I don't remember why I even bothered but I called Panasonic about failing batteries in a Panasonic phone. The rep said it was my fault for leaving the handset in the cradle and "explained" memory effect. This was a few years back but not far back enough that memory effect should have been a problem.
So today I went down to the basement where that old phone lives today and opened the battery compartment. It looks like I bought a similar (Sanyo) (3x)battery, probably NiMh and spliced it to the Panasonic connector. The phone has now been sitting in the cradle for a few years mostly unused and it works just fine.
When the batteries in our AT&T phones started to die, I just bought drop-in replacements, no more problems. Likewise, my old Makita drill, just buy NiMh drop-in replacements from Amazon etc.
I wish I could say that buying a brand name avoids these problems but a Sony DVD player died young and others. If something fails, just avoid that brand unless it is so new that you can return it. No amount of warranty helps.
So today I went down to the basement where that old phone lives today and opened the battery compartment. It looks like I bought a similar (Sanyo) (3x)battery, probably NiMh and spliced it to the Panasonic connector. The phone has now been sitting in the cradle for a few years mostly unused and it works just fine.
When the batteries in our AT&T phones started to die, I just bought drop-in replacements, no more problems. Likewise, my old Makita drill, just buy NiMh drop-in replacements from Amazon etc.
I wish I could say that buying a brand name avoids these problems but a Sony DVD player died young and others. If something fails, just avoid that brand unless it is so new that you can return it. No amount of warranty helps.
Last edited:
I have a pavoni expresso manual coffee maker, from 1917… was given to me by a friend. I had only to replace the rubber o-ring kit. Will probably last an other 100 years.
Greatest coffee ever, using a good italian coffee grinder. These automatic machines are a waste, all fragile plastic, jam all the time, you spend more time cleaning, water efilling, etc than anything else. The Pavoni needs almost no cleaning and my old model can make 16 expresso with just one water refill.
All the small cup machines I tried are not that good, like diluted coffee, not really hot either, what a waste… i prefer a breakfast tea to any of these small machines, or a glass of orange juice…
Greatest coffee ever, using a good italian coffee grinder. These automatic machines are a waste, all fragile plastic, jam all the time, you spend more time cleaning, water efilling, etc than anything else. The Pavoni needs almost no cleaning and my old model can make 16 expresso with just one water refill.
All the small cup machines I tried are not that good, like diluted coffee, not really hot either, what a waste… i prefer a breakfast tea to any of these small machines, or a glass of orange juice…
Last edited:
My fairly recent (10 yrs) Panasonic cordless phones all use a pair of "AAA" NiMh cells.
Depending on the brand I buy, I get about 5 years out of them.
Otherwise, no problems with the phones.
The last time I had a Panasonic phone, it was 49 MHz and analog with an extendable antenna. It used a 3 x 1/2 AA NiCad pack and the range was garbage. KXT 4300 I think.
Last edited:
You’re never going to beat the reliability of a ‘pot’.
But I agree many automatic coffee makers are a let down. However my DeLonghi is very well made - you need to spend a bit to get a decent machine. You can buy drip coffee machines here for 20 bucks that won’t last more than a few months.
Attachments
Last edited:
It's also worth noting that I've fixed several devices simply by unplugging it for like two weeks.
If it has capacitors and a microcontroller, sometimes a cap will hold a charge long after it's off preventing a true reset.
If it has capacitors and a microcontroller, sometimes a cap will hold a charge long after it's off preventing a true reset.
They've came a long way since then.
Mine are the KX-TGA641 model.
I can walk halfway down the block and still use the phone while I'm visiting a neighbor.
Digital voice enhancement, extended range and battery life, loads of handy features.
If you do some digging, the Panasonic cordless phones are the most popular, most purchased ones these days.
Last edited:
I can ride the elevator from 24th to sub basement to the car and drive away from here and still use the phone 🙂 Isn't LTE/5G great? 😛
I haven't actively used a PSTN in almost 20 years although I still have one (as a part of a bundle). I haven't plugged a phone into it in 2 years though.
I still have a phone though. 😀 And no, that's not my number, but it's the most realiable phone I've ever seen. You can abuse it and it just works. In fact, it works BETTER because of the carbon microphone being "adjusted" from the slam. And the sound of the bells when you slam down the phone is satisfying.
It's quite hard to use a modern IVR with rotary. For Service in english, press one. How? I once started dialing in pulse and they system sent me to a human 🙂
I haven't actively used a PSTN in almost 20 years although I still have one (as a part of a bundle). I haven't plugged a phone into it in 2 years though.
I still have a phone though. 😀 And no, that's not my number, but it's the most realiable phone I've ever seen. You can abuse it and it just works. In fact, it works BETTER because of the carbon microphone being "adjusted" from the slam. And the sound of the bells when you slam down the phone is satisfying.
It's quite hard to use a modern IVR with rotary. For Service in english, press one. How? I once started dialing in pulse and they system sent me to a human 🙂
Attachments
Last edited:
Just saw today that GE is splitting up to 3 companies with focus on engines, healthcare and one other business.
They spun off the lighting business to a new entity called Current.
Philips also started a new entity called Signify for their lighting business.
I am writing this on a Philips 107E6 monitor made in China, with a LG (Philips licensed) CRT, and with a few Philips bits, made by the supplier who later took over their TV business years ago.
No issues since 2005, except for a new VGA plug, which I replaced myself...
They spun off the lighting business to a new entity called Current.
Philips also started a new entity called Signify for their lighting business.
I am writing this on a Philips 107E6 monitor made in China, with a LG (Philips licensed) CRT, and with a few Philips bits, made by the supplier who later took over their TV business years ago.
No issues since 2005, except for a new VGA plug, which I replaced myself...
Some companies are finding they are not nimble enough to compete under one hat, so are splitting up. Sometimes selling off, ( big dividends to share holders) sometimes just to be more flexible. Companies like our own N.C company Cree have really hit GE and Phillips.
FOrd may have been tight in owing the entire thread, but even their spreading out into tractors and computers did not go well. better to do what you know so you can do it better than the competition.
The current COVID and logistics issues are highlighting the risks of sole source parts. Add in international political instability and what a mess. Remember the earthquake in Kobe. Took out the ONLY adhesive plant used to make mag tape and glue chips onto substrates. Even Bondo fillers had to be re-formulated.
FOrd may have been tight in owing the entire thread, but even their spreading out into tractors and computers did not go well. better to do what you know so you can do it better than the competition.
The current COVID and logistics issues are highlighting the risks of sole source parts. Add in international political instability and what a mess. Remember the earthquake in Kobe. Took out the ONLY adhesive plant used to make mag tape and glue chips onto substrates. Even Bondo fillers had to be re-formulated.
I read in John Z.DeLorean's autobiography that Detroit used to sell cars for $3500, which cost them $2000 to make.
That is the reason companies are getting out of some businesses, as the competition will not allow huge profit margins.
See what happened in lights due to LEDs, totally unknown companies now sell lots of lights, some innovative products have also come.
The same thing will happen in cars, we have a lot of new electric bike makers who have no relation to any engine powered bike maker.
That is the reason companies are getting out of some businesses, as the competition will not allow huge profit margins.
See what happened in lights due to LEDs, totally unknown companies now sell lots of lights, some innovative products have also come.
The same thing will happen in cars, we have a lot of new electric bike makers who have no relation to any engine powered bike maker.
Not really true if you look behind the curtain. Toyota, Ford, GM, VW putting up the money. As Musk found out, there is a lot more to building a car than the power. The unibody for his Model 3 is horribly expensive to build. Too many parts.
On lights, yea the Chinese are stealing all the development and starting to flood the market with technology paid for by some one else. Nothing new there.
A $2000 car for $3500 is not a bad deal. GM lost $200 on every Chevet it made. Rework costs killed them, yet Isuzu made money on every iMark ( same car) it sold.
On lights, yea the Chinese are stealing all the development and starting to flood the market with technology paid for by some one else. Nothing new there.
A $2000 car for $3500 is not a bad deal. GM lost $200 on every Chevet it made. Rework costs killed them, yet Isuzu made money on every iMark ( same car) it sold.
My point was that some companies prefer to quit a line of business which they do not find profitable enough.
Or too dynamic, with frequent model and specification changes.
Like Panasonic quitting TV.
And competition can come from totally unknown directions.
The electric car is not new.
Tesla turned the idea upside down by using different batteries and servo motors to get the gasoline car performance.
Milk vans and fork lifts are decades old electric vehicles.
Wait for fuel cells using natural gas and hydrogen to power electric cars...that will make batteries superfluous.
No charging hassles, just fill the tank with gas.
Another fixed concept gone.
The Chinese vehicle makers are selling electric cars here which you can charge from a 15 amp wall point, no need to go to a charging station.
Convenient.
Or too dynamic, with frequent model and specification changes.
Like Panasonic quitting TV.
And competition can come from totally unknown directions.
The electric car is not new.
Tesla turned the idea upside down by using different batteries and servo motors to get the gasoline car performance.
Milk vans and fork lifts are decades old electric vehicles.
Wait for fuel cells using natural gas and hydrogen to power electric cars...that will make batteries superfluous.
No charging hassles, just fill the tank with gas.
Another fixed concept gone.
The Chinese vehicle makers are selling electric cars here which you can charge from a 15 amp wall point, no need to go to a charging station.
Convenient.
Last edited:
You won't see Hydrogen as a fuel. Too hard to keep in a tank as it will pass right through a stainless pipe. Know where we get Hydrogen from now? BURNING COAL.
There are several new battery chemistries that work in the lab. Some can charge in minutes. Manufacturing and durability are the issues being worked out. There is chemistry for a non-rechargeable battery that will propel a sedan 100,000 miles. There is the reflow battery where you can pump electrolyte in and out just like filling up. Right now, only used for large scale, but they are working on it. The reflow battery has great potential for a distributed power grid with localized generation. Something India and all of Africa should be looking very hard at.
A basic problem with electric cars is no infrastructure to support them. I don't have a large enough service at my house. Yes, you can even charge a Tesla n a 115 outlet, if you have two days! Imagine what an apartment building would need. Then there is the problem of generating electricity. Right now, most still comes from hydrocarbons. So it is a net environmental loss.
I would not mind an electric car. Quieter, more torque, no stinky garage, likelihood for lower maintenance. But they are not ready for global prime time yet. This is a complex subject, so please read the details before you get your hopes up. It will come, but not sure in my life.
There are several new battery chemistries that work in the lab. Some can charge in minutes. Manufacturing and durability are the issues being worked out. There is chemistry for a non-rechargeable battery that will propel a sedan 100,000 miles. There is the reflow battery where you can pump electrolyte in and out just like filling up. Right now, only used for large scale, but they are working on it. The reflow battery has great potential for a distributed power grid with localized generation. Something India and all of Africa should be looking very hard at.
A basic problem with electric cars is no infrastructure to support them. I don't have a large enough service at my house. Yes, you can even charge a Tesla n a 115 outlet, if you have two days! Imagine what an apartment building would need. Then there is the problem of generating electricity. Right now, most still comes from hydrocarbons. So it is a net environmental loss.
I would not mind an electric car. Quieter, more torque, no stinky garage, likelihood for lower maintenance. But they are not ready for global prime time yet. This is a complex subject, so please read the details before you get your hopes up. It will come, but not sure in my life.
Someone did say that in the end, electric cars are coal powered cars....
The point of this thread was that Panasonic has gone out of the TV business.
Green Hydrogen is seeing lots of investment here, the gas will be electrically separated from water using solar power.
So some hope away from hydrocarbons there.
But there were coal powered cars in Europe after WW1, and South Africa made petrol from coal.
Sometimes necessity is also an issue.
There was an article many years back in a plastics industry magazine about using composite cylinders with stuffing inside to store natural gas or hydrogen at 500 psi, rather than the regular steel cylinders and 2000 psi pressure.
Operating principle like a dissolved acetylene cylinder, the stuffing would hold the gas in its gaps. Big cost and weight saving.
Not seen those yet in the field.
The point of this thread was that Panasonic has gone out of the TV business.
Green Hydrogen is seeing lots of investment here, the gas will be electrically separated from water using solar power.
So some hope away from hydrocarbons there.
But there were coal powered cars in Europe after WW1, and South Africa made petrol from coal.
Sometimes necessity is also an issue.
There was an article many years back in a plastics industry magazine about using composite cylinders with stuffing inside to store natural gas or hydrogen at 500 psi, rather than the regular steel cylinders and 2000 psi pressure.
Operating principle like a dissolved acetylene cylinder, the stuffing would hold the gas in its gaps. Big cost and weight saving.
Not seen those yet in the field.
Last edited:
At least I got my Panasonic 4K player as the Sony players have a thermal management problem where they hang up. The yellow store clerk was not surprised when I took my Sony back after a week. The had a pile of them. LG makes one too, but I could not find any history on it. I see Panasonic has re-introduced the Technics line back into upper mid-fi.
I agree that necessity is the driving force. Hard to compete with the energy density of having your Hydrogen ( what we actually burn mostly) attached to carbons.
The biggest problem with Hydrogen is it is so small, you can't keep it in a tank or pipe. Goes right through the walls. Leaks out valves and fittings. You can dissolve it into a metal hydride matrix, but that makes it bigger, heavier and more expensive. It does not solve the distribution problem of it leaking out of the pipes. It was a few years back, that the estimate was over 70% loss. Heck, we can't even maintain our natural gas pipes!
With today's technology, using solar energy to split water would take plants the size of India. The other difficult engineering problem is fuel cells are so easy to contaminate. Expensive, very hot, very fragile. Engineering problems, not physics so I agree, there is some hope on the horizon, but I would not be betting on it. Lithium/Iron, Sulphur/Air and several other battery technologies will be workable first.
I agree that necessity is the driving force. Hard to compete with the energy density of having your Hydrogen ( what we actually burn mostly) attached to carbons.
The biggest problem with Hydrogen is it is so small, you can't keep it in a tank or pipe. Goes right through the walls. Leaks out valves and fittings. You can dissolve it into a metal hydride matrix, but that makes it bigger, heavier and more expensive. It does not solve the distribution problem of it leaking out of the pipes. It was a few years back, that the estimate was over 70% loss. Heck, we can't even maintain our natural gas pipes!
With today's technology, using solar energy to split water would take plants the size of India. The other difficult engineering problem is fuel cells are so easy to contaminate. Expensive, very hot, very fragile. Engineering problems, not physics so I agree, there is some hope on the horizon, but I would not be betting on it. Lithium/Iron, Sulphur/Air and several other battery technologies will be workable first.
Rubbish...
Hydrogen tank - Wikipedia
List of photovoltaic power stations - Wikipedia
And as the tech gets better, so does the output.
At Earth’s average distance from the Sun (about 150 million kilometers), the average intensity of solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere directly facing the Sun is about 1,360 watts per square meter, according to measurements made by the most recent NASA satellite missions. Climate and Earth’s Energy Budget.
Hydrogen tank - Wikipedia
List of photovoltaic power stations - Wikipedia
And as the tech gets better, so does the output.
At Earth’s average distance from the Sun (about 150 million kilometers), the average intensity of solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere directly facing the Sun is about 1,360 watts per square meter, according to measurements made by the most recent NASA satellite missions. Climate and Earth’s Energy Budget.
Last edited:
Where’s my dilithium crystal antimatter warp capable car engine.. 😉 Once we have levitating cars, tyres and road will no longer be needed.
Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
I like Panasonic stuff, my house phones were great for years and my HT projector has lasted years and years too. I like Japanese made stuff in general, they still seem to be the only country that cares about quality.