Recent content by macwhiz

It happens to me a lot when I first go to use the QuickJacks. Yes, I always do at least five seconds after they're fully down. My no-evidence theory is that the slight movement of the frames as you lift them to hang them introduces just enough pressure to make the fittings finicky. It's usually...

Push and hold the Down button on the remote as you push the quick disconnect fitting into place. That's what QuickJack will tell you to do. That provides a path out for any residual pressure that built up in the system.

For Genie, one eye should have a red LED and the other a green one. Both should be on steady if they're happy. If the red one is blinking, there is a misalignment, obstruction, interference from sunlight, or malfunction; see the manual to decode the blink pattern. One or both LEDs being out...

The OBDII functions work forever. For the other stuff, you can pay a la carte one of two ways: $39.99 per year per car manufacturer unlocks all functions for that manufacturer. (Except Tesla, which costs a good bit more.) You get one manufacturer free for one year when you buy the ThinkDiag...

It's junk. It's not that bright. The battery becomes useless quickly. But worst of all is: the means of attaching it to the hood is atrocious. The end caps have a flimsy but thick plastic hook that you can sort of wedge into any drain holes in the underside of the hood. They also have magnets...

ThinkDiag. For $99 you get a dongle that works with your phone to be a virtual Diagun. (The software is clearly derived from Launch's Diagun, very similar interface.) There's subscription fees, either per-manufacturer or per-service-type, but if you aren't pro enough to be going with an Autel...

So there's a fair bit of upfront cost to buy a TiVo, but then you own it, and you only have to pay a token monthly fee, if any, for a CableCARD, instead of cable box rental fees. And it can be fun getting the cable company to turn it on properly. But it is better than the cable company box. And...

I would not reballast any fixture now. Converting to ballast-bypass LED is better in every way. Instant on. Instant full brightness, even in the cold. No flicker. No hum. No need to replace the ballast when it wears out again. Substantially lower energy usage. Brighter. Less prone to damage...

PoE is the way to go. The real question is, what are your options for getting power into that Ethernet? Most of the Ubiquiti UniFi access points come with a power injector that will let you use your existing switch. For one or two APs, that's fine, but if you have many APs, that's a lot of...

Most any crimper will do the job for Cat5e. I use a 15-year-old Ideal. No ratchet, no frills, also does RJ11. More important is getting quality cable ends. The “CETech” Home Depot house brand are terrible. Stay away. No name Chinese ends from Amazon are better. I’m currently using a bag of...

What you want is a point-to-point wireless bridge. The Ubiquiti NanoStation series should do the trick, and you can get two for well under $200. These devices are designed to make a solid link of up to 10km. A building 100 feet away is easy. Even 200 feet away, you can run them at 10% power and...

I’ve got a shop about 150 feet from the house. Two Ubiquiti NanoStation Loco M5s as the network link. Those units have a ten-MILE range. I run them at 5% power and the signal is rock solid, even during thunderstorms and white-out snow. Heck, one of them is constantly covered in bird ****...

I’ve got old 8-footers myself, interconnected troffers . I went the retrofit route. Yeah, you have to remove the ballasts and rewire the sockets. Still might be less work than taking down the old fixtures and installing new conduit and outlets to code for plug-in lights. Plus you can replace...

Not only can’t you run Ethernet in the same conduit as power because of the electrical code, it would be a horrible idea for your network. It would put a lot of noise on the wire. Keep in mind that if you run Ethernet between buildings, you will also need lightning suppression installed on the...

The Flexible Installer Drill Bit, such as the Klein Tools 53721 available at Home Depot. With one of those kits, fishing a new outlet into a wall is trivial, especially in a one-story home with an unfinished basement. Cut the hole for the outlet, then you slip the flexible bit into the hole...