Author: din100

Yaesu FT-4XE Review

Yeasu FT 4XE is an amazing simple Handheld transceiver. It does use the radio on a chip design like the cheap Chinese ones  but  Yaesu did a good job on it. I don’t have any issue with it.  easy and simple to use. If you find a local repeater all you need is add the output frequency to that and radio will do the shift ctss etc. You have to do this before though 

This is exactly same as the Yaesu FT-65e internal but this one has  smaller battery and bit of an old style screen. as an easy radio to carry around, I would highly recommend this. quite small you can easily carry around.  

I have added the picture to compare with Baofeng UV 5R 

Baofeng UV 5RE with Yaseu FT 4XE

Baofeng UV-5RE ham radio Review

There are 100s of reviews out their including videos etc. I’m going to be very short. It’s ok for the price If it’s your 1st radio don’t buy it without programming cable. Very hard to programme. If you have the cable and the Chirp  software it works beautifully. There are 100 different models in they are pretty much all same.   It’s all based on the same circuit and firmware some come with slightly more power. you are not going to see much difference.  I bought the one for £18.99 It’s fine works fine. Annoying it receives lots of unwanted signals. other than that it’s ok

It doesn’t work the same way as the Kenwood the d74e model but that is £500. If you have the right cable if you use windows 10 retevis cable seems to work fine. I wouldn’t buy the cheapest cable.

Android 9 – Pie

just updated my pixel. initial impressions very good. not many new features but an improvement on the existing ones. I really like the work profile you can switch off in 1 click and dynamic battery features.  I will update this blog as I use it a bit more. the new interface is so good. It so natural you don’t even think you are doing it. Their UI designers need to a pay rise

Android notification is improved, I do use phone less and less

HAM/Armature radio hobby

I’ve always had an interest in it but now I have time to do something about it. signed up with a local club going to do my fundamental exam with them. hoping to get my full licenses in a few years. when I tell this to people, they always ask the same question why now we have internet why do we need this etc.

We now use the internet for everything even all the phones I think the even mobile phone will be soon moving to data only and we use voice over data option on that some already use. which makes cost-effective for everyone. but we need an alternative way of communicating that doesn’t use internet. more people who have this is better.  it’s just figuring things out how all works will be interesting.

I’m thinking to get Kenwood TH-D74E Digital after I pass my exam. I know I can get cheap Chinese ones but this looks nice. and have a digital mode call D-Start which lets you access the internet through the reader.  I have a D-start reaper very close as well. If I’m bord on analog I can spend time on digital doing different things. It has so many fectures and yes also plays FM radio  🙂

I will update my call sign etc ones I have them

 

 

 

azure app proxy certificate setup windows 10

If you like me and need SSL certificate to upload azure apps and don’t want to use azure internal ssl services

1st you need to create the CSR  if you have ubuntu bash install on your Windows 10 installation

start the ubuntu bash >

cd /mnt/c/users/user.account/Documents

mkdir newdomain_com

cd new domain_com

openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout newdomain_com.key -out inewdomain_com.csr

fill in the details for UK website please make sure you type GB

one you get your CSR go to any ssl cert provider and upload the csr.  ones they issue a cert copy the cert to the same folder

openssl pkcs12 -export -out newdomain_com.pfx -inkey newdomain_com.key -in newdomain_com.crt

make sure you type the password, on azure you need to upload the pfx file and the password and this will work

Google Pixel 2 XL

I have nothing but good things about this phone, yes it’s expensive to what you get in terms of Hardware. The software is amazing. everything is smooth so far no glitches. I know lots of issues on the internet I didn’t have any I use the 128GB version from EE.

The camera I would say the best all done through software but It makes the best pictures and it has a google lens built in let you know what you taking like famous landmarks etc.  It’s super fast I have the original pixel that is slightly slower this one picture comes up instantly.  It has different modes to play with but just point and shoot works brilliant even on the late night.  It comes with unlimited storages for 3 years. so now I take more pictures and it’s tidy up by removing the backed up pictures so I can still see them on the phone but don’t take up spaces.

Software updates are amazing super fast. the phone is back up and encrypted. comes with fast charger. network connectivity is amazing.

Overall it’s a great phone

 

 

 

My experience with Vauxhall Motors company, Vauxhall dealer call Now Vauxhall and the car Antara

So where do I start in 2012 I was slightly young and a bit of an idiot.  Saw the advert 0% interest on all Vauxhall with 5 year free services (apparently that is only 4  free services Vauxhall maths )  100k  warranty etc.  It sounded a good deal so went to the dealer now Vauxhall Richmond and bought the biggest car they sell and add the Sat nav option for £1000 as well.  I got the car 1st-day car is terrible in the sense air bag cover at the A pillars not covered properly windscreen alarm was hanging around not stuck properly.  Sat Nav was an aftermarket part installed by the dealer that is fine If I been told that, no they let me believe it was a factory fitted kit.  it was so bad I couldn’t change the time on the car. The dealer has poorly installed it.  none of the radio didn’t work.  I have to take the car back the next week to the dealer to get this issues fixed. even then It wasn’t resolved correctly. I just gave up and live with it. every time I take it there. they will keep the car for a day and don’t do much and gave it back. I think the system they install is not very good o dealers don’t know how to install correctly.

fast forward 6000 miles every week I check oil etc but don’t check inner tires but for some reason, I did check on that day and found out it was almost worn out completely outer tires were fine.  clearly, the issue with the car took it to now Vauxhall dealer they were like it was a wheel balancing issue even though I didn’t install both front tires. It was done by Vauxhall. Dealer wanted to charge me as it was Wear and tear. but my argument was it wasn’t it was poorly installed tire by Vauxhall.  they were like I might have hit the herb that would have made it this way. high;y unlikely both side of the tire was worn in the same way. so I spoke to Vauxhall the company manufacture this car. all they did was spoke to the dear and the said the same thing.  I just paid it and gave up on it

fast forwarded few thousand miles with few minor issues like driver seat started shake etc then handbrake stop working on a hill it will roll back, hand brake light will come on but the car will go back took it to the dealer. They charged £160 to fix the issue as apparently, that was a  wear and tear as well. I knew this was a scam but allowed it. how I come to know is the same issue gave it to another dealer but put the car to MOT didn’t say anything about this issue. Guess what they fixed it without a fee. exact same issue.  every time I services. nail on the tire scam happened as well. there is no way nail would have been on the tire. as I check air pressure even before I dropped it off, I ended up buying a spare wheel to stop this scam. only the nail get into the expensive tires on the car. Obviously, I can’t prove as I didn’t film the tires.

seafty recall apparently issues with some pipe gave the car fixed and they didn’t record that so they called again for the same issue. another issue with engine cover they took that off and left the car without engine cover for entire winter will all the salt etc it’s days are numbered

at this point I gave up on the car, company, and dealer and got rid of the car now went with a  good quality car. I would say no to  GM  and any Vauxhall cars.  If you are thinking to buy a Vauxhall,  think twice. you are better off buying a slightly older Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Mazda etc for the same money you get a better car. Vauxhall and GM cars are cheaper for a reason. People like me parking it in some dealers forecourts and running away. It’s truly a terrible cars. Safety is not Vauxhall priority see how they dealt with ZAFIRA B Fire issue.  I can’t image anything changed now.  If someone gave me a free Vauxhall car I will not take it.  I know Vauxhall now owned by Peugeot but can’t think any thing going to change it. they will be still managed by same people and same dealer network.

 

 

 

Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 mini smart watch review

Most of the smartwatches now on the market are just another screen for your phone. It’s not a bad thing, but to me, I need a watch as a watch 1st,  I’m a big fan of their pro-Trek line. I still have  2 Casio so call ABC watch one of them (Casio PRG-80L) since 2008,  it’s solar. I didn’t even have to change the battery.  The only thing I need to do is change the strap. send it to Casio UK they send it back with a new strap for very little money. 

Why I like this smart watch for starters it’s not another screen for my phone it’s working as a standalone product. Battery life is great I charge the watch every day but I always end the day with 50% left.  another thing I like about this watch is that it doesn’t rely on Casio services for the phone to work. It has it’s own ABC functionality along with mic and GPS.

Casio watch on the wrist

It’s a great watch I wouldn’t recommend to everyone. It doesn’t have the features that other smart watches have like sending kisses and heart beats etc. as they don’t run any backend services, you don’t get pretty graphs on the online and see how you doing etc, you can export the data from the watch and do it yourself but no online services come from Casio. If it becomes popular someone else develops app for it. It’s an android wear 2 phone with Casio skin and apps,  It doesn’t have a heartbeat sensor. another annoying thing is the charging cable it’s a special magnetic cable.  It’st not massive issue, if you email Casio UK they will send you a new cable is 3 weeks. It’s not expensive at all but still would have been good if they just used USB- c cable.

Overall it’s a good reliable watch even on power saving mode it will show you data and time as they use dual layer screen. so another smartwatch thing is you have to move your wrist to see the time but on this one, you can see it all the time. I have attached the screen graph of how it looks all the time.

 

LeapFrog LeapStart Preschool/Primary School Interactive Learning System for Kids Review

LeapFrog are selling this as a two models one is LeapStart Preschool and other one LeapStart Primary School both are  same. It’s just a sample book is different. each has appropriate sample book. Unit cost is about £34 but each book is about £10 but Mrs manage to buy the whole preschool books for £35 in here

I’m very skeptic when it come to this things. I thought it will be like another gimmick kids product,  but they actually put a lot of thought on this, for starters no screen it’s a real book you put in you have to connect the LeapStart unit to the computer and download the audio books and sync this audio books to the unit. It’s very easy soon as you connect they will walk you through the steps and I downloaded the whole audio books even before we bought it. it’s take double AA batteries so no charging troubles.

I tested the sample book with my 2 + years old daughter. she liked it. unit is very durable she dropped it many times.  carried around. the pen can take lot of beating too. 1st book I bought was leap start preschool STEM  I actually paid the full price as I bought that on amazon.  My daughter loved it she actually enjoyed playing with it and I think she learned few things with out screens.  We sit with her and go through with her. Unit is designed for her to play on her own as it has audio book telling what to do etc. It’s more fun for her to sit and go through with us (I think)

We thought her alphabet need improving. so now she now going though this  our lady doesn’t likes it as much as the STEM book but she is learning fair bit on this.

We buy lot of things for kids some of them are surprisingly good. This is one of those products. not sure who designed and plan this up. but they done a good job on  this.

 

 

 

 

 

Otterbox commuter case for google pixel XL review

I actually wanted to buy the lifeproof cases for the phone but it’s not avalable on the UK site and it will be very expensive to get them from US. so I decided to go with Otterbox commuter case. It’s a good case bit bulky no waterproof  though but it will keep your phone safe from drops. On the other reviews you will read power button is bit tight and yes it’s true but it’s true for all new cases thought.  with google pixel you don’t need to use the power button as well.  over all I’m happy with it. and yes case will let you put edge to edge screen protector.