Casio Pro Trek PRG-80L long term review

I had this watch from 2008 this is was my gift from my Mrs. It\’s still working for this day all the triple sensor on the watch works as the day I got them. Even the battery is great if you see them battery is still high, I just leave it near window and It had a hard life. I wear it every where. only thing I changed on this watch was the strap. it was bit rubbish. Casio UK replaced it for me for £40 I send it to them and they send it back with new strap installed and all good after that. here is the picture after 11 years of hard use

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Google Pixel 3 XL user review

I got the google pixel 3 xl as a gift, what can I say all the reviews talks about notch is not an issue at all. It\’s just some reviewer created issues. It doesn\’t affect me but you can turn it off, If you don\’t like it. It doesn\’t bother me. UI is same as pixel xl so that wasn\’t a issue for me.

Phone is faster lot faster than I was expecting and speakers are really good and mic It can hear me from anywhere. as their signature feature camera is amazing. Low light night time any situation works well.

I don\’t install lots of application even the apps I install have only the permission they need for my use. try and close it when I don\’t need it. so I didn\’t come across any issue with memory management etrc.

Charging is so fast I can do that in the morning and enough for me to use it all day. I don\’t do wireless charge but if you don\’t buy the pixel stand it will only do 5 w charge that is slow. If you are thinking of the planet you shouldn\’t be wireless changing anyway. because lots of energy is wasted on converting. It\’s little but add up if everyone is started using it.

I bought the pixel fabric cover It\’s really nice hand feeling case but gives really no protection though, My weekend activity if I keep fabric case will end up a Fabric mud case 🙂 so bought a tech21 case which will be my weekend case that case is plastic so can easily washable. phone its self now have ip68 rating.

Security update this is the good thing about pixel phones. every month I get updates without any issues. even the old pixel still get updates never missed a month.

Another thing people don\’t talk about it is storage with google phone you get unlimited storage when you take photos and videos with the device even the high-resolution one. It\’s free for 3 years. one you can do is remove the pictures from the phone they all live in Google servers and I can still see them and download again as necessary. with Apple devices, you have to pay something like £9.99 per month to get these features.

Overall it\’s a good device. It doen\’t has all the bells and whistles of Samsung phones. to me, this phone works really well.

I think google is going after iPhone users with this device, It even copy all the data from iPhone users and all the cables and ear phones are on the box.

If you are normal user this phone is fine and will last you long time. because google will keep this phone updated for 3 years you will have the latest android all the time.

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 

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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.

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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.