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I re-addressed the question of drive cloning today - EaseUS seems to be getting some recommendations but the company is based in Chengdu, China and it comes cheap at $20 or less for their home Disk Copy software. I'm somewhat leery of using this kind of tool - I remember when they started showing up at the top of Google search results a few years ago and I was skeptical then, too (i.e., they may be paying reviewers to promote their software). Macrium Reflect X looks like a decent tool - it's not as cheap as EaseUS but they have a long history and a good reputation (Windows only). Acronis True Image may also be good - they add anti-ransomware tools which you may not need and some reviews noted a slower system startup (Windows and macOS). Both offer free trials and they start at about $50/year - subscription only. You can also use Clonezilla, which is free and open source. It was developed by Steven Shiau and the National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC) in Taiwan and it's been around since 2007 (Windows, Intel macOS, Linux, Unix). The Clonezilla interface is definitely more technical and less beginner-friendly than the other software. In my opinion, Windows is more of a serious candidate for drive cloning. Many tools exist at the enterprise level for backup and data management, but your average home/small business user doesn't do a good job of backup or disaster preparation. You can use these software tools along with an inexpensive drive/NAS to fully backup your system in case of data loss or hardware failure. Apple's macOS has built-in tools for backup (Time Machine), data migration (Migration Assistant), and disk encryption (FileVault 2). I've found that these tools work extremely well for most users - enterprise admins have more expensive and sophisticated MDM (mobile device management) software like Jamf Pro, Kandji, NinjaOne to run their Macs. Backblaze, a large cloud backup company, just released their quarterly drive stats for Q2 2025: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/backblaze-drive-stats-for-q2-2025/ It's reassuring to see that most hard drives across the board have lower than 1% failure rates, with a few exceptions. Backblaze uses consumer SATA hard drives rather than more expensive enterprise drives, so your mileage may vary. It's also important to note that these are failures in operation - if Backblaze received a dead-on-arrival drive from their supplier, that's not going to go in their metrics.

Part Two of *mumble* The Wenlock Barracks apparently. It's a dog photo with some background people and vehicles. That's a lot of square trucks. Time for some pointy ears. What we have here is a Corgi 90 and a Corgi 110, though looking now he might even be a Corgi 130. At the time my (sainted, octogenarian) mother commented that the fella in the foreground was "first to the food bowl." There's a case to be made for the parallels between Corgis and Land Rovers. Both originate from the British Isles. Both are expensive and high maintenance for what they are and can be a bit ...temperamental at times. Both also have loyal (and in some cases, royal) fans who swear on their virtues vs other breeds/brands. Also, both are quite photogenic. Woof.

Just too fucking cute! When I was in my early teens, we got a cat that was originally named Skittles, but my mom renamed her to Skeeter (she had another cat by that name and she looked similar she said). In later years, I started reverting to calling her Skittles, and she would come to me when I called. She also was not a lap cat so much, but loved to lie next to me and lean into me on one of our couches. Such a sweetie....

Skittles playtime!! IMG_3930.mov

to achieve additional truth, I bought a device that was recommended to me on our forum - DUOYI DY294. I am waiting for the arrival of both DigiKey and Ali

I showed you a photo of the transistors and the gain of the transistors that arrived. I am NOT happy with the big difference in measurements between the datasheet and what I see from the transistors from Mouser. I spent extra money for comparison. I made a test purchase from Digi. I will write the results.

Yup. Totally agree JoaMat. I've placed orders with Mouser for decades with zero problems. If Mouser keep an eye on forums, or as a lurking member, Micron21 could end up in hot water. I used to be list admin for a Jaguar forum with 10,000 international members. And occasionally a list member would openly criticize a supplier. But all the major Jaguar parts and service outlets lurked as members on the list. So threats of legal action for defamation were regular, including to the list owner (me). I quit as admin because the stress of being potential sued was too much.

Please be careful with words. I do believe Mouser is a reliable company.

Speaking of VW charm https://www.autoevolution.com/news/artful-canadian-engineer-spits-out-the-vw-frankencopter-a-different-kind-of-luftwaffe-255331.html

Thanks Knucks. Let me know when you launch roverhub or whatever you're going to call it.

33 year old space heater.

I warn you in advance. I am not happy with the purchase from Mouser. I bought several parts from digikey - 9360, 004, 06, 56. They will arrive around August 11. I am very interested in what I will see on the 9350 case, and what the device will show - in hFE mode.

I have to face facts. There is no way I'm going to be able to park all these Land Rovers in one post. This is the first of ...several. Also, I am not able to identify LR versions with 100% accuracy. This Series II and its odd custom suspension lives on MV full time. Same for this one. It turns out they're very good for advertising. The lighting is brutal, especially with the asphalt. I cheated by converting to B&W. I like the vintage look in this case. It's not an eye patch. Arr! There is an entire industry of replacement LED lamps for old Land Rovers. This ambulance was kind the star of the show. It a 1979 Series IIIa and served as part of a volunteer rescue outfit in the UK. It is a right hand drive model. I talked with the owner an he said did okay, but certain turns could be scary. Defender 90s are my favorite. Short wheelbase, reasonably modern powertrains, and they still look like an actual LR. Don't get me wrong, I really like 110s (and the nutball 130s), but I wouldn't want to have to navigates MV roads (and MV traffic) for any length of time in one. There is a lot to be said about the looks of Series IIs. Not an LR, but still very shiny. The swooped nose is the body style of the microbus that everyone likes. I've read conflicting information on it. Supposedly 1967 is the last year to have it, but I've seen what was supposedly a 1970 model with the V nose. In any case, the new 2025 "ID Buzz" version is downright fugly and has exactly zero charm. To quote my favorite line from one of my favorite films: Tune in next time for more LRs and gratuitous photos of Corgis.

Because everyone's summer should have a little counterbalance with Nietzsche. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gay-science-1-preface-i-1-i-9/id1573808070?i=1000661659055

This Lando v. Oscar battle is making what would ordinarily be a boring season of dominance by a single team quite entertaining! The later and later we get with these two separated by less than a single race worth of points keeps the tension high. Helps that their personalities are also so different from one another.

Love seeing Odd Lots, one of my favorite podcasts, get a writeup from NYT. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/business/odd-lots-podcast-bloomberg.html?unlocked_article_code=1.bU8.vRJd.bckYB2Fm0bIg&smid=url-share

I started with stock Panasonic headphones with my tape player and upgraded to Koss ear buds when they broke... the beginning of a long, beautiful journey.

OK, didn't take the time to read or watch, but I had that PCDP on the right and that + Porta Pro Jrs is what got me into this game for real. ❤️

Some morning Al

^ Ha, wrong thread.

Got a good start today. I laminated the parts that needed laminating. I got the channel section that rides over the existing table saw fence built. The plans didn't call for the insides of the channel section to be laminated on the inside, but I knew that it would slide on the existing fence so much better, so I made that improvement. The channel has no slop whatsoever, but slides absolutely perfectly over the fence. It's also put together with screws alone, should I ever need to micro-adjust it. Tomorrow I hope to dado the slots for all of the T-track, put a water based poly on all of the raw plywood parts and assemble said T-tracks. Possibly even route the arch for the adjustable angle arm. After that it's just building accessories. A splining jig, a slide rail that has several functions, including a tapering jig etc...

Invited to a Birthday Party by a friend who works in Film trade / Craft Services. Some of their Call Sheets The Birthday Call Sheet There was Craft Services food Complete with an Oyster Shucking Station, and assistant in training With some smooth grooves (yatch rock?) drifting on the breeze They know their stuff. Tasty. Approved EDIT: Hey Kids, Let's put on a show! EDIT 2: And there was cake Of course there was cake.

Some morning Al

L.S.G. - Into Deep (1999) Thanks, Dusty! Superstition Records (Hamburg, Germany) remastered the CD and digital files in 2014 - no vinyl release so far.