Category: unsortables

iPhone5 power button repaired

by Tom

Common issue. Power button got broken after a while, I switched to iPhone6, so this ‘old’ phone stayed forgotten. Then my son wanted to use it, so I had to repair it. Looked around, for the first time it as eligible to Apple repair program, but after a while my SN was removed, not sure why. Anyway, the off-warranty repair costs more than 2500CZK (w/o VAT), quite a lot. So I looked around and found few links. Ordered spare button/ribbon cable, few tools and .. got it repaired (but I have to admit, it was a tough fight) :)

Price to repair was (excluding tools) around $4.

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Things ordered from Aliexpress:

Cool links to follow when repairing

PS: a small advice at the end. Sort your screws to small groups, on some sticker or a stick tape, put them in that order as removed – as there’s a bunch of really small screws and almost every one differs from others

Side by side images

by Tom

Quick script. As I’ve got FLIR images of my house, I wanted to have them side by side – original image + FLIR. So I wrote some small (fast) script in bash to do that.

#!/bin/bash

ir=IR_
img=DC_

im_start=$1
ir_start=$((im_start-1))

echo "Starting from $start - $(printf "%s%04d.jpg" $img $im_start)"
echo "IR will be from $ir_start - $(printf "%s%04d.jpg" $ir $ir_start)"

if [[ ! -f "$(printf "%s%04d.jpg" $img $im_start)" ]]; then
  echo "Image doesn't exist!"
  exit
fi

if [[ ! -f "$(printf "%s%04d.jpg" $ir $ir_start)" ]]; then
  echo "IR doesn't exist!"
  exit
fi

loop=1

while [ $loop -ne 0 ];do

  image=$(printf "%s%04d.jpg" $img $im_start)
  ir_image=$(printf "%s%04d.jpg" $ir $ir_start)

  combined_image=$(printf "flir-%04d-%04d.jpg" $im_start $ir_start)

  echo -n "$image + $ir_image --> $combined"
  montage -mode concatenate -tile x1 $image $ir_image $combined_image
  echo "..Done!"

  # increase
  im_start=$((im_start+2))
  ir_start=$((ir_start+2))

  #echo "Next file $(printf "%s%04d.jpg" $img $im_start)"

  # test if file?
  if [[ ! -f "$(printf "%s%04d.jpg" $img $im_start)" ]]; then
    loop=0
  fi
done

And the resulting image:

flir-0941-0940

BCD Boot troubles and WinMagic encryption

by Tom

I’ve got a notebook to repair – HP ProBook, where Windows boot ended up with an error message – something about BCD. Tried to repair with standard tools, like recovery DVD, but without any success.

It was because main partition with OS was encrypted with WinMagic. So, now what?

Got some tools and info from local HP service, so you need to find our or get:

  • SDWinPEx64.iso
  • SDWmgRecovery package
  • encryption key or password (key is better)

So, now steps how to fix it:

  1. create bootable USB/DVD media with WinPE
  2. unpack and store SDWmgRecovery somewhere (USB flash)
  3. copy key to the same place
  4. boot with WinPE (takes a while, be patient)
  5. first of all, run TB Launcher/SD Recovery
  6. expand your hdd with all the partition and check Lock column
  7. select those with Lock as true (one by one)
  8. click Unlock and enter your password or open a key
  9. back to TB Launcher, open a file manager to check which disk letter belongs to Windows (eg. “d:”)
  10. open Console
  11. type bootsect /nt60 c: /force /mbr
  12. type bcdboot d:\windows /s c:
  13. reboot

It should be working fine now. :-)

Ford Mondeo Mk4.5 tips

by Tom

use on your own responsibility

Convers+

  • test mode – turn off engine, press and hold “OK” button on stiring wheel and turn on the car (don’t start). Use up/down buttons.
  • quick navigate from anywhere to the top menu – press and hold “left” button

Sony mp3 radio

  • station test – turn on “radio”, press & hold “1” & “4” simultaneously, use “up”/”down” for switch screens, “off” to exit
  • radio information – turn on “radio”, press & hold “1” & “6”
  • radio & speaker test – turn on “radio”, press & hold “3” & “6” simultaneously or with “4” & “TA” buttons

Various

  • reset oil change indicator – close all doors, turn on the car (don’t start). Press & hold brake & accelerator pedal for a minimum of 15 seconds. Oil change indicator will turn off.
  • change locking/unlocking doors mode – press & hold lock&unlock buttons on your remote control for 5secs to enable/disable double unlocking (unlock driver’s door and then others). Car will blink as a confirmation.

“turn on the car” = press start/stop button without a brake or switch the ignition to II. position

Čištění EGR

by Tom

Protože moje auto nejak nejede, a nikdo si s tím neví moc rady, pustil jsem se do vyčištění EGR ventilu. Vymontování docela šlo, musí se sundat hadice, odšroubovat část, co vede dolu a mírně ohnout a povolit další tři šrouby. Odpojit dvě podtlakové hadičky a EGR je venku. Na vyčištění jsem si vzal aceton, kartáček na zuby a ultrazvukovou čističku. Aceton krásně rozpustí karbon, ale je potřeba to často proplachovat, neboť ta potvora se nachytá hned zpět. Přikládám i pár foto.

PS: nezapomeňte na ochranné pomůcky, zvlášť s acetonem.

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