Year 2020

Wombat board and keymap table

New Features for ADB-USB Wombat

New firmware 0.3.5 is now available for the ADB-USB Wombat! The Wombat is a bidirectional ADB-to-USB and USB-to-ADB converter for keyboards and mice. Connect modern USB keyboards and mice to a classic ADB-based Macintosh, Apple IIgs, or NeXT, or connect…

Battery discharge test setup

Used LiFePO4 Battery Fiasco

After more thorough testing of the used LiFePO4 battery that I described in my previous post, I’ve reached the sad conclusion that it’s essentially a worthless piece of junk. Encouraged by stories from mobile-solarpower.com and other sources, I’d hoped this…

Testing a used LiFePO4 battery

Used Lithium Battery Mysteries

My used LiFePO4 battery (lithium iron phosphate) arrived yesterday. Who buys used batteries? I do, apparently. I’ve been putting the battery through its paces to see how much of the original capacity of 45 Ah / 675 Wh still remains.…

LiFePO4 and lead acid batteries

Batteries – Lead Acid or Lithium?

What’s the most expensive component in a small off-grid solar setup? You might assume it would be the solar panels, but the cost of panels can be surprisingly low. For many people, the batteries are the single most expensive element…

Solar panel on a patio

Small-Scale Solar Experiments

While sheltering in place this week, I’ve been tinkering with a small-scale setup for solar power generation. I’ve got a 100 watt solar panel, and access to the sun. What fun things can I do with this? Is it actually…

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