Author: Dave Farquhar

O gauge curved track dimensions

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
O gauge curved track dimensions

When it comes to O gauge trains, I don’t know if there’s a more confusing topic than track dimensions. Standards, schmandards. Let’s see what I can do to de-mystify O gauge curved track dimensions.

O gauge track comes in some common dimensions, the most common being 31, 36, 42, 54, 72, and 96 inch diameters. The problem is not every track system has each diameter, and the measurements tend to be nominal, kind of like lumber.

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Phone turns off in cold weather? Here’s the fix

Dave Farquhar Hardware

My wife has a phone that has a nice screen and doesn’t lag. It’s an older model but it’s still a nice phone. Well, except when it’s cold. It turns out it’s not super unheard of when a phone turns off in cold weather. So if your phone dies in cold weather, or shuts off when cold, here’s how we fixed it. It makes sense, once you think about it.

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A Linux sudo bug

Dave Farquhar security

I had a busy day at work today, writing for my current employer about something my previous employer discovered. Qualys discovered a buffer overflow condition in sudo that, well, basically makes all your users root. I joked with one of my coworkers that Qualys could have used this to solve all its permissions problems when scanning Linux and Unix instead of disclosing this, but they did the right thing.

Most any Linux distro released between 2011 and 2020 has this flaw. So, run yum update or apt-get update to clean up those old sudos. Because we all know giving all your users root isn’t a good idea.

How to use a contour gauge

Dave Farquhar DIY
How to use a contour gauge

The contour gauge may be the best kept secret in carpentry. When you need to cut a piece of flooring to fit around a piece of trim, or copy a piece of trim that you can’t buy anymore, a contour gauge lets you do it. Here’s how to use a contour gauge.

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How often should you replace thermal paste?

Dave Farquhar Hardware
How often should you replace thermal paste?

We usually only think about thermal paste during new system builds. But you may not know that thermal paste dries out over time and needs to be replaced. So how often should you replace thermal paste? And why do you need to?

How long thermal paste lasts depends on how hard you use your computer. It’s best to replace it every 3-5 years or so, if you keep your system that long, but there are other times it’s a good idea to replace it too.

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Convert AVI to WMV for free. No fooling.

Dave Farquhar Windows

I see tons of guides out there claiming to tell you how to convert AVI to WMV for free. Then they give you instructions that don’t work before pitching you some $80 tool to do it. You can’t convert AVI to WMV with VLC, but you can do it with another free tool called FFMPEG. Here’s how.

The most reliable free way to convert AVI files to WMV for free is using a command line tool called FFMPEG. It’s not as easy as having a GUI, but it works. WMV isn’t the ideal video file format, but there are times you need it.

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O27 scale

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
O27 scale

O27 scale is something of a misnomer. If you’re looking for scale fidelity, you won’t find a lot of it in O27, regardless of manufacturer. But there are still some general guidelines you can follow.

O27 is the designation for entry level O gauge trains that are smaller and less expensive, though capable of running on the same track. But their scale can be confusing, even for experienced hobbyists.

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IBM PS/Valuepoint

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
IBM PS/Valuepoint

The IBM PS/Valuepoint was IBM’s attempt to address public objections to the IBM PS/2 series. Introduced in October 1992, they were the most clone-like IBM business desktops since the IBM PC/AT. As the name suggests, they were designed to be price competitive with the higher-end PC clones like a Compaq Deskpro. IBM sold them alongside the PS/1 and PS/2.

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City Hospital, St Louis

Dave Farquhar St. Louis
City Hospital, St Louis

The Old City Hospital in St. Louis operated from 1845 to 1985. The present-day structure dates to 1896. Initially founded to deal with a severe cholera outbreak, the City of St. Louis owned and operated the hospital for nearly a century and a half. Let’s take a look at the story of City Hospital, St Louis.

Old City Hospital in St. Louis occupied five city blocks at the intersection of 14th and Lafayette Avenue. A public hospital serving the poor and uninsured, it had a capacity of approximately 1,100 beds.

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Genesis vs SNES: Battle of the 16-bit consoles

Dave Farquhar Retro Gaming
Genesis vs SNES: Battle of the 16-bit consoles

The Sega Genesis and Nintendo SNES were natural rivals. They weren’t the only 16-bit game consoles of their era, but they ended up being the two most popular. Sega leapfrogged Nintendo with the Genesis, and the SNES was Nintendo’s answer. Let’s take a look at the Genesis vs SNES.

Overall the SNES was the better console of the two and its popularity reflects that. But the Genesis had its moments, so it retains a following today, even if it has to stand in the shadow of the SNES.

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