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My old cable modem died of a voltage spike which occurred during last week's wind storm. It has been replaced. I'm back online!
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Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
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Calimesa, CA 92320
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Comments
That's part of why I have a
That's part of why I have a second spare cable modem on the shelf. I can't afford to be down several days while getting a new one. With the second, I can just call and give the mac address, and they'll activate it.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Aren’t cable boxes dedicated to a particular company?
I am upgrading to a faster modem and was told to ‘recycle’ the old modem. (Not to try to ship it back to the company) - IF - you could POSSIBLY reuse the old one, let me know — and how we can get it to you.
An avid Reader
It varies
I used to own my modem but it died and by then my ISP “stopped charging” (ha ha) for rental of theirs.
Good luck finding reuse for your old modem. Many cable companies limit what they allow to simplify “support.”
I hate the idea of discarding perfectly-working items, or of “disposable” things in general. My 70-year-old Parker 51 writes well, thank you.
Much like my 1913 Gillette
Much like my 1913 Gillette razor. Still shaves great, and uses standard DE blades you can buy today.
Most cable companies will let you use your own modem for home. If you are a business, you're F'ed. You have to 'rent' one from them. As long as it's one of the major brands, they don't fuss much about it. You want to use your Chinese discount model? That's another story.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Cool.
It's been decades since I've used a fountain pen myself. But I loved using them as a teenager.
I have well over a hundred
I have well over a hundred fountain pens myself. I use one or more daily. I don't understand people that would rather use a gooey 'gel' pen when they can get all the colours they want in bottled ink, and it doesn't leave big lumps everywhere. (there are downsides, but they're easy to manage)
Plus the safety razors. I've tried disposables, multi-blade "shave with a sneaker", and electric, and the Gillette twist to open I got in 1985 still shaves better than any of them, cheaper (11 cents a blade, 6-12 shaves per blade), and recyclable.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Good fountain pens are expensive
and take a fair bit of adjustment to use well.
I can buy a pack of 12 pens or pencils for a dollar, and those will last me two, maybe three years. If I'm smart about what I buy, I can even find ones with quick enough drying inks I don't smear the crap out of them when I write or draw (which, as a lefty, is important.) Even when buying art pens (for the rare times I work physically rather than digitally,) I can get a full set of different nib sizes for around ten bucks, and those will generally last me a good long while.
I have an internet friend who works in a store that specializes in fancy pens in Australia. She swears by a 400 AUD model with refills that cost about 25 AUD for ten. If that makes her happy, then great... but not something I think I could swing.
A brand-new Parker 51 costs about 60 bucks. Ink goes for about 10+. Assuming a bottle of ink lasts someone, say, 20 years, that's 70 dollars for 20 years of the same color and consistency of ink (again, assuming the ink is well stored and good quality to begin with.) If I spend, say, 5 dollars on pens every 2 years -- a pack of cheap-o ones and maybe one fancier 2-3 dollar pen in a color I like, like the maroon Zebras -- then over that same 20 years I'd have spent about 50 bucks. Now, after ANOTHER 20 years the fountain pen would have cost 80 and I'd have spent 100... but again, that's assuming that you don't need anything drastic in that time, and that you're doing the regular maintenance to maintain your pen in good working order.
And then there's the free pens you can nab from doctors' offices, businesses, as promotions from various places....
Fountain pens are nice, sure. So are fancy pens with replaceable ink cartridges. But at the end of the day, most folks are just as well off with a half-chewed Bic they borrowed off a friend as they are with a 200 dollar pen they gotta refill. :)
(And as for razors, I actually do probably over-spend there. I use a Venus handle, but with the off-brand compatible heads. I tend to try to stretch a head to about 3 months or 12 -15 full-body shaves, and the heads average out about 2.30 each. I've tried razors with less than 3 blades, including a safety razor, and they tend to leave me bloody and raw. Heck, I've taken a quarter-inch chunk out of my leg with the Venus before: imagine that with a straight or 'safety' razor!)
Melanie E.
A decent fountain pen that
A decent fountain pen that requires no more than being flushed out (bit of detergent and water to remove manufacturing process oils) costs less than $10. No adjustment necessary - it's just a pen. The 'adjustment' for pens is mostly for the really high end ones, with more flexible gold nibs (or damaged). The steel ones are generally good out of the box. I'm still using a Parker Vector that I bought in Jr. High school - over 35 years ago. (it shows the marks of being trapped under the agitator in the washing machine) In that length of time, how many trash bags could you have filled with the disposables you're touting? Same with the razors?
For slicing yourself up with a safety razor? That's common. If you're used to disposables, you don't think about one simple fact. Disposables don't have a blade that's even with the razor. Instead, they're slightly recessed. You have to shove it into your face to get the blade to touch skin. Treat any pre-disposable that way, and you end up ramming a blade directly into the skin.
You can also have issues with the fit of the razor. My best friend sliced himself up, and decided the razor wasn't for him, and gave them to me. Later, I tried that exact razor, and it sliced me up as well. After some careful inspection, I found that the razor was NOT made quite right - the blade was actually rotated and angled, and not in a nice way. In 36 years of shaving, that bad razor is the worst I've ever cut myself.
Bic is the company we have to blame for the largest chunk of the "let's throw it away" mentality. Disposable lighters, pens, and razors. That company alone has filled SO many landfills. Signore Biro has a lot to answer for in judgement.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Not touting, just giving reasons for use.
You're not wrong about the waste part of it, but most of the material used in pens is recycle-able, so that's something at least.
A big part of the adjustment I'm talking about is the difference in the way the nibs work. I've tried fountains in the past, and there's a difference in how you hold it, *especially* if, again, you're a lefty who has to crab claw most ink pens anyway to try and avoid smears (I have to brace my hand when writing or drawing due to nerves, too, which makes it that much worse.)
You were right that there are plenty of excellent reasons to go with what you say. I was simply stating that there are plenty of reasons not to as well.
Melanie E.
Not suggesting you run out
Not suggesting you run out and try it immediately, but there are some faster drying inks that have come out in the last decade or so, specifically aimed to lefties. Heck, there are some folks that sell nibs built for that - pull out the standard nib, put in the leftie nib. No idea how well they work out, because I stopped writing much with my left hand once I left high school. Teachers hate it when you're writing lines on the board - and you use two hands.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
The old Parker 51’s. . .
. . . had iridium alloyed on the tip of the nib (most abrasion-resistant metal). Don’t know if the modern ones still do.
I’m also lefty; partial to Waterman ink which dries quickly enough for me, at least with my choice of paper. No way I’d get 20 years from a bottle, maybe 3-5 if I’m lucky? I’m nearly out of the bottle I started just before Covid. With a habit of regular refill, the pen seldom runs dry.
Soon after I switched to the Parker, a family heirloom, the light touch I adopted cured me of hand cramps. Really, the only time I don’t like a fountain pen is air travel.
Some have iridium welded to
Some have iridium welded to it, most of the cheap ones just use stainless steel. A few use plated steel.
You can use a pen during air travel. There's a tiny trick, and it mostly only works with converter fillers. Before you get on the plane, rotate the converter to pull ink from the nib towards the converter. That breaks the air seal. the air pressure in the pen will alter to match the atmosphere for the flight, and then you can push ink back to the nib to reestablish writing. Repeat before descending.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Sorry, but they took the old
Sorry, but they took the old one with them.
Updadate: I just discovered they left the old cable modem. However, it needed to be replaced so it's not working.
Just passing through...
Protect your modem
by puting it behind a UPS. They smooth out the spikes and will keep your internet going if there is a power outage.
I have to two at my home. One for my Modem and the other for the server that runs my website. They will give me 6-8 hours of power if the grid is down. I put them in almost 5 years ago.
Sadly, they are now pretty redundant as I have 33kWh of home storage that keeps the whole house going during the day and also when the power goes out. They get charged with cheap power between 00:00 and 05:00 GMT.
Samantha
I had it on a UPS. The
I had it on a UPS. The problem was the voltage spike came through the data cable! Also, the service provider won't let me run the cable through a surge protector.
This may be why the TV cable needed a while to come back up after the power returned. At any rate, the lights were on (the modem) but it refused to connect.
Just passing through...
Sorry re: your stuff. Thanks for reminder, so I ...
just rearranged my "computer stuffs" 'power nest', adding surge protectors. Thanks!
Then I did some research, and learned that some of the electronics used in suppressing a spike/surge are "self sacrificial" - each 'spike' consumes some of the rated 'joules'.
https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ie/000145629/informati...,
https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/home/surge-pro....
The faster the response time, the better. Look for as close to one nanosecond or less as you choose to afford. (Light in a vacuum travels 30 cm/one foot in one nanosecond; electricity in wires is slower.)
---
When a surge protector has absorbed all the cumulative 'hits' it was built for, it turns off its "I am good' light, and we have a simple power strip... And one of my surge protectors is not showing its light ...
-
The stuff I've read, is that we can expect to replace our surge protectors every 'couple of years' because they get 'used'. But they still work as "plain" power strips.
The sacrificial bits are
The sacrificial bits are known as varistors. They can explode really interestingly if exposed to 208 volts for a day. They can be replaced - they're generally just through hole soldered.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Staying connected ...
"In a pinch" we may be able to use a public Library computer. I've used my laptop from inside my parked-close-enough car to "mooch" WiFi from (my) closed library. Also places like coffee shops and similar.
---
And do back-ups.
Do frequently, keep the back-up device disconnected from your home's power while not in active use; have two copies on back-up media; simpler - and tested - back-up schemes are better; store media off-site if you can (at a minimum say, your car).
Back-ups can be encrypted - don't lose the key! - if privacy is a concern (what am I saying?!? - this is BCTS...).
If you have a house, build a
If you have a house, build a small metal shed in the back, and pour a small slab for it. Insert bolts in the slab for a fire safe. Doesn't have to be a big one. Keep a dehumidifier bucket in the safe. Keep copies of all your critical stuff in there, such as birth cert, backups, etc.
If something happens to the house, such as a fire, the metal shed won't catch on fire, and it won't heat up enough to exceed the fire rating. Most fire safes won't survive an actual fire - that rating is heat up, and cool down - not the 'until the fire is put out'. You can also use the shed for storing other stuff.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
You got me thinking about what I do for redundancy.
I'm not bragging and I'm not rich by any means. I have a tech support company that works on old phone systems. I'm the only employee. I use the Microsoft 365 cloud for backups. I have OneDrive set up so the primary respository for my files is the cloud and local copies are downloaded as needed to my devices. Any changes to a file are instantly backed up to the cloud when I'm online. It also keeps all versions from the last 30 days as both an oops prevention and as a ransomware protection. If I I can't use one of my PCs for some reason. Like on a customer site and they won't let me connect to their network for security reasons or some other reason, I have a Windows 365 Cloud PC I can access multiple ways including from a browser so I can access not only my files but my programs. This is a lot cheaper than you would think. The cloud PC is about $50/Month but Microsoft 365 is only $69/Year for a single license or $99/Year for 6 licenses. Each user gets Office and 1 terabyte of OneDrive storage. That's enough for most people. I currently have 2 gigabit internet but I'm switching to 5 gigabit on Wednesday since they charge exactly the same per month for both speeds with free installation. I think they just want to eliminate the 2 gig tier now that they offer 5 gig. This is with Frontier by the way in case anyone else is using them. They are famous for not telling you a better, cheaper service is available unless you call them.
Want some old phone equipment
Want some old phone equipment? :)
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
How old?
How old?
Not ancient. I know I have
Not ancient. I know I have an entire phone system from a customer... Dangit, now I can't remember the brand - I'll dig that out. The voice mail card went out in it, so it wasn't worth fixing, but 30+ phones and the full system. trying to get that to someone for cost of shipping so it's not just trash. Uses D Channel or analog input. I think I have a Toshiba system box in the garage. And a pile of Grandstream phones that I was considering selling.
I think we tossed the Merlin system.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Depends on what it is
Western Electric gear? Honestly, I haven’t room for a telephony museum, but I do miss the sound of a 500 ringer.
"Ya can't change 'just one thing' in a cable nest ..."
I looked at my re-do of my power cable nest (re-done a few days ago after above discussions).
= Hmm... No. Spike/surge thing has be 'in front' of everything else ... (First thing in line out of the wall.)
= No, this bit doesn't and can't work like I want it to ...
= Now I can use the old, dead Protector as a power strip to neatly get power from wall behind me, to far side of desk, where "data cable' nest is ...
= Power cables go thru a narrow meter+ 'channel' between desk and wall. Get a stick to push them thru ...
In the data cable nest ... No, I'm not using this box, take it out ... remaining data and 'wall wart' transformer power cables look like Rapunzel having a bad hair day ... Cleaned that up ...
Before I had things working (*), with all crawling, bending, stretching I was doing ... I had to 're-cable' the belt to my bathrobe. Twice.
---
(*) Working: Nothing smoking, all units have power, and all are talking to each other.
Did I say nothing smoking?
"Nothing smoking" is always good when working with wall/mains power ...
All I can say is - bread ties
All I can say is - bread ties (coated garden wire) or velcro straps. No zip ties/tye-wraps. Or, well, if you're going to have those data cables in place for a long time, you could always go for a nice braid.
I have two customers where the data cables look like a waterfall - and that's AFTER cleaning them up.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Smoke makes things work
After smoke comes out of something, it doesn’t work, right? Smoke makes it work. Post hoc ergo propter hoc.
And just in time, severe thunderstorm warning with hail expected!
Kinds of cable ties ...
I think best deal for Velcro (Lawyer: Hook and Loop) ties is 'garden center' velcro plant-ties on a roll. Cut to length (splurge: plus 5 cm, thank me later).
For 'bigger, tougher' power (wall/mains) cables, start with double length.
---
And with velcro having no metal, they are not waiting for "A Series of Unfortunate Events" involving electricity.
You can buy rolls of the
You can buy rolls of the double sided hook and loop "tape", both with breakaway lengths, or cut to your own. The cheap stuff is mostly 'one use', but you can use it two or three times with no problems.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Full Basement
Running Ethernet and other cabling is why I love having a full basement.
Yes, passing the smoke test is important. :-^)
Just passing through...