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ggherold@gmail.com: May 08 05:54PM -0700 I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. Often I can take 'em apart and find the bad bit. This limps them along for another 6-12 months. (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them out? Another solution? I'll use a hand poured drip tomorrow, heat water on stove pour through, let drip, add more hot water. But I really like the convenience of pushing a button, going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?)   George H.

Rheilly Phoull <rheilly@bigslong.com>: May 09 09:10AM +0800 > going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. > (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?)   > George H.   Theres cold brew but it's a lot more messing about.

rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com>: May 08 09:38PM -0400 On 5/8/2017 9:10 PM, Rheilly Phoull wrote: >> (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?)   >> George H.   > Theres cold brew but it's a lot more messing about.   Freaking delicious though.   --   Rick C

rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com>: May 08 09:44PM -0400 > But I really like the convenience of pushing a button, > going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. > (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?)   Isn't the failure usually the thermal fuse?   A friend has a $600 coffee maker, more like an expresso machine really and it might be a lot more than $600, I don't recall, a fancy German unit. It crapped out and they found a video showing the likely culprit to be a power transistor. They got me in the loop and I confirmed that was the likely failure and ordered a new part and put it in when it came. Worked like a charm! It was quite a piece of work and made the standard drip brewers look like total junk which is what they are.   I use the drip and don't mind waiting the 90 seconds it takes to heat the water on the stove. A friend has a small water heater that works just as fast as the stove if not faster and doesn't lose as much heat to the room while doing it. I have no idea where she found it, maybe at an Asian food store, the construction reminds me of a small rice maker, which I want to buy. I guess I need to check ebay.   --   Rick C

mike <ham789@netzero.net>: May 08 10:16PM -0700 > going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. > (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?)   > George H.   You can make the situation 3-4 times better by buying the cheap coffee makers when they are on sale for $9.99. I've never had one fail. One had the on/off switch right on the front begging for you to spill coffee on it. I taped a piece of plastic over that to protect it.   An electric kettle to boil water and a French Press makes pretty good coffee, but it's a PITA to use. Funnel with paper filter is easier to toss. I made about a gallon at a session and stuck it in the fridge. Obviously, I'm not a connoisseur.   My latest venture is into Keurig Gen 1. You can find them for cheap to free at garage sales and thrift stores. They're broke, no matter what they say. Buy two. Take the good solenoid from one and replace the always bad solenoid in the other one. Put a switch on the plug, cuz that solenoid is always engaged, even when you think you turned the power off. And it sits right next to the water heater. Use the DIY K-cups. No sending plastic to the landfill and the cup of coffee costs about 10% of what you'd pay for the real thing. But it's still a PITA to empty/refill the cups. Keep a few of the real K-cups on hand so you can impress visitors with your extravagance and wanton disregard for the environment. ;-)

Bruce Esquibel <bje@ripco.com>: May 09 09:47AM > (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that > failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) > A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them   I dunno which one you are using but around here, the basic "just a switch" Mr.Coffee 12 cup is only around $15 not including tax.   I've never had the base unit go bad, we're on our 3rd one in 15 years and they are only replaced when we break the glass pot. Sounds stupid (and it is) but they (Target) wants $14.99 for the replacement pot alone and a penny less ($14.98) for the whole thing. So I have a couple spare base units under the counter.   Like you, it's in use at least once a day.   It just dawned on me, what we do that is probably different is we don't leave it running after the coffee is brewed. We always use a decanter, something like this:   http://www.target.com/p/copco-carafe-2-quarts-brushed-stainless-steel/-/A-16547936   and right after it's done brewing, pour the pot into it and shut off the base unit. So the base just brews and we don't use it to keep the coffee warmed. I suppose if the base is left on for hours at a time it'll shorten the life span quite a bit.   So I guess if you picked up a decanter and get into the habit of using it, the Mr.Coffee will probably outlive you.   -bruce bje@ripco.com

ggherold@gmail.com: May 09 07:49AM -0700 On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 9:44:53 PM UTC-4, rickman wrote: > > going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. > > (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?)   > Isn't the failure usually the thermal fuse?   Sometimes yeah... I've 'fixed' maybe 3 of these now. This time not. Last night I was thinking it could be something in the micro processor, But I couldn't (didn't work very long) get into it. Hmm maybe I can ditch the uP and just put voltages on the wires to turn the relays on and off.. there's ~6-8 wires coming from the uP area.   George H.

ggherold@gmail.com: May 09 07:54AM -0700 On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 1:18:19 AM UTC-4, mike wrote: > had one fail. One had the on/off switch right on the front > begging for you to spill coffee on it. I taped a piece of > plastic over that to protect it. A switch I can fix. All the ones I see around here (amazon) have timer's and other bells and whistles I don't need (or want.)   I was thinking I might find an old used simple coffee maker on ebay.   My mother in law has an old drip maker that must be ~10-20 years old.   > Keep a few of the real K-cups on hand so you can impress > visitors with your extravagance and wanton disregard for the > environment. ;-)   No Kerig! I know they are all the rage, but I like to grind my own beans and then make one big pot. (I'm an old fart and I don't want change. :^)   And what's the average lifetime of a Kerig?   George H.

ggherold@gmail.com: May 09 07:59AM -0700 On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 5:47:39 AM UTC-4, Bruce Esquibel wrote: > base unit. So the base just brews and we don't use it to keep the coffee > warmed. I suppose if the base is left on for hours at a time it'll shorten > the life span quite a bit. Yeah that might be part of it. I leave to warmer on and they now have timers to turn it off after 2hrs or something.   I've also lost a number of glass carafes.. I'm very cautious with the carafe. I wash and dry it and put it right back into the machine. (most breakage seems to happen when the pot is left next to or in the sink and something else bumps it. A stainless steel pot is one answer.   > So I guess if you picked up a decanter and get into the habit of using it, > the Mr.Coffee will probably outlive you.   Thanks Bruce, George H.

Sergey Kubushyn <ksi@koi8.net>: May 09 01:30AM > I retired last fall and this computer does not support my old Windoze Mail news reader. Can someone suggest a good free reader? I understand Free Agent is no longer "free".   > For the moment I'm slumming it with Google Groups.   > Mark Z.   tin :) The best ever and totally free.   --- ****************************************************************** * KSI@home KOI8 Net < > The impossible we do immediately. * * Las Vegas NV, USA < > Miracles require 24-hour notice. * ******************************************************************

Andrew Rossmann <andysnewsreply@no_junk.comcast.net>: May 09 08:31AM -0500 In article <d324d757-0c7e-4375-a022-6d24db4d6e8a@googlegroups.com>, mark_zacharias@sbcglobal.net says...   > I retired last fall and this computer does not support my old Windoze Mail news reader. Can someone suggest a good free reader? I understand Free Agent is no longer "free".   > For the moment I'm slumming it with Google Groups.   I have been using MicroPlanet Gravity for years. I even paid for it back when it was not free (I was actually using Netscape Navigator for newsreading, but it had become unstable!!) It is open source now. Somebody else posted the link. It works fine with Win10 64-bit, although it's weekly automatic compacting of newsgroups seems much slower than on my old Win7 computer for some reason.   For a server, if you are not interested in binary groups, then eternal- september.org works well, and it's free. I've been using that since AT&T and then Comcast dropped their newsgroup support.   If you haven't done so, also check out the newsgroup news.software.readers.   -- If there is a no_junk in my address, please REMOVE it before replying! All junk mail senders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!! http://home.comcast.net/~andyross

Chuck <chuck@mydeja.net>: May 09 08:54AM -0500 On Mon, 8 May 2017 06:38:19 -0700 (PDT), Mark Zacharias   >I retired last fall and this computer does not support my old Windoze Mail news reader. Can someone suggest a good free reader? I understand Free Agent is no longer "free".   >For the moment I'm slumming it with Google Groups.   >Mark Z.   Mark I have been using Free Agent 3.3 for years. It is still available at http://www.forteinc.com/agent/download-all.php. Are you enjoying retirement? Trying to decide whether to do it this summer or next May. Chuck   --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>: May 08 06:39PM -0700 >I can put mine up to my ear canal and read 96 °F.   Are you sure that it's not reading the temperature of whatever is near the other ear?   (Sorry, I couldn't resist).   -- 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

rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com>: May 08 09:51PM -0400 On 5/8/2017 9:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:   > Are you sure that it's not reading the temperature of whatever is near > the other ear?   > (Sorry, I couldn't resist).   Lol, that's a good one!   --   Rick C

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>: May 08 07:05PM -0700 On Mon, 08 May 2017 17:19:50 -0700, mike <ham789@netzero.net> wrote:   Thanks for all the good advice on IR guns and imagers.   >On a dense surface mount board, you can easily tell if a part is >getting hotter than the surroundings.   Before IR imagers, I used a liquid crystal sheet. <https://www.teachersource.com/product/292/chemistry> I have a small selection of various temperature ranges. Obviously, it won't work with non SMT PCB's that are full of "lumpy" components. While I can't really see individual tiny components, I can at least find hot spots. I used to call this my "poor mans" IR imager, except that liquid crystal sheets have gone up in price, while IR thermometers and imagers have gone down.   >It'll cost you $200, but if your time is worth anything, it will >quickly pay for itself.   I have my finger on the buy it now button. Someone help me to resist the temptation.   >can get is 71F if I stick it as close as possible to the resistor. >You really need the area being sensed to fill the whole field >of view of the sensor. Pretty much useless for today's electronics.   Yep, and the further away you get, the worse the problem. For small parts, I use either a thermistor probe, or the cheap type K thermocouple probe that came with my DVM.   >The built-in laser pointer is useless for close up work. Parallax >causes you to point to the wrong place.   I once had a cheap IR thermometer that had two lasers. The idea is that it would bracket the spot allowing the user to better locate the spot. Unfortunately, this model had the lasers just as badly aligned as the models with a single laser. I ended up cracking the glue used to hold the lasers, and using hot melt glue to properly position them. Up close, the parallax problem made them useless, but at a distance, they were fine.   >component that was bad. It was a .1uF cap. Those rarely >short. I would never have found it without >the thermal imager.   Nicely done. I'm still using the liquid crystal sheets, or putting the palm of my hand over sections of the PCB until I find the hot spot. However, I would never have found a shorted cap located under some other components.   -- 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

rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com>: May 08 10:24PM -0400 On 5/8/2017 8:19 PM, mike wrote: > can get is 71F if I stick it as close as possible to the resistor. > You really need the area being sensed to fill the whole field > of view of the sensor. Pretty much useless for today's electronics.   You can restrict the field of view with a straw. I haven't calibrated this approach, but it should work ok. The sensor element is very small and is at the base of a black cone which I believe is what establishes the field of view. As long as you are viewing hot items it shouldn't matter that the straw is not as black as the cone. Maybe I'll try this later if I can find my IR thermometer.   --   Rick C

mike <ham789@netzero.net>: May 08 09:30PM -0700 On 5/8/2017 7:24 PM, rickman wrote: > the field of view. As long as you are viewing hot items it shouldn't > matter that the straw is not as black as the cone. Maybe I'll try this > later if I can find my IR thermometer.   Yes, that does work. It won't be accurate temperature, but you can tell relative temps if they're much hotter than ambient. Unless your straw is surrounded by a really good IR blocker, the radiation from the blockage might swamp the changes from the straw.   I once experimented with a PIR sensor attached to a an LED. I put a straw over the sensor to restrict the field of view. My expectation was that I could scan an area watching the LED and have my brain construct a rough image of what I was scanning. Alas, my brain was not up to the task. Then, I decided to rotate the assembly to scan a line and correct for angle and distance and put dots on the screen of my PDA according to position of the spinner and tilt of the whole assembly for the Y axis. Alas, my brain wasn't up to that task either.

mike <ham789@netzero.net>: May 08 09:55PM -0700 On 5/8/2017 7:05 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:   >> quickly pay for itself.   > I have my finger on the buy it now button. Someone help me to resist > the temptation.   If you wait more than four hours, you may have permanent damage.;-)   If it's the SEEK, make sure you're getting the right one with the variable focus. I prefer the narrower field of view to get more resolution up close, but that's a personal issue.   At the time I bought mine, I sent questions to all the cheap ebay vendors to verify that the one they were selling was the one I wanted. I never got a straight answer out of any of them. I expect they're all forwarders for a drop shipper somewhere and have never seen one up close. I decided to pay $20 more from a source that seemed more reputable...whatever that means. At least they gave me a straight answer that the were shipping the one I wanted. Can't remember who that was.   There were also warranty issues. If you didn't buy it directly from an approved SEEK reseller, the warranty was less or none at all.   A friend of mine dropped his 3 feet to the floor. A bunch of the bolometer stalks broke off. Looked like someone took a shotgun to the image. SEEK replaced it, no questions asked.   If your phone is on the supported list, you're good to go. Otherwise, it's a crap shoot. I use mine on a Motorola Moto G first generation. Also works on a Galaxy Note II Works on a ZTE Speed, but the connector is on the side, so difficult to get your head wrapped around what you're seeing. Fails on a Huawei Union (boost mobile $10 phone from Best Buy last year) even tho it has newer OS and passes the USB OTG test.   I'd do some googling to see if anyone commented on compatibility with your phone.

gregz <zekor@comcast.net>: May 09 07:56AM > quite handy, where it will detect coolant leaks, overheated parts of an > engine, and even finds something like a hot connection in the wiring > under a dashboard, and much more.   I have used one or more. I made a tube to cut down on beam width. You can get a pretty good idea of coverage. Reading may vary with reduced beam.   Greg

whit3rd <whit3rd@gmail.com>: May 09 02:09AM -0700 On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 5:21:14 PM UTC-7, mike wrote: > But they forgot to tell me that you can't get the stuff off. > I didn't have any solvents that could remove it without harming > some components on the board.   There is a valid use for blackstrap molasses! ... I'm sure the foot powder tastes better on pancakes, though.

MJC <gravity@mjcoon.plus.com>: May 09 10:21AM +0100 In article <cd72hcdoq7eptg8380d5css6d0ldq6enor@4ax.com>, jeffl@cruzio.com says...   > Are you sure that it's not reading the temperature of whatever is near > the other ear?   > (Sorry, I couldn't resist).   I believe you can keep the fluff out of the line of sight using mental floss!   There was a quote from the Goon Show that Eccles (IIRC) didn't have a light in his eyes - it was the sun shining through the back of his head...   Mike.

rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com>: May 08 09:35PM -0400 On 5/8/2017 7:56 PM, whit3rd wrote:   > There's better for that, though, because acetone is hygroscopic. It > pulls in water from the air. If you can blow off droplets and bake dry afterward, alcohol > is just as good, and less expensive.   Why is that a concern? It is hygroscopic until it forms the azeotrope. Even that ratio will still dissolve more water into it and the residue evaporate readily. No need to blow drops off, acetone is very thin and in a few seconds evaporates totally.   --   Rick C

Phil Allison <pallison49@gmail.com>: May 08 10:29PM -0700 > CRC electronics cleaner from Walmart.   ** CRC is a brand, not a product.   CRC 2-26 is near identical to WD40.     > WD is deodorized kerosene.   ** Utter BULLSHIT !!!!   Rest of you absurd crap deleted.

Phil Allison <pallison49@gmail.com>: May 08 10:48PM -0700 whit3rd wrote: -------------     > Their marketing looks like snake oil, but at least some of the products are > useful.   > And, to the best of my knowledge, none of their competition is any better.   ** WD 40 does a better and far quicker job, plus penetrates crevices way better. I have some Caig D100L and it is near useless.       ..... Phil

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>: May 08 06:27PM -0700 On Mon, 8 May 2017 17:04:46 -0700 (PDT), "Ron D."   >I don't like the new DST schedule because it gets dark when it's time to do yard work during the weekday.   At this time, sunset on the left coast is at about 8PM. <https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/santa-cruz> You do yard work at that 8PM? If you must mow in the dark, just add headlights to your lawn mower.   -- 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

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