T&L Publications

I think most of us could breadboard a simple rf transmitter-receiver with a range of a couple of hundred feet. What I need may not be available because it's too simple! I'm looking for a device that could be carried in a pocket, hung around your neck like a pendant, or worn like a wristwatch. When y...

Thank you Lenp. I didn't know that Plasti-Dip had created a custom color kit. I remember using a lot of Plasti-Dip years ago. I coated the handles of any tool that might be used around dangerous voltages or currents. It also provides a better grip, so the tool won't slip out of your hands. When I us...

I'm sure you have all sorts of adhesives and coatings. I'm afraid to think about how much of this stuff I've junked over the years! One of my fingers is injured. The only serious accident in a lifetime of working with tools and doing all sorts of potentially dangerous activities. Ironically, the inj...

I should have returned to this thread sooner. A lot of family problems have been distracting me lately. Sorry about that. I was looking through some shelves where I keep hundreds of old technical books and manuals. I found a Radio Shack catalog from 2000. Page 144, #42-2496. It seems you were correc...

Hi dacflyer. Almost all dial-up modems have a tiny piezo element. The problem is you need an amplified stethoscope pressed against the element to hear anything! "Y" splitters are commonly used with a single audio source. A simple example might be connecting two pairs of headphones to one a...

I know I'm not the only one who keeps an old pc around with a dial-up modem. The northeast just got blasted by a hurricane. Incredibly, I never lost power to my house. First, the rain came down with explosive force. When the rain finally stopped, the wind came through for at least ten hours. My hous...

Hi guys. Thanks for the replies. My original post was lengthy enough. I didn't want to go into the problems with vinyl windows. Those incredible reproduction vinyl windows that you see on shows like "This Old House" are probably more durable than the original all wood windows. I loved that...

I suppose my first full time job was working for an HVAC contractor. That was many years ago. I remember several factory or warehouse buildings that used "portable" air conditioners. They were huge and required powerful pumps to dump the water from the evaporator. I still do heating and co...

Harbor Freight has winches that are fine for factory environments, auto repairs shops, etc. They are too massive and noisey for my purposes. I think you're on the right track John. I was looking a various high torque gear motors. The power source must be 120vac. Whether it should be variable speed o...

I need to raise and lower something that doesn't weigh very much. Probably 35lbs maximum. It must have a simple wireless remote with up and down buttons. To be safe, a winch that could handle 75 - to - 100lbs would be a good idea. Most common electric winches are massive devices, built to handle hun...

I understand your feelings completely, MrAl. I've disabled buzzers and beepers in a couple of cars because they were driving me nuts! For whatever reason, I like to hear that brief "beeeep" when I press a key on the control board. Let's say you're setting the timer for 60 seconds. If the s...

I think I've got the largest "portable" microwave oven ever made! Its a big, heavy box with a 2 cu.ft. capacity. I purchased it from Sears less than a year ago. Generally I don't pay for the extended warranty, but the few times I have it paid off. I recently replaced a $250.00 drill that f...

Thank you CeaSaR and sghioto. You can't imagine the time and money my friend and I have spent trying all different types of high end amplified telephones. I'm referring to the kind with elaborate adjustments for pitch, tone, etc. For some reason, my friend's hearing impairment allows him to hear fin...

I'm looking at this kit: http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=K4900 Could the speaker output be wired to a jack for headphones, instead of a speaker? No, I don't want to damage my hearing. In fact, I've used those large cup (Peltor) hearing protectors for decad...

(I was going to start a new thread for this post, but I guess it belongs here. I want to clarify the differences between a basic universal remote and a learning remote.) Basic universal remotes store a finite library of codes. For several years I had an oddball 9" TV. I remember trying and retu...