Merry Chrtstmas
Merry Christmas to all those who use the Gregorian Calender.
posted by Theodore at 10:01 PM
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Sunday, December 25, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
How to Convert a Computer ATX Power Supply to a Lab Power Supply - WikiHow
How to Convert a Computer ATX Power Supply to a Lab Power Supply
Computer power supplies cost around $15, but lab power supplies can run you $100 or more! By converting the cheap (free) ATX power supplies that can be found in any discarded computer, you can get a phenomenal lab power supply with huge current outputs, short circuit protection, and very tight voltage regulation.
Specs for an ATX PSU
Steps
1. Unplug the power cord from the back of the computer. "Harvest" a power supply from a computer by opening up the case of the computer, locating the gray box that is the power supply unit, tracing the wires from the power supply to the boards and devices and disconnecting all the cables by unplugging them.
2. Remove the screws (typically 4) that attach the power supply to the computer case and remove the power supply.
3. Cut off the connectors (leave a few inches of wire on the connectors so that you can use them later on for other projects).
4. Discharge the power supply by stripping the insulation of the ends of a black and a red wire and connecting them together.
5. Get all the parts that you need together, such as the following: binding posts (terminals), a LED with a current limiting resistor, a switch, a power resistor (10 ohm, 10W or greater wattage), and heat shrink tubing. Parts for the PSU conversion
6. Open up the power supply unit by removing the screws connecting the top and the bottom of the PSU case.
7. Bundle wires of the same colors together. IMPORTANT: Make sure that the lone brown sense wire is bundled with the orange wire. If the brown wire is tied to 3.3V, the power supply will produce an output.bundle the wires The color code for the wires is: Red = +5V, Black = 0V, Yellow = +12V, Blue = -12V, Brown = Sense (tie to 3.3V), Orange = +3.3V, Purple = +5V Standby (not used), Gray = power is on, and Green = Turn DC on.
8. Drill holes in a free area of the power supply case by marking the center of the holes with a nail and a tap from the hammer. Use a dremel to drill the starting holes followed by a hand reamer to enlarge the holes till they are the right size by test fitting the binding posts. Also drill holes for the power ON LED and a Power switch.holes for binding posts
9. Screw the binding posts into their corresponding holes and attach the nut on the back. attached binding posts
10. Connect all the pieces together.
* Connect one of the red wires to the power resistor, all the remaining red wires to the red binding posts;
* connect one of the black wires to the other end of the power resistor, one black wire to a resistor (330 ohm) attached anode of the LED, one black wire to the DC-On switch, all the remaining black wires to the black binding post;
* connect the white to the -5V binding post, yellow to the +12V binding post, the blue to the -12V binding post,
wiring diagram for the PSU the gray to the cathode of the LED;
* connect the green wire to the other terminal on the switch; and hook up the orange wires with the brown.
* Make sure that the soldered ends are insulated in heatshrink tubing.
* Organize the wires with a lot of electrical tape.
Switch and LED connections
11. Make sure that all the connections look good. Put a drop of superglue to stick the LED to its hole. Put the cover on.
12. Plug in the IEC power cord into the back and into an AC socket. Switch on the main switch on the PSU. Check to see if the LED light comes on. If it has not, then power up by flipping the switch that you had placed on the front. Plug in a 12V bulb into the different sockets to see if the PSU worked, also check with a digital voltmeter. It should look good and work like a charm! christmas lights
Tips
* OPTIONS: You don't need an additional switch, just connect the green and a black wire together. The PSU will be continuously on. You also don't need an LED, just ignore the gray wire. Cut it short and insulate it from the rest.
* In the older ones, the brown sense wire needs to be attached to the 5v wire for the PSU to work.
* If the power supply does not work, that is, no LED light, check to see if the fan has come on. If the fan in the power supply is on, then the LED may have been wired wrong (the positive and negative leads of the LED may have been switched). Open the power supply case and flip the purple or gray wires on the LED around (make sure that you do not bypass the LED resistor).
* The power resistor needs to be attached to the metal body as it gets pretty warm and needs to be kept cool by conduction. If you cannot attach the resistor with a screw, attach the resistor by tying it to a ventilation slot with twist ties or large diameter copper wire.
* Feel free to add some pizzaz to the dull gray box.
* You can also convert this to a VARIABLE POWER SUPPLY - but that is another article (hint: Uses a 317 IC with power transistor).
Warnings
* Line voltage can kill. Make sure that you have removed the power cord before doing the conversion and have discharged the capacitors by tying the +5V to ground or by shorting the capacitors with the power resistor or with screwdriver.
Things You'll Need
* An obsolete computer with an ATX 250W, 300W or 400W power supply.
* Wire cutters, needle nose pliers, drill, reamer, soldering wire, soldering iron, electrical tape, heat shrink tubing
* binding posts for output terminals, LED, current limiting resistor for the LED, power resistor to load the power supply, a low wattage switch.
Computer power supplies cost around $15, but lab power supplies can run you $100 or more! By converting the cheap (free) ATX power supplies that can be found in any discarded computer, you can get a phenomenal lab power supply with huge current outputs, short circuit protection, and very tight voltage regulation.
Specs for an ATX PSU
Steps
1. Unplug the power cord from the back of the computer. "Harvest" a power supply from a computer by opening up the case of the computer, locating the gray box that is the power supply unit, tracing the wires from the power supply to the boards and devices and disconnecting all the cables by unplugging them.
2. Remove the screws (typically 4) that attach the power supply to the computer case and remove the power supply.
3. Cut off the connectors (leave a few inches of wire on the connectors so that you can use them later on for other projects).
4. Discharge the power supply by stripping the insulation of the ends of a black and a red wire and connecting them together.
5. Get all the parts that you need together, such as the following: binding posts (terminals), a LED with a current limiting resistor, a switch, a power resistor (10 ohm, 10W or greater wattage), and heat shrink tubing. Parts for the PSU conversion
6. Open up the power supply unit by removing the screws connecting the top and the bottom of the PSU case.
7. Bundle wires of the same colors together. IMPORTANT: Make sure that the lone brown sense wire is bundled with the orange wire. If the brown wire is tied to 3.3V, the power supply will produce an output.bundle the wires The color code for the wires is: Red = +5V, Black = 0V, Yellow = +12V, Blue = -12V, Brown = Sense (tie to 3.3V), Orange = +3.3V, Purple = +5V Standby (not used), Gray = power is on, and Green = Turn DC on.
8. Drill holes in a free area of the power supply case by marking the center of the holes with a nail and a tap from the hammer. Use a dremel to drill the starting holes followed by a hand reamer to enlarge the holes till they are the right size by test fitting the binding posts. Also drill holes for the power ON LED and a Power switch.holes for binding posts
9. Screw the binding posts into their corresponding holes and attach the nut on the back. attached binding posts
10. Connect all the pieces together.
* Connect one of the red wires to the power resistor, all the remaining red wires to the red binding posts;
* connect one of the black wires to the other end of the power resistor, one black wire to a resistor (330 ohm) attached anode of the LED, one black wire to the DC-On switch, all the remaining black wires to the black binding post;
* connect the white to the -5V binding post, yellow to the +12V binding post, the blue to the -12V binding post,
wiring diagram for the PSU the gray to the cathode of the LED;
* connect the green wire to the other terminal on the switch; and hook up the orange wires with the brown.
* Make sure that the soldered ends are insulated in heatshrink tubing.
* Organize the wires with a lot of electrical tape.
Switch and LED connections
11. Make sure that all the connections look good. Put a drop of superglue to stick the LED to its hole. Put the cover on.
12. Plug in the IEC power cord into the back and into an AC socket. Switch on the main switch on the PSU. Check to see if the LED light comes on. If it has not, then power up by flipping the switch that you had placed on the front. Plug in a 12V bulb into the different sockets to see if the PSU worked, also check with a digital voltmeter. It should look good and work like a charm! christmas lights
Tips
* OPTIONS: You don't need an additional switch, just connect the green and a black wire together. The PSU will be continuously on. You also don't need an LED, just ignore the gray wire. Cut it short and insulate it from the rest.
* In the older ones, the brown sense wire needs to be attached to the 5v wire for the PSU to work.
* If the power supply does not work, that is, no LED light, check to see if the fan has come on. If the fan in the power supply is on, then the LED may have been wired wrong (the positive and negative leads of the LED may have been switched). Open the power supply case and flip the purple or gray wires on the LED around (make sure that you do not bypass the LED resistor).
* The power resistor needs to be attached to the metal body as it gets pretty warm and needs to be kept cool by conduction. If you cannot attach the resistor with a screw, attach the resistor by tying it to a ventilation slot with twist ties or large diameter copper wire.
* Feel free to add some pizzaz to the dull gray box.
* You can also convert this to a VARIABLE POWER SUPPLY - but that is another article (hint: Uses a 317 IC with power transistor).
Warnings
* Line voltage can kill. Make sure that you have removed the power cord before doing the conversion and have discharged the capacitors by tying the +5V to ground or by shorting the capacitors with the power resistor or with screwdriver.
Things You'll Need
* An obsolete computer with an ATX 250W, 300W or 400W power supply.
* Wire cutters, needle nose pliers, drill, reamer, soldering wire, soldering iron, electrical tape, heat shrink tubing
* binding posts for output terminals, LED, current limiting resistor for the LED, power resistor to load the power supply, a low wattage switch.
posted by Theodore at 12:08 PM
0 comments
Thursday, December 15, 2005
www.weather.com - Customization
www.weather.com - Customization: "Currently in Storrs, CT (06268)
Severe Weather Alert
-17°C
Partly Cloudy Feels Like
-17°C
Dew Point: -20°C
Humidity: 70%
Pressure: 1030.1 millibars
Wind: From the North Northeast at 3 km/h
Local Radar | Map Room
Tonight: Mostly clear. Cold. Low 3F. Winds light and variable.
Tomorrow: Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. Cold. High 29F. Winds light and variable."
Wow it is cold!!
Severe Weather Alert
-17°C
Partly Cloudy Feels Like
-17°C
Dew Point: -20°C
Humidity: 70%
Pressure: 1030.1 millibars
Wind: From the North Northeast at 3 km/h
Local Radar | Map Room
Tonight: Mostly clear. Cold. Low 3F. Winds light and variable.
Tomorrow: Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. Cold. High 29F. Winds light and variable."
Wow it is cold!!
posted by Theodore at 3:21 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Techdirt:Music Business Blames Apple Again
Techdirt:Music Business Blames Apple Again: "Major record labels have been annoyed with Apple for the way it prices music in the iTunes store, but with its power in the market, there's not a lot they can do. They will, however, continue to point the finger, now blaming Apple for flat download sales, saying its insistence on an across-the-board price of 99 cents per song is stunting growth. Other 'critics' -- or rather a single critic, with BusinessWeek quoting the CEO of Apple rival Napster -- cite Apple's copy-protection technology and its refusal to let anybody else use it, which locks competing services out of iPods. What's slightly amusing is that, again, it was the big record labels' obsession with copy protection that gave Apple all this power. The labels act like there's nothing they can do if Apple tells them no, other than pull their music from iTunes, which they won't do given its role as market leader. There is something they can do -- open up their own store, and sell unrestricted MP3 files at whatever price they want. iPods, and and pretty much any other digital music player, can play those files. The labels' insistence on trying to control what people can do with the music they buy has gotten them into this mess, and it will take a reversal of that position to get them out."
Hey listen up music industry, instead of trying every way of figuring out how to make it nearly impossible to download music people want and take it with them easily, of wait you are not concentrating on that. You guys are making people not like the music industry. Not to mention to attack a service that has made people want to download music legally. Get over it and figure out a way to get as much music available to the people as possible. If that means signing on to Itunes and working with them, at least you will be getting something for the song, instead of losing money on all the songs. Plus you don't have to print cd's and waste the 12 cents it cost you. Oh wait that is how you rip people off.
Just because an outside company, in this case Apple, is able to outsmart you and do what you were unable and unwilling to do, and they did it well in fact, you should not be trying to blame them for your stupidity and lack of wisdom.
Hey listen up music industry, instead of trying every way of figuring out how to make it nearly impossible to download music people want and take it with them easily, of wait you are not concentrating on that. You guys are making people not like the music industry. Not to mention to attack a service that has made people want to download music legally. Get over it and figure out a way to get as much music available to the people as possible. If that means signing on to Itunes and working with them, at least you will be getting something for the song, instead of losing money on all the songs. Plus you don't have to print cd's and waste the 12 cents it cost you. Oh wait that is how you rip people off.
Just because an outside company, in this case Apple, is able to outsmart you and do what you were unable and unwilling to do, and they did it well in fact, you should not be trying to blame them for your stupidity and lack of wisdom.
posted by Theodore at 12:45 PM
0 comments
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Leveled up Halo
I would like to proclaim to the world that I have moved up in my level in Halo. I am now a 25 and on the way up.
posted by Theodore at 2:02 AM
0 comments
How to Dress to Make Yourself Look Skinnier - WikiHow
How to Dress to Make Yourself Look Skinnier
Whether you've got a hot date or big interview, read on for some great tips on how to look slimmer.
Steps
- Buy clothes that fit you. Whether you are a size 8 or a size 18, if you wear the wrong size clothes, you'll end up looking bigger than you are. Wearing clothes that are too tight leads to bulges and lumps, so try things on before you buy them. And choosing clothes which are too big adds to your size and makes you look fatter.
- Choose items which skim over areas you want to disguise. For instance, if you want to make your tummy look flatter, move away from skin tight vests, and choose a flattering tunic. Instead of choosing a mini skirt, hide chunky thighs under a floaty skirt.
- Make sure you are wearing the right underwear. Thongs and g-strings are all well and good if you have no fat on your body, but if you want to give the illusion of a skinny figure, go for supportive styles which help to pull in the tummy. A well fitting bra can also help to create a smoother slimmer figure.
- Highlight your good bits! If you have a beautiful slender neck, but a bit of weight on your waistline, draw attention to your neck with an eyecatching necklace, or other accessories. If you have toned arms, wear a sleeveless top to make the most of your assets.
- Work on your posture. Stand up straight, pull your stomach in, and your shoulders back. You can pratice posture by balancing a book on your head and walking - the book shouldn't fall off! Whenever you get the chance, look in the mirror and make sure you are not hunched over. This is possibly the MOST important tip, as bad posture can add pounds visually.
Tips
- Black is great as a quick fix as it is very slimming.
- Vertical stripes give the illusion of slimness, but watch out - horizontal stripes do the opposite.
- When choosing vertical stripes, go for the narrow ones. Broad stripes can make you look fat.
- Be confident - it's the best way to make people notice you, and not your body!
- This article suggests some ways to dress to look skinnier. Long term fixes include a healthy diet and moderate exercise. And remember, whatever size you are, you can be beautiful.
- Just because it's the latest fad doesn't mean it'll look good on you. Learn to choose clothes that flatter your figure, and not just because it's the hottest style. If you must, try to select a variant of the style that will work best for you.
posted by Theodore at 12:31 AM
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