TP-Link TBL71A2000 battery for the 4G router

I bought this small, pocket-sized TP-Link 4G router about two years ago. I am very happy with it as it provides internet in places where I cannot get free wifi. I have used this little router overseas as well and with a TPG Simba data plan, I need not fear about maxing out. However, I notice that my router battery does not last as long as the day when I first bought it. That is perfectly normal as batteries degrade as they age. So yesterday, I went and bought a backup battery for it. It cost me about $20 but it is worth it so that I will not run out of juice. I am going to use it until it is fully flat and then I am going to charge it up.

2,884 hybrid buses part of the zero emission plan by London

I read in this article here that quite a few countries are taking steps to fulfil zero emissions of vehicles like buses. I have long said that we need to make use of other energy sources to power our buses and vehicles. As a matter of fact, why not get rid of most vehicles and make buses (electric ones at that) the sole mode of long-distance travel in Singapore? Our MRT lines run on electricity but we can go one step further with buses. We have some hybrid buses in our fleet but there could be more. I heard that for these truck batteries, very soon smart battery technology will guarantee a bus or truck to have a battery that last 10 years with up to 4000 charges. I wonder why do we not do that now and change all our buses to electric ones?

Makita drill battery charger

A couple of days back, one of the contractors in my client’s place started charging the battery of his drill. After he plugged his flat battery into the machine, the machine started charging and at the same time, gave off a whirring noise that sounded like a mini vacuum cleaner. I wondered what that sound was. At first, I foolishly thought that it was a small dynamo running to charge the battery. I suppose it was just my active imagination wanting to believe it was so. But after some research online, it turns out that the whirring noise I heard was a fan preventing the battery from overheating. These batteries are charged very rapidly and as a result, they can overheat. The fan prevents it from doing so by cooling it down. Finally…mystery solved!

Bosch battery upgrade for GSR 1080-2-LI

I mentioned about getting a Bosch GSR 1080-2-Li drill/screwdriver/torgue-wrench some time back because I found it to be a very versatile tool to have. However, over time, the batteries will degrade and one day, will need replacement. This YouTube video shows how you can upgrade the old batteries with new ones. The batteries should be easily available and I think that this is a pretty easy fix. Save the planet when you can and at the same time, upgrade your DIY skills with this.

Jump-starting a car with a dead battery

My colleague had a problem with his car yesterday. He just could not get his car started. So I said that we would have to jump start the car by connecting the terminals of his battery to the battery of the company van. We drove the company van till it was adjacent with the car concerned and connected the jumper cables. After it was connected, my colleague tried to start his car and it started with no issues. I told my colleague that he needs to get his car battery connected to a deep-charge station for at least a day or change his battery fluid. He said that he would change the battery. We were just lucky that we had some jump-start cables. I think my colleague will get some jump-start cables of his own now, now that he knows how useful they are.

Refurbishing a truck battery

I watch this YouTube channel with a lot of interest because I have learnt so much from it. Unfortunately, we live in a throw-away society where things that can be recycled and refurbished are thrown away when they show signs of trouble. These Pakistani gentlemen refurbished this truck battery and made it work again. Check out how they fixed those plates in the lead acid battery. Totally fantastic video and I am really amazed at these fellas and what they are capable of.

Bloated battery of Razer laptop

I took a picture of the bloated battery of my friend’s Razer laptop. This is very alarming. Apparently, the shop that in Sim Lim Square (that is our Mecca for all things computers) that removed the battery told him that he was lucky he did so because if the battery bloated anymore, it would have caused the frame of his notebook to bend and break. There were no stocks of the battery so my friend has to run his laptop battery-less for the time until the new stick of batteries come in.

So remember all, check your batteries and do not over-charge your laptop. Always remember to discharge and charge regularly and all will be well.

Changing the battery on a Kia key fob

It is very easy to change the battery on a Kia key fob. I did not know how to do it at first but at last, thanks to YouTube, I managed to find an instructional video on how to do just that. It is quite straightforward and easy. And the CR-2032 batteries are easily found anywhere, and for pretty cheap too. So if you have a Kia key fob like mine, this is how you do it.

Watsons thermometer

My wife bought this Watsons thermometer ages ago. She seems to think that it is a good thermometer but I fail to see it that way. The readings are always one degree lower than what it should be. For example, the normal body temperature is 36.9 degrees Centigrade. This thermometer on the other hand always reads the normal body temperature as 36 degrees. So I have learnt to re-calculate. However, about a week back, she found out that the thing had run out of battery power. So I went to the ABC Supermarket near my place and bought the LR41 battery that it required. It is now working as good as new. In any case, I am on the lookout for a good, analog clinical thermometer. Looks like I have to get one from a pharmacy

Dell battery dead after slightly more than a year

I bought an Inspiron laptop computer for my wife slightly more than a year ago. I will not go into the issues I had with Dell (dead hard drive, no OS restore disk, being given the run-around) but I will warn you about getting Dell products. Their batteries suck. Pure and simple. My wife’s laptop battery is now dead and she takes care of it by charging and discharging regularly. She never keeps it in constant charge and despite all that, after one year, the bloody thing dies. This happened to my N5050 as well. It too died after a short time. I really miss the time when Dell supplied quality stuff. Now their stuff is just bad, toilet quality. next time, I am getting another brand of laptop. Screw Dell