The Lance J. Technoweb

I have a Roland HD-1 V-drum kit that is about 15 years old.  It was sitting for years when I got it, and when I put it all together it was clear that the pedals were not working.  Boo!  Time for a repair. Roland HD-1 Pedal Hammer under a Heat Gun. How the HD-1 pedals work With the Roland, a pedal actuates a variable resistor.  When you step on a pedal, it presses on the variable resistor.  Putting force on the pedal reduces the resistance of the resistor. A little force results in a small decrease in resistance.  A high amount of force greatly lowers the resistance.  The HD-1's computer detects this and makes the appropriate sound. There are two important parts to this mechanism: the electronic resistive strip, and a rubber hammer which presses on the strip in a variable way.  There is no internal difference between the left and right pedal. The guts of each pedal is identical.  Where it goes wrong with age Looking at mine, the problem was wi...

There are many choices when powering a wired Ring Video Doorbell.  Most people just reuse their existing doorbell power, but I wanted to see if I could improve that situation. When I first hooked up my Ring Wired Doorbell , I used an existing Honeywell Plug-in AC Transformer .  These AC transformers are very popular for both video doorbells, traditional doorbells, and security systems.  They reduce standard home voltages (120VAC in North America) to 16.5 VAC. In contrast, modern DC power adapters for home electronics are efficient. There are global efficiency standards on modern adapters , and in the USA the current efficiency standard is called "Level VI".  These efficiency standards help ensure that idle equipment has near-zero power draw, and that active equipment isn't wildly inefficient. The thing is, the standards are for modern single-voltage DC power adapters, but given that my Ring Wired Doorbell was hooked up to my home's 1990's vintage AC doorbell ...

I wanted to mount an Apple TV, an HDHomerun, and a Ring doorbell transformer to a wall, but none of these devices have tabs or screw holes for wall mounting.  Happily, I found a way to easily and inexpensively wall mount equipment even if the device specifically designed with mounting in mind. There are a lot of expensive or complicated mounting options, but then there are cheaper AND better options. Specialized mounting brackets are available for many devices, but they can be stupidly expensive and then I'd have to wait for shipping.  Or I could 3D print some brackets.  My solution? I simply use zip ties and strategically placed screw-down cable tie mounts . Zip ties are very strong, and the screw mounts can be used to anchor down the zip ties while also preventing the devices from sliding out of position. This is actually far less wasteful than a specialty bracket. Special brackets use a lot of plastic. Zip ties may seem disposable, but they are actually reusable unles...

I'm a Computer guy at the end of the day.  I started writing assembler code many years ago, and so I'm always interested in what is happening in the CPU industry. This year, Apple decided to quit Intel and move to its own microprocessors, the processors it has been using for the iPhone and iPad. Many thought this was a ridiculous idea.  Losing the ability of Intel x86 virtualization and competing against the most famous microprocessor company ever seems nuts. I was wrong. Apple knocked it out of the park with their new M1 SoC.  The M1 is Apple's low-end processor, but it literally leaves Intel's high end CPUs in the dust.  And I imagine that the power and capability of Apple's desktop/workstation CPUs will be even more capable. If this is just the beginning, then we have a whole new "performance war" in the microprocessor industry.  Intel and AMD will need to amp it up, because suddenly they look far behind in performance, price, and efficiency.  The only ...

Most people keep a clock radio within a few feet of their head for nearly a third of their life. A clock radio tells people when to wake up hundreds of time a year. So then why do most clock radios sold in the US suck? They all seem to have crappy buttons, an even crappier tuner, and in short, have failed to go through any substantial technology update since the advent of the LED clock - over 25 years ago. Why can't now be the dawning of the age of the modern clock radio? Here's what I'm looking for in a clock radio: Large, adjustable-brightness display. Digital tuning, with presets. Automatic clock setting. RDS - Radio Data Service. Very low power consumption. Excellent battery backup. Reasonable price. Decent buttons and switches. These "requirements" aren't some sort of crazy dream - many very small, low cost devices have some of these features.