Thursday 13 September 2007

Where did they all come from?


Had a clearing out of the loft. five, yes five count 'em, old PC base units had collected up there!

All now stripped of useful bits and taken for recycling.


So that just leaves one spare PC, a Merlin Tonto, and a Commodore C64 in the collection :-)


The spare PC is currently having Zenwalk Linux installed on it.

Wednesday 5 September 2007

How to change a car stereo

I kept the stereo from my old car when I sold it because it will play mp3/WMA tracks from disc but when I tried to swap them over previously it wouldn't power up. I assumed some subtle difference in the wiring of the plugs so today I decided to have another go:


  1. Download wiring diag. from JVC
  2. Get tools and meter from van
  3. Extract old stereo
  4. Notice 15A blade fuse in rear of old stereo
  5. Look at rear of new stereo
  6. Notice empty slot for 15A blade fuse
  7. Wonder if that's where fuse found on floor when cleaning car came from
  8. Insert 15A blade fuse into new stereo
  9. Connect wiring plugs to new stereo
  10. Turn on new stereo - WOW, IT WORKS!!! :-)
  11. Try to insert new stereo into dash aperture, won't go :-(
  12. Realise new stereo still has mounting bracket around it.
  13. Disconnect wiring and remove mounting
  14. Re-connect wiring
  15. Try to insert new stereo into dash aperture, won't go :-(
  16. New stereo has extra bit of wiring harness to convert from 2 multiplugs to one
  17. Perform James Herriot impression with hand in dash aperture to try and stuff
  18. wiring harness into back of hole for stereo
  19. Gently insert new stereo into dash aperture
  20. Vigorously insert new stereo into dash aperture
  21. Shove very hard on new stereo to get it to go all the way into dash aperture
  22. Replace front panel of new stereo and turn on
  23. WOW! IT WORKS!!! :-)
  24. Pick up old stereo to put in box
  25. Realise Bryan Adams CD still in old stereo
  26. Swear
  27. Check for manual release on old stereo, nope :-(
  28. Swear again, only louder
  29. Extract new stereo from dash aperture
  30. Transfer wiring to old stereo
  31. Transfer fuse to old stereo (no, I don't know where the one that was on the floor went, OK?)
  32. Eject Bryan Adams CD from old stereo
  33. Transfer fuse and wiring back to new stereo
  34. Repeat steps 16 to 22
  35. At last! I can play MP3/WMA discs in car again :-)