Author: Dave Farquhar

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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Paint 3D printed models: Here’s how

Dave Farquhar DIY
Paint 3D printed models: Here’s how

I recently acquired a 3D printed door for my Commodore 1084 monitor. It was missing its original. Of course, it came in white. I can live without an imperfect match, but I want something closer than white. But can you paint 3D printed objects? Yes you can. Here’s how to paint 3D printed models.

Plastic can be tricky to paint, but 3D prints tend to have some texture, and that makes it easier for paint to bond to them than molded plastic. Still, some prep work is still a good idea.

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S gauge vs O gauge

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
S gauge vs O gauge

The S gauge vs O gauge rivalry is certainly a natural one. They were the two most popular sizes of electric train immediately after World War II, before HO scale eclipsed both of them in the later half of the 1950s. Let’s take a look at the two standards for trains, what’s different about them, and see what kind of common ground we can find between them.

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What is a cold solder joint?

Dave Farquhar Hardware
What is a cold solder joint?

Years ago, my monitor broke. Back then we had repair shops for such things. I called one and described the symptoms I was having. “Sounds like it could be a cold solder joint. Bring it in,” he said. But what is a cold solder joint? Isn’t solder hot?

A cold solder joint doesn’t refer to temperature, but rather, lack of electrical conductivity. A cold solder joint is a solder connection that isn’t conducting electricity the way it should.

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Why did paint have lead in it?

Dave Farquhar DIY
Why did paint have lead in it?

Does paint have lead in it? It’s not supposed to anymore, because it’s a serious safety issue. But there was a time when it did, and people might even pay extra for more of it. So why did paint have lead in it, and what can you do about it now?

Ingesting lead lowers IQ and causes other health issues. That’s why the United States banned lead paint for residential use in 1978. However, certain industrial paints, such as the paints used for street markings, can still contain lead even today.

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Gaslight Square, St. Louis

Dave Farquhar St. Louis
Gaslight Square, St. Louis

Gaslight Square was a popular arts and entertainment district in the St. Louis Central West End neighborhood whose heyday ran from the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s. It was a three-block area near the intersection of Olive and Boyle, a mile or so north of what’s now the Cortex District. Today, suburban-style housing stands where the clubs and shops once stood. One business with a Gaslight Square connection remains, operating nearly three miles away.

Gaslight Square was a phenomenon, a widely cited example of urban redevelopment, born of a tornado, and extinguished by a highly publicized murder. Despite its best efforts, St. Louis has never replicated it.

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