Monthly Archives: July 2015

My baby - a 1992 512 TR. — The Ferrari Testarossa, along with its later 512 TR and F512M variants, are iconic cars of the 80s and 90s. Every kid my age wanted to be Sonny Crocket cruising around Miami in a white Testarossa. What we never saw, however, was Crocket having trouble starting his Testarossa. Every time he had […]

DIY: Fix a Ferrari Testarossa / 512 TR Hot Start ...

This entry was posted in Cars DIY Reference and tagged 512 TR 512TR Bosch DIY Ferrari Ferrari 512TR Ferrari Testarossa hot start hot start fix hot start problem how to problem replace solenoid replace starter replace starter solenoid solenoid starter Testarossa won't start on July 29, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3428 days ago)

Relay assembly close-up. — Last week, I was working in my back yard when I noticed that the big red light on top of my septic system control box was lit up. That light is triggered when one of two alarm floats (in either the main effluent pump chamber or the clearwell pump chamber) detects that the fluid level in […]

How to Make Your Septic Alarm Smarter

This entry was posted in DIY Home Theater & Automation Technology and tagged alarm monitoring DSC email relay septic alarm septic alarm monitoring septic buzzer septic pump septic system septic tank smart septic alarm smart things text wireless sensor Z-Wave on July 25, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3436 days ago)

I’m not as hard-core as the “preppers” who are ready to lock themselves in a basement for 2 years while nuclear winter rages overhead, but I was a Boy Scout, and so the motto “Be Prepared” was imprinted on me from a young age. I like the comfort that comes […]

Review: Eton Blackout Buddy Emergency LED Flashlight / Nightlight

This entry was posted in Product Reviews and tagged American Red Cross backup light blackout buddy emergency flashlight emergency LED light eton LED night light rechargable on July 21, 2015 by Steve Jenkins

Paul glues new dust covers on the repaired speakers. — Not long ago, we started to notice a distorted “buzzing” sound from our left and right front speakers in our family room, particularly when the TV was playing something with a lot of bass (like explosions, engine noise, or gunfire). I love our family room speakers. They’re made by an English […]

Rave: The LoudSpeaker Store (Kent, WA)

This entry was posted in DIY Home Theater & Automation Rants and Raves and tagged Castle fix Kent loudspeakers rave Renton Repair Seattle Severn speakers on July 17, 2015 by Steve Jenkins

Becker Micarta Knife Scales — I love my KA-BAR / Becker knives. They look good, they feel good, but most importantly they work good (OK, I know it’s technically “work well,” but that would have thrown off the pattern). But if I have any complaint at all about these excellent knives, it’s the black plastic […]

Review: KA-BAR Becker Micarta Scales / Handles for BK Series ...

This entry was posted in Knives Product Reviews and tagged Becker Becker Necker BK10 BK2 BK3 BK4 BK5 BK7 BK9 G10 handles KA-BAR kabar Micarta product review review scales Upgrade on July 17, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3444 days ago)

Last year, when the ecobee3 smart thermostat was announced, I published a preview, then a “first look” and unboxing video, followed soon after by the very first review of the ecobee3. I followed those up with an ecobee3 installation guide for new users, along with an ecobee Smart to ecobee3 upgrade guide for owners migrating […]

Review: ecobee3 HomeKit-enabled Thermostat

This entry was posted in Home Theater & Automation iPhone Product Reviews Technology and tagged Apple automation ecobee ecobee3 Home Kit HomeKit HomeKit-enabled HomeKit-Enabled ecobee3 iOS iPad iPhone Nest product review review Siri smart home smart thermostat thermostat WiFi thermostat on July 15, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3445 days ago)

“Smart” home devices don’t only make your life easier, but in many cases can also save you money. Readers of my blog already know I’m a big fan of ecobee’s smart thermostat products. They’re WiFi enabled controllers that use weather data available via the Internet to predicatively (and reactively) minimize HVAC system […]

WiFi Sprinker Controller Review: Rachio Iro vs. RainMachine vs. IrrigationCaddy

This entry was posted in DIY iPhone Linux Product Reviews Technology and tagged irrigation IrrigationCaddy product review Rachio Iro Rachio Iro review Rain Machine RainMachine RainMachine review smart controller smart home sprinkler WiFi on July 15, 2015 by Steve Jenkins (updated 3446 days ago)