A motley collection of ideas
Secret military installations have always attracted rumours and speculation, although even people living nearby rarely knew much about them for certain. Today, with the internet and satellite imagery available through services such as Google Earth, keeping such facilities hidden has become considerably more difficult. Genuinely sensitive installations may still remain shrouded in secrecy, but the … Read more
The latest victim on the Teardown Bench is a budget Lidl plug-in power meter. It was sacrificed because its plastic parts had literally begun to crumble away. There is nothing particularly remarkable inside, but the subject of electrical power measurement itself is well worth a closer look! The Silvercrest 9149 energy monitor (also sold as … Read more
For most of us, the Börzsöny Mountains bring to mind andesite, old mines and volcanic landforms. Yet one of the range’s most distinctive minerals is a genuine gemstone: almandine, the iron-rich member of the garnet group. Most Börzsöny specimens would hardly belong in a jeweller’s window, but they are all the more interesting geologically. These … Read more
You know that old Hofi Géza joke about “if you don’t have an aquarium…”? Well, I do have an aquarium. It has been fitted with 12 V LED lighting for quite some time. And there was a small problem with it. When a DC Connector Starts Getting Warm The lighting cable had a conventional round … Read more
Most Securit liquid chalk markers can be revived, as they feature water-based pigment ink and a valve-action system with a removable nib. The restoration steps: If the nib is frayed or permanently misshapen, Securit sells replacement nib sets, allowing you to keep using the marker as long as ink remains in the reservoir.