UNBOXING VIII

Another lovely unboxing video.

This time the products all came from AMAZON!


Help a Maker Out?
==============
Did you see anything in this video you want for yourself?  If the answer is yes, consider using one of the link(s) below to buy it directly from amazon.com.  When you do, I get a small commission that keeps me going!


Bill of Materials
===========
EFIXTK 158PCS Electrical Wire Connectors Screw Terminals,with Spring Insert Twist Nuts Caps Connection Assortment Set
https://amzn.to/3dHnvci

Black Mailbox with Key Lock, Wall Mounted Large Capacity Mailbox, 15 3/5" x 10 3/5" x 3 1/2"
https://amzn.to/3bBCi6o

LED Night Light, Mitaohoh 12 LED Battery-Powered Motion Sensor Night Lights, Stick-on Anywhere with 3M Adhesive, Energy Efficient for Bedroom, Bathroom, Closet, Kitchen, Hallway, Stairs, Kids (6 Pack)
https://amzn.to/2WYbObo

A Pull Apart Key Chain! The FIRST of many amazon.com purchases!

MAIL CALL!  I got a little package today from amazon.com, containing - a "Pull-Apart Key Chain", something I have wanted since I first saw that little silver HONDA key. 

I had this kind of key chain when I had my first motorcycle in 1986, and I found it super convenient to prevent my house keys from bouncing around (and potentially getting wet from being exposed to the elements). 

So I deliberately ordered a pair of Pull-Apart Key chains from Amazon,and once they arrived, I immediately loaded one of my HONDA keys onto the end of one of them, and my big mass of other keys (including the keyless entry dongle for my SUV) on the other end. 

The result is everything I wanted to achieve and I couldn't be happier!  Nostalgia and utility all in one gleaming silver package...and a package coming in the mail to boot!

Custom Accessories 44101 Pull-Apart Key Chain, (Pack of 2) $3.49
https://amzn.to/2rIrQIM

Wa-Wa-We-Wa!

Wa-Wa-We-Wa!

I just ordered a whole bunch of repair and replacement parts for a TON of upcoming projects (KA-CHING! The sound of money leaving my wallet and entering the Amazon and Taobao bank accounts). When the parcels arrive, I will do a very nice unboxing of "Product Learnings of Amazon and Taobao for Make Benefit Glorious Projects of Man the Maker". Of course, there will be many videos! So Stay Tuned!

#MMTM #UnboxingChannel

My Wife **PIRATED** My Demo Battery!

My Wife **PIRATED** My Demo Battery!

I was so pleased with myself..little did I know what was going to happen! 

Having just completed the preliminaries for a battery demonstration, I was foolish enough to show my new toy to Mrs. Maker! The "toy" in question was a series of batteries taped to individual pieces of paper with both their model numbers and their voltages, or state of charge clearly noted.  My intention was to use them to show people how to measure battery voltages, and what the different voltages meant. But, like I said, silly me! Mr. Maker took one look at my teaching aid and said "My car door fob isn't working". 

Silly me!  How could I not have known?  After years of marriage, I have determined that a simple statement of fact on the part of my wife actually means she wants me to DO something, and usually that something runs along the lines of "Please stop futzing around with the [fun thing] you are playing with and go fix the [boring thing]." 
Luckily, in this case, I was able to integrate my original BATTERY DEMO presentation into a KEYLESS CAR DOOR FOB BATTERY CHANGE demonstration, and record the whole thing! 

This helped me to complete MY "more fun thing" while fixing the "less fun thing".  It was a win-win!
 

I can't thank this VLOGGING stuff enough!  It enables me to re-approach things that aren't that much fun - and make them a LOT more fun by turning them into a tutorial! 

It's helping me get much more done, because it's such a great motivator!

HELP THE MAKER OUT?

Did you see anything in this video that you want for yourself? If yes, please use one of the link(s) below to buy it directly from amazon.com, because if you do, I get a small (but very encouraging) commission!

VIDEO BILL OF MATERIALS

Duracell - 2032 3V Lithium Coin Battery - Long Lasting Battery - 2 Count (CR2032)
https://amzn.to/35VNCYN

4-Pack Energizer 3 Volt Lithium Button Battery for Directed Electronics 598t Remote Control Transmitters and Other Uses (CR2025)
https://amzn.to/399FPII

UNI-T UT33A+ UT33B+ UT33C+ UT33D+ Digital Multimeter AC DC Voltage Current Resistance +2mF Capacitance NCV Tester with LCD Backlight (UT33C+)
https://amzn.to/2MunVGO

YES! How To Use a MOBILE PHONE to Troubleshoot a Remote Control!

Electronics - 

YES! How To Use a MOBILE PHONE to Troubleshoot a Remote Control!

These days, I am having nothing but trouble with BATTERIES.  

First off, the battery in EZ-RIDER was totally dead, and I must have spent a week's worth of days fiddling with it before resigning myself to having to buy another one due to its being sulphated to the point where it was beyond saving.

Then, I bought a MOSTA cordless drill with a bad Lithium Ion battery, and had to order another one (along with an impact driver, yaay!) from China.  Of course, the upside of that is that I get to do an entire series on the 18650 battery family, which I am really looking forward to.

Then, the battery in my SPY HAT looked like it had gone flat (but it DIDN'T...look for a video on what really happened soon!).  

Finally, the battery in my keyless car entry system went flat.  

It was like everywhere I turned, batteries were going dead.  Even some of my watches have stopped running!  I know it sounds incredible, but it's true!

The latest battery to go dead is the one in my SANYO XACTI VPC-HD1010 camcorder remote control.  It uses a coin type cell, but not the classic coin battery that everyone knows (CR2032 - the SWATCH battery!).  Instead, the HD1010 uses a thinner CR2025 battery.  

Aside from being thinner, the CR2025 has the same form factor and voltage as the CR2032.

Now, I had a spare CR2032 in my pile of replacement batteries because I had already swapped the battery in my keyless car entry system out, and I had bought TWO replacement batteries.  So, I had the old CR2032 just in case I wanted to do something with it (like now), and a new one for whatever, whenever. 

So, considering I had so many dead batteries laying around, figured I'd put together a little tutorial on battery troubleshooting!  But - people don't troubleshoot batteries - they troubleshoot the things that batteries go into that aren't working right any more!

Now, when a watch battery runs out, it's pretty obvious to everyone what exactly has happened.  The hands stop moving.  The same goes for Cordless Drills and Keyless Car Entry systems.  They just stop working, no matter how much you push the button.  When it came to EZ-RIDER, it just wouldn't start.

But when it comes to remote controls - things are a bit more subtle.  Some have little red LED's on them that blink when you send a signal, but many do not.  

The one that controlled my camcorder didn't have any indication whether or not the battery was good.  So, you can be there, stupidly pushing a button a bunch of times with NO CLUE as to whether or not the batteries are working...that is, unless you have a MOBILE PHONE!  

This video shows how to troubleshoot remote controls using a cell phone....and watch out for surprise ending!

HELP A MAKER OUT?

Did you see anything in this video you wanted for yourself?  If yes, please use one of the the amazon links listed below to buy it directly from amazon.com.  

If you buy, I get an encouraging note and a small commission!  Thanks!

VIDEO BILL OF MATERIALS

Duracell - 2032 3V Lithium Coin Battery - Long Lasting Battery - 2 Count (CR2032)
https://amzn.to/35VNCYN

4-Pack Energizer 3 Volt Lithium Button Battery for Directed Electronics 598t Remote Control Transmitters and Other Uses (CR2025)
https://amzn.to/399FPII

UNI-T UT33A+ UT33B+ UT33C+ UT33D+ Digital Multimeter AC DC Voltage Current Resistance +2mF Capacitance NCV Tester with LCD Backlight (UT33C+)
https://amzn.to/2MunVGO

BONDHUS Hex Keys **WOW**

Tools

BONDHUS Hex Keys **WOW**

After completely destroying TWO no-name hex keys that I purchased on Ap Liu Street, I decided to treat myself to a set of high-quality, name brand hex keys.

If you look closely at the long, silver-colored hex key in the video, you can see that I twisted it along its long axis before I ended up rounding the head.  At a standstill and in total frustration, I cranked up google and looked for a 2019 hex key review:

After exploring the different optionsm I elected to go for the BONDHUS Hex Keys #22199, because it looked affordable and offered both Imperial and Metric keys in one low-cost purchase.  I think each key ended up costing around a half dollar or so, which seemed good to me.

Approaching the motorcycle with some trepidation (after all, if the Bondhus failed - what then would I do?) I was able to remove the remaining bolts in the handlebar risers and get the handlebars off!  Fantastic!

So I have to say that I am very pleased with the BONDHUS Hex Keys.  They proved up to the task when TWO other sets failed miserably.

Highly recommended!
Here's a video of the BONDHUS Hex Keys in action....

Video

HELP A MAKER OUT?

Did you see anything in this video you want?  

If yes, use one of the the link(s) below to buy it directly from amazon.com.  

If you do, I get a small, but very encouraging commission!

VIDEO BILL OF MATERIALS

Bondhus 22199 Hex L-wrench Double PK,Long Length,12137 .050-3/8" & 12199 1.5-10mm
https://amzn.to/2OV4Ei8

SILVER MINE Hardware Store Tool Run! COOL!

In this video, I discuss the tools that I bought at the Hardware Store with the coolest name on Lantau Island.  It's located in a town called SILVERMINE, and it stocks everything any home renovator would possibly need - and many of the goods are brought in by boat!

Lantau is the largest Island that composes the territory of Hong Kong.  It's mostly undeveloped and wild and FULL OF SNAKES and other critters including the CHINESE COBRA and BURMESE PYTHONS, not to mention BARKING DEER, FERAL COWS and WATER BUFFALO.

Anyways, the tool run was a lot of fun and I go over the items I purchased there in this video.  Enjoy!

HELP A MAKER OUT
================
Do you see anything in this video you want for yourself?  If you do, please use the link listed below to buy it directly from amazon.com.  When you buy this way, I get a small commission from amazon that encourages me to continue as a YouTube creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
3M Virtua Safety Glasses with Clear Frame and Clear Polycarbonate Anti-Scratch Hard Coat Lens
https://amzn.to/2MpAZNG

G & F 5015L-5 Regular Cowhide Leather Palm Work Gloves for driving and construction with rubberized safety cuff, Large, 5-Pair pack
https://amzn.to/35OwX9k

Forney 72748 Wire Wheel Brush, Fine Crimped with 1/2-Inch Arbor, 3-Inch-by-.008-Inch
https://amzn.to/36xvbJR

GP12626 Hook and Loop Rotary Backing Pad with 5/8''-11 Thread, Sanding, Polishing Backer/Diameter 5 inch
https://amzn.to/2LLx6CE

CSLU 100pcs 4 Inch Sanding Discs Pad for Drill Grinder Rotary Tools 80-3000 Grit Sandpapers
https://amzn.to/2RGyHgK

Rust-Oleum 260510 Automotive 2 In 1 Filler and Sandable Primer Spray Paint, 12 oz, Gray
https://amzn.to/2EQ8BAk

Rust-Oleum 248903 Automotive 12-Ounce High Heat 2000 Degree Spray Paint, Flat Black
https://amzn.to/2Zkrzs1

Amazon Unboxing (2019 12 20)

Another installment in our ongoing Amazon unboxing series!

The box that arrived on December 20th, 2019 held a small group of very important goodies:

A) PB Blaster High temperature gasket maker, which I will almost certainly use on LIME, the compressor I will be rescuing soon.

B) NASUM Wireless microphone (Headset & Lavalier) which I will be using to improve all of my videos from now on, in terms of quality

C) Spring Compressor, which I will be using to (I hope) take apart EZ-RIDER's suspension so I can see what it's made of and maybe even make it a custom color.

HELP THE MAKER OUT
===================
Did you see anything in this video that you want for yourself?  If you did, please use one of the links below to buy it from amazon.com.  If you do, I get a small commission and encouragement, both of which help me in my career as a YouTube creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
J-B Weld 31314 High Temperature RTV Silicone Gasket Maker and Sealant - Red - 3 oz.
https://amzn.to/2PNWE4g


NASUM UHF Wireless Headset Microphone/Lavalier Lapel Mic with Bodypack Transmitter and Mini Rechargeable Receiver 1/4" Output
https://amzn.to/391dSTn


8MILELAKE 14inches Coil Spring Compressor Strut Remover Installer Tool Kit
https://amzn.to/2Zm7SA7

How I **HACKED** My Ultra Cool SPY HAT!

In this video, I go over how I have customized my SPY HAT to make it even more covert, robust and useful!

1)  I installed a 32Gb micro SD card
2)  I installed VELCRO on the second internal flap
3) I darkened the camera ring with a permanent marker
4) I installed a 45-degree adapter to the USB connector
5) I installed a pin to the hat to distract from the camera ring

Future hacks include:

6) Installing more pins to further distract from the camera ring
7) Installing a higher capacity battery for more recording time
8) Figuring out how to remove day/time stamp from the videos

So far, hacking the hat has been a lot of fun!  I look forward to further extending its capabilities and seeing what kind of footage I can get by using it in the field!

I think it's going to be a complete blast (and revelation) to show people where I go and what I have to do to acquire gear to fix!  You'd be amazed at how people are reluctant to let JUNK go - either because they want too much money for it, or they feel guilty selling something that's BROKEN to someone.  

People can be so completely unreasonable and irrational - and that's half the fun!  Life would be so boring if it wasn't so strange!

HELP A MAKER OUT?
=================
Do you see anything in this video you want?  If you do, please use the link below to buy it directly from amazon.com.  When you do, I get a small commission that encourages me to continue as a YouTube Creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
RecorderGear HC100 HD 1080P Hidden Spy Camera Hat/Surveillance Body Worn Camera/Professional Grade
https://amzn.to/34PGxrd

Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSDXC EVO Select Memory Card with Full-Size Adapter (MB-ME128GA/AM)
https://amzn.to/34SG5Zo

Sharpie Extreme Permanent Markers, Black, 4-Count
https://amzn.to/2sUju1c

Chic Master Set #1 of 12 National Flag Badge Button Pin Pinbacks (Better)
https://amzn.to/2sWM2Y1

Amazon Unboxing (2019-11-26)

In one of my first Amazon unboxings, we look at the BONDHUS Hex Keys that I bought as response to destroying TWO cheap-o hex keys from sets that I had previously bought at a discount store, along with a digital tire pressure gauge to help us quickly and accurately check our tires.

The BONDHUS Hex Keys are American made and come with a lifetime warranty.  Bondhus claims that they are made from top-quality steel, and, given the difficulty I am having removing the handlebar riser bolts of EZ-RIDER, I felt that purchasing a top-quality tool was now needed. So, I looked on google and found a couple of lists of TOP 10 Hex Key Sets (where Bondhus ranked as high as #2) and then went and found a set on amazon.com that was both comprehensive (Metric and Imperial included) and affordable.

To get our order over USD50, and thereby qualify for free shipping, we needed to find an inexpensive item for under USD10.00 that would be generally useful in our lives now and into the future.  Considering how many flat tires we have had in just the past year, I thought that the digital tire gauge pressure meter I found fit the bill perfectly, and it even came with BATTERIES INCLUDED! 



HELP THE MAKER OUT
===================
Do you see anything in this video that you would like to get for yourself?  If you do, please use one of the link(s) listed below to buy it from Amazon, and I will get a small commission.  This encourages me and helps to support my career as a YouTube creator.



BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
Bondhus 22199 Hex L-wrench Double PK, Long Length
12137 .050-3/8" & 12199 1.5-10mm
https://amzn.to/2SlaQDu


EXELAIR by Milton (EX99900) Digital Tire Pressure Gauge

https://amzn.to/34Sa9UO

**CHEAP** Wireless Microphone Review (GOOD!)

Now that we've UNBOXED (see previous video) and also OPTIMIZED THE PACKAGING (see previous video) of the NASUM Wireless Headset & Wireless Lavalier Microphone, it's time to strap one on and see see how it works!

Getting ready was simple. I took the headset out of the packaging and screwed it into the Body Transmitter. I like the fact that it screws in, which should prevent it from getting accidentally unplugged. I then ran the wires under my shirt (further helping to reduce the likelihood that the wire would get snagged on something) and clipped the Body Transmitter to the bottom of my pocket with clip that's integrated into the case of the Body Transmitter.

I then connected the Receiver to my camera using a series of reducers. My camera has a 2.5mm jack and the NASUM Receiver has a 6.5mm plug (1/4 inch / Phono / Headphone). The NASUM comes with a 6.5mm-to-3.5mm adapter (Mini Headphone) and my camera came with a 3.5mm-to-2.5mm adapter, so it was just a matter of clicking them together, then plugging the resulting stack of Receiver and reducers into my camera.

I then used a a cable management strap to hold that somewhat ungainly assembly to a tripod, so it too wouldn't get snagged on anything and come apart by accident, as well as reduce mechanical strain on the camera microphone jack, which is pretty small and probably not that physically robust.

Powering everything up was simple: A momentary push of the power button on the Receiver, then a momentary push of the power button on the Body Transmitter. The units powered on without any trouble, and they negotiated a common communications channel without incident.

After that, using the units was as easy as talking. Once they had become linked, anything I said was pushed from the Wireless Headset to the Body Transmitter to the Receiver. Physically speaking, the experience was identical to using a wired mike.

There was no electrical noise or static and sound quality was dramatically (in my opinion) improved. The NASUM Wireless Headset Microphone picked up much less ambient noise. There was dramatically less echo. There was NO fading of sound volume as I walked away from (or approached) the camera. I was able to roam freely in the room I was in. I did not leave the room, nor did I put any obstacles between myself and the Receiver, because I do not think that I would do that in normal use with this unit.

In conclusion, I believe that the NASUM Wireless Headset & Lavalier Microphone is an inexpensive, effective means of bringing increased physical freedom to a VLOGGING experience, or any scenario where a person wants to have an wireless microphone experience.

HELP THE MAKER OUT?
====================
Did you see anything in this video that you want for yourself? If you did, please use one of the links below to buy it from amazon.com. If you do, I get a small commission and encouragement, both of which help me in my career as a YouTube creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
NASUM UHF Wireless Headset Microphone/Lavalier Lapel Mic with Bodypack Transmitter and Mini Rechargeable Receiver 1/4" Output

https://amzn.to/391dSTn

Unboxing: https://www.facebook.com/MyManTheMaker/videos/454464308575307/

Packaging Hacking: https://www.facebook.com/MyManTheMaker/videos/1426790267499038/

Wireless Microphone Packaging HACK!

When I recorded the unboxing video of the NASUM Wireless Microphone, I noticed that the packaging was NO GOOD!  Here's why:

The instructions take pains to point out THREE very important points under the a heading entitled ATTENTION:

1) There are 32 channels
2) DO NOT BEND THE ANTENNAS
3) Do not take the microphones apart without technical support

I found instruction #2 to be very strange!

Why?  Because BOTH the Transmitter and the Receiver ship from the vendor with their antennas bent at ninety degrees!  Either the person who wrote the instructions don't know what they are talking about, or (more likely) whoever designed the packaging for this product never read the instructions and don't understand how antennas work!

Anyways, after staring, dumbfounded, at the apparent violation by the vendor of their own rules, I set myself the challenge of resolving the situation before proceeding any further.

Considering the fact that this equipment is going to be living in this packaging for 90+% of the time (maybe 99+%) AND the fact that we are not supposed to be bending the microphones EVER, it's just crazy that they need to be bent to be able to put them in storage!

Fixing the problem took a little figuring, trying and re-trying of a bunch of different layouts, but I finally got things arranged in the packaging to my liking.  In the end I was quite pleased with the result.  No longer were the antennas being bent at crazy angles to fit in the packaging, and I also got that feeling of satisfaction that you get when you move the needle on something from LESS RIGHT to MORE RIGHT.

HELP A MAKER OUT?
==================
Did you see anything in this video that you want for yourself?  If you did, please use one of the links below to buy it from amazon.com.  If you do, I get a small commission and encouragement, both of which help me in my career as a YouTube creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS
=================
NASUM UHF Wireless Headset Microphone/Lavalier Lapel Mic with Bodypack Transmitter and Mini Rechargeable Receiver 1/4" Output

https://amzn.to/391dSTn

FINALLY! My *WIRELESS* Microphone(s) Arrived!

I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new wireless microphone set (headset & lapel) because I think it will make a significant difference to the quality of my videos.  I want my videos to be at least as pleasant for people viewing them as it was for me to plan, shoot, package and post them!

The NASUM wireless microphone set wasn't expensive at all, and it arrived in good order.  It features a body transmitter to which a headset or lapel (Lavalier) microphone may be attached, and a receiver that plugs into any audio gear with a 1/4" (6.5mm) RCA/Phono jack. 

The only thing that kind of bothered me about the unit was the way it was PACKAGED, which seemed to be in direct contradiction to the Use & Care instructions provided by the vendor under the byline ATTENTION.  Weird!

Anyway, in this video I go over all of the parts in the packaging, what I think they are for and how to best go about using them.  It's an exhaustive, deep dive into a critical piece of equipment that I hope will make a big difference to the quality and entertainment factors of my videos!

HELP A MAKER OUT
================

Do you see anything in this video that you would like to get for yourself?  If you do, please use one of the link(s) listed below to buy it from amazon.com.  If you do, I get a small commission.  This encourages me to continue as a YouTube creator.

BILL OF MATERIALS:
=================
NASUM UHF Wireless Headset Microphone/Lavalier Lapel Mic with 
Bodypack Transmitter and Mini Rechargeable Receiver 1/4" Output

https://amzn.to/391dSTn

Amazon Box! Which Projects Will Advance Today?

I got an Amazon box the other day and it was simply FULL of goodies that I couldn't wait to get into service, and into and onto all of the projects that have been waiting for this box to arrive! GLOVES: I have purchased 100 pairs of nitrile gloves to help protect my hands from all of the nasty stuff I have to handle when working on EZ-RIDER, and these ones are LONG, LARGE AND BLACK, so keep an eye out for them! https://amzn.to/2r7D61m
SILICONE GREASE: I am looking to start putting all of the bolts that I've removed from EZ-RIDER with some kind of anti-corrosion protection, especially against galling, which was a real issue with many of the bolts (made of steel) and their connection with parts of a different metal (like aluminum). https://amzn.to/36PGXzs
AIR COMPRESSOR KIT: I have purchased a dead, 2nd hand compressor (LIME) to bring back to life, and it came without any fittings whatsoever, so I looked on Amazon and found a kit that I think will give me all of the connections I need. https://amzn.to/38OACG7
7-PIECE SANDBLASTING KIT: Once I get LIME up and running, I will be able to use the compressor to do SAND & SODA BLASTING of the various parts of EZ-RIDER. I have found out that BAKING SODA BLASTING is a great way to clean parts that are encrusted with grease, oil and other contaminants, and it is much less abrasive than sand, the other aggregate I intend to use. https://amzn.to/2PXSs0H
COPPER GREASE: Finally! I can change the spark plugs on EZ-RIDER! I have been waiting for this for quite some time and am TOTALLY EXCITED to be getting on with this part of the EZ-RIDER resscue. https://amzn.to/35KraBu
DEODORANT: Mrs. Maker apparently thinks that Mr. Maker need to smell pretty. I am more than happy to oblige her, if that's what makes her happy, So I guess I am wearing DEGREE MEN MOTION SENSE ULTRA CLEAR BLACK + WHITE ANTIPERSPIRANT STICK from now on... https://amzn.to/36GdHea
All in all, I had a wonderful time unboxing this shipment, and I really look forward to putting all of these great products in service, while at the same time giving you my impressions of the products, showing you how to use them, and (hopefully) inspiring you to use them too for your projects... -- MTM

Christmas Came A Week Early! I Got A TaoBao Hoard!

Christmas a week early! Watch as I open a bunch of mystery packages from TaoBao, our local version of eBay and Amazon rolled into one! Every package is labeled in Chinese, so I have absolutely no clue what is inside - so each box is an absolute delight to open! I have been carefully selecting these parts for weeks now, and finally put in the order for them...and waited...and waited...and waited - and then they arrived! Ordering from China is always a bit of a gamble. You never know whether or not the picture was correct, the description was correct - or anything else EXCEPT THE PRICE. That, they never get wrong! But sometimes you don't get what you ordered, but rather what they had to give you. Case in point. In this video I receive a set of bearings - but what I really ordered was a speedometer fitting for my front forks! OK - they are about the same price, but that's the ONLY resemblance between the two things - nothing else is even close to being the same! That aside, I got a bunch of things I know I will need to complete the EZ-RIDER project - cables, handles, an air filter...and so much more! All in all, I had a great time opening all of the packages and inspecting what came. I am already compiling my next order!

NETGEAR - Optimizing a NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1)

NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1)

Optimizing A NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1)

• CLICK HERE to buy this generation of NETGEAR ReadyNAS on Amazon

• CLICK HERE to buy the latest generation of NETGEAR ReadyNAS on Amazon

I have had a NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ for several years.  I never really took a good look at it because it kinda just worked fine out of the box, and I'm more interested in the larger universe of things that aren't working rather than the small universe of things that are.

I bought the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) second hand a long, long, long time ago, I think some time in 2009.  I upgraded it from 1Tb to 6Tb in 2011.  Its power supply fried out in 2012, so I had to replace it, which was a pretty tense experience.  

It traveled with me from Hong Kong to Canada in 2017.  It traveled back to Hong Kong with me in 2018, getting a bit bent and broken on the way (because it was beaten and abused as check-in luggage often is).  They bent the frame, cracked some plastic and broke the door hinge, but it still kept working.

Even today, my NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) is faithfully serving out files.  I really have nothing critical to say about it, except for the fact that I find its web interface is a bit sluggish.  Also, it mysteriously lost its ability to send emails or download updates a few years ago - which is something I always promised myself I'd look into, but never did because it still delivered files reliably.  Despite the fact that it is a little beat up and over 10 years old now, it continues to do what I ask it to do...and I hate to throw away things that are still working and that have been reliable and faithful to me.

This is the curse of the maker , accumulating piles of stuff that is "old but still working fine" .  Unfortunately, because of our consumer-driven culture, a lot of people just turn their nose up at things that are middle-aged.  They're not new, they're not vintage...they're just uncool.  Personally, I think it is bizarre that people think this way, but I also take advantage of it to get my hands on lots of "uncool" but incredibly fun stuff!

In summary, my NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1)

- Is a fine looking piece of kit.
- Has served me very well for over 10 years.
- Has earned a look, some TLC and a bit of a write-up

My NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1)

Here's what my unit looks like, more or less:

Under the hood, my NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) has proven to be very interesting.  For starters, here are its technical specifications, straight from NETGEAR:

Here's some of my observations:

CPU:

Apparently, the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) uses a SPARC processor

Yes!  As in a SPARC microprocessor from Sun Microsystems!  Wow!  This information is not only very interesting, it is a bit of a blast from the past!  

You see, I got my Computer Science degree on Sun equipment.  One of my fondest rescue stories was about SPHERE, a Sun 4/380 that I bought (broken) from my University for CAD72.00 and then brought back to life, and running a 2.x version of Berkely Software Distribution (BSD) Unix!

You can read more about that adventure here.

Let's find out some more about the processor in my NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1):

ReadyNAS:/# cat /proc/cpuinfo
cpu             : Infrant Technologics, Inc. - neon version: 0
fpu             : Softfpu
ncpus probed    : 1
ncpus active    : 1
BogoMips        : 186.36
MMU             : version: 0
LP              : HW.FW version: 0.1
FPGA            : fpga000000-0 Configuration: 0
AHB arbitraion  : 7
CPU id          : 0
Switch          : 0
ASIC            : IT3107

Hmmm.  The SPARC processor is a Sun Microsystems technology?  

Who exactly is Infrant Technologies?

OK, very interesting...but what is an "Infrant Processor"?  

Well, I found that out in a very interesting article about NETGEAR's Network Attached Storage (NAS) fans and how they are being made larger to make the devices more quiet:  

"The original ReadyNAS Duo (as with my ReadyNAS NV and NV+) uses Infrant's SPARC-derived processor." (Dipert, 2013)

OK, an Infrant Processor is SPARC-derived, but Infrant Processor is in my NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1)?

Well, an article about some Infrant Technologies gear provided that:  

"Both the NV and NV+ use Infrant's IT3107 Storage processor, have 256 MB of DDR RAM and 64 MB of onboard flash." (Higgins, 2007).

The next thing to get are some specifications for the Infrant IT3107 chip.  Luckily, a description of the Infrant IT310x chip family is provided in a press release from Infrant Technologies themselves:

Infrant Technologies(TM) today announced the highly integrated IT3107 and IT3102 system-on-chip architecture that will power the industry's next-generation of Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Media Server appliances. By integrating Gigabit Ethernet, multiple Serial ATA hard disk interfaces, and hardware-based RAID 0/1/5 redundancy into a single Network Storage Processor, more efficient network storage devices can be made available to broader markets including workgroups, offices, and home networks.

The Infrant IT3100 family of network storage processors are all 32-bit RISC CPU's. The IT3107 has a 4-channel Serial ATA interface and the IT3102 has a 2-channel Serial ATA interface. Both network storage processors include a Gigabit Ethernet MAC supporting jumbo packets, PCI host controller for expansion flexibility, and hardware RAID supporting RAID 0 striping, RAID 1 mirroring and RAID 5 striping with redundant parity. They also include a 64-bit DDR-SDRAM Interface, an encryption/decryption engine, diskless boot using NAND flash, TWSI interface and support for JTAG boundary scan.

-- Infrant Technologies, 2005

Finally, here's an IT3107 info-graphic from Infrant Technologies:

OK, that's probably enough general information about the CPU that's in the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1).

Memory:

Apparently, the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) uses DDR PC2700 Memory

According to NETGEAR, the ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) shipped with 256Mb of RAM.  Hey, that's not a lot of RAM at the best of times, and Unix Operating Systems like to have as much RAM as possible.

I seem to remember that I prepared to upgrade the memory of this unit about 8 years ago, but I can't remember whether or not I carried the upgrade out.  

So, let's see how much memory is in the unit at the moment using the free command:

ReadyNAS:/# free
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:        226352     170784      55568          0      34896     109392
-/+ buffers/cache:      26496     199856

Swap:       767904          0     767904

OK, free reports 256Mb of RAM.  Hmmm....

Another way to get a bit more information is to cat the /proc/meminfo file

ReadyNAS:/# cat /proc/meminfo
MemTotal:       226352 kB
MemFree:         55520 kB
Buffers:         34896 kB
Cached:         109392 kB
SwapCached:          0 kB
Active:         108880 kB
Inactive:        64976 kB
HighTotal:           0 kB
HighFree:            0 kB
LowTotal:       226352 kB
LowFree:         55520 kB
SwapTotal:      767904 kB
SwapFree:       767904 kB
Dirty:               0 kB
Writeback:           0 kB
Mapped:          44576 kB
Slab:             7856 kB
CommitLimit:    903712 kB
Committed_AS:    71824 kB
PageTables:          0 kB
VmallocTotal:   131008 kB
VmallocUsed:      1248 kB

VmallocChunk:   129360 kB

Well, both ways of looking at the memory in the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) confirms that the amount of RAM installed in my unit is indeed only 256Mb!  

Another interesting factoid is that this machine has never used its swapfile, meaning that the Operating System running on this unit has never needed to go beyond 256Mb, which is pretty incredible considering how small 256Mb realy is.  Alright, I thought that I'd upgraded it...but apparently I didn't.  Can it be expanded beyond 256Mb?

Yes it can, according to Biker (2006):

OK - so what type of RAM for the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) need and how much would a single 1Gb stick of it cost?  

Well, according to the specifications from NETGEAR themselves, the ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) uses PC2700 / DDR333 SODIMM memory.  

How much does that type of memory cost?  

eBay can give us a ballpark idea:

So, it looks like 1Gb of memory for the NV+ will cost about HKD62.50, or UDS8.00, so that upgrade is a no-brainer.

Even though it may have no immediate effect on performance, the upgrade is a good idea because I plan to start installing and running software on the NV+ that it wasn't originally bundled with.


So, I went out and bought a stick of Kingston 1Gb PC2700 RAM for HKD50.00!

Here are the specifications of the memory:

OK, let's get that memory upgraded!

YouTube:  Upgrading A NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) To 1Gb RAM

Operating System:

Apparently, the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) runs a variant Debian Linux

Debian is a really interesting flavor of the Linux operating system.  I have used it a bunch of different times in various applications.  The variant that is running on the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) is from circa 2005, if the kernel version is anything to go by:

ReadyNAS:/# uname -a

Linux ReadyNAS 2.6.17.14ReadyNAS #1 Wed Jun 20 20:08:20 PDT 2012 padre unknown

This corresponds to version 3.1 of Debian (it's name is sarge) which I am quite familiar with, having played with it extensively while spending weeks trying to figure out how to boot Linux on a White iMac.

RAIDiator

The Debian variant on the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) is called RAIDiator and you can get its version number in this way:

ReadyNAS:/etc# cat raidiator_version

RAIDiator!!version=4.01c1-p16,time=1495530915

So, this particular NV+ appears to be running version 4.01c-p16 of RAIDiator.  Cool.  This can also be confirmed using NETGEAR RAIDar, the GUI application that NETGEAR provides to discover and manage the NV+:

OK, let's connect to the Admin Page and see what we can see...

FIXING SOME OUTSTANDING ISSUES

One of the things that sparked this article was that some small inconveniences has cropped up with respect to the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1):

Hardware? - The NV+ web interface (RAIDar) was super slow
- The NV+ was unable to reliably deliver DLNA multimedia

These issues seemed to point to a capacity (hardware) problem.

Now, "capacity" in computer terms means one of four things:

CPU:  Not possible to upgrade from the IT3107 - so we have to live with what's there
RAM:  1Gb (now)  <- That's why I upgraded the RAM, it was the only thing left!
NET:  Unit ships with a Gigabit Ethernet interface, so likely not a problem
DSK:  6TB XRAID array only 50% full, so that's likely not a problem

NOTE:  When a Unix computer runs out of "working memory" (RAM), it pages the oldest memory blocks it can find to disk.  When it does this too much becase there's not enough RAM, it starts to "thrash", which means excessive paging - this can have a very negative affect on performance and bring a machine to its knees.


Anyways, the hardware upgrade options have been exhausted - it's time to explore some software fixes!

Software?

the NV+ had some other problems that needed attention.  One clue was that I was unable to set the gateway address of the NV+ in its GUI.  The option was blank, and greyed out:

It also had these other problems:

- The NV+ could not connect to NETGEAR to see if any updates were available
- The NV+ had stopped sending me updates and alerts via email


These issues seemed to point to a networking configuration (software) problem

Unable to fix these problems using the web interface, I figured I would log into the NV+ and take a look at its configuration files.  After some investigation (including figuring out how to ssh into the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) I was able to log in using its default user and password values:

User:      root
Password:  netgear1

Once I was logged in, I was able to determine that it was indeed mis-configured.  

Fixing A Missing default Route

The NV+ was missing a default route in its routing table.  Here's what the routing table looked like:

ReadyNAS:/# route
Kernel IP routing table
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags Metric Ref    Use Iface
192.168.0.0     *               255.255.255.0   U     0      0        0 eth0
ReadyNAS:/#

Without a default route, the NV+ would be unable to connect to the outside world, so I added a default route to the routing table using the route command:

ReadyNAS:/# route add default gw 192.168.0.1

ReadyNAS:/# route

Kernel IP routing table
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags Metric Ref    Use Iface
192.168.0.0     *               255.255.255.0   U     0      0        0 eth0
default         192.168.0.1     0.0.0.0         UG    0      0        0 eth0

OK, there's a default route now, let's test it by sending a ping to google.com:

ReadyNAS:/#ping google.com
ping: unknown host google.com

Nope!  

OK, let's send a ping to 8.8.8.8, the main Google DNS server (which is always available):

ReadyNAS:/# ping 8.8.8.8

PING 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8) 56(84) bytes of data.

64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=1 ttl=54 time=18.8 ms

64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=2 ttl=54 time=13.3 ms

64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=3 ttl=54 time=29.2 ms

64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=4 ttl=54 time=20.2 ms

--- 8.8.8.8 ping statistics ---

4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3006ms

rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 13.346/20.440/29.298/5.732 ms

ReadyNAS:/#

This behaviour means that routing is OK, but name resolution is not.

It seems like this has routing and name resolution issues

Permanently Fixing Routing Issues

Since issuing route add commands is only as effective as the next reboot because it manipulates a structure in memory, not on the disk.  My next challenge was to ensure that when/if the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1) was next rebooted, it was configured correctly so that its routing was correct in a permanent way, and it would work properly indefinitely.  

Fixing /etc/network

Routing in the NV+ is controlled by the /etc/network/interfaces file.  Ultimately, I made my /etc/network/interfaces file look like this, so the NV+ had a correct gateway value, and would be able to communicate with the outside world:

NOTE:  Don't worry about the "Do not modify!" message that appears at the top.  

Modify away!  I did!

ReadyNAS:/# cat /etc/network/interfaces
# This file is auto-generated.  Do not modify!
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
  address 192.168.0.50
  netmask 255.255.255.0
  gateway 192.168.0.1

Permanently Fixing Name Resolution Issues

Name Resolution is how computers pander to humans by allowing us to give "friendly" names like dns.google.com to machines whose real addresses on the Internet are more like 8.8.8.8.  The main system used to do this is called DNS and it's basically a name-to-IP mapping database.  

Unfortunately, in the GUI interface for the DNS settings displayed the IP address of my gateway, and I was unable to fix that because the option was greyed out:

Fixing my /etc/resolv.conf

Name Resolution in the NV+ is controlled by the /etc/resolv.conf file.  To make things work, I made my /etc/resolv.conf  look like this, so the NV+ would use the Google DNS servers:

NOTE:  Don't worry about the "Do not modify!" message that appears at the top.  

Modify away!  I did!

ReadyNAS:/# cat /etc/resolv.conf
# This file is auto-generated.  Do not modify!

nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

After that, Name Resolution and Routing on the NV+ worked correctly:

ReadyNAS:/# ping google.com
PING google.com (172.217.26.142) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from hkg12s21-in-f14.1e100.net (172.217.26.142): icmp_seq=1 ttl=54 time=20.6 ms
64 bytes from hkg12s21-in-f14.1e100.net (172.217.26.142): icmp_seq=2 ttl=54 time=12.4 ms
64 bytes from hkg12s21-in-f14.1e100.net (172.217.26.142): icmp_seq=3 ttl=54 time=23.4 ms
64 bytes from kul08s06-in-f14.1e100.net (172.217.26.142): icmp_seq=4 ttl=54 time=23.3 ms

--- google.com ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3004ms

rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 12.485/19.984/23.406/4.474 ms

Positive Signs:

Email

After fixing Routing and Name Resolution on the NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+ (v1), I started to receive mail from the NV+:

Updates

I became capable of checking for updates:

So, I went ahead and performed an update!  After I had performed the update, I was notified by the NV+ by email that it had completed and the unit needed a reboot:

Applications

NETGEAR

With the machine fixed up I installed a couple of applications obtained from the addons section of the NETGEAR website.

3rd Party

I also checked out (but did not buy anything from) what looks to be an excellent 3rd Party NV+ Addons Website, and perused a collection of apps for all versions of the ReadyNAS.

Conclusion

All in all, fixing up my unit was a fun time.  I learned a few things and I am now much more familiar with my unit, which feels good.  I am also glad that I took the time to pay attention to my NETGEAR ReadyNAS NV+, optimize it and write about the experience.

Great Success!

REFERENCES:

https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4407687/Beating-the-heat--A-NAS-s-CPU-requires-a-critical-mass-of-software-in-order-to-compete

http://www.thenetworkencyclopedia.com/entry/bsd-unix/

http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RND2110/Duov1_NV+v1_HW_en_06Dec11.pdf

https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/netgear-readynas-nv

https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/infrant-technologies

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-reviews/29829-infrant-readynas-nv-and-1100-small-steps-forward

https://community.netgear.com/t5/New-ReadyNAS-Users-General/Memory-upgrade-of-a-ReadyNAS-NV/td-p/562920

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian_version_history

https://serverfault.com/questions/181094/how-do-i-delete-a-route-from-linux-routing-table

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20050404005773/en/Infrant-Technologies-Introduces-IT3100-Network-Storage-Processor

http://natisbad.org/NAS/index.html

https://apps.readynas.com/pages/