson wrote: > just look like a printer or something?   > Thanks,   > Jon   She was transferring data composed on her ordinary tablet, via wifi, to the cutter. She said the company's interface s/w is freely available to download off their www and use your own typefaces and so I presume other graphical input, but needs checking on that. I should say she was the UK rep for these things and had been using them personally for at least a year, so not a numpty Download their s/w and try it. She was happy to try thin copper foil as she had cut aluminium IIRC kitchen foil previously. But 2oz copper, unknown, as also full cut of 3mm is possible,eg the leather samples I don't know about selective shallow depth of cut over 2or 3mm . With my slug foil, it came on siliconised? backing tape for easy peel, feeding as is with backing to the cutter, it tore off the backing. Unpeeling the foil, with its gummy backing intact, and sticking to the usual feed-in sheet, worked fine, selecting "vinyl" cut depth option. Limited to 1 x 2 foot area of cutting, total sheet area So for the "dress-maker" in this thread, find bare foil, coat with something to strongish bond to some flexible heat tolerant sheet and feed into the cutter, and needle off surplus material

Danny DiAmico <dannydiamico@yahoo.com>: May 29 02:10AM On Thu, 26 May 2016 10:15:34 -0700, Oren wrote:   > Maybe I could give a lesson on 'women folk on my case'. No Honey Do > List, it's a "dead line list". I made it through Tuesday (LMAO).   Hi Oren,   The good news is that the rebuilt Whirlpool motor control board from circuit board medics worked fine.   So all that matters now is the lesson learned for others.   Total cost was $165 + about $20 (I forget exactly how much shipping was) and the turnaround time was atrocious but that's partly my fault since I was unsure of how to proceed. Normal turnaround time should be four to five days to get there, a day or two to test & rebuild, and then four or five days to get back (it was from California to North Carolina and I didn't pay the $40 for two-day shipping by Fedex).   A brand new board at a local appliance store would be $191 + about 10% tax with a turnaround time of 1 day (let's double that, to two days or three days to be safe).   Seems like a no brainer, in hindsight. The one thing is that the circuit board medics did test the computer control board in addition to the motor control board, so, in essence, we have to factor in that costs somewhere.   The DIAGNOSTIC lesson learned is pretty simple, but it's only something that is learned from experience (which the circuit board medics did have).   If a Whirlpool duet Sport has an F28 (or F11 on Kenmore models), then almost certainly it's the Motor Control Board, so, the FIRST THING you should do for diagnostics is simply remove the back washer plate, remove the lower brace, and remove the motor control board.   You *will* break every one of the four of five cheap plastic tie-wrap butterfly anchors. I simply duct taped the new wires back in place but a more elegant solution would have been to purchase a few of those anchor clips.   Once you remove the motor control board, you will see black spots, which is your confirmation of failure.   In the end, that is the simplest advice for an F28 (or F11) communications error. The advice only works because the circuit board medics said an F28 communications error is 99% of the time the motor control board (or the blue wires going to it fell off).

Danny DiAmico <dannydiamico@yahoo.com>: May 29 02:20AM On Thu, 26 May 2016 16:02:12 -0400, Tekkie® wrote:     > I would not wash the new board. Place it where the old board was. I > would collect $5 for every complaint. If they don't like that then tell > them to go to the stream with their rocks.   I put the board in the washing machine, and it worked. Here is the summary for the next person.   1. A power outage can fry your washing machine. 2. If you get a Whirlpool F28 communications error (same as Kenmore F11 I'm told), then 99% of the time is is a fried Motor Control Board (I'm told). 3. Remove the back plate of the washing machine & the lower brace to expose the motor control board 4. Remove the upper cover of the washing machine to expose the main computer board. 5. Look around. Blue wires are critical. So check the blue wires from the CCU to the MCU. Otherwise, remove the motor control board and check for burn marks.   If you see evidence of damage on the motor control board, just go buy a new one for around $200 at a local appliance store. (Whirlpool factory prices area about $320 and Ebay is as low as $50 but you have to be confident of the supplier).

vjp2.at@at.BioStrategist.dot.dot.com: May 28 09:33PM I think the reason my (spring wound) bath fan timer switch sticks is when I reset it, ie, change it form say 20 min to 40 min. It is spring wound. I know folks who have such switches for twenty years, and they blame me for my problems. I have a replacement, and I changed it before every three years, but am curious if it's my fault to figure it out. Also, may have to extend the wires using scotchlock, so reluctant.   - = - Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist http://www.panix.com/~vjp2/vasos.htm ---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}--- [Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards] [Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Phooey on GUI: Windows for subprime Bimbos]

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