Slingbox, the best Gadget ever

Slingbox ClassicThat may seem to be a big statement, and I have only had the Slingbox a week or two and wouldn’t want to get rid of it now.

So what is the Slingbox?? It’s a device that can stream your TV over local network and the internet, even on a PDA or phone (mobile software costs £20 currently).

Cable or Satellite boxes?? No problem.
DVD, Video, Hardisk Players/Recorders?? No problem.
Digital TV?? No problem. (not on Solo)
High Definition TV?? No Problem. (not on Classic)

Why did I choose the Slingbox?? I purchased a Video Sender prior to this and as operated on 2.4GHz interence was caused by my Wifi. Also couldn’t change channels as VirginMedia (ex-Telewest) remote uses IRDA signals.

It soon went back to the shop I purchased it from and eBayed a Buy-It-Now Slingbox Classic for £75.00. Bargain.

The photo is of my Slingbox in situ with a DVD temporarily above it to show it’s size.

I currently have a Cable Box and DVD player connected (although one cable for sound has to be manually changed if I switch via the software), and a Digital TV freeview antenna.

If you have local network at home, Cat5 or Wifi, I would advise to look at the Slingbox as a seriously cool Gadget. Visit the Slingmedia home page www.slingmedia.com.

Flipping Friday

To start this story I would say I used Flipping in the title, but for the fact I don’t who may read this I would have used a different word.

So on Friday where this story begins I am having lunch chatting to my friend well aware they are knocking down the buildings next door. I try filming a little but when I start filming the machine operator starts clearing up, so I delete the video and continue chatting to my friend.

At the end of lunch I check phone for messages and then put it into standby when back at my desk. This is at 13:00. I finish work at 16:30 & head to pub for couple of ciders before heading to Radio Club. When I sit down at pub waiting for colleagues to show up I check my phone. Oh dear. It’s off.

Turn it on and them when at today screen I find 1% only left. But why?

I think back and it dawns on me that I must have left the camera on (but not as a friend suggested recording the inside of my drawer).

Two more ciders later I head off to the Radio Club and get home about 11pm.

I am barely in the door and my Mum is saying that the cable TV box wasn’t working. I asked if she had unplugged and plugged back in. This had been done.

As I was tired from work I say I will look into it and head up to my room. Computer is switched on and I load up my TV program. Oh Dear. Looks like the upstairs Cable box is down.

Will just check my email and look at the problem in the morning.

“Server not found – Firefox can’t find the server at www.gmail.com.”

Restart the Modem. Same thing. This is not looking good. Sod waiting for tomorrow I am on the phone to Virgin Media straight away. The person who answered the phone said he was aware of problems in the neighboring town and would log my call.

I head off to bed. In the morning when I eventually am up I start computer and check modem. There is the same lack of activity lights.

After 9 phone calls to Virgin I finally get them to concede there is a problem, get a 2 engineers booked (1 for TV and 1 for Broadband) a £25 rebate and refund on the premium rate calls I had made (Yes calls to the Broadband line are 25p per minute). I was also put on the standby list for cancelled engineers & got them to activate dial-up as a stand-by measure.

At this stage I decide to look at the cable coming into the house. I thought that as there are 2 separate cables between the upstairs and downstairs the problem had to be outside of my house.

The cables near the house were fine. Then as I walk up the garden path, the horror as I realise that FM Conway are digging up the pavement. They have upon removing the top layer somehow cut the coax bringing my lovely TV and Broadband into the house.

I am back on the phone to Virgin to get this note added to the engineer’s orders.

This was written day after my problems started but posted 2 weeks later as couldn’t get text to blog before this time.

Icom IC-E90 Tricks (IC-T90)

Keyboard trick:-
Press and hold the BAND key while powering up radio, gives a full-display read-out. Releasing the BAND key allows radio to continue normal power-up.

  • Keypad Backlighting Colour Trick:-
    • Push [8 SET] for 1 sec to enter Set mode
    • Rotate [DIAL] until EXP1 appears
    • Press [8 SET] to select, then Rotate [DIAL] to switch EPX1 On
    • Press [8 SET] Set
    • Rotate [DIAL] to COLOR
    • Press [8 SET] then Rotate Dial to select Green, Orange or Red
    • Press [8 SET] to Set once you have desired colour.

TV Channels Trick:-
This one isn’t listed in manual, but is you have auto scanned the TV channels and want to have all channels listed here’s how you can do it:-

Press Call/TV until you enter TV mode
Open the Squelch (Hold SQL Button below PTT and rotate Dial to Open)
Press and Hold Mode/Scan for 1 sec to begin Scan.

As the Squelch (SQL) is open unit will think all channels have activity so they are all then listed.

Let me know any others if you have them and I will list here.

First Impressions of Icom IC-E90

Well I have had my Icom IC-E90 for a few days now and battery life is pretty good so far. The Charger that comes with the Radio requires 15hrs to charge, so I may have to purchase the 2-1/2 hour desktop version very soon. As I am writing this it’s having it first charge since Christmas day, but has been charging since 2am and is now 7pm and is not complete (But that may be because the cable when I picked it up at 10am fell out so may not have been home snugly. We’ll have to wait and see.).

I have managed to program in all the CB (UK & EU) and PMR (446Mhz) channels into the memory, as well as some normal radio stations like Capital FM (95.8fm), Kiss (100fm) and Radio 1 (98.8fm). This radio has a feature that when listening to Public radio stations and TV channels (yes can get them as well) switches to a WFM mode.

My uncle will be making a cable to connect to a PC for me and then once I have the Icom software I can arrange all the channels via the computer. (Hopefully that will be easier than programming on the handset.)

On Boxing day I also caught about 5-10 minutes of a broadcast (I think they call a net) by the Sutton & Cheam Radio Society. I heard them using their Amateur Radio call signs, but either because I am not used to listening or they were said to fast I missed them.

It's Been a While

Well it’s been a few days since I posted anything here so what have I been up to.

I am back at work after 2 weeks Annual leave (and already feel I need some more leave).

What else. I have a Apple Mac G3 and have finally got Mac OS x (10.2.6 (Codename: Jaguar)). Also I got some kind of virus on my PC (Sony Vaio Laptop) and backed up about 200Mb of files and reinstalled from the original CDs. I have taken the precaution for future that only my Mac will now handle my E-mails. I will also be beefing up the Virus protection on the PC. I will install Norton Anti-Virus and Grisoft AVG, as well as ZoneAlarm.

Back to Mac OS X it has some interesting Features, and software (Some I think are unique). These include as standard: Safari (Mac Web Browser made by Apple (I believe)), Address Book (Which can connect to Bluetooth phone (with adapter) and display callers), iSync, iTunes, iMovie, iPhotos, iCal (Calendar) and more. Also installed Fire which is a Mac OS X Chat Client that connects to 6 messengers in 1 package (AIM, ICQ, IRC Jabber, MSN, Yahoo) and which is like Trillian for the PC.

Yesterday I have purchased for my Laptop a TV USB tuner. (Cost £35.99 from my local computer shop). Was the Hauppauge (pronounced Hop-Hog) WinTV USB and features include Full Screen Display, Screen Capture, and Teletext capabilities.

Lastly: Last Night I set up my 7 day Wine Home Brew Kit. I had thoughts that when I checked on it before I went to bed that it had not started bubbling, but I was relieved that when I checked this morning that was bubbling away nicely. Hopefully this time next week should have some nice wine to drink. (* Hiccup *)