David Spalding

@chromejob

David Spalding

5,338	Reputation
30	Solutions
9	Guides
Member Since 11/12/2015

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Former film student, reviewer, musician (Irish Traditional), US Coast Guard avionics tech and aircrewman (I got to play over the caribbean with a super expensive Westinghouse APG-66 F-16 radar system plus more), infopreneur, public radio producer, now software QA and BA, art museum volunteer, track performance driving enthusiast. Love gadgets, home theater tech, person-focused technology advances, hiking, cooking, eating, sleeping, dreaming. My income doesn't support my Criterion Collection aspirations. Things I don't love: technology that is faulty, gadgets with built-in guaranteed obsolescence, software that's poorly conceived or is hostile to the user, companies whose "business needs" outweigh their obligation of service to customers, bad food, selfish people. (I'd say I dislike egoistic, aggressive people, but sometimes I are one. We have seen the enemy....)

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Teardowns I've Worked On

My Guides

Guides I've Contributed To

Completed Guides

Questions

After a pop, no heating, but all else works. Repair or replace? 07/10/2016
After kicking on my over the range GE Spacemaker (circa 2002) microwave/fan, there was a pop, maybe a slight flash of...
Can I use a different AC adapter with this charger? 03/28/2016
If I've lost the original LG charger supplied with the Nexus Wireless Charger, can I use the charger that came with my...

Answers

Answer to "Clock, radio along with display, and ac and heater panel lights aren't" August 25
There was a common problem in the 2004 models that a fuse/circuit in the audio control head unit (really, it’s the huge control cluster in the center dashboard) would go bad, and the lights in that section failed. See your Acura dealer about a replacement, and ensure you’re sitting down. The control head costs about $1300 wholesale.
Answer to "Google home mini does not respond" January 23
Sounds like a hardware fault, I’ve read of a few that this happened to. As mentioned, try a factory reset as per the Google support docs, if that doesn’t resolve, try for a warranty return or replacement.
Answer to "How to open google home mini power adapter?" January 23
Unless you’re experienced in micro-electronics work, I would not recommend this. I’m confident that the manufacturer made the adapter so it could not be disassembled by the consumer, for obvious safety reasons. A suitable charger and cord can be bought for less than the price of lunch (try Monoprice.com). Safety first, get a reliable charger and cord to suit your purposes and keep the GHM’s adapter for another use. ;)
Answer to "Where can I buy a new cord for my google mini" January 23
The included charger/cord is a simple USB 2.0 charger that produces standard 5 VDC at 1.8A. Any tablet charger (for Apple or Android devices) should work, so long as the cord’s USB Micro B connector is small enough to fit through the recess in the GHM. Don’t whittle one down if it doesn’t fit, you could create a short.
Answer to "Power source. Please help!" January 23
You may want to look into a battery base. There are a couple on sale on Amazon that look to fit neatly onto the bottom of the Google Home Mini. Or you could use a simple rechargeable battery boost charger like for recharging tablets, or jump starting cars. Just plug it into the Mini’s USB Micro-B port. It needs to provide 1.8A DC minimum as mentioned by previous answers. Use that for as long a needed, then recharge the power supply when your generator runs. :)
Answer to "After a pop, no heating, but all else works. Repair or replace?" 07/13/2016
After running it at 20% and 50% for a minute or two, I heard the louder humming cycling on and off, so clearly something in the control was trying to cycle the magnatron...? Perhaps the HV cap had gone bad, or something in the control I smelled a very faint electronics burning from the area of the control, so that's what I suspect. This may be corroborated by the fact I heard a pop from the front right of the oven. At any rate, some July 4th sales of new units gave me the opportunity to get a CR top-rated unit (convection/microwave oven, much quieter) for as much as 20% or 30% off the original price, and finance for free for 12 - 18 months. As others have pointed out, sometimes it's just best to replace a defective unit with one boasting far more features and flexibility.
Answer to "Magnetron or Diode or both?" 07/10/2016
[edit: clarification] Your suspicion is correct, that one component going bad can lead to another failure. But your measurement of the magnatron suggests it's sound -- it depends upon the design spec variance allowed in the resistance measurement. I would try the diode, and power up the microwave with all covers in place. As others have mentioned, these appliances have very high voltage components and you can get hurt trying a DIY repair. Ensure all capacitors are discharged, you have no jewelry on, etc. If you're new to this, leave it to a professional -- the cost of a replacement is far more economical than the potential injury you can incur.
Answer to "Why is my phone not restarting?" 06/17/2016
What are the indications, will it not even power on at all, or do it perform a "boot loop" where an animation just keeps running without end,...? It sounds like you were overzealous in disabling Google apps, and may likely have disabled some system services and apps that are required to run. If you can't boot into Safe Mode, you may have to reboot into the bootloader and recovery (how will differ from one phone model to another) and perform a factory reset to default settings. You will lose some or all of your data on the phone when you so do. I would not recommend disabling too many apps. If you don't want to use Google services, just don't sign in to a Google account. You can turn off certain Google account data from syncing by turning off sync in the Google account(s) screen. That way, for example, you can use Google Maps, but not sync any Gmail or Google Calendar information.
Answer to "Why doesn't my camera have a led light?" 06/17/2016
I'm not familiar with that model, but in the camera app you may need to enable the "Flash: on" mode. Most cameras operated in a "Flash: auto" mode in which the flash will only work in low light situations.
Answer to "Won't read sim even after replacing sim card flex!?" 06/07/2016
Contact the seller? Is the phone SIM-unlocked (or, are you using SIMs from the same carrier that it was sold for)?

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Initiate the instrument cluster self-test May 19

Wrong vehicle, dude. Hope you figured it out or got a friend to help out.
Initiate the HandsFreeLink diagnostic self-test. March 28

Could be the Bluetooth module, wherever that is. Probably not a DIY job. Since a HFL function is a partial solution to combating Distracted Drive Syndrome, the $175 is a worthwhile investment. But there MAY be independent car repair shops that are well versed in Japanese brands (a friend operated one) and could offer a competitive rate. Another test: when you start the pairing process, does your phone see the car’s HFL? If not, then your car’s Bluetooth is probably compromised (i.e. the module isn’t functioning).

Ask them if the HFL is the “Telephone Assy” located in the overhead maplight bezel assembly in the ceiling. ;) Shouldn’t cost $175 to dismantle that and check out a part.
Google Home Mini Teardown January 23

Excellent first teardown guide, bravo!
Google Home Mini Teardown January 23

Suggested revision: “While keeping the top close to the base as in the picture, disconnect the ribbon cable from the connector with a spudger.”
Open all the windows simultaneously. January 23

This guide is meant for the Honda CL9, sold as the Euro/JDM Accord or US Acura TSX. Your experience will undoubtedly differ with other makes and models. Consult your owners manual or local dealer.
Nexus 4 Battery Replacement 10/23/2018

IMHO Wikis like iFixit are collaborative, and no one “owns” a page or a contribution. I suspect that the step was updated to “plastic card” to link to the iFixit store where a rigid, reusable card tool can be purchased (and they’re better than thin credit cards, I’ve got two). Sales of the tools help support the site. Furthermore,… it appears as if you created an account to make the edit, and when it was rejected, you created a new account to again propose the edit. :-\ I’m only speaking as another writer when I suggest you stop make a fuss about one edit several years ago, and make some more contributions where you’re able to. ;)
Bootloader, Recovery, and the joy of unlocking 10/23/2018

Specific help on particular models is beyond the (intended) scope of this guide. You can fine more specific information on sites like XDA Developers (as well as people developing custom ROM images for your brand/model of phone.
Nexus 4 Battery Replacement 11/26/2017

Dragosmp: Follow instructions found online for deleting the prior battery data, the phone will then relearn the new battery’s capability.
Initiate the HandsFreeLink diagnostic self-test. 09/04/2017

No, the HFL only identifies itself as a headset for phone calls. I have been able to conduct "calls" via Google Hangouts on an Android phone and iOS device (iPad), though.
2003-2007 Honda Accord Cabin Air Filter Replacement 12/25/2016

What are you taking about? What part of this guide is BS?

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