HP Pavilion dv2700 (dv2910us) Laptop Repair/Upgrade Guide

January 1st, 2013

I have been using a HP Pavilion dv2910us (dv2700 series) notebook computer for the last four years and wanted to share some repair and upgrade tips.
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Upgrading a Compaq Presario C700 Notebook Computer

November 16th, 2012

This is intended to be a short set of notes on successful hardware upgrades to a C700 series (C771US specifically) Compaq Presario laptop.
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Reflections on Sans Digital TR5UT External USB/eSATA RAID Enclosure

November 8th, 2012

http://www.sansdigital.com/images/stories/products/TR5UT/tr5ut_2.jpg

After having used this enclosure for about two years, I feel qualified to comment on my experiences with it, and best practices that I would recommend.

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Why does my CSI906 Hot Air Rework Station become noisy and stop pumping air?

October 3rd, 2011

The Circuit Specialists CSI-906 is a popular hot air rework station for hobbyists due to its extremely low price ($99).

One problem that can be encountered is that the air pump begins working intermittently. The symptoms are a loud noise and decreased hot air flow.
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How do I charge a completely dead battery in my Creative Zen Xtra MP3 player?

August 3rd, 2010

One unfortunate circumstance that every Zen Xtra owner has run into is a discharged battery, either due to use or non-use, that the unit refuses to recharge. This usually manifests itself as an endless EAX screen reboot loop even when plugged into DC charger power. If you only have one battery, there is no way to recover from this firmware aberration; you must buy a battery that is charged off the shelf.

But once you have bought a new battery, how can you recover use of your old battery and use it to make sure your unit never goes dead again?
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Repair Honda Accord code 41 – O2 sensor heater circuit

March 10th, 2010

I recently fixed a persistent problem with my 90 Honda Accord EX with a F22A4 motor, that the oxygen sensor heater circuit was malfunctioning and throwing a “check engine” code #41, causing poor fuel economy. Here is how to troubleshoot this problem.
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Fortron/FSP Mini-ITX power supply repair

February 28th, 2010

My little Mini-ITX system froze and would only sometimes power back on, only to freeze shortly thereafter. The problem was two 1000uF 10V capacitors in the PSU which had developed bulging tops and ESR greater than 1 ohm. Replacing these capacitors brought the system back to life. It would not be a surprise to see more capacitors fail in these power supplies due to the small space the Mini-ITX form factor requires several very hot power transistors to be crammed into.

Gateway 900G 19 inch LCD monitor flickering, power cycling

February 15th, 2010

Guess what? Yep, it’s more bad capacitors.
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Antec SL350 power supply re-cap

February 15th, 2010

A fairly common problem with Antec power supplies from 2002-2005 is the “Bad Caps” issue. Very frequently, when an Antec power supply manufactured during that period begins to make strange noises or become unstable, the capacitors have gone bad.
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How to replace the front to rear brake line on a 91 Ford Explorer

January 24th, 2010

I have a 91 4-door Explorer with 4 wheel drive and rear anti-lock brakes (RABS). While bleeding air from the brakes to try to solve a spongy pedal, the brake line that goes from the proportioning valve to the RABS pump “popped” and brake fluid began to drain onto the concrete.

Why does this brake line fail prematurely? Ford wrapped a spring around it for some reason, probably to dampen vibration, but the spring is an incompatible metal which corrodes the brake line in accelerated fashion. The result is total loss of rear brakes, a soft pedal, and a brake fluid leak.

Here is what to do about that problem. We will replace the broken brake line with Poly-Armour lines which are corrosion resistant, easy to bend, and which simply screw together with no flaring tool necessary.

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