How to Open WD My Book Case
CarltonBale.com link & Ransackery.com link
Saturday, February 28, 2009
HTPC Motherboard
Links to AVS Forum threads about HTPC motherboards
GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9400 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-EG45M-DS2H LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
ASUS P5N7A-VM LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300/nForce 730i HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel BOXDG45ID LGA 775 Intel G45 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
ASUS P5Q-EM LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
MSI Media Live DIVA 5.1 AM2+/AM2 AMD 780M HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Here is another link related to HTPC: Silent PC Review
GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9400 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-EG45M-DS2H LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
ASUS P5N7A-VM LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300/nForce 730i HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel BOXDG45ID LGA 775 Intel G45 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
ASUS P5Q-EM LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
MSI Media Live DIVA 5.1 AM2+/AM2 AMD 780M HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Here is another link related to HTPC: Silent PC Review
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
OMS-GX300
The detailed specifications of OMS-GX300 from Okoro Media Systems.
Software Processor: Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 965 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor
Memory: 6 GB of High Speed DDR3 Memory; Maximum Memory Speed: 1600 MHz; Upgradeable to 12 Gigabytes of Memory
HTPC Case: Includes OMS Touch Screen pad featuring control software to access, music tracks, movies and control different audio zones. 620 watt ATX power supply and 2 80mm silent case fans
HTPC Dimensions: 17.12" W x 6.97" H x 16.5" D
Motherboard and Chipset: Intel X58 chipset; Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, & JBOD on 8 Serial ATA ports
Internal Storage: Blu-ray/HD-DVD DVD Player; 32GB High Speed Solid State Drive and 1TB of Media Storage (1000GB SATA Hard Drive); Up to 4.0 Terabytes (4000 Gigabytes) of storage available via 4 1TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drives (optional)
Video Components: ATI™ Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB (DVI/VGA/TV-out HDCP); Dual Tuner with hardware MPEG-2 encoder. Dual Over-The-Air HDTV Tuner, Dual CableCARD Tuner (optional)
Sound Card: 7.1 Channel LPCM w/ Blu-ray support Via HDMI; Digital Audio Output through Optical (Toslink)
Remote Controls and IR Blasters: Microsoft Media Center Remote Control w/ IR Blaster; Snapstream Firefly Remote Control with USB-UIRT IR Blaster/Receiver
Operating Systems Available: Windows Vista Ultimate Edition; Windows Vista Home Premium
Available Home Theater PC Software: Beyond TV with Beyond Media; SageTV 6.0; Windows Vista Media Center
Communication and I/O Ports Network Adapters: On board 10/100/1000 Ethernet network adapter; Linksys USB 2.0 Wireless-N Network Adapter (optional)
Rear Connectors
6 USB ports
1 IEEE 1394a (Firewire),
1 Optical S/PDIF
1 Audio rear left and right out (for 6/8-channel audio only)
1 Audio center and LFE out (for 6/8-channel audio only)
1 Audio line in, 1 Audio front left and right out
1 Mic in, 1 CAT5 port,
1 S-Video out, 2 DVI out, 1 VGA out (adapter), HDTV component out (adapter)
1 TV/Cable coaxial in, 1 HDTV Ant. In
1 S-Video in, 1 Composite video in
2 Left and right Stereo Audio In
Software Processor: Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 965 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor
Memory: 6 GB of High Speed DDR3 Memory; Maximum Memory Speed: 1600 MHz; Upgradeable to 12 Gigabytes of Memory
HTPC Case: Includes OMS Touch Screen pad featuring control software to access, music tracks, movies and control different audio zones. 620 watt ATX power supply and 2 80mm silent case fans
HTPC Dimensions: 17.12" W x 6.97" H x 16.5" D
Motherboard and Chipset: Intel X58 chipset; Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, & JBOD on 8 Serial ATA ports
Internal Storage: Blu-ray/HD-DVD DVD Player; 32GB High Speed Solid State Drive and 1TB of Media Storage (1000GB SATA Hard Drive); Up to 4.0 Terabytes (4000 Gigabytes) of storage available via 4 1TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drives (optional)
Video Components: ATI™ Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB (DVI/VGA/TV-out HDCP); Dual Tuner with hardware MPEG-2 encoder. Dual Over-The-Air HDTV Tuner, Dual CableCARD Tuner (optional)
Sound Card: 7.1 Channel LPCM w/ Blu-ray support Via HDMI; Digital Audio Output through Optical (Toslink)
Remote Controls and IR Blasters: Microsoft Media Center Remote Control w/ IR Blaster; Snapstream Firefly Remote Control with USB-UIRT IR Blaster/Receiver
Operating Systems Available: Windows Vista Ultimate Edition; Windows Vista Home Premium
Available Home Theater PC Software: Beyond TV with Beyond Media; SageTV 6.0; Windows Vista Media Center
Communication and I/O Ports Network Adapters: On board 10/100/1000 Ethernet network adapter; Linksys USB 2.0 Wireless-N Network Adapter (optional)
Rear Connectors
6 USB ports
1 IEEE 1394a (Firewire),
1 Optical S/PDIF
1 Audio rear left and right out (for 6/8-channel audio only)
1 Audio center and LFE out (for 6/8-channel audio only)
1 Audio line in, 1 Audio front left and right out
1 Mic in, 1 CAT5 port,
1 S-Video out, 2 DVI out, 1 VGA out (adapter), HDTV component out (adapter)
1 TV/Cable coaxial in, 1 HDTV Ant. In
1 S-Video in, 1 Composite video in
2 Left and right Stereo Audio In
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Unclear DTS dialog track
When I watched movies using the projector, I could not set the receiver in DTS or Dolby Digital mode, since I could hardly hear the dialog. I could only set the receiver in stereo mode.
Now I realize the center speaker carries the dialog. In my current setup, the center speaker is behind the screen, that may be the cause of this problem.
Update: I use the test tone of the receiver to check sound channels. There is no sound from the center speaker. I reconnect the wires for the center speaker and check again, test tone comes out of the center speaker. When I watch a movie with DTS audio, I can hear the dialog clearly.
Now I realize the center speaker carries the dialog. In my current setup, the center speaker is behind the screen, that may be the cause of this problem.
Update: I use the test tone of the receiver to check sound channels. There is no sound from the center speaker. I reconnect the wires for the center speaker and check again, test tone comes out of the center speaker. When I watch a movie with DTS audio, I can hear the dialog clearly.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Coat Hanger Antenna
I build a coat hanger antenna over the weekend to receive over-the-air TV channels. All materials and parts I use are from old stuffs or spare parts. The total cost for the project is $0. The design is based on that described in this file. I use six copper wire coat hangers, 13 screws, 10 washers, one transformer, one Nylon cable clamp, one wood board and two metal fittings. I place the antenna in the attic and connect the cable to the Tivax TV converter box. The antenna brings in total 31 channels. The signal strength for most channels is between 40 and 80.
Friday, February 20, 2009
720p vs 1080p
As a rule of thumb, to be able to see the full benefit of 720p, one should sit at a distance from their HDTV 5x the height of the HDTV. For 1080p, it will be 2/3 of 5x, i.e., 3.3x. For instance, if the screen size is 100", the height of the screen will be 49" or 4.0855 feet. To view 720p, you need to sit 20 feet away. To view 1080p, you need to sit 13.3 feet away, which is a good distance for people who has a front projector. If you have a 50" HDTV, to view 1080p, you need to sit 6.7 feet away, which is not practical and comfortable for most people. If you have to sit more than 10 feet away from your HDTV, 720p is enough.
Note: Use MediaInfo to find technical and tag information of video or audio files; Use MKVToolnix to join mkv files.
Note: Use MediaInfo to find technical and tag information of video or audio files; Use MKVToolnix to join mkv files.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Waterproofing Basement
I read about using Drylok paint to seal the walls in the basement. Drylok is a paint/sealant that forms a strong barrier against moisture and can be used on cement block. Five coats of Drylok are recommended. Drylok coating also helps to lower the humidity in the basement.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
TV Converter Box
I receive two $40 TV converter box coupons this morning. After doing some researches, I limit my choices to three brands: Tivax STB-T8, Zenith DTT901 and Channel Master CM-7000. Channel Master CM-7000 has S-video output that provides the best picture quality of the three. Zenith DTT901 gets very good reviews from Amazon and Avsforum. Both are $10 more than Tivax STB-T8 on Amazon.
I decide to go with Tivax STB-T8 at a total cost of $9.99. The reasons are: (1) I am not sure if we have good reception of over-the-air channels, if not, the use of the box will be limited; (2) All TV converter boxes cannot be connected to the cable to receive clear QAM signals; (3) We may buy HDTVs with build-in TV tuners in the near future.
I decide to go with Tivax STB-T8 at a total cost of $9.99. The reasons are: (1) I am not sure if we have good reception of over-the-air channels, if not, the use of the box will be limited; (2) All TV converter boxes cannot be connected to the cable to receive clear QAM signals; (3) We may buy HDTVs with build-in TV tuners in the near future.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Honda Pilot Front Brake Pad DIY
I changed the front brake pads of my 2004 Honda Pilot this morning. The pilot has 40,000 miles on it. The new Prostop brake pads cost $19.25 including tax, which I bought from Pepboys.
I step on the manual brake to brake the car, open the lid of brake fluid container and then loose the five screws on the wheel helped by using a long metal pipe. I jack up the Pilot using the tools provided by the car. There are short metal pieces underneath the car for this purpose (don't use the door step portion). The suspension of the front wheel is flexible. The wheel does not immediately go up with the body of the car. The body of the car needs to be jacked up enough in order for the wheel to be off the ground. I take all screws off the wheel and take the wheel off.
There are two 12mm screws that hold the caliber. I use a circular wrench fitting in the tool box to unscrew them. The caliber needs to be supported after it is off the base. I then take the old brake pads off (the thickness is about 40% of that of the new pads) and put the new pads on. I use the brake tool to push the caliber piston back, put the caliber back over the new pads, then screw and tighten the two caliber screws. I put wheel on, screw on the five wheel screws by hand, lower the car and then firmly tighten the wheel screws.
I close the lid of brake fluid container, release the manual brake and step on the car brake several times to engage the new pads.
It takes me 2.5 hours to change brake pads on both front wheels. I watched a video and read a step-by-step instruction before the job.
I step on the manual brake to brake the car, open the lid of brake fluid container and then loose the five screws on the wheel helped by using a long metal pipe. I jack up the Pilot using the tools provided by the car. There are short metal pieces underneath the car for this purpose (don't use the door step portion). The suspension of the front wheel is flexible. The wheel does not immediately go up with the body of the car. The body of the car needs to be jacked up enough in order for the wheel to be off the ground. I take all screws off the wheel and take the wheel off.
There are two 12mm screws that hold the caliber. I use a circular wrench fitting in the tool box to unscrew them. The caliber needs to be supported after it is off the base. I then take the old brake pads off (the thickness is about 40% of that of the new pads) and put the new pads on. I use the brake tool to push the caliber piston back, put the caliber back over the new pads, then screw and tighten the two caliber screws. I put wheel on, screw on the five wheel screws by hand, lower the car and then firmly tighten the wheel screws.
I close the lid of brake fluid container, release the manual brake and step on the car brake several times to engage the new pads.
It takes me 2.5 hours to change brake pads on both front wheels. I watched a video and read a step-by-step instruction before the job.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Another WD 1TB HD
I bought another Western Digital 1TB My Book Essential Edition 2.0 External Hard Drive from Staples this morning. The total out of pocket cost is $82.91, which is $30 less than the one I bought 2 weeks ago. The two online deals sites I check frequently are SlickDeals and FatWallet.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Fix ABS Pipe Leakage
I fixed the ABS pipe leakage problem in the basement. The pipe connects kitchen sink to the main sewer pipe.
The only tool I bought was a PVC/ABS handsaw. The materials I bought included two 2" heavy duty no hub couplings, one 2" ABS 45 degree elbow, one 2"x10' ABS DWV pipe and 4 oz black ABS cement. The total cost including tax is $38.02.
I cut two pieces of ABS pipe several inches each and apply ABS cement to connect these two pieces to the 45 degree elbow. I make a 1/4 turn after pushing the ABS pipe into the elbow and firmly hold them for more than 1 minute. The ABS cement has a very strong smell and use of it should be in a well ventilated area. I wait a couple of hours before I cut the portion of ABS pipe with problem using the PVC/ABS handsaw. I leave 1/4" margin on each side. Then I put no hub couplings on the pipe and roll one half of it in order to be able to fit the new elbow section I made. Once everything is in place, I tighten the metal clamps for each coupling. To minimize the chance of leakage in the future, I make sure the bottom half of each connection have a tighter fit.
The only tool I bought was a PVC/ABS handsaw. The materials I bought included two 2" heavy duty no hub couplings, one 2" ABS 45 degree elbow, one 2"x10' ABS DWV pipe and 4 oz black ABS cement. The total cost including tax is $38.02.
I cut two pieces of ABS pipe several inches each and apply ABS cement to connect these two pieces to the 45 degree elbow. I make a 1/4 turn after pushing the ABS pipe into the elbow and firmly hold them for more than 1 minute. The ABS cement has a very strong smell and use of it should be in a well ventilated area. I wait a couple of hours before I cut the portion of ABS pipe with problem using the PVC/ABS handsaw. I leave 1/4" margin on each side. Then I put no hub couplings on the pipe and roll one half of it in order to be able to fit the new elbow section I made. Once everything is in place, I tighten the metal clamps for each coupling. To minimize the chance of leakage in the future, I make sure the bottom half of each connection have a tighter fit.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Afraid to Lose
If you are afraid to lose, you will never win.
I have been inactive in market for quite some time. The longer I am away from the market, the more I feel I am afraid to lose. I feel I am somewhat lost. I tried to fill the void by focusing on other things. But deep in my heart, I want to take on the challenge again.
Note: I did test the water and I did lose some money after the post. What I gain is a peace of mind. If I do nothing, I will definitely be a loser. However, even if I lose some ground today, I will always have chances tomorrow and in the future. No pain no gain and don't expect a straight path to the ultimate goal.
I have been inactive in market for quite some time. The longer I am away from the market, the more I feel I am afraid to lose. I feel I am somewhat lost. I tried to fill the void by focusing on other things. But deep in my heart, I want to take on the challenge again.
Note: I did test the water and I did lose some money after the post. What I gain is a peace of mind. If I do nothing, I will definitely be a loser. However, even if I lose some ground today, I will always have chances tomorrow and in the future. No pain no gain and don't expect a straight path to the ultimate goal.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Linux HTPC
I will most likely build a HTPC based on Linux operating system. Here is a guide for it. More information can be found on these sites: Mythbuntu, LinuxMCE, Boxee.
I visited dell.com today and got a quote for the system below. A pretty good deal if I can get free shipping & handling and without state sales tax.
Vostro 220: Vostro 220N Mini-Tower
Operating System: FreeDOS™ included in the box, ready to install
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E7400 (2.8GHz, 3M, L2Cache, 1066FSB)
Memory: 1GB Single Channel DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz - 1DIMMs
Keyboard: Dell USB Keyboard
Monitors: Dell 22 inch Widescreen E228WFP Analog Flat Panel Display
Video Card: Integrated Video, Intel® GMA X4500HD
Primary Hard Drive: 80GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
Flex Bay Drive Options: No Media Reader
Mouse: Dell Optical USB Mouse
Network Interface: Intergrated PCIE 10/100/1000
Modem and Wireless: No Modem Option
Adobe Software: No Adobe Acrobat Reader
Optical Drive: No Optical Drive Selected
AUDIO: Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio
Speakers: No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)
Documentation and Power Management: Vostro 220 Documents and 110 Volt Power setting
Productivity Software: No Pre-installed Productivity Software
Security Software: No Pre-installed Anti-Virus/Security Software
Dell Energy Smart: Dell Energy Smart Enabled
Resource DVD: Resource CD and DVD
Hardware Support Services CS 2.0: 1 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 1 Year NBD On-Site Service
Installation Services: No Onsite System Setup
Dell DataSafe Online Data Backup: No Online Data Back Up Installed
Quick Reference Guide: Vostro System Quick Reference Guide
TOTAL: $349.00
I visited dell.com today and got a quote for the system below. A pretty good deal if I can get free shipping & handling and without state sales tax.
Vostro 220: Vostro 220N Mini-Tower
Operating System: FreeDOS™ included in the box, ready to install
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E7400 (2.8GHz, 3M, L2Cache, 1066FSB)
Memory: 1GB Single Channel DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz - 1DIMMs
Keyboard: Dell USB Keyboard
Monitors: Dell 22 inch Widescreen E228WFP Analog Flat Panel Display
Video Card: Integrated Video, Intel® GMA X4500HD
Primary Hard Drive: 80GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
Flex Bay Drive Options: No Media Reader
Mouse: Dell Optical USB Mouse
Network Interface: Intergrated PCIE 10/100/1000
Modem and Wireless: No Modem Option
Adobe Software: No Adobe Acrobat Reader
Optical Drive: No Optical Drive Selected
AUDIO: Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio
Speakers: No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)
Documentation and Power Management: Vostro 220 Documents and 110 Volt Power setting
Productivity Software: No Pre-installed Productivity Software
Security Software: No Pre-installed Anti-Virus/Security Software
Dell Energy Smart: Dell Energy Smart Enabled
Resource DVD: Resource CD and DVD
Hardware Support Services CS 2.0: 1 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 1 Year NBD On-Site Service
Installation Services: No Onsite System Setup
Dell DataSafe Online Data Backup: No Online Data Back Up Installed
Quick Reference Guide: Vostro System Quick Reference Guide
TOTAL: $349.00
Monday, February 9, 2009
Fernco Clamps
There is a slight leak around one of the joints of PVC pipe in the basement. The PVC pipe is connected to the kitchen sink. One easy fix is to buy a Fernco flexible elbow or two Fernco clamps with a PVC elbow.
According to the product description from Home Depot: "These high quality flexible couplings let you connect all common household drain, waste, and vent pipes quickly and easily without using special tools or fittings. They're the ideal replacement for fittings cut out at the joint during alteration or repair. These connectors are easily installed by tightening the 300 series stainless clamps. Made from flexible polyvinyl chloride these connectors fit cast iron, steel, plastic, cooper and lead."
I read about bell & spigot joints and here is the definition of spigot: "The end of a pipe that is inserted into an enlarged end of another pipe to form a joint." Another note: "When inserting a pipe between two fixed ends, cut the new piece to leave an 1/8-in. gap at both joints."
According to the product description from Home Depot: "These high quality flexible couplings let you connect all common household drain, waste, and vent pipes quickly and easily without using special tools or fittings. They're the ideal replacement for fittings cut out at the joint during alteration or repair. These connectors are easily installed by tightening the 300 series stainless clamps. Made from flexible polyvinyl chloride these connectors fit cast iron, steel, plastic, cooper and lead."
I read about bell & spigot joints and here is the definition of spigot: "The end of a pipe that is inserted into an enlarged end of another pipe to form a joint." Another note: "When inserting a pipe between two fixed ends, cut the new piece to leave an 1/8-in. gap at both joints."
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Guide to Building a HTPC
I plan to build a HTPC myself. On AVS Forum, there are a lot of useful information on this topic. I will start with Guide to Building a HD HTPC and its latest Recommended systems (last updated on Februry 1, 2009).
CPU: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 Processor, 2.5GHz, 2M L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB, LGA775, $70.99. (desktop CPU, higher power 65W, lower price, enough for HD playback)
Case: SilverStone SST-LC17-B Aluminum Front Panel/0.8 mm SECC Body ATX Media Center/HTPC Case, $119.99.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard, $140.31.
PSU: Rosewill RV350 350W ATX 1.3 Power Supply, $24.99.
Graphics card: ASUS EAH3450/DI/256M Radeon HD 3450 256MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile Video Card, $29.99.
Memory: Crucial 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory, $25.99.
CPU cooler: Rosewill RCX-Z775-EX 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler, $24.99.
HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS WD Caviar SE16 SATA Internal Hard Drive, 640 GB, 3 Gb/s, 16 MB Cache, 7200 RPM, $64.99.
Total cost: $502.24
Case: SilverStone SST-LC17-B Aluminum Front Panel/0.8 mm SECC Body ATX Media Center/HTPC Case, $119.99.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard, $140.31.
PSU: Rosewill RV350 350W ATX 1.3 Power Supply, $24.99.
Graphics card: ASUS EAH3450/DI/256M Radeon HD 3450 256MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile Video Card, $29.99.
Memory: Crucial 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory, $25.99.
CPU cooler: Rosewill RCX-Z775-EX 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler, $24.99.
HDD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS WD Caviar SE16 SATA Internal Hard Drive, 640 GB, 3 Gb/s, 16 MB Cache, 7200 RPM, $64.99.
Total cost: $502.24
Hard Drive Marketing Scam
I received my 1TB external hard drive. The size of the drive is 1,000,000,000,000 bytes or 931GB. When I bought the drive, I thought 1TB=1000GB or 1TB=1024GB or 1TB=2x500GB. Should I buy two 500GB drives or one 1TB drive given the same price?
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Water Heater Flue Pipe Installation
The tools I bought for the job include one 5-blade crimper and one 3-piece snip set. The materials I needed include two 6"x24" pipe, one 4"x24" pipe, one 6"x6"x6" tee, one 6" elbow, two 4" elbow, one 6"x5" reducer, one 6"x4" reducer, 50 sheet metal screws and one duct tape. Total cost including tax: $83.81.
I removed the old pipes for the water heater as well as a section for the furnace first. Taking sheet metal screws off the old pipes is not easy. The installation can be done by one person, but a second hand will be helpful. One annoying fact is elbows are easy to fall apart when falling to ground and it is very hard to fit it back in. To prevent exhaust leakage, the crimped side of a pipe is fit into the uncrimped side of a pipe in the path of the exhaust direction. I used a 9/64" drill bit to pre-drill into the connections and then screwed sheet metal screws in. Some pressure needs to be applied when drilling into metal. I tried to wrap the connections with duct tape. However, since the pipes are very close to the furnace, they become hot when the furnace is on. I decided not to use duct tape.
I removed the old pipes for the water heater as well as a section for the furnace first. Taking sheet metal screws off the old pipes is not easy. The installation can be done by one person, but a second hand will be helpful. One annoying fact is elbows are easy to fall apart when falling to ground and it is very hard to fit it back in. To prevent exhaust leakage, the crimped side of a pipe is fit into the uncrimped side of a pipe in the path of the exhaust direction. I used a 9/64" drill bit to pre-drill into the connections and then screwed sheet metal screws in. Some pressure needs to be applied when drilling into metal. I tried to wrap the connections with duct tape. However, since the pipes are very close to the furnace, they become hot when the furnace is on. I decided not to use duct tape.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Projector Contrast
From reviews on Projectorcentral, I got ANSI contrast and full On/Off contrast numbers on several projector models.
Model, ANSI contrast, full On/Off contrast, technology
Panasonic PT-AE3000, 446:1, 60000:1, LCD
Panasonic PT-AE2000, 305:1, 16000:1, LCD
Mitsubishi HC5500, 260:1, 14000:1, LCD
Mitsubishi HC1600, 498:1, 2500:1, DLP
Optoma HD65, 268:1, 4000:1, DLP
All projector manufacturers specify their contrast numbers based on full On/Off contrast. In real viewing environment, ANSI contrast is more relevant.
Model, ANSI contrast, full On/Off contrast, technology
Panasonic PT-AE3000, 446:1, 60000:1, LCD
Panasonic PT-AE2000, 305:1, 16000:1, LCD
Mitsubishi HC5500, 260:1, 14000:1, LCD
Mitsubishi HC1600, 498:1, 2500:1, DLP
Optoma HD65, 268:1, 4000:1, DLP
All projector manufacturers specify their contrast numbers based on full On/Off contrast. In real viewing environment, ANSI contrast is more relevant.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
WD 1TB Hard Drive
I purchased a Western Digital 1TB My Book Essential Edition USB 2.0 External Hard Drive WDH1U10000N this morning. The total is $113.95 including tax & shipping. I used Bountii to find the cheapest deal online, then I used Resellerratings to check the store rating. I read many customer reviews on Amazon and Newegg.
Walmart has this drive sold online at $114.00. But yesterday when I went to its local store, the store price was $159.99. Other than easier return, why bother visiting any retail stores if I can shop online?
Walmart has this drive sold online at $114.00. But yesterday when I went to its local store, the store price was $159.99. Other than easier return, why bother visiting any retail stores if I can shop online?
Notes on Vent Pipe Installation
Wear work gloves when working with sheet metal with sharp edges. Make cuts before rolling the sheet into a pipe. Cutting round pipe is difficult. Pre-drill 3 holes 120 degree apart and use sheet metal screws to connect the pieces. Use aluminum duct tape to seal the joints. Use Master Flow's flexible duct connector available at Home Depot to join the sections without crimped ends.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
HC1600 Rebate
Click here to check the status of Mitsubishi HC1600 rebate.
Update I: I receive $100 rebate on February 23, 2009.
Update II: I receive the free VLT-HC910LP replacement lamp on February 25, 2009.
Update I: I receive $100 rebate on February 23, 2009.
Update II: I receive the free VLT-HC910LP replacement lamp on February 25, 2009.
HDTV Viewing Distance
Human eye's resolution is 0.6 arc minute under good lighting conditions, which corresponds to pixel spacing of 0.3 arc minute. 1 arc minute is 1/60 of a degree.
20/20 vision means a person can distinguish 1 arc minute at a distance of 20 feet. To be able to see smaller pixels, one needs to sit closer to the screen.
As an example, the width and height of a 16:9 100" screen are 87.16" and 49.02", respectively. The pixel size for a 1080p (1920x1080) source is 0.0454". The maximum viewing distance for 1 arc minute is 13 feet. The pixel size for a 720p (1280x720) source is 0.0681". The maximum viewing distance for 1 arc minute is 19.5 feet.
If the screen size is 50", the maximum viewing distances for 1080p and 720p are 6.5 feet and 9.75 feet, respectively. If you cannot sit 6.5 feet in front of a 50" TV, there is no benefit for it to be 1080p.
For more information about visual acuity, visit Wikipedia, WebVision, ClarkVision.
20/20 vision means a person can distinguish 1 arc minute at a distance of 20 feet. To be able to see smaller pixels, one needs to sit closer to the screen.
As an example, the width and height of a 16:9 100" screen are 87.16" and 49.02", respectively. The pixel size for a 1080p (1920x1080) source is 0.0454". The maximum viewing distance for 1 arc minute is 13 feet. The pixel size for a 720p (1280x720) source is 0.0681". The maximum viewing distance for 1 arc minute is 19.5 feet.
If the screen size is 50", the maximum viewing distances for 1080p and 720p are 6.5 feet and 9.75 feet, respectively. If you cannot sit 6.5 feet in front of a 50" TV, there is no benefit for it to be 1080p.
For more information about visual acuity, visit Wikipedia, WebVision, ClarkVision.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Water Heater Duct
The flue pipe for our new water heater failed the township inspection. According to the local plumbing code, the diameter of the flue pipe should be 4". To fix the problem, we need to buy two 4" elbows, one 12" long 4" pipe, one 6" to 5" reducer plus 4" wye tee, one 30" long 6" pipe and one 6" elbow. Audubon Plumbing Supply sells these pipes and fittings. However, since this is the first time I work on stuff like this, I will buy from local Lowes or Home Depot because of their return policy.
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