OK; I fell heir to a Belkin print server a while ago, and already had a HP PSC 1205 which I wanted to connect to it.  I’d also upgraded my PC from XP to windows 7.

Problem: Belkin don’t support their print server (model number F1UP0301) on Windows 7 – the software won’t install the port properly on the PC, so it appeared that it wouldn’t work properly.  However… on reading a most excellent post on a forum which pointed me to: http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/47/kw/printer/r_id/100109 it looked like it *might* be possible.  I followed those steps and, after a bit of dicking around with settings and spending time at the Microsoft site, arrived at the following setup – which works :D

• Port set to your IP address for the print server
• Set Protocol to LPR
• Queue name is lp1 for port 1 and lp2 for port 2 (the USB ports on the server)
• Check the box for LPR Byte Counting Enabled
• Uncheck the box for bidirectional support

Some wierd symptoms you might see when trying to get this to work are:

1. Printer prints most of the page then stops and parks the print head
2. Printer keeps printing multiple copies of the page until you kill the spooler

These were sorted by selecting the correct protocol and checkboxes.

Handy to know

To kill the print spool, clear it out, and re-start it:

1. Click Start.
2. Type Command.
3. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
4. Type net stop spooler then press Enter.
5. Type del %systemroot%\System32\spool\printers\* /Q then press Enter (this just deletes all files in that folder, in case you’re leery around command line actions you don’t understand).
6. Type net start spooler then press Enter.

Your printer will now be free of hung print jobs.

Installing the printer

Forget the CD that came with the printer, Windows 7 will install a driver for you.  Just plug the printer into a USB port first and let the OS take care of the rest.  Once the printer is installed, unplug from the USB port on the PC and plug it into the USB port on the print server before continuing.

Next task will be to wire up the collective switches and pot and test, then build and assemble the collective housing.  I might change the pot for a steel shaft (the one I have is nylon, and it actually bends a bit under pressure from the grub screw, but not much – we’ll see…)

I need a plan.  I’m a plan sort of chap.  Here’s my plan:

Good ole’ sketchup.  The original joystick handle will be recycled onto a rod, using the thumb buttons and triggers for engine start, governor, landing light assignments etc.  Whatever makes the most sense.  The handle spindle diameter was 14mm and, as luck would have it, I had an old tent pole (old as in 12 months – lightweight steel alloy) with a 14mm inside diameter.  It neatly also has double wall thickness just where I want to drill and mount it.  Here’s how they went together:

(excuse the crappy quality on the last one – this was taken on my crappy iPhone)

Next: need to trim the plastic around the base of the handle and wire it up.  I have on order two potentiometers – one linear and one rotational 100k (linear) each, to see how best I’m going to mount the lever; at present there are two options: mount the lever using a plain axle mounted into skateboard bearings, linked to a linear potentiometer, or use the rotational pot as the axle, but with possible problems of how to securely mount it to the lever so that it actually rotates.

I’m also investigating damping options, and will post once I know what I’m going to do there, damping may end up being an old bicycle pump choked off to give some air resistance…

The collective housing is likely to be leftovers of MDF of 22mm ply that I have in the shed, just whatever comes to hand :)

My biggest grips is that I love to fly helicopters.  Given a few £10,000, I’d take lessons and do it for real.  I’d love someone to pay it for me, and I can career shift.  However, in the real world I’m stuck in FS, and the availability of off-the-shelf controls is woeful, and bloody expensive.  My problem is that, whilst my joystick is fine for messing around (Logitech extreme 3D pro), all the controls are bunched together right in front of you.  Half the battle with learning to fly irl, apparently, is learning how to co-ordinate all controls at once, when they’re spread around you.  So my aim is to explode one joystick out to have separate collective, cyclic, and anti-torque.

PCL-JS200

Still with me?  Right; I chatted about this at work for a bit, and one suggestion was: “buy a cheapo joystick on fleabay and cannibalise it”.  *lightbulb* moment (and a genius idea to boot – thanks Ian).  A quick scan of eBay shows a bunch of joysticks on the go, and one looked to suit my purposes precisely: a cheap, non branded, USB plug’n'play joystick. Perfect.  £0.99 of happy bidding, plus £6P&P and it was mine:

My intention with this is to keep my Logitech as my cyclic (for now) and use this for collective and anti-torque.  I’ll work on throttle another time.  On receipt I plugged in and tested, and Windows 7 found it just dandy and I was able to calibrate it and demonstrate that it works just fine.  I also tested it in FSX, assigning the collective to its y-axis only, and that also worked just fine. So then the fun begins.  The order of events to date has been:

Remove base

Left side is the back of the joystick. Just remove every screw you can see. Next:

Remove handle assembly

4 off screws hold the handle to the handle spindle, which mounts on the two bosses at the centre of the handle.  At this point the wiring loom for the handle switches had to be cut so that it can be removed completely.  Close-up of switches:

Next step:

Remove throttle axle

This is dampened by some seriously sticky grease-like substance underneath the axle saddles.  Remove the screws and the axle not attached to the potentiometer.  To remove the other side you have to loosen the nut around the pot’s neck and lift it out, then the pot and axle separate nicely.

Disassemble handle base

Remove the 4 screws holding the base plate on, then the sliders which control the x and y axes.  The handle spindle can then be withdrawn, and the axes exposed.

Remove x and y axes

The linear potentiometers are held into place by two small screws; remove these and gently lift the pots out.  Note that the wiring loom will be held into place by a mixture of glue-gun blobs and plastic soldered pins.  Just gently break these open and the wires will be freed up.  What you end up with is:

Close up of controller:

The controller.

Note that the wiring loom connects to the controller via a 14 pin micro connector block.  The wiring assignments for these are:

In the next installment I’ll look at how I’m going to build-up the collective control.

Dear Candidates

It’s that time of the political cycle again, and the dreadful charade of a General Election is upon us. We’re one week into the campaign and already I’ve had enough of listening to an endless stream of soothing platitudes from potential MPs, eager to recite the party manifesto.

I’ve come across this, most excellent, service that allows me to email you all with a couple of questions. Miles: we’ve met before on the street, Menzies: we’ve also met, though in the quad at St Andrews – you’ve also received letters and emails from me, though your office failed to return a telephone call on the issue of the DE Bill (which I note you failed to vote on). Mike: we’ve never had the pleasure.

Allow me to state from the off that I am a card carrying member of the Libertarian Party. I come from a position of libertarian ideals and, were LPUK big enough at this time, I’d be voting for them. However, in this un-ideal world, I have you, my local hopefuls, to vote for, and my vote is up-for-grabs.

There are a couple of issues I would like answers to. I trust that you can find the time to answer them, rather than an office member. I’m not voting for them. These are simple questions, and I’d appreciate an honest response. Remember why you entered politics in the first place. Tell me what you believe in. Show me some passion for your constituency and your country.

1) Where do you stand on the issue of shrinking the state. At present, and under Labour, the state has grown and grown. The legislature has swollen 50% faster than under Thatcher, and many of these acts form an extreme erosion of our civil liberties. Do you agree that government should be shrunk in size, unneccessary laws repealed, and laws infringing on civil liberties repealed?

2) Economy and the EU. It’s a biggie. As things currently stand, our deficit is racking up at £5,000 per second. Our membership of the EU costs us £55bn per year. It’s a pretty simple looking calculation to me, though I’m not an economist, but why are we in the EU? I’ve failed to have a good, sound, solid argument put to me by anyone as to why we should remain in the EU. What are your views on membership of the EU?

3) Local government. As per point (1), I’d welcome a shrinking of central government; actually, let’s get central government as small as it possibly can be, and move budgets and decision making to local authorities. The tory party have made overtones towards this, but in a very paternalistic ‘the state still needs to look after you all’ way. Let Fife fix its problems, the problems it needs to fix (flooding anyone?) rather than arbitrarily set government targets/plans. What are your views on localisation?

4) Welfare reform. Living in Cupar, I am acutely aware, and welcome, the EU immigrants who work in the surrounding area. I am fed up hearing the argument that they are ‘taking british jobs’, since british workers now seem to be afraid of hard work and wouldn’t take these jobs, in fact didn’t take these jobs, when offered. I argue that this is because the welfare state has made it far too easy for those unemployed to enjoy a good standard of living without having to go out and actually do hard work. Welfare should be a safety net for the most needy, not a lifestyle choice. The labour model of making things ‘fair for everyone’ actually is deeply unfair to everyone, and removes the motivation for hard work by everyone. Where do you stand on welfare reform?

I could go on, but to be honest I’m dubious that I’m going to get a reply from anyone, and I’ve not even started on healthcare or education. However, should you feel up to responding and having a chat about these and other issue, please do. If you’d like to pop in for a chat and a cup of tea, you’ll find me at home most evenings from 5.30pm at <my address>. I look forward to speaking with you in the coming weeks.

Yours sincerely
Gary Thompson

<address block>

This works for everything except radio buttons or SELECT statements passed as an array, which would need some extra processing.

Hope this helps someone else.

Originally posted at Experts Exchange

Huzzah, huzzah, huzzah.

We put them into power, we can just as easily remove them again; if only the majority of the public would wake up and realise that they are being herded like sheep by their government (and I lump Tories, Labour and LibDem together for this) to do what they want, and not what we want.

Example: I recently wrote to my MP (Menzies Campbell) to ask that he not support the digital economy bill as it stands, for the gross violations of individual liberty that it represents: I’m talking here more about the loss of automatic copyright of photographs, though the bill (dreamt up by the Dark Lord Mandelson during one of his wet dreams) also poses draconian measures on households with shared broadband, unless you all behave like nice little Hitler Youth and report your kids for filesharing.  Did he answer?  Did he f*ck. Yes he did, but the reply was “lost in the post”.  Well, that’s [still] a potential voter gone.  Next step is for me to pop round to his surgery, and have it out there. My principal question will be: Why did he not answer my letter? Followed by the continued request that he block this bill until it has been considered with due care, and suitable amendments added/scrap the bill in its entirety*. [EDIT: Turns out that due to the imminent general election (not yet called), Ming won't be holding any more surgeries.  Seems an odd position to adopt when the GE could yet be up to two months away.]

Probably best not to say much more about the money grabbing shits as exposed by Dispatches the other night. Other than to say, I hope as well as their suspension from the party, they are kicked out of the party and lose all party support for the up-coming election.  Let’s see how they fare as independents, answerable to their constituents.I see that Old Holborn is standing in the up-coming general election as an independent candidate.  Good luck to him.  I hope that he generates enough support to embarrass the main parties, and to show them that we need change.  With any luck, he’ll win his seat, though with too many of the population voting on partisan lines, rather than with their heads, I can’t see wins anywhere for candidates who stand for truth, justice, and individual liberty.

*that’s another argument altogether.

[update] THIS IS WHAT I MEAN! http://www.theonion.com/content/video/breaking_news_some_bullshit?utm_source=onion_rss_daily

The BBC’s strategic principles

Do you think these are the right principles?

Yes.

Should the BBC have any other strategic principles?

To work to regain public confidence, to state that the BBC should act as a global centre of excellence.

Proposed principle: Putting Quality First

Which BBC output do you think could be higher quality?

News. Currently I am continually dismayed by the quality of news programming. Listening to reports it is clear that the BBC now feels that it is speaking to a nation of idiots who will not understand a word being said to them, unless it is accompanied by a large flash graphic which the presenter walks through, and overly-simplistic analogies. I also dismay at the lack of transparency over facts and figures which only leads me to believe that the BBC now seek to mislead the public, and to use editorial ‘slant’ to drive public opinion.

To be told that eating x leads to a y% increase in heart attack is, frankly, misleading and alarmist, and these tactics are used in almost every news story. Give base figures. Tell viewers instead what the y% increase takes you from and to. Assume that most users are intelligent enough to understand proportionality. Balance the output so that all sides of an argument can be heard. The television reporting (bar a few isolated examples) is far and away the worse, but radio 4 output is also now going in this direction.

Offering you something special

Which areas should the BBC make more distinctive from other broadcasters and media?

The BBC should not try to ‘compete’ for my viewing in this way. It is this mistaken assumption that has led to a deterioration in standards – especially in the news. The need to get ‘in on the act’, to jump into the feeding frenzy of the 24 hour news cycle has let to a serious deterioration in quality. What would make the BBC more distinctive would be to walk away from the meaningless drivel of 24 hour news-that-isn’t-really-news and concentrate on hourly or bi-hourly bulletins of good value.

The Five Editorial Priorities

Do these priorities fit with your expectations of BBC TV, radio and online services?

Number 5 is unattainable. How would you even go about ‘measuring’ (though the act itself is so nu-Labour that it is offensive). How can the BBC run an event that ‘brings the nation together’. Should the BBC sponsor a war? After all, there’s nothing like a good war to’bring the nation together’. This is a preposterous statement made from a politician, to suit the ears of politicians, and means nothing to the average user.

Proposed principle: Doing fewer things and doing them better

We welcome your views on these areas.

Go ahead and cut it to the bone. I don’t want my fee to be used to pay for services for a diminishing minority. The BBC simply cannot, and should not try to be, all things to all people.

Proposed principle: Guaranteeing access to BBC services

If you have particular views on how you expect BBC services to be available to you, please letus know.

The current formats are fine, and I probably pick up as much content through the iPlayer as I do through live television.

The BBC archive

Please tell us if you have views on this area.

If archived programming is already available in a format that can be delivered online then it should be made available as a public archive, for access on demand.

Proposed principle: Making the licence fee work harder

If you are concerned about the BBC’s value for money, please tell us why.

If the BBC wanted to ensure value for money, then it should move out of central London. Why should such a large proportion of the income the BBC receives be spend on locations that cost so much, when alternative accommodation is available elsewhere in the country for less. It is, after all, the BBC, not the LBC, and the country is not London-centric.

Proposed principle: Setting new boundaries for the BBC

Do you think that the BBC should limit its activities in these areas?

Yes – for reasons already outlined.

Should any other areas be on this list?

News 24 should be removed in favour of periodic quality bulletins. Should ‘breaking’ news occur I can catch the initial headlines wherever, but would switch on to the BBC to receive proper ‘news’. It is lamentable, how 24 hour news stations attempt to cope with ‘breaking’ news: trying to make a story up that doesn’t yet exist; running to be first on the scene to show us images from 10 miles away and tell us what the reporters don’t know. All it shows is soulless news reporting for its own sake – and it costs money.