[Les.]

Yes, whilst much of R3 is easy to listen to and enjoy, some is very difficult. That has me moving to R4 and listening to mostly speech. Back when I had my head stuck inside some difficult electronic diagnosis, only R3 on radio. If I changed to R4, I could not stay focussed on the  problem. If I am just “doing something”, then R4 is not a block, so I actually listen to it more now than previously, but always start the day with R3 over breakfast. During the week, I wake up to Manx radio, my only brush with the local news.

Les.

[Les.]

It probably will not surprise you to know that NONE of the above means a single thing to me, except for the thread title.

The simple reply from me is the Beethoven on R3 right now, with a full variety of mostly pleasant stuff for the rest of the day.

Les.

[Les.]

Just a few random comments. As I expected, it was a born in UK islamist, BUT I did not hear any cries of “Aluha al akba” or whatever it is that is normally shouted. Unusual. When I heard the ISIS claim, I noted no name given, obviously not DIRECTED. Is that why the police held up his name for such a long time?

Are they really trying to destroy our way of life? A simpler explanation is that if they can only get one person (he did better than that) he knows what his martyrs REWARD will be. If you BELIEVE such rubbish, you are surely on to a good deal.

I don’t understand it, but if my belief was so stupidly wrong, then maybe I would understand it. Religion!

Changing topic, there was an Irish funeral today. Was he good or bad? Old Norman has a very good explanation, he knew he was for the chop very soon, so started talking peace, a win-win snatched from a defeat. It was commonly known (or claimed) that by the time peace was discussed, they were heavily infiltrated, and all likely to be killed or locked up. And they have moved far nearer to a win! Now if  the “Loyalists” could see that the writing is on the wall now, and give a little, there may be a bit less chaos over there. AF made a right cock up of the free heat payments for all, and should just admit it and step aside. Religion!

Les.

Les.

 

[Les.]

I have a CD with XP Pro SP2, and a separate SP3 CD as well which I could copy.

I also need to keep an old laptop going for the same reasons for a pal. What sort of auto software do you have?

Les.

[Les.]

Just to finish this topic off, I did try a different lead, no change. I then dismantled and examined the PCBs with a magnifier looking for dry joints or any other obvious problems; Nothing and no visible evidence of dodgy capacitors. I am sure I could fault find it if I use the hairdryer and freezer spray, but it would probably take up a lot of time I don’t have. I could try Ed’s suggestion of adding a fan, but think I will just go and buy a new one. I don’t enjoy spending, so may well stick with the TV set for a while, but will definitely give up on this 24″ Acer Monitor.

Les.

[Les.]

I don’t read too many books (not enough time), but do have a Kobo, a 5″, maybe 3 to 4 years old. Very impressed for less than $50 at the Co-op. However I would like a bigger one, and was looking at a 10″ screened one a couple of years ago. It actually appeared to be made in Ukraine, and when a friend was there, she went to “The Shop” which sells them —- but they only had a smaller, lower end model. It will certainly handle Russian, and I expect Polish as well.

Just checked, it was a Pocketbook. I must look at it again when I get time.

Tamara reads Russian novels online on her 10″ tablet, and that lights up the room.  She sometimes wakes at 4:00am, can’t get back to sleep, and then keeps me awake when she starts reading.

Les.

[Les.]

Ed, the shuttle is 7 years old, the monitor came from the amenity site via my pal maybe 5 years ago. No idea its actual age. I will probably open it up to see if I can see any obvious faults, and I could certainly add a cooling fan. Having said that, it is still only 15 pin SVGA lead, and I would expect added value from a modern 22″. Of course, it may only be the lead, and I will see if my pal has a spare and try that as well.

Jason, I DID think the PC was crashing, but now I don’t. I have established that if no programme is running, ctrl-alt-del,  enter and a light touch on OFF button will shut it down. However, as Graham pointed out, if a prog is running, that will not allow shut down, hence the 5 sec press I mentioned previously.

If a prog is running, Alt-F, up, enter will close the prog, followed by the above procedure.

I was thinking that the reluctance to shut down was a hard crash, later drawing the conclusion it was a failing graphics card. The new card quickly excluded that diagnosis. Thus I arrived at the idea it was only the monitor, and by keeping the monitor mostly OFF, the PC stayed happily “awake” for 6 hours.

It stayed on for three hours last night with this CTV connected.

I will probably leave it switched on all afternoon again whilst out in the shed tending the New Imperial engine.

Les.

[Les.]

Wishful thinking maybe, but:-

I left PC running for about 6 hrs, mostly with screen switched off. no crash. I have found a portable TV with HDMI input, and am looking at its smaller screen right now. Maybe it is my screen? About £80 should get a decent sized monitor with digital input, so it if behaves for a few days, that will be the route I take.

I was looking in the little cardboard box which came with the shuttle, contaning spare internal cables etc, and I had marked the box “Shuttle, Jan 2010”. So it seems I have had it for seven years. Doesn’t time fly!

Maybe I should be considering a replacement. I will seriously consider it, but not just yet unless it continues to screw itself up.

Les.

[Les.]

OK, time for a recap:-

I did a strip down and renewed HS compound and attended to fan lubrication, I reseated the RAM stick. I did not touch the micom other than the HS compound. Visually examined the PSU but all looked OK.

I had already done a fresh Linux on DVD run when it failed on that test as well.

The GT610 graphics card replaced by the GT710. Nvidia V367.57 recommended drivers drivers installed.

Is it my monitor? Don’t know, but I will leave it running this afternoon with some Utube stuff, sound low but very audible. I will switch the monitor off. (This is what I do if recording say MotoGP whilst out on the ‘bike) and later, switch it on periodically to see if that could be the cause. The graphics card had SVGA, HDMI and DVI-D, and I use the SVGA, but I could find a CTV with HDMI to try it out with later.

I will try a RAM test later on. If I don’t find something definite soon, I will be at a real question point. RAM, Micom, PSU or scrap the lot. I like the Shuttle, but its rarity makes swopping bits difficult and expensive. I will check later to see what RAM and MICOM are fitted.

Les

[Les.]

Switched on before tea, left it running without anything running. About 8:30 I noticed it had just crashed again.

Suggestions for next move? Memory, Micom, dustbin?

Les.

[Les.]

The GT710 arrived yesterday, I have just fitted it. Now time will tell. It generally would run for a couple of hours, so it may be a day or two before I can be sure I have fixed it or otherwise.

Graham, There is onboard graphics, but it is not man enough to run Mint 17+++, in fact  moving to Mint 17 a couple of years ago demanded a better graphics card, the GT 610. An earlier move off Ubuntu 10.04 caused the first move off the onboard graphics if I recall, I think I had an older ATI at that time.

Cheers, Les.

[Les.]

Right, I think it is fairly well confirmed graphics card now. I booted to latest mint DVD, connected to www, found a Utube video on lathe work and left it running at lowish volume whilst I worked outside (The VFM test). Came in shortly before 1:00 pm, and still running OK. Turned vol down to 1 (1 of 100) so virtually silent and proceeded to eat whilst watching news on TV. After about 15 mins, I realised it had a black screen, so ignored it until finished eating.

ctrl-alt-del, enter, press off briefly did not switch it off, obviously slightly more “crashed” than when I tried it yesterday. However, I then realised I could hear something like the voice in “The Fly”, the original 1958 version. In fact the sound track of a lathe Utube video was still very faint in the background. Obviously I could not turn it up in software, and the physical vol control was fully up, but this seems to tell me that it is only the graphics card being stupid. I will order Dave’s 19W GT710 this evening.

Les.

[Les.]

SSD Edp? No, still on old faithful spinner here. I think I will be finding it is the graphics card, a combination of observation and hunch (but I have been wrong before —MANY times).

I will try VFM’s suggestion shortly and leave it about 4 hours, but expect it to crash.

If it does, Dave’s suggestion will be followed as usual. I am completely ignorant regarding current graphics cards, but will opt for a fan assisted one.  I assume the GT710 more powerful than my current GT610, but how is it on power use? Ditto the G210? I recall I had to “up spec” to the GT610 from something much older when I moved to this Mint version.

Les.

[Les.]

No, I bought it as a barebones, built it up and installed linux from the get-go.

I will try to find time to pull the graphics card and study it carefully. I don’t think it has a fan, so maybe I could add one. I checked in the hardware section and in fact it is a GT610, one Dave recommended a couple of years ago.

If I buy a new one, do I go for another the same, or which one instead (Dave??)

Not into gaming etc, just decent graphics display in graphics programmes, and watching motor sport (F1, MotoGP).

Les.

[Les.]

Now now, you three, you are pinching a thread (my thread) again!

Back to my Linux PC problem:-

I left it running, sometimes unattended, but later with me at K/B, and after about 2-1/2hrs, the screen blacked again. I noticed there was still HDD activity, so waited. Then I tried Ctl-alt-del, waited a while, then pressed enter. HDD activity continued a while, then stopped, so I pressed the ON – OFF button, and it shut down straight away, not need to hold for 5 secs.

After restart, I tried various key presses, but could not find a keys only shut down sequence. Does anybody know how? I think my CTL-Alt-Del, enter, switch off is as good as it gets, but I would be happier with a keys only method. (Back in earlier Windoze days, Ctrl-Esc, up, enter, enter did a safe shut down).

Anyway, since the keys plus OFF button shuts down happily, am I just being hopeful thinking this MAY be a graphics card failure.

When I installed Mint 17, neither the on-board graphics nor the (fairly old) PCI-Express graphics card would do the job, so I bought the current one (not sure of model without looking, but I think Dave R suggested this one (NV 620?  or something? maybe???)

Is it worth a punt on a new graphics card?

Les.

[Les.]

Well, I stripped it down this afternoon. Compressor shifted all the dust, I lubed two fans (blower for thermal pipe jobbie) and the second larger chip (Northbridge? on board graphics?), but not the small PSU fan. Next I cleaned off and replenished HS compound on the Athlon II processor and then dismantled PSU for a “good look” — no sign of the bulging caps of yesteryore. Back together, so now it is a waiting game.

Les.

[Les.]

Just sitting at PC reading messages on another forum, no libre stuff open, and it died as I was moving the mouse. Makes me think hardware, and above suggestions seem to support that view. Maybe I should strip and examine PSU. It is maybe 5 years since I bought it, could be time to think of replacement.

No, no spares of any sort, in fact I have junked most of my PC spares over last two years. Backup time again I think.

Les.

[Les.]

@RSB, I noticed before that you had an interest in old junk. Are you on the UK Vintage repair and restoration forum? If you mention “sticking a Pi in”, you almost get drummed off!

@SGB, the 21-69 are the TV channel numbers within the UHF band (bands IV and V). It may well have band I, which is the frequency band where the original BBC TV pictures were found in the period before 1964 (actually, until 405 lines finished) Band II is used for FM radio. It may also have Band III which was used once “commercial” TV started for 405 line transmission, but was also used on the continent for 625 line TV.

That “white spot in the middle of the screen” was a feature of very early TV sets. When switched off, the horizontal and vertical scans collapse to a point in the middle, whilst the HT voltage and the still hot vision valves continued to produce a stream of electrons to the screen centre. This caused a burn mark with a loss of picture in the centre spot, but eventually there was going to be a spot even if no electron flow, as the CRT also produced heavier ions that destroyed the centre spot. By the mid 1950s, the CRTs were produced with the guns pointing to the side of the tube, but a magnet (an ion trap magnet) was positioned to pull the electron beam back to the centre, leaving the ions on the side of the tube’s neck. Blanking circuits were later developed that stopped the central afterglow.

Most of you here should be too young to know, but I did warn Guglielmo about all this.

Les

[Les.]

@RSB, Big improvements. All way above my head, but improving significantly day by day right now.

Les.

[Les.]

For me, version 2.

Going off topic for this thread, the reply visible when NOT logged in to demand login and return to same place would be very helpful. I stay logged off unless I want to respond. Of course I may be the odd one out as usual.

Les.

[Author]

Posts