Tag: Tools

Tools are objects created to help you and I ‘do work’. In terms of technology, both digital and physical – screwdrivers, to multimeters and more.

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Projects Forthcoming

More Projects In Flight, On The Way

RPI Touch

We are on it, see our output

Tech And Tools – Projects Forthcoming

Output Updates, more Projects Forthcoming. You’ll find new Gear, Gadgets, Games, Lessons and more… We produce more content!

Many moons later, after months of hard work, revisions, and a touch of magic, voila! Projects Forthcoming! More content, ready to be read, viewed, and enjoyed on the interwebs. Coming your way in mid ’21. We’ve got some exciting Star Wars content, including cartoons, one-offs, action figures, toys collectables and comic books. And if you love Star Wars, remember to check out the source code or as they say  “Use the Source!” Great holiday gifts include the Seinfeld series, power tools, hosting issues (Hostgator, BlueHost and NewFold/Endurance experiment). Speaking of fun things, Dogeminer2, the second greatest – mouse click game. First, being Dogeminer in my opinion, IMO.

Other Projects On The Horizon

How about tinkering with the Raspberry Pi – RPI4 Touch (featured image for this post)? Maybe dive into GA(Google Analytics), WordPress features, or explore some fire videos on 1Fyr.com | mbemo.com. Oh and by the way, MBEMO fell to some hackery, so I’m moving it forward and repurposing it as a PHP reference guide. Future updates will include moving old topics.

MBEMO has been moved and repurposed; now a PHP reference guide or resource. Anyway, It’s back up, running… Favorite part of Projects Forthcoming or ‘keeping up with the new’. Likewise, BurmPy is in build, as I’m able to focus on the old and retro! Check out our NEOUPA and The Expanded Form updates,  along with some other new stuff coming this year. Anything from iPhone | Android game apps, tools and ‘hackery’. Some might be good, some bad, but most will be interesting. Stay tuned for more updates!

This is a good time to share other articles on the way, same for an Apple Mouse review and by the time you read this article, we’ve posted updates and more than a few articles on similar topics. Legos – Board Housing and Tablet support.

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iRobot Roomba 900 Series Teardown

Refurb Process, Maintenance and Care

iRobot Roomba 900 Series

iRobot Roomba 900 Series Teardown

Lab Work – iRobot Back At It

Got a broken robot? We can help! Some might say that’s the worst, but fear not – the iRobot – 900 Series is here to save the day.

Let’s start by fixing this thing with an iRobot Roomba 900 Series Teardown. The great thing about iRobot/Roomba products is that they are easy to fix! Unless the board is fried, the main housing is smashed, or the plastics are destroyed. Even in those cases, parts are fairly easy to find. The key is to source, clean, install, and maintain what you have. Most, if not all, of this particular Roomba was fine. A good cleaning at the end of the repair was worth its weight in gold.

Robot Teardown and Repair
iRobot Roomba 900 Series Teardown

Teardown

iRobot Roomba 900 Series Teardown

Battery

iRobot Roomba 900 Series Teardown

Cleaning Bars

iRobot Roomba 900 Series Teardown

Bin

iRobot Roomba 900 Series Teardown

Repaired

iRobot Roomba 900 Series Teardown

Test Run

For those of you who don’t regularly electronics, robots etc. weekly, monthly or ‘NEVER’… friendly reminder, whatever the electronic device may be, they do yeoman’s work if you take care of them after every one or two uses. Additionally, the more you maintain them, the less you will have to throw. Remember, no pain, no gain.

A few tools to mention below, reiterating the previous comment, these are fairly simple to fix… for now. Learn the art of robot care, become a ROOMBA master sensei. This is a huge advantage for iRobot:

  • iRobot Home App
  • Philips Screwdriver (Rechargeable Drill* DeWalt 20v)
  • iRobot – Brushes, collector rollers, caster wheel and filter
  • Cleaner – Windex
  • Cleaner – Sprayway
  • Compressed Air
Links, Conclusion and More Repairs

In closing, I’d like to share some other articles, more recent articles on robot repair, 3D printer upgrades RC (radio controlled) and robot repairs, check out these articles.

Moreover, let’s look at a Bench Power Supply – Matrix Bench Power Supply, the need to power on electronics when the damaged robot or device is on the bench in pieces. Next, and one of my favorites, the Maytronics Dolphin On repair, explore water intrusion and effects of water intrusion, water damage and power unit swap. How about the Ender Direct Drive Upgrades – TPU Post Processing Update, a 5 part series on filament types, application of filaments, upgrades, troubleshooting and more.

Final link, check out the EMAX TinyHawk Repairs… more fixing, soldering, and flying. There are more articles in the TinyHawk series, approximately 6 or 7. Be sure to check those out, as well as the iRobot series continues. More recent work, but it helps tie in ‘process’ and troubleshooting unknown errors and testing.

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1FYR Update

1Fyr

Website Moved, Updates And More Outdoor Fun

1Fyr.com And More

Lab Work – 1FYR Update And Other Work

Update: The move to Bootstrap V3… in coming soon. Stay tuned for that.  But for now, back to the test case, SOLVER. Let’s get you up to speed…

REWIND – We were exploring ways to play around with our cameras, light/exposure, and enhance our film during dusk. Dusk, after twilight, is being the most challenging time. You might not know,  but some of the best light is during twilight . The sunset light here on the coast offers dramatic colors, landscapes, shapes, and textures to capture in images or videos. Texture refers to the subtle and stark contrasts of color. (FF) Our experiments continue as we have some fun along the way. Campfire, music, food… what more could you want?

As you will see, fires can be unpredictable, especially at dusk. We enjoy the process of building, stoking, enjoying and extinguishing a fire every month or so. We cook up some burgers, grilled sandwiches, hotdogs, and s’mores if we’re lucky. And there you have it – INTERNET CONTENT!

1Fyr Updates
Fire At Sunset

Fire At Sunset

Islane Fire

Islane Fire

S'mores Time

S’Mores Time

I’d like to see us get to a point where we can post more videos, more often, weather permitting. Anyhow, the goal of this test was to capture and correct lighting affects. We use Adobe Premiere (Not A Sponsor) and share with you via the interwebs. We’ll post some Premiere content in next quarter or so. That might make some good content as the video/editing process is hit or miss as a noob. You know the sunlight, sun angle, twilight and how/what device captured the subject; meaning what device or camera was used to capture said subject. 1FYR Update, we chose fire, of course. A caveat, (loophole) we don’t see snow here in the South… Snow can be fun to film. All too often I forget/fail to mention the rainy season as well. Pre/post rain storms can create dramatics, drama that’s what we need! Before I move onto the subject of this post (yes, side tangent…) Don’t forget to check out 1fyr.com.

The next test case will include steel, torches and welders, yet to be purchased… Still trying to iron out what that might look like on ‘film’. But we have a few contenders to start, need to fix the campfire tool set. Specifically the shovel has all but worn through its welds and sits in two. The campfire brush is worn out to say the least, adding that to the refresh pile. The campfire grilling surface (an old repurposed baking rack) might need a little attention as well. There are more, but hopefully we’ve captured your attention.

Lastly, we will probably review some gear, welders, torches, protective clothing etc etc. Leaving you with a cliff hanger of sorts. More to come…

As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking?

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Tool Needs

Measure Precisely, Calipers

Neiko Calipers

Tool Needs – Neiko and Mitutoyo Calipers

Tech And Tools – Calipers

Archive – Tool Needs, the Neiko or the Mitutoyo Calipers

A handy gadget to have in and around the shop is a set of calipers. Make Neiko brand calipers your go to for precision measurements. If you already have a set of calipers and looking to replace current stainless calipers, consider the Mitutoyo Digimatic Caliper.

Regardless of which maker or brand you might choose, both are useful to have around the shop. We use one set for ‘more rugged’ measurements, such as automotive, outdoor or in not-so-clean environment. The other set stays indoors, ideally in a clean environment free of debris and contaminants. The main difference, in my opinion, is the metal-to-plastic ratio. I find it more accurate to use metal parts (Mitutoyo) compared to the metal and plastic hybrid (Neiko). Both function as mid-range calipers and are not terribly expensive. However, they are necessary for taking accurate measurements.

Check out  these tools for yourself and see which one fits your needs best. Let us know what you find!

Comparison
Neiko Caliper

Neiko Caliper

Mitutoyo Digimatic Caliper

Mitutoyo Caliper

Question to all: Do you have a better caliper? Please let me know by sharing via email. I would also appreciate the use of comments for back-and-forth communication, especially when looking for a specific part, such as the calipers mentioned in the article or something else. Before you go, since we are on the topic of tools and needs, here are some other links to tools that you might need – MIG TIG Welder, Weller 70w Soldering Kit, Telescoping Picker, and Kreg Tool. Let’s check ’em out!

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Luthier Gauges

Fix Frets, Fretboard, Action and Moren

Luthier Gauges - Stew Mac

Stew Mac Gauges

Tech And Tools – Luthier Tools

Luthier Tools; Gauges

Someday, I’ll learn I’m not much of a luthier, but I do build, tinker and repair my own. I recently completed my first DIY build, using a premade body and genuine guitar parts – EMG Tele Pickup Set, Fender Telecaster neck and Wilkinson tuners. Now, I’m venturing into higher quality builds, like an American Tele body with full US-made parts for an American Parts Tele. As I work on these projects, I realize that I’ll need some gauges. These luthier gauges seem like they could be useful to have around. They are definitely worth the investment if you’re working on installing new quality tuners or building a fresh guitar.

If you’re in need of quality DIY guitar parts, I recommend checking out eBay, Stewmac, or Amazon a peek. They offer a variety of wood selections, premiere quality, American-made stock necks, and more. With the right tools and skills, you can fully fabricate, build and play a new guitar in just a few days (minus sanding and glue time). It’s a wild concept, but it’s possible.

Speaking of gauges, this handy gauge set can help you adjust the action on both acoustic and electric guitars. Ultimately, the string height will determine the pressure needed to play a note or chord. This gauge set is a great option for DIY builds, parts builds or working on pre-made guitar stock from the Stewmac shop. While you’re shopping, be sure to check out what’s called a guitar capo or capotasto, for quick and easy scale changes. A nice-to-have, this hand tool or accessory is a great addition to your learning arsenal, allowing you to alter your guitar’s scale in seconds and enhance your guitar skills.

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On The Bench: Tech Tools

Hemostats, Rosic Core Solder, Weller, Harris, And Jakemy

Tech Tools On The Bench - Soldering Kits, Tech Tools and More

Soldering Kit, Tech Tools, And More

Lab Work – What’s On The Bench

On The Bench – Soldering Kits, Tech Tools, Open Source OS and More

At first glance, our pro-setup, includes a solder kit and all necessary tools. It does the job well – I  fixed the TinyHawk2 drone the other day. The nano was experiencing power issues with itsLEDs Having a soldering tool on hand is very useful. We use a Weller (soldering) tool for the job. Similarly, we have a Jakemy device care kit – which includes a tech screwdriver set, a essential for tech repair. I have used this set for repair. I have used this set for repairs, on Apple products, EMAX drones, tablets, and more. Eventually, we may upgrade the set but for now, Jakemy is the way to go based cost-effective choice.

RHEL/IBM

Secondly, the RedHat sticker is a memory I found, brought a found memory, brought to you by RedHat/IBM/RHEL (once an IBMer, always I guess). I have RHEL running in parallel with MACOS as I transition back into development and design. Now working full-time on my own, thanks to those at IBM, ((a special shout out)) to Jim Whitehurst and the RedHat Cloud team working with them was a joy, open source Tech Titans.

Next, I also have a few spools of Harris (solder) – Rosin Core .062″ made in the US. Harris solder is unbeatable. Next, I have a couple pairs of #Curved Hemostats, for repairs, which help keep pieces and parts in place. The same goes for the coffee mug I’m using, filled with coffee from Heart Roasters. I also have a few other repair tools, including tweezers and a tool kit.

Oracle VBOX

Lastly, I have RHEL running on VBOX. The cropped image does not show the development setup, only the repair tools. I have my MacBook Pro running VBOX with RHEL (Red Hat) personal flavor and Ubuntu. Moreover, I am relearning Linux Ubuntu, similar, but different from RHEL. As a dev type, I used a Lenovo Dev laptop running RHEL at work. Now, I am just running the operating system with the emulator as I switch it up and start building my own environment form home. Today, just running OS (version) with the emulator as I switch it up and start building my own environment for home.

As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking? See a few new posts that might peak your interest: Matrix Power Supply, Heart Roasters, SnapDragon – Debian and more.

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Our Trusted Services

Learn About Our Trusted Services

Our Trusted Services

 A Refined Look At Our Trusted Services

Methodology – Trusted Services

Let’s talk about web-focused services; our trusted services and more. We provide a range of offerings, including design, and development, user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, search engine optimization (SEO), web hosting, information technology (IT) services, and technical support. Our expertise also covers analytics, graphic design, and desktop publishing.

Learn About Our Services

We offer customized development services, including a la carte options tailored to your needs. Our services include:

  • Content Management Systems (CMS)
  • Bootstrap development
  • eCommerce solutions
  • Social media integration
  • Usability enhancements

Some notable tools, web applications and SEO soluitions we use include, but are not limited too:

  • Selenium
  • URLFuzz
  • GTmetrix
  • Yoast
  • Google and Bing Webmaster Tools – Tag Manager, Search Console, Removal, Mobile Tools, Video etc.
  • Cache Solutions
  • Screaming Frog
  • Debug Bear
  • Pingdom (Solarwinds)
  • SEMRush

We also provide comprehensive web hosting administration services, utilizing both shared and dedicated hosting solutions, whether on-premise or in the cloud. Our approach ensures you’re fully covered with effective backend hosting management. The management software we use depends on the hosting type and can include tools like FTP, cPanel, or Plesk.

Additionally, we offer:

  • Migration services
  • Backup and restoration
  • SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certification
  • Domain support
Professional experience

Our team has expertise in:

  • Apple MacOS and iOS technical support
  • Google IT Support for operating system configuration (Mac, PC, Linux, and Virtual Machines.
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Practitioner
  • Scrum and Scaled Agile Development Frameworks

Finally, we are a design, technology, creative and consulting company dedicated to solving your challenges. Let us help you achieve your goals! If you are interested in learning more about us and our services, feel free to browse our service content. Click here to learn more about our comprehensive services and business solutions.