Printer Frustration and Vodafone Broadband Goes Down

I resorted to dismantling my printer during the outage. Didn't have any success with that. Three blank cartridges — one filled with Quink ink (which worked successfully for over a year) and a brand new one wouldn't work. Three are giving errors, the new one just doesn't output ink. Printer manufacturers are renowned for building code into the firmware (embedded software that runs on a device), which prevents cartridges from being reused after the ink runs out. So filling them doesn't work. Another dirty trick they employ is to prevent non-genuine cartridges from being used. I had considered buying a colour laser printer, which would be more reliable than an inkjet. However, I print so infrequently, that it might just be more inconvenient to do it in the library. Inkjet printer technology is flawed because of the tendency of heads to clog if a printer isn't exercised regularly (a print at least once a month is recommended). Clogging heads is something I predicted, having owned a fountain pen when I was in school. We were well passed the fountain pen era at that stage in the mid-1970s, but my sister donated her old one to me, and then I bought another one in a shop. They were novelty items and I could experiment with filling them with various colours of ink — purple was made from blue and red, the latter being sampled from a large bottle that was probably donkey's years in the cupboard in the Boys National School and wasn't being used (Thanks to Gerry O'Donoghue for allowing me to smuggle it out to take a sample. I returned it carefully the next day without breaking it). Magenta ink was made from potassium permanganate (Thanks Bernard). It turned brown after a few days, much to the amusement of Brian Keyes.

Interestingly, I discovered my printer has an optical paper sensor — I thought it would have been just a microswitch with a lever attached, activated by pressure from the paper. It's a reflective optical switch, the module consisting of a photoemitter diode that sends out a beam at an angle to the paper and a photodetector detects the reflection. This is probably also used for doing the paper-type detection, being able to differentiate between matte photocopier paper and glossy paper by the intensity of the reflection.

Reflective opto-switch from a computer printer
© Eugene Brennan

 

Reflective opto-switch from a computer printer
© Eugene Brennan

Hard-to-Read Maps: Issues With Google Maps and OpenStreetMap

Tailte Éireann map

Whenever I'm out and about, it's nearly impossible to make out L roads on maps on my phone in bright sunlight because of the low contrast.

"Flood" on the River?

Flow versus time for Golden Falls dam
Image courtesy ESB hydro

Does anyone know whether the ESB are generating from the Golden Falls power station? Forecasted flow has been 3 m³/s for the last week or two. However actual flow is tabulated at 2 m³/s.

How Fast Is the Level Dropping in the Poulaphouca Reservoir?

Poulaphouca lakeside
© Eugene Brennan 

A question was asked on the Blessington Blog today to the effect, “Will the lake get as low as this again over the next weeks?” It showed a photo of the Poulaphouca Reservoir taken during a previous drought, in which neat linear piles of rocks could be seen along the shoreline, clearly marking the locations of the walls of houses that were submerged when the valley was flooded in the 1940s.

What Are Clicks?

Image made by Grok.

What's the difference between a click or thump sound (e.g. when you hit something with a stick or hammer a nail) compared to striking a bell or a string in a musical instrument? It's mainly due to the amount of damping involved.

How To View What's Behind Your Washer Drum

© Eugene Brennan

You can check what's between the inner and outer drums of a washing machine, or check for limescale build-up on the heating element, by spinning the drum and illuminating it with a bright torch.

Three Reasons the Summer is Warmer Than the Winter

Created with ChatGPT.

A common misconception is that the Earth is closer to the Sun in summer, but it's actually further away. Diagrams would be better for explaining this. I'll get around to it, but I'll try to do it with words for now. 

What Are Voltage Regulators Used For?

78XX series of voltage regulators. E.g. 7805 and 7812 having regulated outputs of plus 5 volts and plus 12 volts respectively. Silverxxx, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported via Wikimedia Commons.

We're surrounded by electronic gadgets and appliances, and even devices that don't appear to be electronic may use electronic circuitry internally. For electronics to work properly, it's imperative that voltage be stable and constant.

How to Measure Length, Distance and Area on Google Maps

Public domain image from Canva

The Google Maps measuring tool can be used to measure the distance between two points, and the result is displayed in feet and metres. Alternatively, values are displayed in miles and kilometres if a user zooms out to view a greater-sized region of the map.

Resistors in Series and Parallel: Formula Derivation and Examples

© Eugene Brennan

Formulas for Resistors in Series and Parallel

Resistors are ubiquitous components in electronic circuitry both in industrial and domestic consumer products. Often, in circuit analysis, we need to work out the values when two or more resistors are combined. In this tutorial, we'll work out the formulas for resistors connected in series and parallel.

The Cork-Dublin Transmission Pipeline and Gas Distribution to Kilcullen

Gas distribution network in central Kilcullen from the interactive Dial Before You Dig website. Image courtesy Gas Networks Ireland.

On 4th March last year, a press release was issued by Uisce Éireann to media and local public representatives to the effect that:

“Civil Engineers are carrying out pre-work activities on the 225mm pipeline, which involves a localised crossing over the High Transmisison (sic) Gas main under the supervision of Gas Networks.”

Immersion Heaters and Potential Fire Risks

Immersion heater terminal box. © Eugene Brennan

So I was doing some gardening for the sister today and she mentioned a smell that was coming from her immersion. This immediately rang alarm bells in my engineering head, knowing what was likely to have happened—So I investigated.

My Telemetry Software Didn't Control Voyager 1

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's decision to switch off an instrument on Voyager 1 to keep the spacecraft operating reminded me of my much less glamorous work in a past life, when I wrote telemetry software to control pumps and other equipment in sewage and water treatment plants.

How Can Insects Survive Falling From a Height?

Forces on a falling insect. © Eugene Brennan

One of the reasons insects don't hurt themselves when they fall is because they have a low terminal velocity and are travelling relatively slowly when they reach the ground.

Learn How to Solder: A Complete Guide for Beginners

Image by permission Weller Tools

A Basic Skill When Building Electronic Circuits

Soldering is a fundamental skill essential to learn when building electronic circuits or fixing circuit boards.

Kippure TV Mast Visible From Kilcullen

Kippure in the Wicklow Mountains, photographed from Kilcullen. © Eugene Brennan

I took this with my 10-year-old Nikon D5300 SLR from St. Brigid's Well on Saturday evening. The second photo below is a crop of the 6000-pixel-wide image. If you have good eyesight, you can see the 127-metre-tall television transmission mast on Kippure on a clear day.

Why Is Most of an Iceberg Under Water? And How Much?

Original uncaptioned image Lurens, public domain image via Pixabay.com

Ninety Percent of an Iceberg Is Below the Waterline

Icebergs can be massive, but did you know that you're only seeing literally the tip of them above the water? Yes, up to 90% of an iceberg's volume can be under water. But why does that amount sink and not just float above sea level like the rest of it? In this article we explore why.

What's the Difference Between Analogue and Digital?

© Eugene Brennan

Analogue vs. Digital

We often hear about analogue and digital in the context of communications, sound recording, cameras, TV, radio, and electronic devices. But what exactly is the difference, and is digital better than analogue? Why has digital replaced analogue in audio, digital imaging, and electronic communication?

Vodafone Internet Service Down After Thunderstorm

 

The Internet was dropping intermittently since the thunderstorm the other night. A Vodafone technician replaced the modem yesterday afternoon, but still no go. Then the service disappeared completely when the technician was still working on it.

Why Is Binary Used in Electronics and Computers?

Why is binary used in electronics? Geralt via Pixabay.com

Why Do Computers Use Binary?

The binary numbering system is the basis for the storage, transfer and manipulation of data in computer systems and digital electronic devices. This system uses base 2 rather than base 10, which is what we are familiar with for counting in everyday life.