For some time already I wanted my own dedicated server, but it would be just a waist of money to get one for this weblog. Also in most cases of working on websites for clients I have to mail their hosting support to fix several things. Did you know that what used to be TextDrive hosting, now Joyent and soon some other company, still has the same unusable admin panel to handle email creation, database, etc. For more then four years already.
Support is something difficult to guarantee, it depends who handles your support more then what the company promises. When I send in a support ticket I always make sure to specify the problem, what I already tried to do to fix it, etc. So it’s obvious that I know my stuff. Yet a lot of time I get replies assuming I’m a noob.
In any case I just wanted full control and want to provide the same for others. So together with someone else we got a dv server(rage) from Media Temple. Yesterday it went online so this week when my new website design is done I’ll be moving this weblog to its new home.
The price range for the packages is based on the market on Aruba and the Netherlands. Also it’s not the intention to stuff the server full with websites risking it to random sites slowing it down or affecting it in any other way. I’ll be doing the support myself together with my server partner. Also I’ll be focusing on clients with no tech knowledge so I’m the one who will be doing the basic things like creating databases, emails, etc.
So in account of all the above I came with Storage Nine. I think of it of web hosting services with a personal touch. In any case it will be for website clients I already have, and small to middle business who need website or/and an email server.
And as an extra because Google tells me a lot of people look for it: a specific package to host your Feed a Fever app. I run my own Fever install on the server and it runs well, it passed the compatibility test without problems. I’ll be doing a write up shortly about how I moved my installation from one host to the other.
So to sum it up I’ll continue my freelance services and now web hosting under Storage Nine.
I recently got a Minox 35 GT of a bidding website. It was priced below market value from what I see online so I bought it. It was an impulse buy so it was after I got it and saw the battery was dead that I went researching about the battery.
Originally the Minox 35 GT uses PX27 style battery which has been banned for years now in the U.S. and in Europa. There isn’t a same sized replacement. There are a few solutions to this.
The most nicer one and also most expensive one is to buy the Minox 35 GT Power Pack. It is made by Minox to replace the battery chamber. You can put 4 LR44 type batteries in it. I wanted to order this from Adorama but they and other stores in the U.S. charge like 45 dollars just to ship that piece of plastic to the Netherlands, I mean I get books price and shipping together cheaper then that from Amazon…talk about being ripped off.
The next option will contain a few DIY but will cost way less. After some Googling I read that most users dismantle an old PX27 type battery and use the plastic in it as a case for the 4 LR44 type batteries. Now I’m a visual person I need pictures along with instructions and none of them provided clear instructions. So I took photos of my DIY to make it easier for others who might need a battery hack for their Minox.
The first photo shows the dismantled old PX27 battery. The plastic tube contained 4 mercury cells glued to each other each in a small aluminum encasing. Dispose the batteries correctly as they are hazardous. Next the idea is to fit 4 LR44 batteries in the plastic tube, respecting polarity so: -+-+-+-+.
In my case those batteries where to big for the plastic case. So plan B next:
I got some isolation tape and taped the batteries together as seen on the second photo. Now just put the battery pack you just made in the battery chamber “-” down and “+” up and done.
Now to do a battery check, my camera doesn’t has any film in it yet as I want to be sure the battery works before wasting film. So advance the “film” and now look in the viewfinder and press the battery check button. The needle should drop and then jump to more then 1/125 as the manual says, but that is okay. This means your camera has power.
The old mercury batteries where of 5.6V and these 4 new batteries make a total of 6V but the camera can handle it. So there you go, basically all you need is isolation tape and 4 LR44 type batteries.
You can read more on the battery check and working of the camera with this Minox 35 GT online manual
