T&L Publications

B & K Precision - Model 2834 This bench style (120 vac, no batteries) was a real workhorse for many years. When SMDs came along it was easy to incorporate all the advanced functions this old meter has into a portable battery powered unit. Except for the display, all meter functions work normally...

Thank you Bigglez, jwax, and Franklin97355. When you've got an injury that might take months to heal, you become a little desperate. I can't imagine how they engineered this heated brace. If I tried to make a home brew version the heating element would drain those three tiny batteries in minutes. Th...

I've got two injured elbows. My doctor says its something like tennis elbow, even though I don't play tennis. In addition to an anti-inflammatory drug I often use wrap-around elbow braces. Heat helps. I tried those gel and clay-ceramic packs that you heat in the microwave. I dislike these packs with...

Did you play with magnets when you were a kid? I remember buying a small bottle of iron fillings and sprinkling them on a sheet of paper. Dragging my magnet across the bottom of the sheet caused the fillings to dance and move in almost magical ways. Despite our high tech culture, so few people have ...

Have you seen those clamshell shaped magnets that are sold as a subtitute for a water softener? The claim is that for $29.95 you clamp this device to your incoming cold water line and your hard water problems will go away. The same gizmo is sold as a fuel line conditioner for your car. With gas pric...

I had my dog with me during those 25 minutes. That's the only reason I could sit in my car doing nothing. I could swear he has a sixth sense. Without saying a word, he somehow senses that he's going for a ride! You're right about that signal from Sirius. It's completely random. Obviously, there is n...

If I drive about one mile from my house I can park the car and listen to Sirius radio at 88.1 Mhz. The signal does not fade in and out. I parked on a quiet street and listened for at least 25 minutes. If I keep driving the signal will eventually fade. It becomes NPR, which is what its suppose to be....

My uncle had two careers during his working life. Chemical engineering was career number one. Through him, I got to know many electrical and mechanical engineers. If any of these guys were asked about the Ah rating of a lead-acid auto battery they would probably have said there is no such thing. The...

I read somewhere (maybe in Nuts & Volts) that the average auto battery is about 100 Ah. I'm not sure how this number is relevant, since auto batteries are carefully engineered to put out a whole lot of current for few seconds. In other words, to get your car engine running. Trying to deep cycle ...

Thanks dyarker. The HA40 is widely available. I found two customer reviews on two different sites that were very negative. They had purchased the amplifier and plugged it into a phone with a keypad in the base. It didn't work. They both spoke to a tech support person who told them to try the HA40 wi...

I've got a hearing impaired relative. I want to buy the Clarity Ameriphone HA40 phone amplifier. It has three requirements. No cordless phones. The keypad must be in the base and the handset must not have a volume control. I immediately thought of the traditional desk style office phone. Here's one ...