More fake mains plugs

I was recently handed a USB docking station that was sourced via Amazon UK – the USB dock’s a popular gadget that enables SATA hard disks to be read (or written to) using a USB port and it also reads memory cards. Problem is, the unbranded mains power supply included with it has a UK power cord that’s a Chinese counterfeit and extremely dangerous.

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What is a kWh or kilowatt-hour anyway?

© Alan WinstanleyWith the emphasis on reducing energy bills – and making them easier to understand – you might have come across the term “Kilowatt Hour” or kWh when talking about the cost of electricity or gas. A new term 'Tariff Comparison Rate' or TCR is also appearing. Understanding what these terms mean is very straightforward as I explain here.

CTEK Car battery charger

The CTEK MXS 5.0 is an electronic charger that can plug into CTEK’s special matching connector wired under the bonnet.  It assesses, fully charges and conditions the car battery, followed by a maintenance pulse charge phase. Clean and easy to use, it's ideal for keeping batteries in prime condition, also good for vintage cars, motor-homes, marine, ride-on mowers and more.  Read more...

Sponsor A Valve (Vacuum Tube) on the Colossus Rebuild

During WWII the British had a secret code-breaking facility housed in the stately home of Bletchley Park. Thanks to the creation of the Colossus valve (vacuum tube) computer, arguably the world’s first electronic supercomputer, British code-breakers were able to decipher intercepted messages produced by German Enigma machines and arguably it changed the outcome of the Second World War.

As I wrote here earlier this year, whilst Bletchley Park receives lottery funding designed to make the theme park appeal to today’s iPod generation, The National Museum Of Computing on the same site risks being fenced off and isolated altogether unless the two parties can be reconciled – something that the Arts Council is said to be working on. (The Museum is tight-lipped, at the time of writing.)

Sponsor A Valve (click to see)Meantime the magnificent Colossus computer is being rebuilt – but the Museum needs all the funding it can get. Previous sponsors have includes HP, IBM, Google UK and PGP (Pretty Good Privacy). It’s possible to “Sponsor A Valve” and donate to TNMOC by buying pixels on a million-pixel image at www.colossusonline.org.

Pixels cost £0.10/ ten pence each, minimum ten pounds and you can upload an image and URL too. Payment is accepted by Paypal. There’s plenty of space available if you’d care to support the ongoing work of the museum and its battle to restore Colossus.

Monitor rotation - easy switching to portrait mode

If you have an LCD monitor with a pivoting screen (landscape/ portrait) then this little article offers some ideas to help handle the rotation of images - possibly automatically, if yours has an auto sensor - and make your monitor more hassle-free. Read more...

Atomz Search is no more

With the sad demise of Atomz Search, I looked into alternative search engines to add to the EPE website. A summary of two or three alternatives including Google Custom Search is here.

New Introduction to Gas Soldering Irons

Click to enlargeMy new Introduction to Gas Soldering Irons has now been published for Amazon Kindle. It explains the operation of both simpler torch-type irons and catalytic types, along with more information about butane gas and practical hints and usage tips, helped by some 40 colour photos.

In Part Two I offer  practical reviews of some gas soldering irons from Portasol, Iroda, FERM and an anonymous type commonly found on ebay.

Remember you don't need a Kindle device to read Kindle ebooks, as free readers for PC, Mac, Android etc are available from Amazon. 'Prime' customers can get to borrow a Kindle book for free. You can learn more about the Introduction to Gas Soldering Irons  here

How to fix a broken zip

Prym zipper pullers are the ideal way of fixing broken zipsI’ve been wondering how to fix a broken zipper – where the puller snaps off leaving the rest of the zipper behind. Last time that happened, I had to have a whole new zipper fitted on a coat, which cost me £20.  Well it’s happened again on a favourite coat, and after googling around I found the solution from a German manufacturer called Prym.

They claim to have invented the press-stud fastener and they make a useful range of zipper pullers that are dead easy to fit to an existing broken zip. Even a man can do it. Just cut off what’s left of the old puller to leave the zip runner in situ.  The new Prym puller will loop through and latch into place. Job done.

Their website is not helpful but you can choose from various black, silver, bronze effect, brown leather, plastic and children’s styles, and they’re readily available on ebay for about £2.85. Just search for Prym zipper puller and watch for free P&P if possible.

I found a bronzey-looking one which was near enough and a black replacement for the pouch of my TomTom sat nav which gave it a new lease of life. A very good range is also listed online by Jaycotts which is definitely worth looking at.

At the same time, some drops of silicone oil on a cotton bud will lube the zipper to make it run smoother.

An LED replacement for an old torch bulb

Dorcy LED Replacement BulbMany of us have an old torch (flashlight) or maybe an old cycle lamp that uses a traditional flanged “Prefocus” bulb. In my case I've a Duracell (4C) torch with a swivel lens that’s mainly used for DIY or emergencies. I keep it in the garage for the times when I have to stumble around in the dark to find the circuit breaker that's tripped when yet another lightbulb blew.

4C 6V Lantern with Prefocus bulb (click to see)Problem is, like all such old-fashioned incandescent lamps Prefocus bulbs are inefficient and need good batteries to get the best out of them. The four expensive Duracell ‘C’ cells in my torch are past their prime and I only get a faint yellow glow whenever I use the thing.

However I’ve found the perfect way to upgrade it using an LED Replacement Bulb marketed by the US firm Dorcy International. These hard-to-get bulbs have the same metal base as an old Prefocus type, but they have a powerful white LED instead of a filament.  Different voltages are available for 2 cell (3V) or 4.5-6V lanterns and they claim 100,000 hours of life. My 4 x ‘C’ cell torch therefore needed the 4.5-6V  type and it claimed a 40 Lumens output.

The Dorcy LED Replacement Bulb fits perfectly and even using the same tired ‘C’ cells the light output is very much brighter as my photos show. They are a bit hard to get. They might be available from e.g. ebay but beware very high postage from the USA, or try the Amazon UK links below.

With Dorcy LED Replacement LED bulb fitted. Click to seeClick to compare bulb styles

Legacy Duracell lantern with Dorcy LED bulb (click to see)I guess the time will come where the battery voltage finally drops off and the bulb fails to light, but until then it’s an excellent way of giving a traditional torch a new lease of life.

Suggested Dorcy 41-1644 40 Lumen 4.5V To 6V Led Replacement Bulb

Suggested Dorcy 41-1643 30 Lumen 3 Volt LED Replacement Bulb

Update on Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 12:44AM by Alan W

These Dorcy LED bulbs were formerly available on Amazon and Ebay, but since writing this article Dorcy LED bulbs have become more scarce in the UK. The biggest problem is the high P&P from Amazon 3rd party sellers which makes an upgrade less economically viable, and the unfavourable £/$ exchange rate doesn't help.

However a different brand is listed, a 1W 120 Lumen type claiming to be non-polarised (which is better, as it no longer relies on which way round your batteries are wired), and it's 1-9V. Worth a look.

AW

We can all help to guard homes against flood damage

Here's an op-ed of mine that appeared in the Yorkshire Post, about flooding (my experiences of 2007) and peoples' unrealistic expectations of the various authorities. You can post comments on the Post's website.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/debate/columnists/alan-winstanley-we-can-all-protect-homes-against-flooding-1-6439067