Wednesday
Jun232021

Adding the Google AdSense ads.txt file to the root (Squarespace 5)

Seems many people are struggling with this or think it's not possible to upload a Google AdSense ads.txt into the root, but in Squarespace 5 I figured out a simple workaround using a 301 Redirect instead. All I can say is that after 4 days Google spidered my site and the pop-up warnings disappeared. More details here.

Saturday
May082021

Repairing a PURE SSW-1817 power supply

Updated on Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 10:41PM by Registered CommenterAlan W

PURE SSW-1817 Power Transistor identification and repair - as used in the PURE Avanti Flow and other receivers. A quick guide from a reader who repaired his faulty PSU, with photos.

Click to read more ...

Saturday
May082021

Replacing the display on a PURE Evoke 2S

Courtesy David Solomons

Reader David Solomons has written up some notes describing how he managed to repair the display on his PURE Evoke 2S. Some photos are included.

I've made them into a PDF which can be downloaded here

I hope they help but please note I don't have any other details apart from what is already elsewhere on my website, including links to possible suppliers of displays.

Sunday
Jan172021

Brennenstuhl Mains extension leads with (ta-da!) both left-hand and right-hand cable exits

One of life’s annoyances is that the mains lead (power cord) of many trailing power cord extensions often sprouts from the ‘wrong end’ of the plastic housing. Then the extension must be used ‘upside down’ or the mains lead has to be ‘doubled back’ to reach the wall outlet. This post highlights some really neat ideas for mains extensions from Brennenstuhl, including pop-up hidden power sockets and trailing leads that have double-ended cable exits.

Click to read more ...

Tuesday
Jul282020

PURE Evoke 1S (early version) – replacing the OLED display

These details and photos were kindly supplied by Don McQuistan to share with fellow PURE Evoke 1S users wanting to update their displays.

Click to read more ...

Saturday
Jul112020

Convert an Eagle LED nightlight

How to modify the coloured LEDs in an Eagle LED Nightlight (Part No. E304CD). Instead of cold green and blue, I changed them to warm white and pink. Photos included.

Click to read more ...

Tuesday
May262020

Garland Bros. Ltd. – gone but not forgotten

Updated on Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 11:44PM by Registered CommenterAlan W

Whilst trawling through my archives of Practical Electronics magazines – I was compiling some PDFs of the 1970/ 71 PE Gemini amplifier for a reader – I stumbled across an advert for a supplier named Garland Bros. Ltd. who were located in London. Their black and white ad showed an impressive shop storefront, enhanced by signs overhead sporting a shopping list of many of the electronic components that they sold. 'South-east London's leading component store', their ad. exclaimed.

Click to read more ...

Monday
Apr272020

Filmed in Supermarionation

This video documentary is the story of Supermarionation, Gerry Anderson's puppetry behind Thunderbirds and other series, which in the 1960s sparked my interest in technology and instrumentation as a boy.  View on Amazon (free on Amazon Prime at the time of writing).

It also reveals the location of the early Century 21 TV studios on a trading estate in Slough. It's now a tyre depot.

Just around the block (on Leigh Street) was the opening shot location of the BBC TV series with Ricky Gervais, The Office, according to Find that Location. It's since been demolished (opening titles: YouTube).

See my Interview Part 1: the Control Freak

 

Tuesday
Mar242020

“Rubbing Alcohol”: £8.99 for 25ml!

Updated on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 12:55PM by Registered CommenterAlan W

Updated on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 3:54PM by Registered CommenterAlan W

Updated on Monday, December 28, 2020 at 6:22PM by Registered CommenterAlan W

What is rubbing alcohol? Also highlighting how the price of Isopropanol (IPA) sky-rocketed in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak in Britain. £8.99 for five teaspoonfulls!

Click to read more ...

Thursday
Feb202020

The Ambra PC - an IBM clone made by... IBM

My item on the old Ambra PC - an early/ mid 1990s Windows PC that was actually an IBM clone made by a subsidiary of IBM themselves - caused some interest recently. My first PC was an Ambra and the 1990s were the happiest of times using one. I had a certain fondness for my Ambra Hurdla 486 which played a major part in my freelance career. If you owned one of these fast and smart-looking PCs then you might be interested in my recently updated article, with Ambra brochures and user comments (including some from Ambra-insiders)  in my blog entry Take your mind for a run.