GSB 120-LI Professional

I have a Bosch GSR 2 1080-li cordless drill but I am thinking of upgrading to this Bosch GSB 120-li cordless combi. While the GSR 1080-2-Li is still very good, I feel that it lacks some power when it comes to screwing in some stubborn screws and even drilling. This GSB 120-li has the flexibility to even do masonry drilling. This flexibility in applications is due to an impact mechanism with a single-sleeve keyless chuck, according to Bosch. Plus, it comes with a charger and two batteries, something that will be very useful. So shall I get it? Looks very tempting. It will really help with jobs I need to do around the house, and also for projects.

Changing an air-con capacitor

Some time back, the aircon in my house was not cold anymore. I kept wondering what was the matter with it. That is when I decided to get the aircon guys to come over to solve the issue. I suspected that it was the capacitor but since I had never changed a capacitor before, I thought that I should leave it to the experts. So these guys came over to my house and they confirmed that it was the capacitor that was giving me trouble. So they replaced the capacitor and my aircon is as good as new now. I have posted the video above to show how to replace the capacitor. Be careful when changing the capacitor though…a fully-charged capacitor can be fatal. Discharge it first!

Restoration of a broken Rolex GMT Master

You have to hand it to these watchmakers and repairers. I really give them top marks for patience and workmanship. I cannot even hold my mobile phone steady to take pictures and these guys are doing it, or seem to be doing it with ease. In this video, a Rolex GMT Master with a main spring clogged up with dried grease was giving the issues. But look at this skilled repairer. he cleans up everything and even tests the pressure of the watch case. I have lots to learn from craftsmen such as these.

Count On Me Singapore claims dropped by Mendoza

The Count On Me saga was all over the news the past few days and yesterday, that fella in India, Joseph Mendoza, finally dropped his claim that he wrote the song in 1983. One thing that just sickens me are the lies that some people will stick to just to make sure that their claims are legit. In this case, it was only after the threats of libel by the composer Mr Hugh Harrison, he decided to relent. When I was looking through the Internet, I came across this picture above. It seems to me to be painfully apt in this case. Honestly. How low can some people stoop to to claim something that does not belong to them? Apparently, as I found out, there are many such people out there. This is proof positive.

Akaido AK12EC cordless drill

A few days back, I saw one of the workmen at a client’s place working with this cordless screwdriver, made by a company named Akaido. It looked totally different to the Makita and Bosch ones that I see in many different worksites so I got quite curious about it. Apparently, it is made for the Malaysian market and is relatively inexpensive. It reminds me a bit of the Ingco brand that is being used here. For the approximate price of RM115, you get 1 x AKAIDO 12v Cordless Drill, 3 x 12v 2.0ah Li-ion Batteries, 1 x Charger, and 1 x Case. That was a cut-and-paste from one of the sites in Malaysia selling it. The specs of this drill are:

• Model : AK12EC
• Unit Weight : 1.1 kg
• Battery Voltage : 12V
• Load Speed 1st Gear : 0-400 r/min
• Load Speed 2nd Gear : 0-1500 r/min
• Chuck Diameter : 3/8″ (1-10 mm)
• Maximum Torque : 25 n.m
• Torque : 19+1
• Battery Capacity : 2.0mah
• Charging Time : 2h
• Warranty : 6 months

I would have expected the warranty to last at least a year but I think this tool does not last that long, given the relatively inexpensive price tag it has. But however, I saw the workers using it having no isues with it and it seemed to be functioning well. I think this is worth a look if you are just a DIYer and want to get a cordless drill for a good price.

Small air compressor

A few days back, while at a client’s place, I saw one of the workmen bring a small compressor to use with his pneumatic nail-gun. One thing I love about this compressor is that it is nice, small and quiet. Only issue with it is that its small size means that it keeps running more often to fill up the air tank. But as I said, its relatively quiet operation meant that it was not much of a bother when the air pump ran. I like this compressor. I have been thinking of getting one to use for some projects when I use pneumatic tools.

McDonald’s anti straws campaign may have backfired

Just the other day, I was at McDonald’s having my lunch. After I ordered my lunch, I saw this piece of cardboard with this message written on it, telling me that McDonald’s are dropping their straws. Thanks fellas but a little ironic no? Printing this information on a card that just gets read once and thrown away? Wuld it not be better by printing it on the paper tray mats instead?

Vespa scooter race at a BMX track

Quite a few years back, when I used to race BMX, one of my friends made this joke while we were sitting around after a race. He said that wouldn’t it be cool to have a Vespa scooter race on the BMX track? The rest of us burst out into laughter. I mean, just thinking about it sounded so funny and ridiculous. Then I came upon this picture on the Internet. Damn. Looks like it already has been done before! Food for thought indeed!

RDL TX-A2

If you, my dear readers, have read my article, you would see that I stress a lot on having a good DI box in your arsenal of tools. I have a few of them in my arsenal like my RDL TX-J2, my SM Pro DJDI, my Alctron DI120, my Whirlwind IMP 2 and last but by no means least, my Radial ProD2. All of these DI boxes convert Hi-Z unbalanced audio into balanced audio. But what happens when you want to do the reverse? What happens if you want to convert balanced audio into unbalanced audio? That is where the RDL TX-A2 comes in

The TX‑A2 is the ideal choice in installations requiring passive isolation and level attenuation between a professional balanced line‑level mono source and consumer equipment unbalanced inputs. The TX‑A2 is a complete unbalanced line‑level audio output module. The front panel provides a detachable terminal block for connection of a balanced +4 dBu audio source. The input signal is coupled to two front‑panel gold plated RCA jacks through a studio‑quality isolation transformer. Each output is coupled through an attenuation network that produces a nominal ‑10 dBV level. Both output jacks may be used to feed two mono equipment inputs or one stereo input. A single output jack may be used for mono.

In my case, what I wanted to do was to connect a Shure P300 DSP to a JBL soundbar which only had unbalanced audio inputs. This RDL TX-A2 did the job, and very well. Now I am SERIOUSLY looking at getting one for myself!

The Logitech GROUP video conferencing system

I have installed quite a few of these Logitech Group systems in many of my client’s meeting rooms. But some are asking…what is the Logitech Group? Well, in a nutshell, it is a video conferencing solution for rooms that seat 14–20 people, delivers HD video and audio, allowing any meeting place to be a video conferencing space. This set has advanced features like acoustic echo cancellation, noise reduction technology, and intuitive controls. It connects to your laptop or PC via USB. This plug-and-play connectivity (and it really is) makes it very easy to use. My clients used the Logitech GROUP with Zoom and Teams and it works very well. It is not that expensive either. It costs about $1,500 online. Now that is making me feel tempted…