Panasonic ae700 troubles

The deterioration of my Panasonic pt-ae700e's picture has reached the point that I'll ship it to Germany for warranty repair.

I first noticed problems when a blue huey started to appear on the border of the picture and the black bars. Horizontal or vertical depending on the picture geometry. the blue glow was not there until longer viewing but the time started shortening until they were in the picture from projector start. After that they started to grow in size and in color intensity.I contacted local Panasonic to inquire what was wrong and would they do a warranty repair. A service tech told me that the problem is in the polarizators. there are 6 in the unit and depending on how many and what kind (there are 2) were broken the repair estimate was 400-600€ and they would not repair it in warranty 'cos Finnish projectors only have 12 month warranty.Well it's a "no brainer" get it fixed locally and pay the units street price for it or to ship it back to Germany where they have a 24 month warranty and get it done for free.
Later a black mosaic started to appear on the bottom left corner that reacted to the input signals color or contrast. This problem was not seen on the projectors internally generated test patterns, but that doesn't really tell us too much. I'm not sure are these 2 separate problems or the same.

Here are 2 pictures where you can see the blue glow/color on the left side and the mosaic drop out on the bottom. Pictured is a submarine under water.
The latter is pure black or "no picture" from the same program in my Topfield.
Look at that nice blue and black checkerboard. What it shows nicely is the area that is affected and discolored by the blue ameba.







I cant be with out some form of display, so I borrowed a 32" 16:9 100Hz TV.
Yes I do have a 21" monitor but that's just too small, or at least I'll try to minimize the time I have to use it. This gave me the opportunity to test connecting my Lumagen video processor via VGA to this TV.



Now who needs scart, or other inferior analog connections? :) I didn't want to move my AV gear cabinet or the gear itself anywhere and the existing cables are too short just to run the wires and THAT would look messy.












We had to resort to creative problem solving to get the VGA connected. Lumagen only has BNC analogue out. Having only standard BNC and VGA cables I couldn't make the connection a VGA extension cable would have been required or a sex changer for the D-connector. Having neither I was a bit worried for a moment but then i remembered having a spare KVM switch. That would do nicely in male to female conversion and enabled us to get that long VGA cable connected.
the VGA in of this Finlux model has always ben a challenge, being very picky on resolutions and even worse whit timings. The only supported resolution whit a close to accurate geometry is 720x400@70Hz but this was too lo-fi for Lumagen witch doesn't support under 480 resolutions.we tried 640x480 but couldn't get the picture to fill the screen properly. So we tested 720x480@60Hz witch proved to be close enough. The picture was set up for 16:9 geometry and can be changed to 4:3 whit 1 button on the Lumagen remote. NICE!


The warranty trip can take anywhere from 1-3 months so of we go and hope to se you soon.

My precious!!!

The conclusion...
http://testi-3.blogspot.com/2007/04/panasonic-ae700-troubles-are-gone.html

Trouble in paradice

My Panasonic pt-ae700e projector is suffering from bad "polarizators?" the picture is so bad that it has to be sent in for immediate repair. Luckily I bought this unit from Germany where they have a 2 year warranty and not 1 like in Finland. Local Panasonic repair tech estimated the repair to cost in the 400-600€ region depending how many and what type of polarizators were broken. That's insane! The units "street value" is les than 1000€! We'll have to wait and see what happens and how long it takes to get a working unit back. I'll ad pictures of the error when I take them.

Read more...
http://testi-3.blogspot.com/2006/12/panasonic-ae700-troubles.html

Tears of the SUN

So I got that Ultra 5 and to try something new I followed a suggestion to install Solaris 10 "the most advanced OS on the planet" on it.

First of I had to get it, it's free you know!

I registered and got on to downloading the 5 CD's. YES 5! This is just as bad bloat ware as Vista!The download site recommended using their own download manager that could resume CRC check and all that. Sounds sensible and would come in handy if those downloads end suddenly. Installed it, seemed to be a Java program. Tried it and uninstalled it. The screen capture tells all...

Now why the hell does this DL manager use only 1 slot for downloading and WHY is it so DAMN SLOW compared to "inferior" MS technology?

Seeing this I can only wonder why they don't supply a Torrent download? (yes it's actually used for other things than warez leezing).
Downloading the OS Sun 0 Microsoft 10.

Ultra 5 is not that media sexy looking like an old AST Pentium 166 desktop.

Here are some "autopsy" pictures.

Tested if regged EDO simm modules I had would work on the Ultra5 but these werent buffered I think, so 256MB hasto do.

The only thing I'm left wondering is what the hell is that AGP like slot on the mobo?

I guess some manual reading is in order.

Worth a mention is the CPU section. The CPU is installed on a CPU board that has the L2 cache on it. The CPU board is connected via 2 sockets to the mobo. Only the spring loaded heat sink holds the CPU in place there is no clamp or mechanism other that the heat sink and the CPU has no pins, like the modern CPU's these days, uuu advanced technology!

To my disappointment this is a 366MHz 256k L2 model. That 400MHz whit it's 2MB of L2 would have ben so cool! One was for sale at an affordable price on eBay but "0 money down" is my policy, so it has to be "found" not bought.

The Ultra 5 came whit out its original HDD and the only IDE hdd in stock was 4Gb witch is 2x more than the minimum requirement for Solaris 10.

The Ultra was complete and ready for a first boot. The Ultra complained about the changed disk but would go in to "setup" nicely.

I read on some forum that you should reset the machines "bios" back to factory settings for a fresh start and that's what I did.

The next boot ended in a net boot loop and I couldn't get out of it.

So I searched the net and found a manual.

The trick is a key combo of stop and A, how logical.

Using the setup or mini OS that boots the machine is like using DOS whit out 4dos, no command line completion, no command history toggle, nothing to guide you except the help messages, witch are nice but lack crucial information. For example changing the boot device from net to HDD should be simple, the help tells you the command but what it doesn't tell you are the parameters like what devices can I choose and what are the switches for them. They might be in the manual but WHO reads a manual while operating a computer?

I found that the parameters cd-rom and cdrom both are accepted but only cdrom will boot from the CD, how logical! OK I have to say at this point that I hate all systems that don't help the user learn the system or don't help in the usage.

Obviously SUN systems are not intended for the layman but for people that have passed courses in using these systems. You either know what to do and how, or you don't. The machine wont guide you.

I started my first installation of Solaris.

The setup is spartan to say the least.

The navigation and selection is all with the keyboard and this is mentioned right at the beginning. Except there is a small bug the window where you have to make the selections of what to do is not active by default but you have to point at it to make it active and accept key input with the mouse.

How OBVIOUS since you were told that the mouse is not used during setup...

My next quibble is with the space needed for setup. The default installation is over 4,3Gb so I selected the "second best" option that was only 3,8Gb or so. The setup let me continue but after CD 1 I started seeing errors that there was not enough space on disk please insert next CD...

I installed the OS 3 times to to get a "no errors installation". The last attempt was a minimum core setup of 900Mb that only required CD1/5.

Ok I'm a Sun / Solaris newbie but the fact that the setup lets me continue because there is enough space for the installed OS on disk BUT not enough for the installation is just plane stupid. A check for free space before the installer would continue was already in Windows 95! Sun Micro please!

What I do like about the system is its ability change setup parameters during OS installation, NICE!

Well the rocky road under the SUN continues and my next task is to figure out how to hell do I get in to the GUI?

Solaris 10 has a gui, tell me it DOES!!!

I'll get back to this after I search Solaris documentation and have some spare time again...stay tuned and subscribe to the wonderful adventures of a dummy in Sun-vill.

Sun Ultra 5 for dumb ass's

Today I got my hands on the Ultra 5.
It's a 1999 Ultra Sparc 2i 366MHz 256L2 CPU with 2x128MB memory, integrated ATI display adapter and Sun type 6 keyboard & mouse.
The first thing that astonished me was how clean it is. There is NO dust in side it, none. Not even on the fan blades or in the power supply! I have no idea if this is a spare unit that has newer ben used or used in a "clean room" type environment.
I have to check if any of my memory modules work with this thing. I quickly checked eBay for a 400MHz 2MB L2 CPU but the prices where too high for an 0 budget machine.
I quickly tried what the machine does when powered.
Hawing 0 experience whit Sun systems it's like using a computer for the first time or changing to a Mac. I'll have to look for some type of getting started guide or manual.
I don't like the totally text based non graphic setup program. the "bios" is interesting and appears to be a mini OS in itself but I just hate that it's like using DOS whit out 4dos or colors. Even a Alpha BIOS setup is more graphic but offers les help for the user.
Lets see what I can find and how I get past the network boot loop the Ultra 5 is in after I reset the setup config to factory defaults.
Read more...
http://testi-3.blogspot.com/2006/11/tears-of-sun.html

Sun Ultra 5 confirmed

Today it was confirmed that I'll get a Sun Ultra 5 workstation to my collection.
Not shurre if the keyboard and mouse are included but we'll find out on monday.
Stay tuned...
http://testi-3.blogspot.com/2006/11/tears-of-sun.html

Nice additions to my collection

Lisp machine (LispM)
This would be an interesting addition to my collection. An add in boards for SUN servers (UX-1200) interest me the most because you can get spares for the host server system and wouldn't have to worry about component failure and how to fix it like whit "real" Lisp Machine systems. You also can have as many Lisp Machines in the server as you have expansion slots for the boards.
I doubt that this project will ever be realized since all things LispM are wary rare and sought after by Lisp enthusiasts and hardware collectors.
Check out Wikipedia for more info on Lisp Machines and this site http://fare.tunes.org/LispM.html the reason I decided to do Testi3 in english.

Alpha laptop.
Self explanatory.

Alpha EV68 or EV7 system.
Would be nice to see how these 1GHz and above Alphas perform.

Interesting projects:

Abit BH6 whit Powerleap adapter.
I think you can get something like a 1GHz+ PIII in there.

Xbox FTP server.
Linux with GLFTPD ftp server in the Xbox.

Cluster server.
I do have those 3 dual pPRO servers and I'd like to use them for something.

Server basement.
I want to use my collection for something else than decoration and that means using them somewhere else then the living quarters. 1Gb LAN is a must, so I can use 100Mb NIC teams/bridges.

PL5000 case window mod.
That server is so full of blinking lights and cool stuff that a window is a MUST. I even have a spare case door to cannibalize for this project.

Pentium PRO "coin" collection.
I've been thinking about gathering every kind of pPRO and making a display case, like for coins. That BIG golden core is so cool!

Moving house.

I recently consolidated my dedicated FTP server whit my normal workstation and the FTP server is now a virtual machine. This of course led to the situation that my PC is always on.

This was not a problem in itself but it lead to some physical security issues, namely the kids at home.

My current Antec 840 case did not have any flaws but it could use some improvements. There was also the fact that I wanted a new C2D machine but could not afford one. Something had to be done to satisfy my thirst for new hardware!

So 2 birds with 1 stone, I bought a new case.

I had built several PC's in Compucase 6A series cases and had noted the build quality and the functionality that you get whit this budget case. The only real problem whit the cases was their looks until I saw 6A34 http://www.compucase-hec.co.uk/mainpages/product_detail.asp?pid=50

This case looks awesome and also solved my "security issue" leaving the reset button behind a door. I also got front panel USB, head phone jacks and I was hoping for firewire.

Unfortunately this particular variant does not have Firewire but all else is there.

One more thing that attracted me to this case was 120mm fans and the possibility to make my PC even quieter than it was whit the Antec case.

Out from the old and in to the new.

My HDD:s now get excellent cooling but the adverse effect is that the incoming air is hotter than in the Antec, leading to higher CPU temps.

I tried Noiseblocker fans but they were too loud.

I tested a Thermaltake 130mm fan, witch seamed as quiet as they say but it was not compatible whit my system but I can recommend it for use whit Thermaltake's the Sonic Tower heat sink along whit a rpm control unit it would work fine.

A friend pointed out these new Noctua fans that had liquid bearings whit magnetic centering, loads of accessories and a 5 year warranty. The price was competitive whit Papst fans so I had to try one.

Now I have 3. :) http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=5&lng=en

The case fans use the U.L.N.A. rpm cutter (resistor) and my Epox motherboard actively controls the CPU fan.

Both cases had the sheet fan guards (grilles) cut of and chromed wire guards put in place to reduce whistling due to air flow.
At the moment the PC is not as quiet as whit my Antec but this is due to the total lack of acoustic dampening inside the case and this is the next phase when I get to it. Antec had the whole inside coated whit dampening panels and that eliminated effectively al the internal echoing of the HDD's and fan noise. At the same time it reducing the internal air volume and speeding the air exchange (or increasing the pressure when all case fans blow in) inside and making the case air tighter eliminating sound from escaping out of the case.

My new home, enjoy!

DIY RCA cable for the SUB

I admit I do have a "thing" for cables. But I see it as being in line whit my philosophy of getting the most out of what you have.

Good cables are expensive end I doubt you actually get anything for your money but lots of fancy packaging and superlatives eulogizing "how good this cable is".

I prefer something more tangible like actually measured performance.

Now here's the trick you can get coaxial cables that far surpass studio grade RG 59/58 cables in terms of frequency attenuation, or how little the cable effects the signal, for less than 0,40€ a meter. Finding good RCA plugs is a bit harder, at least in Finland.

Sure you can find fancy gilded "yellow plated" plugs but they usually start to melt when your soldering the kind of cable I'm talking about. 1,13mm thick center lead whit double shielding, foam like insulation and clearly good materials all around and virtually no degradation of frequencies at the lengths used in the home.

Now why would I spend 100-500€ for a cable that has no real merit to its name or even if it was the best cable ever made I'm sure that DIY cables from good selected components are as good or pretty close in performance but only cost in the range of 10-30€.
For 10€ in Hi-Fi shop all you can get is shoe strings!

Here are a couple of pictures of my latest cable. All components from a local Elfa store.

We are go!

Ok, I figured out a way to make this blogging suite my purposes.
I'm stil learning and this site is under constant development.
I hope to keep the momentum going so that this site takes of and might be of interest to other like minded people.

"Retroruuvaus" Fiddling with old machines

I have high hopes of getting my hands on Windows 2000 RC1 media, so I can finally install it on my Alpha and be the proud owner of of a ultra rare and not supported combination of an obsolete 32bit Windows RC1 OS, that was unusable before SP2, on a "powerful" 64bit machine designed for VMS/Unix.
What could be better than that!

I'm also "hoping" to add a Sun Ultra 5 to my collection.
(actually Sun systems don't interest me but what the hell, one more oddity in the collection just to make it more representative of the RISC processor families)
But what can one do whit an UltraSparc?
It was suggested to me that I should install Solaris 10 on it. Jee, why not. I can check that out. But that is so obvious and isn't that special and as we all know you cant really do anything whit a Unix/Linux OS. (making friends here ;)
I do have a twisted idea on what to try but I'll keep it to my self 4 now so no one "beats me to the punch" ;)
Stay tuned!

My OBG collection

"Retroruuvaus" is how I describe this hobby. It's Finnish and does not translate well. Basicaly it means "fiddling with old machines".
This is a short list of computer systems in my "collection".

Commodore 64 (new version) with Casette deck, Tack 2 special collectors edition joystik with white cord, quick shot/joy what ever POS joystick

Intel 286 laptop with DOS 6.x (just like the one in Alines used to operate the sentry guns but whit orange/black display)

3x Compaq Proliant 800 servers, all dual Pentium Pro 200MHz

Compaq Proliant 5000 quad (4x) Pentium Pro with 1MB L2
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliant5000/index.html

Compaq Proliant 3000, dual PIII 550MHz

Digital Alpha Server 2000 "4/200" dual CPU with 2 external HDD towers and NT4

SUN Ultra 5 Ultra sparc 3i 366MHz, 256MB ram

Compaq Deskpro EP series PIII 450MHz, 2x 8,1GB hdd, 640MB ram, Matrox G200, Vista RC2 test bench

and every day use work stations...

DIY AMD Athlon 64 3400+ (s754 New Castle), 1GB ram, 400GB hdd array, 500GB sata, GF Ti4200 128MB vivo

Compaq laptop P4, 1GB ram for the wife and kids

All but the C64, 286, Ultra 5 and ComPaQ PC's use raid arrays. SCSI in the servers and SATA on my wks.

AV gear

Setup 1:
Panasonic PT-ae700e LCD projector on DIY wall mount
2 m wide 16:9 back lit DIY gray screen
22" Dell "pc monitor"
Lumagen VisionHDQ video processor
Topfield TF5100HDMI 250Gb DVB-T hdr/pvr with HDMI out
Oppo Digital OPDV970HD DVD player with 480i & 576i HDMI out
Linksys NSLU2 with SlugOSbe 4.8 beta and FTPd-Topfield (for the xbox)
Sony STR-DB 840 QS 5.1 AV receiver amp
Definitive Technology BP10b stereo pair
Audio PRO B1.35 10" subwoofer
PC hooked up via. dvi+optical spdif

Setup 2:
LG 42" lcd DVB-T "cheap ass" tv
Lumagen VisionDVI video processor
Xbox crystal & dvd remote with XBMC (for streaming Topfield recordings)
Sony 610 "cheap ass" HiFi VCR
Behringer MS40 digital monitor speakers

Misc equipment:
Radio Shack analod sound level meter
Gretag Macbeth Eye-One Display 2 colorimeter

Blogging! WTF is blogging?

It has been my intention to build my own web site, dedicated to my hardware tinkering hobby/lifestyle for at least the past 5-6 years. Maintaining a "real" web page whit out the help of some service is too much of a bother for me and the past 3 attempts to get Testi3 of the ground have failed due to creative differences whit my web designer ;) Now this blogging business looks like it might do the trick, seams easy enough and not too high maintenance and does not involve any coding so I'll give it a go.