Category: Technology

Derrick Builds – Do It yourself projects

For years I took things apart. A lot of those things never made it back together. These were not a total loss they were educational opportunities. After all those years of destroying things I’m now in the mode of building. Woodworking had always been a hobby of mine. I’m a big fan of the http://makezine.com/ Its a site that combines electronics and machining into great project you can do yourself. Post cancer treatments I have found a therapeutic value to tinkering in the shop. You get the idea that I’m not going to be around forever, but some of the things I build can last a lot longer than I.Igus motorized slider by Derrick Perrin

Video slider parts by Igus

Igus leaner bearing slide rails. 20-80mm and a 10-80mm rails.

I have been working on a linear slider for my video camera for a few years now. I built a big one with Igus 20-80mm rail. That one was over 5 feet long and worked beautiful. I put motors on it with the help of www.servocity.com
After years of lugging the big slider around I found myself using smaller and smaller cameras. The smaller camera means I can run a lighter rail.
Sony FS-100 sitting on a Igus zaza slider setup
I’m also starting a you-tube channel for my efforts. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYXcmnenbqTYlGeuacWldyQ Please head over to my page and subscribe. The next plan is to build a CNC cutting machine for plywood. View this video to see what I want to build:

Let me know if you want to help out with cost and I will build you something in return.
-Derrick

Poland PZO AMAR lens 105mm f/4,5 on a SONY NEX-7

Camera Fun – Poland PZO AMAR lens 105mm f/4,5 on Sony NEX

Meet my PZO AMAR 105mm lens from Poland

I have had had this little lens for a while. I think I grabbed it at a pawn shop as a feeble tossed in with another lens purchase.  So after a little reading I discovered it is for developing photos. With the right rig you can use it to take photos.

PZO AMAR lens 105mm f/4,5 - Poland

PZO AMAR lens 105mm f/4,5

Here is a short video clip using the AMAR PZ0

Photo of a Buffalo's DriveStation U35SHF3-AA USB 3.0 - SATA - Broken

Why we triple backup – Buffalo hard drives box break

Buffalo hard drives have been the choice for our data at work. When we started to buy their drives it was the only manufacture I could find that were assembling the boxes in Texas. Yes, we knew all the components were coming from China, but we liked the fact someone sitting in Austin, Texas was putting it all together and paying attention to the finishing touches. At that point the only drawback was the fact Buffalo Inc could not tell you what hard drive was in the enclosure. Some were Western Digital Green drives and others were Segate. Most were 5400 RPM some were 7200 RPM. All the tech guys I talked to let me know that W.D. Green drives suck. When I let them know I run triple backups and one of those is not a green drive the said, “that is great man.” So over a three to four years we have purchased 12 drives from Buffalo at our local Altex Electronics store.

This week 2 hard drive boxes have died – Bummer, but we have backups!

Buffalo's DriveStation hard drive # Model HD-LB2.0TU3 and 10 others stacked up. One is open and you can see the USB to SATA adapter.

10 plus Buffalo DriveStation hard drives in a row

After two years of buying Buffalo hard drives we noticed a change.  The company chose to have all the boxes put together in China.

Buffalo - Made in China
Buffalo also went with external USB 3.0 Micro B connection.

wpid-wp-1408223398786.jpg

So over the last few years we have been a big fan of the computer hard drive company Buffalo. This week we are still proud owners of Buffalo Inc.’s drives. We are not happy that two of our external hard drive boxed have died. The electrical parts have failed. When this happens you can crack the case open and pull the drive.  One of our dead boxes lives inside out pc and the other is now handing out in a BlacX external drive bay.  

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3829117&SRCCODE=WEBGOOKWL&cm_mmc_o=mH4CjC7BBTkwCjCs81CjCE&gclid=Cj0KEQjwgryfBRDn7cvY-pOit4cBEiQAB3nTbunTqdVTZio25Z9rLs1JDpysJGrApv5RogsKpHD57e8aAqDk8P8HAQ

BlacX 5G HDD Docking Station

So if we do the numbers of loosing 2 buffalo hard drives each week we will be cracking cases and saving drives for 6 weeks. Off to the net to look for a rack or bay that can hold a lot of drives.

-Derrick – feeling nerdy today. Happy to have backups of backups.

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