Log 2016120801

The Robot was dug out from the clutter in the room and is now on top of a two drawer file cabinet where it should be. It is now ready to have it's new 4 port SATA RAID expansion card and an additional 5.25" drawer installed.  The motherboard supports 8 SATA drives, which most of mine are currently mounted to.  But I've come to find that four hard disks are probably taking up a lot of it's RAM, or memory.  In order to alleviate that, I'm installing an expansion card into one of the motherboard's slots.

The drawer is just for storage.  The Robot's chassis is tall and has three CD/DVD drive bays that I'll never use.  Two of them already have storage drawers and I currently have the upgrade to install the final one.

My graphics are running off of what's soldered on the motherboard.  Unfortunately, to run it, that's also using memory.  I don't have the money yet to get another expansion graphics processing unit, but I think I can tell what made the prior one that I had go bad.  These days, graphics cards come with their own down facing cooling fans.  Well there wasn't much space between it and the card below it, so it's airflow was being blocked.  When I was playing movies, it would crash The Robot.  My theory was that the card was overheating and had done that so much that it damaged the graphics processing unit (GPU).

Not all of the lower cards are the same size and shape.  So, I think that if I reorder the cards from top to bottom, with the thinest being at the top, I can create a space for better air flow should I insert another expansion graphics card into The Robot.

Doing these things might help to allocate more cache memory to Google Earth.  And this is essential to working with the North Country Trail Association's GIS Repository. Even when just working with Michigan's tracks as I've recently modified it to do.

Log 2016081702

The installation of the manufacturers driver for The Robot's on-boad video is still proceeding.  But I did a quick tally for what it's going to cost to upgrade it's hardware.  It still has a 32-bit system.  And the last time that I checked, Windows operating systems are cheap these days.  I could probably buy a 32-bit version for $95, but considering that The Robot has been through many static shocks years ago, I already know that the motherboard is having some problems and it's just a matter of time.

In order to get a system that will do the high amount of mapping that I need it to do, the cost to upgrade the motherboard, memory, power supply unit and get a fast hard drive controller card is coming in at $715.  I might be able to bring that down if my existing memory is comparable with the new motherboard.  That will give me half as much, but its what I'm operating on as it is.  The power supply unit is the most expensive.  I have 750 watts now and I want to go up to 1,000.  On an electric bill, a customer's rate is in kilowatt hours.  A kilowatt is 1,000 watts.

I'll be salvaging the following:

- Both optical drives (I rarely use these)
- expansion graphics processing unit (video card)
- expansion sound card
- data cables for the optical and hard disk drives
- the case, or chassis
- expansion USB 3.0 card
- expansion USB 2.0 card
- expansion Wi-Fi card

And maybe my card reader, but it's SD slot doesn't read the new extra capacity cards that I use in my smartphone, tablet, digital camera and handGPS.  The other slots and it's USB 1.1 port are obsolete.  When you upgrade a motherboard, you usually have to replace the CPU and memory. 

For most you out there... you don't need the kind of power that I do.  Your upgrade costs would probably only be half of what mine are.  But at that rate, you should just buy another computer.  I would do that, except that they come with a metal tampering sticker that voids a warranty if it's removed to access it's interior.

Log 2014092301

Judging by the looks of it, I'd say that the rear disposition on my 2008 Chevy HHR LS has improved by 1-1/4" while resting after I replaced and upgraded the rear shocks.

Another thing about where the car is sitting in this photo is that about 5 of my cars have been regularly parked there in the easement. As a result, it has depressed wheel slots towards the rear. But the front is on a slight high. In the past, the car use to look like it was in more disrepair than it actually was when it was parked there.

Log 2014060701

I repadded my cycling helmet today. And the SC Delco manual transaxle fluid for my car came in the mail today. Otherwise, I took my utility hauling trailer to my relatives house today and loaded up some yard waste, but with the license plate light still being out, it was too late to haul it to the recycler.

My automotive repair tasks have been prioritized. And I just started the list for the trailer rails upgrade. I found that the back door would have to be 48in tall to act as a ramp itself.  That is unacceptable because it would be taller than the car and act as a wall when the caravan is in motion.  I, instead, opted to build the rails to 3ft tall and install slots on the outsides so that they transport four ramps of 1" x 6" that are 6' long. They'll have slots on the back door and together, they should make a 6' ramp. The tool bay has wheels. And it's the heaviest thing that I transport. It's probably over 300lbs and is the hardest thing to load and unload.  Last year, I avoided doing it at all costs.

I wanted to get some front bars mounted like you would see on the front of a police interceptor.  If it's legal, I could mount a 5,000lb wench.  My Chevy HHR and trailer are about 4,600lbs together and if I ever got stuck, I could just get myself out. But finding this for a car, and not a truck is difficult. So, these items are not essential to me at the moment are a "would be nice" item.