My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on July 18, 2021

Good news and bad news. First, my relatively new (2018) smaller Ridgid tool battery will not hold a charge for very long … which has been my gripe with all previous battery powered “cordless” tools, especially those prior to Lithium Ion. Actually my complaint was not with the batteries, but the pricing of replacement batteries.

But … the batteries longevity was one of the reasons I opted to slowly replace my cordless tools with the Ridgid brand sold at Home Depot. From experience, I suspected that the well made tools (even if I’d prefer Milwaukee or DeWalt) would out last the batteries and that if I had enough batteries that were “purchased in a kit with the tools”  that  the batteries would be included in the LSA (Lifetime Service Agreement). 

WHAT IS COVERED?

LSA covers all defects and many wear parts in properly maintained tools.

The Lifetime Service Agreement covers all worn parts in properly maintained tools. This includes normal wear items such as brushes, chucks, motors, switches, gears and even cordless batteries in your qualifying RIDGID^® Brand hand held and stationary power tools. These programs also cover replacement rings, driver blades and bumpers on RIDGID^® Brand pneumatic tools.

So last week I called the customer service battery replacement phone number and after a quick review of the battery, the condition and charger … they authorized a replacement. Ding, ding, ding … even with a failed battery, the warranty was honored. Good for Ridgid Tools – you have a satisfied customer.

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Category: Hobby, Shopping, Tools, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: battery, cordless, dewalt, home depot, lithium, lsa, milwaukee, replacement, ridgid, tools, warranty

Posted By RichC on July 17, 2021

Slow progress on my home office as I continue to work in disarray; I am missing my accessory junk … including a small hanging TV. I don’t necessarily “watch” business television, instead listen to the stream via SiriusXM to my Aftershokz Aeropex headset. Occasionally though, do still find it helpful to have a video image so I have been streaming to my older iPad (FoxBusiness coverage of Chicago Autoshow below break). Considering streaming over the Internet was once nearly impossible when it comes to getting decent quality or sound that doesn’t cut-out, it is now almost perfect (I just need a LIVE rewind buffer). I’m starting to wonder if I really need to hang a new bigger screen on my office wall anymore?

Last week I did work a bit more on my corner whiteboard cabinet which I’m hoping to use for networking gear and other office clutter. It still needs painting, but the sliding dry-erase board doors should serve double-duty even though I’ve never been a huge whiteboard user.

So far the added sound deadening and insulation from the cork wall works well and the new inexpensive Pioneer high efficiency mini split is keeping temperatures where I want them. It will be interesting to see how it impacts our electric bill … hopefully very little?

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Category: Archive, Computer, Financial, Misc, Personal, Photos, Tablet, Technology, Video | No Comments »
Tags: aeropex, aftershokz, cabinet, cork, heatpump, home, HVAC, investing, ipad, minisplit, mp4, office, pioneer, project, remodel, siriusxm, television, whiteboard

Posted By RichC on July 16, 2021

My Amazon Kindle Voyage is not used much for reading anymore as I have gravitated to using my iPad, but every time I’ve picked it up lately the battery has been dead.

So after ordering an inexpensive replacement lithium battery – it is surprisingly small – I popped the back off with the help of a YouTube video and painlessly put in the new battery … without the sticky adhesive of the original.

After charging with a new hand-me-down battery pack (thanks Jeff), the Kindle app updated the new borrowed library books and looks to be ready for some evening reading.

It is yet to be seen if the tiny new battery will hold a charge for a few weeks without going flat (that was really  the problem with the old one). Stay tuned for some weekend battery talk on Sunday.

Category: Books, Gadget, Photos, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: amazon, battery, Books, ebooks, kindle, lithium, reading, replaced, replacement, tech friday, techfriday, voyage

Posted By RichC on July 16, 2021

Just a pleasant, but warm evening photo as a Friday filler, after mowing the front lawn on Thursday night …  and before the crews come to bust up the driveway and prepare to pour concrete (I hope!)

Category: Misc, Personal, Photography, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: driveway, filler, front, house, iphone, pano, panorama, yard

Posted By RichC on July 15, 2021

After seeing this photo of someone workbench screwdriver holder, I don’t feel quite as bad about my multiple tool boxes and workbench racks. Without a doubt, I do have my share of tools and gadgets, but I’m not sure how many screwdrivers it is necessary to have in one holder?

The Facebook photo above aside, I was locked out of my Facebook account last week just as I was thinking it was about time for a bi-monthly update (I really don’t use FB much but do enjoy keeping up with family and a few groups). Thankfully there wasn’t anything that looked like a security issue … but finally set up two-factor authentication on my FB account just in case.  I did come across a social media post and discussion of growing up “boy.” The intriguing part of me was discussion the classified sections in the back of magazines that targeted boys and Boy Scouts aged kids (I was a Patrol Leader and can still remember and give my Crow Patrol call … and you don’t want to hear that!)

The magazines I most remember were Boy’s Life (now de-gendered as Scout Life) and Popular Mechanics. Both had great classified sections that remind me of today’s “as-seen-on-TV” infomercials. There were item we wanted and some we saved up and sent in a few dollars (or perhaps cents) for … like the plastic BookSafe that I still have in my dresser drawer. I will have to open it up someday and see what coins are still inside.

A few of the other classified ads that I remember are the military surplus Jeeps, the X-Ray glasses and sea monkeys. Good memories and definitely a good time to grow up … particularly since the Vietnam War and draft ended before I was of age. 

Category: Human Interest, Memories, Personal, Photos, Social Media, TBT, Tools | No Comments »
Tags: 2-factor, booksafe, boy scouts, boys life, facebook, magazines, memories, popular mechanics, scout life, scouts, screwdrivers, security, toolbox, tools

Posted By RichC on July 14, 2021

Progress has been slow in my latest nightly book reading, in part due to being wiped-out by full days with our granddaughters last week and more recently watching a few episodes each night of an old 1965-1971 sitcom called Hogan’s Heroes (mention once before). So for a update on reading Operation Pedestal by Max Hastings, “I know NOTHING” (you’d have to have been a fan of the TV sitcom).

Here’s a brief WSJ book review rundown on the British naval battle story known in Malta as Santa Maria Convoy or Operation Pedestal in 1942 …

“Operation Pedestal” is the story of a convoy sent through hell in August 1942 to rescue the pivotal island of Malta.

British strategy required that the Allies prevent Germany and Japan from joining hands through Egypt’s Suez Canal. The fortress island of Malta, with its airfields and harbors, guarded the vital juncture of Mussolini’s Sicily, Britain’s Egypt, and the battleground deserts of Libya and Tunisia. Should Malta fall, the Suez mouth would lie under the bombsights of Axis warplanes.

Malta and its 300,000 inhabitants endured a violent siege as an Axis bombing campaign larger than the London Blitz engulfed the island in smoke. “Grand Harbour,” Mr. Hastings writes, “became a lagoon of stagnant oil from sunken ships, amid which bobbed debris and decomposing corpses.”

As the islanders withered to the brink of starvation, Britain’s merchant fleet couldn’t move enough food, ammunition and fuel through the Italian-German blockade to keep the forces there fighting. “The passage from the west was menaced by Axis air bases on the islands of Sardinia, Sicily, Pantelleria; also on the North African mainland and the toe of Italy,” Mr. Hastings explains.

Into this maelstrom steamed Force F, the largest fleet the Royal Navy had assembled since World War I. Commanded by an introverted vice-admiral named Neville Syfret, Force F boasted two battleships; five aircraft carriers; seven cruisers; two squadrons of destroyers, submarines and minesweepers; and dozens of escort and support vessels. Their mission: to protect 14 merchant vessels carrying fuel, food, ammunition and medical supplies to the beleaguered garrison. What Spitfires did for Londoners, Hawker Hurricanes, antiaircraft batteries and obsolete biplanes would attempt for the Maltese.

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Category: Books, Entertainment, History, Millitary | No Comments »
Tags: book, book review, british, hogans heroes, malta, max hastings, operation pedestal, sitcom, television, wsj

Posted By RichC on July 13, 2021

The downside of having self-monitored smarthome security cams, sound sensors, door triggers and motion detection at the Florida condo in Delray Beach is that one never knows what will set it off. Usually it has been a flash of light or in a couple cases a slightly weakened battery on a sensor.

Yesterday though, even though it was the middle of the day, a strong thunderstorm with an extremely loud clap of thunder set off the sound detector. When I reviewed the Wyze cam footage, wearing my Aftershokz Aeropex headset, I was amazed at just how loud the detected thunder was … and how bright the lightning was coming in the window. At least it is working. I also checked out the storms rolling in from the southeast (map right) just to be sure it was a storm on my Dark Sky Weather app – yes, strong bursts for sure.

Category: Gadget, Misc, Technology, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: aeropex, aftershokz, app, Cam, dark sky, delray beach, florida, security, smarthome, storm, thunderstorm, wyze

Posted By RichC on July 12, 2021

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Category: Idioms, Music, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: i go crazy, mp3, music monday, musicmonday, paul davis, radio, rock, siriusxm, yacht

Posted By RichC on July 11, 2021

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Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Video | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, aquarium, backyard, brenda, drew, ellerie, family, fun, funm mp4, granddaughters, katelyn, pool, project, puddle, richc, summer, swimming, tailgating, tie dye, vacation

Posted By RichC on July 10, 2021

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Category: Archive, Holiday, Personal, Photos, Video | No Comments »
Tags: 4th of july, annalyn, brenda, drew, ellerie, family, katelyn, megan, memories, mp4, richc, sparklers, taylor, weekend