Jeri Ellsworth
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jeriellsworth.bsky.social
Jeri Ellsworth
@jeriellsworth.bsky.social
Big nerd. Building things
Trump voters: History won’t be kind to you. Neither will I
Progress isn’t about making you comfortable
Reposted by Jeri Ellsworth
unbelievable, scrubbing with a magic eraser and then it works again
Lithium battery fumes got inside the HDD and oxidized the platter. I actually was able to clean this off with a magic eraser AND IT READS... Plenty of bad sectors, but i am getting an image!
November 24, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Reposted by Jeri Ellsworth
I'm interested in it because it's used with the Dynix Automated Library System, used by a ton of libraries in the 80s and 90s. It's currently not available in any form (but I'm working on it)
November 23, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Reposted by Jeri Ellsworth
Maybe make a silicone mold of the two parts now, before they dissolve all the way.
November 23, 2025 at 9:17 PM
That could be done with SLA, but I'd be tempted to 3D print molds and use strong casting resins.

That reminds me that I need to mail off the printer letter belts that I cast in urethane.
November 23, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Both! :)
November 23, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Nice!
November 23, 2025 at 8:59 PM
The memories are flooding back. a friend that worked there as an unpaid intern told me that they were so cash strapped they couldn't pay for the wire services and the meteorologist would open the back door and look up to make his daily weather predictions.
November 23, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Reposted by Jeri Ellsworth
I got the sliders waxed in the hot water & wax mixture and I'm actually shocked that this seems to have improved the white Alps.

Believe me I was a certified hater of this trick for a long time and was ready to rant my ass off about it if this failed. But I was wrong, these really are much better
November 22, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Reposted by Jeri Ellsworth
RCA phono oscillator 1935, it is an accessory that was connected to an AM radio so that a phonograph could be played through the radio. Its a low power transmitter. I built many of these low power transmitting circuits when I was a kid. This is the oldest circuit I have seen. NJARC swap meet find.
November 23, 2025 at 6:08 AM
It's fascinating that someone posted these video documenting the birth and death of a local TV station. So much optimism at the beginning, lawsuits and then a long death over the next 10 years.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3pZ...
KECH 22 day one when we went went on the air Nov 21 1981
YouTube video by kech22salem
www.youtube.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Yup. Our station Kech-22 had the best content for weirdos like me.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB4C...
KECH 22 FOR SALE cr-1982
YouTube video by kech22salem
www.youtube.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Got a tour of a local low budget UHF station when I was in school and all the equipment was held together by bailing wire and gum.

"Don't touch the waveguide, because we don't have all the bolts installed" They said

I suspect there are many small broadcasters that don't care or can't upgrade.
November 23, 2025 at 5:39 AM
Reposted by Jeri Ellsworth
I really want to know the full story behind this epic hack, and yet I also hope it is never solved.
It's my favorite day! It's the 38th anniversary of the Max Headroom signal broadcast intrusion!

1st incident lasted 25s during the 9PM news on WGN-TV in Chicago; The 2nd, 2hrs later, lasted ~90s on PBS affiliate WTTW during Dr. Who.

You can watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqge...
Max Headroom 1987 Broadcast Signal Intrusion Incident
YouTube video by andrew867
www.youtube.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Santa - I've been a very good girl this year and I want 4164 ram chips. Please don't give me Micron type.
a man in an elf costume is hugging santa claus while he is sitting in a chair .
ALT: a man in an elf costume is hugging santa claus while he is sitting in a chair .
media.tenor.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Might need a heavy duty stocking for that, but I'm game!
a man in a tuxedo and bow tie is holding a christmas stocking .
ALT: a man in a tuxedo and bow tie is holding a christmas stocking .
media.tenor.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Reposted by Jeri Ellsworth
Or you could make them some artisinal flux:

www.suzyj.net/2021/01/suzy...
Suzy's Super Rosin Paste Flux.
We're in a no-clean, water-based, lead-free world, and that sucks. Electronics manufacturing is about getting product out the door...
www.suzyj.net
November 23, 2025 at 4:33 AM