Computer Log

Added darkmode plugin

The settings were not straight forward. I watched this…

My 1st exposure to multmeters was with a Triplitt analog meter my dad had, probably from the 1960s. It was simple and I trusted it. It looked very much like this one I found at HomeDepot.

I’m no great electronics expert. And I by far mostly use the meter to see if a electrical connection is “Hot“. I had a fold-able Radio Shack analog meter for many years.

All this rant started because I simply wanted to replace this (below) large overhead florescent light.

with a cheap modern LED light (below). And I assumed the light looking socket (from the ceiling) was just that… a standard light socket.

Anyway I have this funky garage ceiling connector, see below, that is where the ceiling light are connected. At first sight it looks like a regular light bulb would screw in there. But it’s not standard. Another funky device snaps (not screws) into that socket.

Well, the thing that snaps in (on the right, see below) that socket (above) has become loose and doesn’t really work. I’ve grown tired trying to find electric devices that work with this silly thing. A standard light bulb can screw in the bottom left. Could anything any less standard be imagined?

So I want to replace it but I need to make sure there’s no power there while I remove it. So I pulled out my digital Ragu 81D. And either I don’t understand how these newfangled digital meters work or It’s flaky as hell. This connector is operated by 2 on/off switches, one in the garage, and one in the house on the other side of the wall. That way you can turn it on/off on either side. You would think that someone living here for 30+ years would know what the switch positions are for on/off. But you would be wrong. Because the switches are dependent on the opposite switch. I finally removed it by clipping the connecting wires with insulated wire cutters. I didn’t like doing it this way… but it was quick. And I’m still alive.

To make a long story even longer, this stupid Pizza sauce meter always shows fluctuating AC voltage. WTH? Not my expected zero for 0 volts or 120+ AC volts. Not very reassuring. Anyway (have I used that word enough?). My dad also had, and now me, these very old school, but effective electric lights. Which I used as a tester. So I could simply touch the exposed connectors to exposed connector. And if the light, lights… I have power. So after all these years I now know both switches up… power. both switches down… power.

I’ve ordered another cheap meter. Hopefully it will work better than my Ragu (pizza sauce) POC.

I just don’t want to be electrocuted… is that so wrong?

I’ve been building my computers for 30+ years. And I’m kind of tired of doing it. I think it was more necessary in days-gone-by because I needed to make sure the hardware was compatible with Linux. The graphic card lingo is always so confusing. I’m not a hardcore gamer. And looking for advise invites BS comments. So I’m looking for a upgrade for my 64bit 2GB DDR3 video card that I’ve passed on for probably 3 builds. I run X-Plane with it. And it’s acceptable. So when I see comments like this it drives me crazy “XP11 Unplayable with GTX1660TI”. Really? Unplayable? I manage to “play” XP11 with an old 2GB card. But a much newer 192bit 6GB DDR6 card is unplayable? Maybe finish the sentence… you mean, with all settings maxed out?

Maybe I’m actually a graphics card genius. I run X-Plane on a graphics card most people think is impossible.

Finally decided to bite the bullet and order a graphics card from Amazon. Knowing full well I’ll see something cheaper/better after it arrives. But the order page said “Only 2 left in stock… order soon”. Which probably means returned and repackaged, or the worst looking box from that group. My last 3-4 orders had some boxes that appeared to be re-taped. The contents seemed fine, however I shouldn’t be paying a new price for something that has been opened/returned. I’m a good customer, and in my 26 years with Amazon, I believe I’ve returned 1 thing. An air compressor with smashed gauges. I’m a picky shopper who will grab a box 4-5 back on a store shelve. And until recently Amazon always sent very pristine looking packages.

A few years ago Walmart started doing free shipping, some things were cheaper than Amazon. And there shipping was outstanding. I often thought they over packed. But over night they started under packing/taping up items. I had an order with sugar and they just thew it loosely in a box with the rest of the order and it arrived with loose sugar all over everything. I had to stop ordering from them.

I was just curious. Seems like it would be easy to find. Finally asked to chat with someone. They told me I’ve been a member since 2014. I told them that was incorrect. I said you’re at least 15 years off. They proceeded to ask me for the order-id. Which I gave them. They then asked for the tracking # which I don’t know. Why would you need the tracking #? At that point I ended the “chat” because it seems I knew more than they did. I’m pretty sure Amazon use to say “Member since…”. Anywho… don’t know why I felt the need to hide the order # after 26 years. Guess I’m just paranoid. Also I know I screenshotted the chat, because that’s what I do, but evidently it went to /dev/null/ because it’s nowhere to be found.

I watched a Network Chuck video about OpenDNS. And I want to use it, to block certain websites, but apparently I can’t change the DNS settings on my Uverse Arris Router. I google it and various instructions tell you to go to menu items that don’t exist. And there are also articles that say you can’t change this Arris routers DNS servers. And I’m starting to believe it. Because in Chucks video he talks about OpenDNS providing instructions on changing almost any router. However they don’t list this router at all.

Yes you can change it on a device level. But I want to do it on a global level… the router. So it looks like I’m SOL.

Thinking back I seem to remember having the same problem setting up the Pi-Hole. I wanted to do it on the router… and I couldn’t.

Just got a big shock… all of a sudden the cards I was looking at were many hundreds of dollars more. Turns out I was on the English Amazon not the USA Amazon site.