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Things that should be improved

Shevek

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
I've got a long list of gadgets, but here's one that might affect anyone here to start off:
I was just reading about the size of the LA fires, and it was given as many thousands of acres, which I could not visualize It took some arithmetic to work out that the area is equivalent to a square six miles or ten km per side. That is easy to "see." - Just imagine going that distance from where you are, and you can see what it would mean in familiar geography.
I've also noticed that videos are often over-precise in their numbers, expecting me to remember and compare six-digit numbers flashed sequentially on the screen, and never giving the percentage difference between them, or even rounding off.
 
What I want to see improved is greater access to discrete electronic parts -- capacitors, resistors, transistors, et cetera. I'm a hobbyist, and I enjoy tinkering with personal gadgets. My intent is to either restore or improve on their functions. Sometimes, I will even build a simple gadget, rather than gamble on email-ordered procurement and delivery of something already on the market.

But where to get my parts? Even finding a good source of 1/2-inch copper tubing and fittings (for a J-Pole antenna) in my area has been a futile task -- they're all plastic. Only fixtures like sinks and faucets are made of metal.
 
In the case of the LA fires, why is it that last year they had record snow fall in the mountains and then allowed all that water to simply empty into the ocean, knowing full well they had inadequate reservoirs, experiencing yearly drought, and are subject to these devastating fires whipped up from the Santa Ana winds? California is so crippled with regulations that they literally cannot do anything and everything is too cost prohibitive. That state needs an enema in the worst way.
 
I'm still hoping someone will invent an efficient, reusable avocado storage vessel that truly prevents oxygen from getting to the avocado and turning it brown.
 
What I want to see improved is greater access to discrete electronic parts -- capacitors, resistors, transistors, et cetera. I'm a hobbyist, and I enjoy tinkering with personal gadgets. My intent is to either restore or improve on their functions. Sometimes, I will even build a simple gadget, rather than gamble on email-ordered procurement and delivery of something already on the market.

But where to get my parts? Even finding a good source of 1/2-inch copper tubing and fittings (for a J-Pole antenna) in my area has been a futile task -- they're all plastic. Only fixtures like sinks and faucets are made of metal.
You can get copper plumbing from renovation scrap, but do you really need to combine structure with electronic functions? Why not just attach copper wire to anything easy to build with? Maybe even staple it to sheet goods if wind is not a problem.
 
For the electrical tinkerer, I'd really love to see a multimeter designed for people with fewer than three hands, and good cord control. They never even have clips on the case to store the probes. At least one probe should have a spring clip with an optional probe and optional hook. One probe should be needle-sharp to penetrate insulation. Cases should be made of high-friction materials with knobs to help them hold on uneven surfaces.
 
What I want to see improved is greater access to discrete electronic parts -- capacitors, resistors, transistors, et cetera. I'm a hobbyist, and I enjoy tinkering with personal gadgets. My intent is to either restore or improve on their functions. Sometimes, I will even build a simple gadget, rather than gamble on email-ordered procurement and delivery of something already on the market.

But where to get my parts? Even finding a good source of 1/2-inch copper tubing and fittings (for a J-Pole antenna) in my area has been a futile task -- they're all plastic. Only fixtures like sinks and faucets are made of metal.
Check out a metal service centre.
 
I'm still hoping someone will invent an efficient, reusable avocado storage vessel that truly prevents oxygen from getting to the avocado and turning it brown.
Sprinkle this product over the cut edge. Yes, it then does add the lime flavor but most everything I do with avocados tastes good with a hint of lime.

Lime Crystals
 
You can get copper plumbing from renovation scrap, but do you really need to combine structure with electronic functions? Why not just attach copper wire to anything easy to build with? Maybe even staple it to sheet goods if wind is not a problem.
A properly-built J-Pole will withstand high winds better than some slap-dash assembly made from scrap. I can make one from 300-Ohm twinlead, but I'd still have to brace it. VHF & UHF random-wire antennas are never as efficient as a well-constructed J-Pole.

Renovations? If there was any copper left over from a renovation, it never made it to the scrap yard.

Anyway . . . back to the topic . . .
 
I haven't tried that but I think it would alter the taste and texture of the avocado.
I'd read that advice on-line posted by a chef. I had the same doubts, but figured that if the customers didn't know about the oil, they wouldn't notice. I finally tested it myself, and found it not very effective, so the oily layer got scraped off as usual.
 
Another long-standing irritation concerns thumb drives. If they are big enough for easy handling, they stick out and could get knocked off or damaged, especially with a laptop. If they are small and safe for casual handling when in use, both the drive and its dust cap are easy to lose. My solution is to provide a big dust cap for them, and I made a prototype with room for three drives, for Work, Home, and Sharing. They can even be selected by feel.
 
There are a lot of videos that are really hard to watch because of camera shake. We need software that can establish a stable frame that might move slowly, and paint it in with the information from the camera as it moves around. That's how our brains do it. Sometimes, things we "see" are just memories built up for years. Once there is a steady picture, it can be cropped and zoomed to highlight the important bits.
 

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