fivetomins

Ok. The small indicator light on most computers or other electronic devices...you know, like the little light on a CD drive that illumintes whenever it's active, etc. From what I can gather those lights are implemented via an LED (is it SMT/SMD or through-hole? Not sure...) and a light pipe that extends to the back of the enclosure. Is there actually a light pipe in this implementation? I'd suspect that it would need to be quite short if so. But my real question is about the lens. It seems like these lights have a small lens of sorts that is press-fit into the hole in the front of the enclosure (be it the front of the CD drive or whatever other enclosure). These holes and lenses are either oval or rectangular in shape. I'd like to find those lenses, preferrably in different colors. Also interested in how they work. Unfortunately I don't have one that I can take apart to find out.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

The narrow gray strip (a sash or pane control) in between the mail and the advertisement in Yahoo Mail has disappeared on my laptop. However when I login to Yahoo Mail on a different computer, I do see this strip and can temporarily hide the mother-lovin advertisements. Has anyone else seen this? Do I have some kind of spyware or virus on my laptop that might cause that (seems unlikely). I have checked the Yahoo Mail options to see if something got turned off accidentally, but couldn't find anything related. I want to be able to make the friggin ads disappear, even if temporarily.

Thanks

Hi-

I need to find an automotive compression test adapter (not diesel) that is 1/4 NPT female on one end (to mate to a pressure transducer) and 14mmX1.25 male on the other end to go into the spark plug hole. An exhaustive Internet search is turning up nothing to this point. So I thought I'd ask. Can anyone point me to where I can find one of these?

Thanks!

I am working on a 'fun' project...building my own automotive compression tester. The question I have is what is about the maximum compression reading that you can expect to see on an automotive gasoline engine? The ones I have dealt with topped out at about 180 PSI. But what about some of the higher horsepower variants? I just bought a 0 - 200 PSI transducer and am wondering if I should have gotten the 250 PSI one instead. That is what is at the center of the question really. And I know about diesels, which can have pressures of 500, maybe even 550 or 600 PSI in some cases. But I am focusing only on automotive gasoline engines in this application.

Thanks in advance!

Hi-

I read through the instructions last night regarding the choice of a filing status for your 2011 tax return. I came away just as confused, more so actually, than when I started. So exactly WHAT counts for a head of household qualifying person was the issue. In my case, I'd like to claim HOH because my ex-wife continued to live with me after our divorce last year. I helped because she didn't have much in the way of a job. While she was there I of course paid 100% of the home upkeep. She was there all but a month during the 2011 calendar year.

However I just cannot tell if she would count as a qualifying person or not. Again, I read the instructions but couldn't make a determination. My gut feel was "no", that is to say that she would NOT count as a qualifying person, but I thought I'd ask to see if anyone could help me out. I prepare my return myself and would like to avoid the need to pay someone else to do it for the sole reason of not being able to answer this question. Things are still kinda "financially tight" after the divorce.

Thanks

Hi-

Did a search regarding this subject but didn't come up with much, mostly Q&A regarding their commercials. I am interested to hear from folk who have GEICO for their homeowner's policy. What is your experience with them? Have you ever filed a claim? Was it settled fairly and promptly?

I have done a comparison against other policies and the current quote I have from GEICO is comparable in terms of coverages and prices to Nationwide and State Farm. I am leaving State Farm due to their refusal to pay a hail damage claim. In the end, I had to secure legal representation and threaten litigation, which I was prepared to do, but they reviewed my attorney's letter and decided to pay the claim instead of face a court hearing. Anyway. Looking for new homeowner's insurance and will likely bundle. Currently I have GEICO for my auto policy.

Thanks!

Hi all-

Earlier this year I noticed damage to my roof. Per the recommendation of my State Farm rep I called a roofer who came out and told me that I have hail damage. There was a storm that came through here late last year and I did see hail, but didn't notice any damage to my roof at the time. Of course I wouldn't know hail damage if I was looking right at it and I didn't climb on my roof to get a closer look either. Anyway, State Farm is refusing to pay the claim, stating that the damage was pre-existing prior to my purchase of the house in November 2009. I have a home inspection report from a home inspection professional stating that there was no hail damage on the roof. I have shown that to State Farm but they refused to budge.

I filed a claim with the state board of insurance but I doubt that will do much, as I have since learned that insurance companies "run it" basically. So now I am considering litigation but I've never sued anyone before and not sure how much of a case I have. It seems straightforward to me, I mean the report states that no hail damage was present. SF says that there isn't any weather data to support a claim of hail during the latter part of last year and that the damage looks old so it must have been from earlier in 2009. I told them that they couldn't make such a determination from those weather reports, as I know all about them (I am a pilot/flight instructor). But of course they have remained with their position.

I have consulted with an attorney but he didn't specialize in real estate (despite what the google search showed) and told me that he couldn't help, pretty much because he only accepts cases that he knows he can win. Wha-? Again, this one seems obvious to me, but what do I know? This is my first home and could use some guidance.

So. Anyone have any experience with this type of thing?

Thanks!

One of the smoke alarms in my house has been doing its "quick chirp" thing lately, seemingly to tell me that it needs a new 9 volt battery. I have played round-robin with batteries but at best they'll last a couple (possibly a few) days and then the chirps come back again, usually at night, which is not good for the sleep thing. Anyway, I decided that I needed to do a little more investigative work rather than just keep replacing the battery. I noticed that the battery itself was noticeably warm, whereas the batteries in my other alarm units were not. I disconnected the unit from its connector such that it is not a part of the overall system whatsoever. And I am suspecting that it is this particular unit itself that is bad, and that I simply need to go to Home Depot (or wherever) and get a replacement.

Somehow that just seems too simple. I noticed that the chirps continued even after I had disconnected the unit. They continued until I had removed the unit from the bedroom it was in, then those chirps ceased. While they mysteriously continued I listened, and it appeared that this defective unit was still the culprit, though the chirps only lasted a couple of times and I don't hear anything now.

So the questions are:

1) Is it really this simple and I just need to buy a new unit

2) Is it possible that the defective unit continued to make chirps (only a couple) for a short time after I had disconnected it?

Thanks!

I have a rather bright light on my front porch, which is a relatively small area, almost like a small room really. Anyway, the ceiling on the porch is quite high, probably 18 feet or so. A light hangs down from the ceiling such that it is about 11 feet off of the porch. Each year about this time, my front porch becomes almost unusable at night because of all of the flying insects that are drawn to the light. Mostly I see small gnats, some moths (or what look like moths), and a few flies and mosquitoes. Most prevalent though are the gnats. Anyway, I was thinking of buying a bug zapper and wiring it into the house's electrical system, then hanging it up near the ceiling of the porch so that it will be out-of-sight when you stand in front of the house and look at it straight-on. The hope being that the flying pests will be more attracted to the zapper and my problem will be solved.

That said, I have seen mixed reviews about WRT the whole zapper thing. Anyone have any advice about the best way to solve this problem? Thanks!

Looking for folk who have feedback from personal experience with sheet metal work regarding which small angle grinder is the best for grinding back welds. Specifically, I have some repairs to do on the body of one of my vehicles; I need to weld in new patch panels. You see all of these small air powered right angle grinders on these auto repair tv programs, but I could not find any information about the tools being used. I looked into the Craftsman right angle grinder, but the salesman at the store told me that you couldn't attach any sanding/grinding discs to it. I thought that was odd, but whichever. Thanks!

Hi - I am considering having our wedding at Chapel Dulcinea in Austin. Before I commit though I would like to get some feedback from those who have actually done this. Was this a good place to have your wedding? Their website mentions folk who have asked if they are a cult or something (it's located on the grounds of a non-traditional business school) and their writeup addresses the question well, but I must confess that I was already asking that question in my own mind before I saw that page on their website.

No offense to anyone, but I don't want to get into a situation where I am being asked to join a church or other religious (or non-religious) organization of any kind. I remember living in LA and making that mistake once ... the Scientologists wouldn't leave me alone for a week afterwards.

Thanks for your input in advance!

I close on a house November 16th (2009). This would have made me eligible for the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit even without the extension that was recently announced. However, in its original form the salary limitation for single income tax filers such as myself to receive the full $8000 tax credit was $75,000/year with a straight-line declination to $95,000 at which the tax credit available was $0. I was irate over that aspect of the law, but don't get me started.

Ok so now this tax credit has been extended until 4/30/2010 to be under contract and 6/30/2010 to close, from what I have read today. The single tax filer salary cap has also been increased to $125,000 with the new declination ending at $145,000. More reasonable numbers IMHO, but whatever. I fall between these salary numbers at around $100K per year.

So the question I have is will I/am I now eligible for the entire $8000 credit even though I close BEFORE the OLD deadline? The question seems silly really, but I gotta ask to be sure.

Anyone know?

Ok. Interested in purchasing a car from Arizona that has a current notarized "open" title, though not in the seller's name. My understanding is that an "open title" means that someone bought the car, the previous owner signed (and in this case notarized the signature) the title, but the buyer/new owner never transferred it into his name. He claimed to do this so that whoever bought the car next could just write their name in on the title. 'Course I think he was just avoiding the title transfer/registration costs.

But back to the point. It's a racing car, ergo never used on the street, so this kinda stuff isn't unusual. Heck just the fact that there is a title at all for a racing car is amazing (I know, I've been looking for a racing car WITH a valid title for about 3 months now). But this open title thing bothers me.

I'm in TEXAS and I called TxDOT today. The CSR gave me the usual schpiel about how to bring in an out-of-state vehicle and do a title-only type of transaction. Again, no need to register it since it won't be taken on the street. You just need the title, the bill of sale and forms 130-U and 131. Take 'em to the courthouse, pay the fee and you're done. Cheese. So that part of the equation I grasp.

As I mentioned, it's the open title part that has me scratching my head. Basically, I see only two options:

1) Get the seller to get the previous seller to give him a Power of Attorney to sell the car to me, then it won't matter that the title and the bill of sale have different names and signatures on them

2) Get the seller to get the previous seller to sign the bill of sale so that the names match, though the previous seller won't get any $$$

and I thought of a third option just now:

3) Request that the seller transfer the vehicle into his name first; even offer to cover expenses as necessary, depending on how much I want the car.

And of course the obvious fourth option:

4) Find something else.

Well hmmmmmmmm....option 3 isn't too likely. 4 is a possibility, but again most every race car I've seen doesn't even have a title let alone an open title, so....guess I could just hold out...

Ok. So what have I missed? Anyone?

Thanks

I just bought a used SnapOn ACT3120 A/C recycle-charging machine from a shop that was going out-of-business. Relatively cheap, but of course it's an R12 machine. I'd like to convert to R134. I think it'd be pretty easy technically-speaking, changing the hoses, fittings, filters. It may need to be reprogrammed/switch flipped too, not sure. Heard today it might be expensive to do "legally", whatever that means. Anyone else done this? Thanks.

This seems pretty straightforward, but seeing as how I've not done it yet, I thought I'd ask. Anyone have any tips for how to do this on your website. Lots of websites do it, so it's gotta be relatively simple. www.mokeysee.com is a good example. Thanks!

I'm looking to buy some pneumatic tools for the garage and am trying to come up to speed on their details. I noticed when buying that there are different sizes of "drives" for the air ratchets, impact wrenches and drills, such as 1/4", 1/2", 3/8" and 1". I'm guessing that this refers to the width of the primary ("drive"?) gear inside the tool? And for the air hammers, what does BPM mean and why do the heavier duty models have a lower BPM number? Thanks.

Ok, gotta ask this one, even if it's a bit on the stupid side, cause I don't have any experience with this stuff. It appears that the grinder is used for removing paint, rust and such from the surface of cars, though I suppose it could be used on any type of metal surface. The die grinder on the other hand looks like it's used to create holes in metal objects, such as in porting an engine, which usually means making the air intake/exhaust ports (or "holes") bigger. Is this in the ballpark? Thanks.