Author: Dave Farquhar

Is a dryer worth repairing? Yes, and here’s why

Dave Farquhar DIY
Is a dryer worth repairing? Yes, and here’s why

Is a dryer worth repairing? Is it cheaper to repair or replace a dryer? I argue it is cheaper to repair and worth doing, even if you have to pay someone to come do it. I’ll also explain where the thought comes from that a dryer might not be worth repairing, and why that thought is wrong.

You can generally repair a dryer for $125 by replacing a heating element or thermal fuse vs replacing the whole thing for $350. Since there’s little difference in life expectancy between the two options, it’s generally cheaper and more practical to repair a dryer than to replace it.

Read more

What was MR BIOS?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
What was MR BIOS?

In the summer of 2021, Youtuber Adrian Black was restoring an IBM 5170. And he lamented that he wasn’t able to get all of the original parts working together and have a machine that would do what he wanted. It wasn’t a pure IBM 5170 anymore. One of the things he did was put a Quadtel BIOS in it, which received mixed reactions. But that brought to mind another option someone who needed to soup up a 5170 in the late 80s could have used: MR BIOS. What was MR BIOS?

Read more

How much weight drywall can hold without a stud

Dave Farquhar DIY
How much weight drywall can hold without a stud

When you want to hang something on the wall, it can be a hassle to find a stud to hang from. Or maybe you know where your studs are, but they’re too far from where you need to put your hanger. So how much weight can drywall hold without a stud?

A cheap wall anchor can only hold about 20 pounds. But there are tricks to get additional strength and still position your decoration or your furniture where you want it.

Read more

How to use command line FTP

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
How to use command line FTP

FTP is a useful way to get files to your retro PCs once you put them on your network. You can use a GUI FTP client, but command line FTP isn’t hard and doesn’t require you to install anything additional. Here’s how to use command line FTP.

Read more

How to answer where you see yourself in five years

Dave Farquhar Careers
How to answer where you see yourself in five years

Where do you see yourself in five years? What’s your five year plan? These are variations of a common job interview question. I don’t like that question. Here’s some advice for interviewees on how to answer that question. And some advice for interviewers on why that’s a bad question and what you might ask instead.

Read more

Windows 10 black screen after hibernate: Try this

Dave Farquhar Windows
Windows 10 black screen after hibernate: Try this

Occasionally when I close the lid on my laptop, it doesn’t come back. The hard drive light is blinking and it shows signs of life like the caps lock light lighting when I hit the key. But the screen remains black and I can’t do anything. Before you power down and risk losing work, try this if you experience the Windows 10 black screen after hibernate.

The magic key sequence is Win+Ctrl+Shift+B to fix the Windows 10 black screen after hibernate. It resets the graphics driver and usually brings the machine back to life from the black screen of death.

Read more

Diamond Stars baseball cards

Dave Farquhar Baseball
Diamond Stars baseball cards

The Diamond Stars baseball cards set is one of my favorite baseball card sets of all time. At first glance it looks like a Goudey copycat, but it’s a good set in its own right. And it’s a pre-war set that’s just a bit off the beaten path.

The 1934-36 Diamond Stars was a set of 108 baseball cards issued by National Chicle, of Cambridge, Mass. Jefferson Burdick gave it the designation of R327.

Read more

What are Cherry Red switches?

Dave Farquhar Hardware
What are Cherry Red switches?

If you’re shopping around for mechanical keyboards, you’ve undoubtedly heard a lot of weird brand names and, of all things, colors. It can get confusing. One popular choice is the Cherry MX Red switch. So what are Cherry Red switches? Are Cherry Red switches loud? Are Cherry Red switches quiet? And are Cherry Red switches good for typing? I’ve been using them for more than three years, so let’s dive into these questions and more.

Read more

Apple IIc power supply pinout

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Apple IIc power supply pinout

I recently needed a new power supply for an Apple IIc to replace a missing one. It’s easy to adapt a modern laptop power brick to work with an Apple IIc. All you need is a pinout. Here’s an Apple IIc power supply pinout.

Read more

What comes after cloud?

Dave Farquhar Hardware
What comes after cloud?

It’s probably not news to you that the hot trend in computing in 2021 is moving from on-premise computing to cloud computing. And that’s been a hot trend for several years. But what comes after cloud? What will replace cloud? It’s possible to predict what it will look like–just not the specifics.

Read more