Battery, batteries are necessary pair for a lot of things tech around the shop. Mice-to-smartphones, camera batteries-to-autos. Keep your technology running safe and at peak performance.

Independence

This July 4th

Happy Independence Day ’24

Happy Independence Day Illustration

Adverts – Celebrating Another Year

Relax for the day show your appreciation to those who have supported you throughout the year. Share your gratitude with your significant other, spouse, family, friends and coworkers as we celebrate Independence Day on July 4th!

Happy Independence Day

Only 12 days remain until a a Happy 4th! Join us in celebrating Amazon Prime Day(s) with us! 12 days remain. We will be covering Amazon Prime Day and sharing more about our Amazon Affiliate Shopping List, projects, products and services found on Amazon! Stay tuned for an up coming post on the EF Ecoflow power station, perfect for residents in Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

Amazon Prime Day(s)

Reminder: Don’t forget about our Amazon Affiliates Shopping List – Amazon Prime Day on July 16th and 17th. Discover local affiliate deals, shop for electronics and 3D printer consumables or find a special gift for yourself or loved ones. I recommend the EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station DELTA 2 for Home Backup Power. We will be writing an article about our own Ecoflow towable, so stay tuned for that content and more next month. Keep Ecoflow in mind during severe storm season in Florida.

Connect With Us

Lastly, a Special Thanks! We want to thank all of our customers, future, current, and loyal alike, as we celebrate Independence Day. Celebrate the holiday with new Sallee Technology merchandise for 2024. It was just a 2 quarters ago we celebrated the year end 2023, we can celebrate the Holidays in 2023. Time flies by.

We look at head to the next two quarters, it’s crunch time… so, leave sometime with family and friends, consider some s’mores by a campfire! We consider you all part of our extended family and appreciate your support. As you enjoy your day off, consider pursuing your passions and chasing your dreams. Share with us how we can help you launch your ideas and  grow your business organically at the grassroots level.

Let’s work together on this 4th of July, Celebrating our Independence Day.

Gadget Backlog

Gadget Backlog Includes Items Shipping Soon

Magnet Switches, Extra (Shop) Batteries, Bodum Whisk, SHURE MV7 Mic, Aupus Air Duster, Klein Tools Precision Screwdriver Set, and Med. D’Addario Celluloid Guitar Picks.

SHURE Mic 

Gear – More Gear On The Chopping Block

What’s that in the box, ((shake)) ((shake)) what might that be? A new shipment, what is in ‘the box’ and on the bench.

Let’s start by sharing this on the big Gadget Backlog, is currently in progress, as space is somewhat limited at the moment. More information on that will be coming soon. As for batteries, I have a few Optima Red Tops ready to go, along with some outback welding where necessary. It’s fitting to mention magnetic tools and switches in this context. Yes, super strong magnets that can be switched on and off with a swift turn of the hand or a switch-type mechanism. This is a very cool item to have around the house, shop, or off-road adventures.

Angle Clamps, Mag  switches and More Welding Tools

I’m curious to know if the welding community has a preference for welding square/angle holders, clamps, plunger/light switch types, magnetic holders etc., perhaps at no cost. Obviously, if you’re out on the trail, off-roading, doing trail break-fixes, integrity and rigidity might take precedence over OEM specs on angles or manufacturer measurements. When it’s time to getting your off-road rig off the trail, would something like this help to bring your efforts in line with those manufacture specs per say. Anyhow, these switch magnets might be handy to have around the shop. Various types – Angle Clamps, Magswitch Clamp, Stackable Magnets or Adjustable Angle Magnetic Welding Squares.

So, let’s discuss cover what has been unboxed… the Bloom Frother. As you know, the hand mixer needed some adjustments. A few screws, new batteries, some isopropyl alcohol… and we are back in action. You all know I’m a big coffee and tea enthusiast, but if not, that’s okay too. I like my coffee and tea with a few pinches of Sugar in the Raw, and depending on the time of day, I may add some half-and-half to adjust the temperature.

There are a few handheld frothers out there in various color and materials… the Bloom is now revived, with new batteries and ready to mix. So, I am please with the purchase for now. I will provide an update on the long-term usage of the Bloom fix. I must admin, an alternative option might be the Bodum Schimuna Whisk, which has a piqued my interest. For those of you in the market for a micro whisk/frother, the Bodum Schimuna might make a great client gift at some point.

SHURE and Aupus

Next on the Gadget Backlog, we have the SHURE MV7 USB mic! Initial thoughts – great sound, crisp dynamic tones and easy to use. Another step forward towards audio/video experiences. The microphone includes a desktop friendly microphone stand. MacOS users will need to download the SHURE Application to mix and control the external accessory. There is a bit more work involved in getting around the need to purchase additional cables, XLR adapters or fittings. Look for a deep dive, and pictures to accompany the post.

Moving on, let’s talk about ditching the air duster can for a powerful, corded air duster like the Aupus APAD15BL Air Duster. Air cans have served their purpose for many years, especially when paired with electrical-friendly wipes. While we are on the topic of air gadgets, we have more air tools coming your way – Inflators, Air Compressors, Nailers and more.  The air compressor even comes with a hand air blower tool for outdoor jobs. Like the air blower,  this plug-and-play air cannon offers variable speeds, cleaning tools, and filters. This small, office-friendly tool is handy to have in and around the shop as well. While we are discussing gadgets and tools for the shop/office, we are enhancing the Makey tech tool set by adding a set of Torx screwdrivers (T3 – T10) – Tekprem Torx Screwdrivers.

One downfall I’d like to mention is the integrity of the star and Torx bits. Torx and star bits are delicate and can easily get damaged. A word of caution you have to be careful with nano screws and give it time. Consider replacing the bits or the entire set with a set like these. What I’m observing is that screw lock… can be more beneficial here, but it does take a toll on the micro-bits used to drive in our unwind electronic screws. I’ll provide more feedback and comments on the Torx set and air cannon as we use those items on the bench.

D’Addario celluloid

Finally, last on our big Gadget Backlog list, we picked up a new guitar pick. Most are similar, with smooth or textured surfaces. The main problem I’m having is grip. After a few minutes, grip becomes an issue… it might be the ‘player’, but slippage is a problem. Sweat seems to be the culprit. Odd, huh? So, I’ve added a mixed bag of D’Addario Celluloid picks to the mix. The goal was to switch it up a bit and try something new. I still have a few Fender Celluloid Medium picks and Dunlop Max-Grip variety.

Backup Batteries

Keep Fresh, OEM Batteries

Inmarsat’s Got You Covered In An Emergency

Need Another - Inmarsat

Gear – Full Charge with the Inmarsat Satellite Phone Backup Batteries

Get yourself a backup battery: the BlueCosmo Inmarsat Satphone 2 Battery – OEM  (Original Equipment Manufacturer) batteries.

As storm season rolls in the South and those of you in the Great Northern States dig out of blizzard-like conditions over the weekend, emergency gear becomes a priority. Stay safe and ready. Storms may come and go, but keeping a steady supply of back up batteries, plugs, chargers, etc. can be a logistical nightmare. Having two, backup batteries on hand is always great for when you need them most-like Hurricane Ian.

Like Ian, Michael, Irma or Wilma, it’s important to prepare now. In the event of a catastrophe, I always make sure to a couple of spare items. For example, backup wires or charging cables, to ensure that everything keeps running  smoothly. I recently posted about the OEM battery as a reminder, but perhaps we should also discuss different battery types, such as those from manufacturers, for the sat phone. You can find great gear, parts or Inmarsat Satellite Phone replacement batteries online. Gone are the days of needing multiple batteries for your cell phone. 

NOCO Jump Box

NOCO Boost Plus

NOCO 12-V Jump Starter Box

NOCO Battery Jump Box

Gear – NOCO

Recommended: NOCO Boost Plus GB40 1000 Amp 12-Volt UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter Box, Car Battery Booster Pack, that also functions as a Portable Power Bank Charger, and Jumper Cables and is suitable for use with up to 6-Liter Gasoline and 3-Liter Diesel Engines.

When you need a jump start because your battery is dead, I can’t recommend the NOCO Boost jump box enough. It has helped me over 5 times now in the span of a year. Once with my new SUV, and the others times with my JEEP. After swapping the battery as shown below, we were good to go. However, it was the jump box that kept us going during troubleshooting and testing. This has happened more than 5 times in year, which is more than most people experience in 10 or more years I highly recommend keeping a jump box in your car. The NOCO Boost GB40 is a safe and accessible booster pack with jumper cables and an ancillary charger for gasoline and diesel engines*. We recently used the NOCO jump box to start up the ’06 Wrangler after a radio and headlamp update. Of course this doesn’t come without it’s own issues, hence the need for a jump.

Battery Boost
Jump Box

NOCO Jump Box

Unboxing

NOCO Unboxing

Dead Battery

Dead Battery

Charging

Charging

Clean Up Battery

Clean Up

Fully Charged

Fully Charged

Find this battery jump box and other recommendations on the shop page. Or, just a few suggestions here before you take off. The NOCO has saved our trips a few times now. Older vehicles get less use of them later in life, especially our off-road vehicles. That said, if you can pick up a NOCO jumpstart, do. They vary in price, so be wise. Two, the Schumacher 100 amp charger/start was our old go to. This charger/jump start does require an outlet… so you can see why we opted for the NOCO for now. No time to waste when we have dogs ‘in tow’ i.e. Ruby and Zeus.

We will be sharing the latest radio upgrades soon. Just know that we are no longer use the factory lamps, head unit, and speakers – we now use brands like Pioneer, Kicker, Bazooka, and more…

There are a few items I recommend in a pinch, this NOCO jump box, the blast match, a charging source (generator, 9v hack, batter backup pack) and some way to fashion some clean water – for drinking, cleaning, cooking, wound care, and more. Obviously food is another, but these few items can keep you safe and sound in most cases in everyday life, hiking on the trail, driving in the car (short/long distance). A pocket knife or all-in-one EDC tool works as well, for general maintenance, tool and/or application.

MBP Mid’18

MBP Mid’18 OEM Battery Replacement

Apple MacBook Pro Mid’18 Battery

Macbook Pro Battery Swap

Lab Work – MBP Issues

MBP Mid’18 Battery and Logic board Issues/Failure – perform a complete teardown, replacement, and reboot to fix there issues.

Background

Our primary machine is the Late MBP ’18 Battery Swap that we use to run the latest applications and code. Recently, it crashed during an upgrade for Mojave/Catalina to BigSur. This ‘upgrade’ coincided with the mid/late summer updates from WWDC. We experienced boot issues, kernel panics, and had to reinstall after reformatting form MAC Journaled to AFPS. We also had to deal with installer packages, boot scripts, and even installed Ubuntu 21, which resulted in a lack of mouse or keyboard functionality.  

Battery Repair
CleanDrive

Clean Drive

Utility Tool

Utility Tool

Reinstall System

Reinstall System

Remove/Update

Remove/Update

Load OS

Load OS

V

VBox

They say pictures are worth a thousands words or more, so let’s take a peek. Oh, and don’t forget ‘csrutil’ enable and disable for unwanted apps, native apps and clearing system integrity ‘issues’. This command only works when you run Recovery Mode, in Terminal Utility… we can just leave that there for another day. One other item to note, this is all MacOS specific. Assuming your running a MacOS alt OS on a Windows (PC), Linux, Linux Alternatives and/or VM, downloads are available and are similar when unpacking the root cause.

Repair Actions
  • Flash Old Version of MacOS and Installer Package
  • Create USB Install via Terminal
  • Etcher
  • Check OS Version (if possible) MacOs Version Compatibility
  • Reset PRAM, Run Diagnostics, Internet Recovery, Target Disk to Move existing files; all there, just make sure you know what version of MacOS. If you don’t, click the ‘Apple’ Icon at the top/left -> Select About This Mac -> Overview. This assumes you have a running version of MacOS. Or check the Apple Product# on the underside of your Macbook Pro and work forward…
  • MacOS Startup KeyBoard Combinations
  • Diagnose Error Codes -1008F, Address Overheating and Fan Control
  • Apple Support thread specific to -1008f
  • Remove Device from iCloud – Find Device, Disable AFPS Admin Security Settings
  • Backup Drive to external storage device
  • Handy Drive SanDisk Drive
  • Clean/Remove Drive, Remove AFPS Drive/Volume(s)
  • Internet Recovery High Sierra, MacOS and Installer Package (Pre El Capitan, Yosemite or Lion)
  • MacOS Mojave
  • MacOS High Sierra
  • Boot MacOS Install, Reinstall Existing Apps, Install Catalina working patches, updates
  • Install New Apps, Settings and Remove unwanted settings as it relates to latest OS
  • Maintain existing MacOS sans MacOS OS Upgrades or Forced Updates, Uncheck installation automation for all apps, requiring system to be manually updated
  • Bootcamp Install, Flash/Install WIN10, Throw-out old server (Z400)
  • Oracle Virtual Box
  • ISOs – MS – WIN10.iso, Ubuntu – Ubuntu 21.10
  • With the addition of MacOS Server
Takeaways

Key takeaways, include make/model, year, shipped quarter, chipset(s) and chip security settings. If your computer is locked, check the iCloud device status, remember install package pre/post logic board changes. We chose this route because all logic boards for this particular machine have been out of stock and remain unavailable for this model. It makes one wonder why. There is no need to replace the battery just yet, but we may have to do so on the second go-around.

When I have the opportunity, I will post a few pictures of Windows 10 running in Boot Camp, Ubuntu 21 running with keyboard and mouse support, and other images for MacOS Server, etc. As always, feel free to leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking!

Calc Rework

Let’s Get A Fix In Place For This Calculator

Calc Rework,  Fix, Rework and Repair

Calculator Work, Fixing the old calculator

Lab Work – Fix the Calc, Calc Rework

Broken Calculator, Let’s fix it. Don’t want to keep this little piggy waiting!

Calc rework started a few months ago. We’ll keep this post short and brief… This calculator showed up on the work bench with minor issues. Connections all busted, it looks like an animal, a vacuum, nature or something was able to get to the calculator and internals.

Anyway, after fixing a few connections and installing a new CR battery, this little piggy is like new again! Easy work, no major issues with the main board, keys, case or display. Quick fix.

Calculator Fix
Battery/Resolder

Resolder

Look Here

Look Here

Lastly, I decided to keep little ‘piglet’ sticker on the old calculator because it gives it a new look. It’s a great office calculator with big keys and a large display, making it easier to use than those tiny digital smartphone keys. I reminds me of the  old Printing Calculators, kind of like this Sharp Printing Calc. It brings back memories of my parents having used one around the house when I was a child. If you enjoy reading repair articles, consider learning more about robots, remotes, drones, and computers. Wiring guides like this ADT Touch Screen quick reference, keep this handy for future needs, power outages or battery replacement. Or, you might be interested in the Nano Whisk Fix, the M1 MBP Repair, or the latest Dolphin Pool Robot Fix. Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts!

Late MBP Battery Swap

Check out the Late MBP Battery Swap and Repair

MBP 15″ Swap

MBP'13

Lab Work – Late MBP Battery Swap

The teardown and do the Late MBP Battery Swap Repair

Let’s get it! Before we begin, below are photos of the repair process. We are working on a 2013 MacBook Pro “15 Retina laptop with a new battery. Please ensure that you have selected the correct replacement parts, preferably OEM battery parts.

Find The Right OEM Parts, Find Primary and Secondary Parts

First, it is recommended to use OEM Parts, and even a second-hand OEM battery may be a better choice than non-OEM part in this case. OEM parts can be purchased from various websites such as eBay, Apple Parts, Apple Self Service Website, and iFixIt. When performing the repair, it is important to be cautious and take your time. Power and grounding are crucial, so be careful not to energize parts once the case has been unscrewed and removed. Additionally, it is helpful to have a few other items on hand for the repair.

Tools and Repair Kit for the Late MBP Battery Swap

Some other tools to have around the shop might include the Jakemy screwdriver kit, which  contains Torx, hex and star bits. These are key for newer technology bolts and screws used in the assembly process or to hold hardware to the board. Additionally, it’s important to have glue tech adhesives and glue release, gloves, safety glasses, and a welding/soldering mat. These are all useful bare minimum tools to have, including glue release, a tech screwdriver set, and glue adhesive. 

MBP Swap
Late MBP Battery Swap - Macbook Pro Battery Replacement Unscrew, Pull-back battery cover, Pop-off Battery Connection

MBP Unscrew

Macbook Pro Battery Replacement - Un-glue Battery process

Battery

Late MBP Battery Swap - Macbook Pro Battery Replacement - Un-glue Battery process 2

Remove Glue

Macbook Pro Battery Replacement - Un-glue Battery process clean up

Glue Remover

Late MBP Battery Swap - Macbook Pro Battery Replacement

Remove Battery

Macbook Pro Battery Replacement

Swap, Replace Battery

Late MBP Battery Swap - Macbook Pro

Ubuntu

Apple Certification, Apple MacBook and Robot Repairs

At this point, I’ll assume you are interested in repairs and may want to learn more? Equally as important are the OEM parts as the knowledge to do the repair yourself, intelligibly. Are you searching for parts for your own device? For more detailed information on the Late MBP Battery Swap and the power on and boot process. Check out IOS certification Apple Certs. Lastly, have a look at this particular MacBook Pro “15 Retina tear-down via IFixit MacBook Pro “15 Retina Late ’13 Tear Down.

In conclusion, more tear-downs and repairs, check out the iPad Mini Fix, Roomba 900 Series Fix or some of our latest MBP Screen & Keys and MBP Touch bar fix. Enjoy! As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking?