emergency Archives

Keep a battery charger handy, when you need a charge in a pinch or emergency. Ready to work, try the Schumacher Battery Charger, use the quick jump feature.

May 13, 2023September 13, 2024

Backup Batteries

Keep Fresh, OEM Batteries

Inmarsat’s Got You Covered In An Emergency

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.

May 2, 2023September 26, 2024

Need A Charge?

In A Pinch – Grab a 9v, a Car charger, electrical tape and a nail

Lab Work – 9v Charger Hack

Before you start criticizing me me about wattages, amperage, safety, or reality etc., I want to clarify that I meant to post this back in December, but didn’t get around to it until now. The scenario is familiar – no power due to a storm outage or a dead car battery, and you find yourself in a bind .You phone is dead, and you need a charge. This hack can be a lifesaver when you’re away from home comforts whether you’re camping, off-grid, or stranded due to breakdown.

I usually avoid cellphone hacks, but this one caught my attention as we enter hurricane season. Having experienced storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and the like, I know that sometimes the simplest things can make a big difference in a power outage. I’m not suggesting you hoard batteries, clicky-pens, nails, and used charger cords, but it might be wise to have a few on hand, just in case.

This hack has been around for sometime. Some people believe that off-grid living and underground living may require alternative power sources, and this hack could be just what you need. In any case, we spliced together a few generic charging cords, added a car charger, and a few 9v batteries, and voila! We have some juice for the cellphone battery. This hack might work even better. This hack might work even better if you can find a different type of battery, such as an RC/Drone battery considering 9v, LiCB or 4s/5s LiPos. Whatever the case, you may have these items lying around your home, office, or shop, depending on your situation. We have these items in our workshop, so you can imagine how handy they might be in serious storm or power outage situation.

Like the quick fix format? Check out other quick fix content here such as this disposal problems fix. Like the learn to descale your coffee equipment – pots and machines, fix a toilet float clean and fix a pool filter housing and filter which is like this cell phone charging hack… Check them out!

As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking?

January 14, 2023September 24, 2024

NOCO Jump Box

NOCO Boost Plus

NOCO 12-V Jump Starter 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

NOCO Jump Box

NOCO Unboxing

Dead Battery

Charging

Clean Up

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.

December 14, 2022September 23, 2024

Schumacher 100Amp Charger/Starter

Schumacher SC1308 100/30/6/2

Tech | Tool – Need A Jump

In the field, around the shop, need a jump? Give the Schumacher 100Amp Charger/Starter a try… tremendous help in a pinch, supports longterm life and care for your car, marine or small atv/SxS batteries.

Features

100 A engine start
30 A boost
6 <> 2 A charge/maintain for advanced diagnostic testing, engine starting and charging
Powerful enough for starting SUVs, trucks and large batteries
Battery and alternator tester ─ provides charge level and helps diagnose electrical problems
Digital display, LED indicators and button controls ─ for ease and accuracy
Microprocessor controlled ─ automatically adjusts the amperage rate to charge and maintain
Multi-stage charging for added precision, safety and battery life
Float mode monitoring ─ automatically maintains optimum battery charge
Auto voltage detection ─ 6 or 12 volt
Reverse hook-up protection ─ charger will not operate if clamps are reversed; LED will flash.

Solid Jumpstart Power

On that note, may I dar to say that this charger never fails. Every time the Jeep battery dies, the Schumacher Jumpstart box does the trick. Additionally, we rewired a section of the Jeep’s wiring system to run the car stereo, speakers, sub, amp, and new lights. As mentioned before, this charger provides a little extra kick when needed; the 100a engine start feature is a nice touch. For the price, on Amazon – $110.99, you cant beat it. Of course, pricing may vary. This charger has saved enough in batteries alone.

Next, the Schumacher keeps extra batteries in storage charged. The charger maintains and prepares batteries for their next job. At some point, we will use these batteries for some lowfi, lowtech home ‘metal working’, or in the case of running a quick fix on a trail-locked Jeep or 4-wheeler…

Using batteries in series will maximize your ability to get the job done in any trail condition. For our test case, we will be using metal working to weld some items around the house. This will allow us to scratch that old welding itch and learn how to fabricate metal at home. The main goal is to practice welding. Novice welding is suitable using a DC welding electrode to patch metal, fix broken metal items at home, or simulate a trail repair. Alternatively, you can also try a little welding at home. For more information, check out ‘BleepinJeep’. I will be posting a quick video on the concept titled “Welding with Jumper Cables and Car Batteries” via BleepinJeep.

As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking?

December 3, 2022September 24, 2024

AppleTV 4K & MagSafe Battery Pack

Apple Accessories and More

4K View & Battery Life On The Go

Gear – Apple Safe Mag Pack & TV 4K

Update: AppleTV 4k & Apple Magsafe Battery Backup Review

Apple Accessories

AppleTV 4k

MagSafe Battery Pack

Let’s check out the AppleTV 4K & MagSafe Battery Pack… starting with the AppleTV. I’ve been using an older AppleTV 4K to complement the 4k monitors; but its time for an upgrade. Today is the day. I’ve decided to update the office AppleTV to AppleTV 4K to match resolutions, colors, etc. via dual screens used as separate displays. The purpose, MacBook Pro (MBP) has some shortcomings such as limitation of dual monitors or multi-monitors that are not NOT Apple branded. This seems to be a new limitation, and I’m not sure why this might be the case. I’ll leave that to your imagination to figure out. The goal is to use the new 4K version so that I’m not required to adjust resolutions to 3840 x 2160 over multiple monitors while reducing resolution/reducing pixel space via MBP settings for desktop views, apps, windows, etc.

That said, the new MBP still needs some work, I will be frank. I’m not a fan of the limited HDMI connections without Apple specific dongles or Apple monitors. I need to do address this at the hardware level while desiring to run dual screens without Apple-branded screens, monitors, or TV’s. This is a self-imposed limitation without dongles. Unfortunately, I’ve tried multiple dongles or HDMI extender hardware/software without success. iCreate products have their own limitations, and screen observations, meaning Apple OS updates create software problems by iCreate device for months… The idea is simple: run multiple screens as separate screens with the same resolution. More on the AppleTV 4K to come.

MagSafe Battery Pack

In the meantime, let’s cover the MagSafe Battery Pack. Are trips or travel in your near future? Tired of short-term battery usage, removing apps and settings to preserve battery life? Consider adding a Apple Mag Safe Battery Pack. I(we) added the Apple Mag Safe for long-term battery needs, away from the office, traveling, or going to the stores. Are you looking for a battery pack? The latest from Apple, is the MagSafe Battery Pack, also try the – Belkin BOOST Charge, Pro Magnetic Power Bank.

Honestly, these battery packs do the job and more. They are great for those who are always on the run, constantly using apps, and watching videos on their phones. If you are running multiple apps at once, playing games, watching videos, and more wirelessly, these battery packs are for you. You are not tethered to a wall or a power station. Start by buying one, and I’ll provide my final verdict in a couple of weeks. Check back soon.

Before we continue, here are a few other articles on Apple iOS, other devices and updates that you might be interested in. For example, the MagSafe Battery Pack, for finding more power on the go, using Dual SIMs and eSIMs. Apple mouse, a ‘pass’ in our book, trackpad in a pinch or some more affordable Logitech mouse will do. Alternatively, you may want to explore a more minimalist approach with LightPhone products.

Let’s conclude this article on AppleTV 4K & MagSafe Battery Packs shall we? As usual leave a comment below. Have feedback on the MagSafe Batter Pack? Apple TV 4K, MBP? Let us know what you’re thinking?

October 1, 2022September 21, 2024

ADT Wiring

ADT WiringADT Touch

Let’s Rewire the ADT Touch Screen

Lab Work – ADT Control Unit

Archived for Future Reference, ADT Wiring Touch Panel. Need help? Just remember to always take a quick picture for historical backup value.

It’s time to cut, rewire and reinstall. This article will serve as a reference for ADT installations, specifically for the new generation touch panels. Think of it as a guide on how to reinstall touch panel wires post-improvement. Additionally, if this serves as a reference for those who may need help with future wiring or rewiring exercises, a picture can be invaluable. It’s pretty simple: focus on the main wire for power. Since is wireless system, there aren’t really any other wires. First and foremost, we encountered a minor issue with out ADT Touchscreen security system and needed to deactivate the system.

Secondly, we needed to relocate the system from the frontside of the wall to the backside. Sounds easy, right? Ultimately, it didn’t take long to move the screen from the front side to the back, which happened to be the interior actually the backside was the interior of a vented closet. The only note here, don’t forget which one is + (positive) and which one is – (negative), 50/50 shot on this.

Ready to Reinstall

There is no way to fail. Ideally, you’ll just move the unit, pick a new spot and wire up the wireless control panel. The problem comes in a small form, battery on the underside of the unit, and two connections. We have a red, black and white wire connector and the two lead wires are black and red which read (GND) and +9v. There is truly, only one way to push in the connector, while the black and red wires should be easy, Red Hot +, Black Ground -. ADT wiring goes like this find a new spot, screw in the touchpad screws, clean the wires, clip and prep, small screwdriver to push in the wires black for GND and Red for +9v. Push on the control panel.

Hey, before you go, this article is similar to our calculator work… a few screws, a new battery, a solder or two and done. Got to keep these old electronics running as intended. We will keep the quick electronics fixes coming! Check back for more lab work.

Leave us a comment below, cheers.