GearHack: Blog

Blog

Get messages in
What is RSS?

Hart 20V Power Tools Battery Interface
Sun, 14 Sep 2025 06:18:24 +0000

has anyone successfully cannibalized one hart battery to develop an adapter to use a different brand of battery on every hart 20v tool? a guide on how to do it would be helpful. i have everything to do it except a plan, a need, and a guide... ha.
i have over 10 hart tools i have picked up for next to nothing but still havent managed to -need- any of them yet to justify investing the time into making an adapter

Category: Home

Comments (16) | Related Links | TrackBack

UltraVNC Viewer "Server:port" Configuration
Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:01:12 +0000

Connecting to multiple servers using the UltraVNC Viewer, there are many times I fat-finger a server name. And UltraVNC Viewer would remember that in the history, never clearing it out. Worse, if I type in a password in there, it's on the record forever.
Luckily, I figured out where the server list is stored. And it's a text file that is easily editable. The list is stored in the "options.vnc" file that is located in the UltraVNC directory. The path is typically:
C:\Program Files\uvnc bvba\UltraVNC\options.vnc
Category: Computer: Windows

Comments | Related Links | TrackBack

Adding a Bluetooth Thermal Label Printer to Microsoft Windows 11
Mon, 08 Sep 2025 20:44:51 +0000

I am trying to find the EXE for the JK-402A printer. Can you help me and send it to my email above. I understand all of the other directions, but for the life of me I cannot find the .EXE to finish getting this printer set up.
Also, do you have directions on how to use from a phone to avoid even needing this?

Category: Computer: Windows

Comments (3) | Related Links | TrackBack

Farewell to an Old Friend: WordPad's End and How to Revive It on Windows 11
Wed, 20 Aug 2025 21:39:18 +0000

For decades, WordPad has been a quiet, reliable companion for Windows users. Nestled somewhere between the barebones simplicity of Notepad and the feature-rich complexity of Microsoft Word, it provided a perfect middle ground for a wide range of tasks. Whether you were drafting a quick letter, editing a rich text file, or just needed a place to jot down thoughts with basic formatting, WordPad was there. But with the release of Windows 11, version 24H2, Microsoft has officially put the beloved word processor out to pasture.
The removal of WordPad is part of a larger trend by Microsoft to streamline Windows and encourage users toward their more modern, and often paid, software solutions. The company now recommends Notepad for plain text documents and Microsoft Word for anything requiring rich formatting. While Notepad has received significant updates in recent years, including tabs and an improved interface, it still lacks the functionality of WordPad, particularly in handling different file types and basic formatting options like font styles and colors. The official recommendation to use Microsoft Word, a key component of the Microsoft 365 subscription, has drawn criticism from users who appreciate WordPad's free and simple nature.
This move leaves a void for many who depended on WordPad for its no-cost, easy-to-use interface. So, what can you do if you find yourself missing this classic application?
The good news is that while Microsoft has removed WordPad from new installations and updates, it's not entirely gone from the digital world. The most common and effective solution is to copy the necessary files from a computer that still has WordPad installed. This can be a Windows 10 machine or an earlier version of Windows 11. The core files–wordpad.exe, wordpadfilter.dll, and write.exe–are located in the C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\ directory. By copying these files and the associated language folders to the same location on your Windows 11 PC, you can often restore the application's functionality.
For those without access to an older machine, there are community-created installers and archived versions of the files available online. However, it's crucial to exercise caution and only download from trusted sources to avoid malware.
Alternatively, this may be a good time to explore free third-party word processors. Options like LibreOffice Writer or Google Docs offer robust, free alternatives that can easily handle the file types WordPad supported and provide a much wider array of features. While WordPad may be a relic of the past, its removal presents an opportunity to discover new tools that are equally, if not more, capable of meeting your needs.

Category: Computer: Windows

Comments | Related Links | TrackBack

Bauer 20V Power Tools Battery Interface
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:45:06 +0000

The TH terminal is an RTD-like connection with the charger for battery temp sensing was the answer I got. Makes sense. These are not old school batteries. Not even Ni-Cd. The headaches with ni CD batteries and their lazy ass voltage memory that seems to always become an emerging issue at the wrong time. Thank you for your attention, I expect this is as deep into battery hocus pocus helped with clarity.
Be well, good luck and opportunity watching your back.

Category: Home

Comments (3) | Related Links | TrackBack

Hyper Tough 20V MAX Power Tools Battery Interface
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:45:00 +0000

Confirmed that the 'T' terminal on the tool just expects a ~10K Ohm resistor to ground to enable one of the newer 20V Max tools (e.g. the 3" cutoff tool) to start. If the printed adapters don't include this and just connect the 18/20V power to the +/- pins, some tools won't work.
The low-end charger also just puts +21V to the charge pin and ground. No comms at all. The cheap charger just monitors current flow, and if there is more than a few mA, the LED changes to red to indicate charging. Charging/balancing is controlled in the battery.

Category: Home

Comments (1) | Related Links | TrackBack

Meshtastic Client Power Consumption
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:38:21 +0000

The 1200 mAh radio went into sleep mode, due to low battery. The last reading from another radio was around 8:52 PM with 20% battery power. So the 1200 mAh radio lasted just shy of 12 hours.
The 4000 mAh radio still has 80% power at 10:52 PM.

Category: Computer: Internet of Things

Comments (3) | Related Links | TrackBack

Light Up EDC Las Vegas 2025 on the MeshMap!
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:38:25 +0000

Oh, yah, don't forget to enable "Provide phone location to mesh" as shown in the screen shot below.

Category: Computer: Internet of Things

Comments (2) | Related Links | TrackBack

Rio Carbon UPGRADER problem
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:39:44 +0000

Thanks, Mischa. Just fixed my "upgrader" error following your advice :)

Category: Electronics

Comments (9) | Related Links | TrackBack

Disable Windows Lock Screen (Win+L)
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:33:08 +0000

Thank you! Really appreciate this hack!

Category: Computer: Windows

Comments (2) | Related Links | TrackBack

rsync with server on non-standard SSH port
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:38:03 +0000

Indeed,
I am writing this in January 2025. The proposed solution works - and it is still not in the rsync 3.1.3 -h.

Category: Computer: Linux

Comments (5) | Related Links (2) | TrackBack

Why Does My Android SmartPhone Vibrate Every Minute?
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:38:55 +0000

Thanks, Jake! I restarted the phone and the vibration stopped!

Category: Electronics: Phone

Comments (4) | Related Links | TrackBack

Duralast Gold vs. Duralast
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:42:19 +0000

From the specification above, I really don't seem much of a difference. The Duralast Gold is heavier. Seems like the major difference is the shim material. The Duralast is RSR, which stands for Rubber Steel Rubber. The Duralast Gold is "multi-layer". Isn't RSR also multi-layer? From the photos, the Duralast Gold shim looks metal. So I'm not sure how it is multi-layer.
Maybe I need to pick up both set to compare the difference physically.

Category: Automotive

Comments (6) | Related Links | TrackBack (1)

New Spanned Volume... The operation is not supported by the object
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:33:06 +0000

Ok. I read online that "Dynamic Disk" has been deprecated on Windows. Now, you have to use "Storage Spaces" in "Control Panel".
Microsoft could have put in that error message into "Disk Management". Jeez... I spent hours messing around in "Disk Management".

Category: Computer: Windows

Comments (1) | Related Links | TrackBack

Setting the Brink Timer Model 42-1014
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:39:40 +0000