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Topics - holt [ switch to compact view ]

Pages: [1] 2next
1
General Software Discussion / Good Freeware Audio Editor?
« on: May 29, 2020, 05:10 AM »
What is a good program for editing .wav sound only files?

2
As per the attached photo and web page, what he calls a 'compression valve' but which I call a 'valve seat', made of brass, keeps eroding across the 'face' of the valve, where the rubber gasket presses against to shut it off.

The same thing happened to me. You put in a brand new valve seat, and within half a year or a year, it erodes across the 'face' and a runnel or groove is formed, resulting in an unfixable leak. It does not matter if you use a 100% brass valve seat, or a nickel-plated one. They both erode.

How to fix. The 'fix' is simple to describe, but a little tricky to perform, but my 'fix' has been going strong for five or six years now with no sign of quitting.

Take a new valve seat, and rough up the 'facing' (where the rubber presses against the flat circle of the valve seat), using about 200 grit sandpaper. Don't try to reform it; just rough up the 'face'.
Next, take electrician's solder, and create a ring-shaped layer of solder on the surface of the valve 'face'.

This is the 'easy to describe, but tricky to do' part. I had to use a big old-fashioned electric soldering iron, mounted in a big bench vise, pointed straight up, to put the brass valve seat on and heat it up. Before you do that, you need to apply a thin layer of soldering acid paste to prevent a micro-thin layer of corrosion from forming when heated up, which would prevent the solder from bonding. At the same time, you want to avoid getting solder on the valve seat threads, which could interfere with screwing it back into place in the valve body. If you get it in the threads, just heat the entire valve seat up and drop it on the bench a few times to shock it physically and knock the excess molten solder off.

The really tricky part, is that, as you apply the solder to the valve 'face', there will be a persistent tendency for the solder to form a 'bump' on one part of the ring of the valve face, and a dip or dimple either next to it, or opposite it, on the ring of the face. I had this happen repeatedly. It was so persistent that it was positively mystifying. I tried getting an extra-thick buildup of solder and sanding it all down flat, and I kept wearing through the thin layer of solder and exposing tiny areas of brass on the valve face. Time and time again, over and over, and over and over, I ran into this problem. Finally, after about an hour, I succeeded in getting a uniform layer of solder on the ring of the valve face that was smooth and flat. Then, I had to do it to the other valve; because there are two valves; 'hot' and 'cold'.

I did this about five or six years ago, and I have not had to service the valves ever since. Just that tiny layer of solder, bonded to the brass valve seat. That's all I did. This has been the result.  :Thmbsup:

edit: If you must, you can try to salvage and reface an old valve seat with a groove in it. Just rough it up, including the groove, and refill the groove at the same time as you reface the valve face. Come to think of it, that's what I did, but mine wasn't as bad as the one in the photo. I fixed the leak and it stayed fixed.

3
General Software Discussion / .cda music to 24bit wav format?
« on: April 27, 2020, 03:21 PM »
I have some original .cda audio music files (for which I own copyright) which I want to upload.
It looks like I need to convert .cda to 24bit wave format.

4
Living Room / 2TB USB Drive under $10 - Fake + Malware
« on: April 20, 2020, 08:17 PM »
...2TB USB Drive and Got More Than Just Malware
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2mDGIFl0DI
A youtube user paid $3 for 'zero' capacity & trashed his OS.

2TB USB FLASH DRIVE MEMORY STICK from ebay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odLsOM_FsxY
Another YT user paid about the same and got no malware but only half GB capacity.

Moral: As of this post, 04-20-2020, I seem to be seeing a ton of dirt cheap 2TB flash drive offers. But as seen in the above sample videos, 2TB 'no name' flash drives for under $10 are too good to be true and potentially dangerous to your OS.

One name brand I've known to always be reputable is Kingston; you will pay about $17.95 for 128GB plus shipping on Amazon, or $24.95 plus free shipping on Ebay. This is not spam, just fair comparison pricing to the above 'too good to be true' 2TB offers.

5
General Software Discussion / Windows 10 Alarms & Clock
« on: February 16, 2020, 05:35 PM »
Is there any way to run two separate instances of Alarms simultaneously; like, one for one time at AM and one for a different time in PM?

6
I'm getting annoying Brave browser 'brave rewards' pop-ups. How can I shut that off? I don't care about their 'rewards', I just want the pop-ups to stop.

7
In Windows 10, in the lower right corner of the task bar, is a speaker icon. Whenever I click on it to raise or lower the master sound level, when it closes, it gives a loud chime sound. How do you turn off the closing chime sound?

8
Living Room / freeware reader?
« on: December 24, 2019, 08:20 PM »
What is a good freeware reader for amazon ebooks for a laptop with windows 10?

9
Living Room / laptop temperature fluctuations
« on: December 13, 2019, 09:50 AM »
My dual-core HP laptop with Win 10 and 8 gb ram is about half a year old. Usually it runs lukewarm but sometimes it gets quite warm for no discernible reason; could that maybe be Norton running in the background?
Could I safely run VLC with two separate long-play videos at the same time for extended time periods without overheating it?

10
General Software Discussion / Paint Shop Pro 7
« on: November 29, 2019, 02:11 AM »
I always 'got along well' with Paint Shop Pro 7, and once I learned its basics, I did wonders with it (IMHO). Now, I 'wonder'; will it work with Windows 10 64-bit?

11
General Software Discussion / Good Freeware Video Editor?
« on: November 25, 2019, 09:08 PM »
I would like to find a free video editor to reset the volume more evenly on about a dozen youtube music vids which vary widely in volume and are all under five minutes in length. I have a one year old dual-core laptop with Windows 10 and 8GB of ram but no disk player.

The post title of this thread is the same as an earlier one which was started by siouxdax in 2006 and had its last post in 2007, so I thought I might as well make this a completely new thread.

12
General Software Discussion / mystery annoying popup
« on: November 13, 2019, 12:16 AM »
I have a laptop with Windows 10, and Norton 360, and Malwarebytes. I wish I could tell you more, but all I know so far is that a little box pops up in the lower right corner of Desktop about once a day with what looks like little ads. If I click on it all it does is disappear. I forget now what they all said. As I learn or figure out more, I'll keep you posted here (for whoever is interested). Many thanks.

13
General Software Discussion / no VLC bookmarks
« on: July 29, 2019, 04:46 PM »
I can't get bookmarks to work in VLC. I'm running Windows 10 on a laptop.

14
Living Room / Why do I need a router?
« on: June 06, 2019, 10:15 PM »
When I got my new laptop, I unthinkingly connected it to the Internet via my old router which my old PC needed.
Today my old router died, then revived, then died again.
I called our ISP Help Desk, and tomorrow their service rep is coming to bring a new router and $9.99/mo 2/yr service contract for me to sign.
But...I just unplugged my Internet cable from the dead router and plugged it directly into the new laptop.
I was asked if I wanted my laptop to be 'seen' by 'other PCs on this network' (my home), with a recommendation to choose 'Yes', so I did.
So now I'm getting on the Internet just fine.
So...why do I need a router?

15
Living Room / grabby mouse pad
« on: May 13, 2019, 01:00 PM »
My mouse pad is getting older and grabby. What if I spray it with -say- silicon spray?

17
Living Room / What musical piece is this?
« on: April 24, 2019, 06:51 AM »
I think this may be by the classical musical composer Bela Bartok. I don't know of any way of posting a sample written musical score without laboriously finding, downloading, and installing a huge music-composing software program.  :-\  So I will try just posting the notes in alphabetical form, and see if anyone has any idea who the composer is, and what the name of the Work may be.
So here goes, in simple melodic form, on which the full orchestration is based, and hope for the best.  :)
A blank space indicates a new note, \ indicates that the next note is 'down'; / indicates that it is 'up'. Single letters are quarter notes, as 'C'. Double letters, as 'CC', are half notes. 'R' is a quarter-note 'rest', 'RR' is a half-note 'rest'. '#' is a 'sharp'; 'flat' (spelled out) is a 'flat', as 'B-flat'.
I will post a full scale in the Key of C to help me choose my notes as letters more accurately:
A B C D E F G,  A B C D E F G,  A B C D E F G.
It is a fairly quick piece, not slow or languorous. Here is the first part of it.
C C C \B /D D D /E \C C C \B \G \CC /D /E /F. (repeat).
CC /D /E /F# F# /G \F# \E \DD, \CC /D /E /F# F# \E \D \B \A. (repeat) .

18
General Software Discussion / could not click out
« on: April 04, 2019, 12:57 PM »
OS: Windows 10; browser: Seamonkey; Anti-V: Norton 360, Malwarebytes, CryptoPrevent.
I was watching Exceptional Engineering - Offroad Caravan Monsters on youtube, when a pop-up ad appeared on the lower LEFT for an electronic 'tiki torch' ad that I took an interest in. I clicked (safely, or so I assumed) on it -I mean, it's 'only' youtube, right?- and viewed the ad. Then, I tried to click out. And I'm, like; 'Okay, where do I--hmm; lemme see now...'
Nowhere could I find to click out. I tried, I really did. I finally virtually crashed Seamonkey and actually had to Log Out, then log in again and start a new session from Desktop.
Okay, so I should'na clicked in, even if it is 'only youtube'. So anyways how do you 'click out' from that ad page?

19
Living Room / accessory DVD & usb port for laptop?
« on: March 31, 2019, 11:52 AM »
I was given a nice fast laptop with Windows 10 64 bit, 8GB ram, and SSD drive. It's a dream, but no DVD burner. I've already tied up three usb outlets for a thumb drive and one 750GB external old-type 'rotary' storage drive and mouse, so I also need an external usb multi-port unit. I could do with some suggestions, please? Tnx.

20
Living Room / Boeing 737 exposee
« on: March 26, 2019, 09:34 AM »
'problems with Boeing 737 next generation with structural dangers reported SBS​ dateline Australia'

This is NOT the recent 'software programming' issue; this is a whole different, long-overdue, mind-blowing exposee of shabby workmanship coverup and whistleblower betrayal at the highest levels of Boeing in cozy illicit collusion with a corrupt FAA.

21
General Software Discussion / youtube downloader?
« on: March 17, 2019, 09:30 PM »
What is a good free addon youtube vid downloader and browser to use with, please? I prefer seamonkey or pale moon, but will try just about anything if it has a good dumbed-down HUD or clickable icon for code-challenged non-pros like me.

22
Living Room / Laptop monitor screen to box pc via cables?
« on: January 11, 2018, 04:17 AM »
Is there any basic plug-in -non soldering- way to connect my old dead laptop's presumably good screen to my box type Pentium computer? I can think of two basic things -as in 'specialized' cables- it needs; data, and power cables.

23
Living Room / War Dogs – This brought tears to my eyes.
« on: December 01, 2017, 12:16 PM »
WAR DOGS ON DEATH ROW Veteran dogs which saved thousands of lives while on duty in Afghanistan both face being put down — because Top Brass claim they can’t be re-homed

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5039355/hero-army-dogs-face-being-put-down/
Both face lethal injections after chiefs ruled them unsafe for new homes. One angry handler said as a rescue campaign began: “We’ll do anything to save them.”

A distraught handler has slammed the decision to destroy Army dogs Kevin and Dazz — saying: “This is such a cruel way to treat these animals that have given us so much.”

The two Belgian Shepherds, retired after dozens of life-saving missions as specially-trained search dogs in Afghanistan, are due to be put down next week after chiefs ruled they can’t be re-homed.

Former soldiers and handlers who worked with the pair — and with an ex-police hound named Driver which is also doomed to die — have written to the commanding officer at the Defence Animal Centre in Melton Mowbray, Leics.

More Belgian Shepherd pix at duckduckgo:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Belgian+Shepherd&t=seamonkey&iax=images&ia=images

24
Living Room / Tomaso Albinoni Concerts
« on: August 04, 2017, 09:02 PM »
Albinoni: Complete Oboe Concertos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMLSwqAOzHo

Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (8 June 1671 – 17 January 1751)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomaso_Albinoni

25
In Windows XP, is there some way to create temporary digital Post-It notes that are always on top of everything else? I mean; like, 3 or 4 word notes of temporary but extreme importance, like for example, 'FEED PKNG MTR 3PM', or similar temporary warnings. Maybe even with options like 'grab & move', fluorescent green or orange colors, flashing mssgs, variable font size.

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