Wednesday, November 17, 2010
N5553N Integrated Circuit?
Find it difficult to get data on this? Turn it through 180 degrees and then look up NE555N. The very blocky text used for the part number means it looks all too credible when viewed upside down!
Update - to clarify for "Gord The Rogue":
Just to be clear - there is no such component as an "N5553N" - what you have is an NE555N with the label printed in a "square" font and you are reading it from the wrong side. Turn it round so that it reads "NE555N" and then see the diagram at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_timer_IC
Update - to clarify for "Gord The Rogue":
Just to be clear - there is no such component as an "N5553N" - what you have is an NE555N with the label printed in a "square" font and you are reading it from the wrong side. Turn it round so that it reads "NE555N" and then see the diagram at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_timer_IC
One-stir Porridge
Here's my busy person's method for making porridge.
You will need:
Add liquid by weight (much quicker and simpler than by volume): FIVE times the weight of oats. Ratio of milk to water isn't crucial: I reckon that milk should be about 50-60%. If you're short of milk, you can use 100% water with a few tablespoons of dried milk powder.
Stick bowl in Microwave. If you have a Countdown/Hold function, you can set it up the moment you get up (I wouldn't recommend overnight because of the milk).
Set the porridge to cook 1 minute for every 100g of liquid that you added.
(So, as an example, for two medium-sized portions: 100g oats, 500g milk/water mix, 5 mins cooking)
This is based on an 850w microwave oven with turntable - you may need to adjust for your particular oven.
As soon as the cooking is finished, stir thoroughly (10 secs should be plenty). This step is important - you can get away without any stirring during cooking as long as you do it immediately it comes out of the microwave. Don't worry that it looks a bit thin at this stage - it will thicken up as it cools down.
Dish up immediately into individual bowls. Use a spatula to remove as much porridge as possible from the bowl (less waste and easier washing up). Soak the cooking bowl (and, later, the individual bowls) to make washing up easier.
Leave the porridge untouched for at least five minutes to thicken (and to cool down to a palatable temperature).
You will need:
- Microwave Oven
- Digital Scales - set for metric weighing.
- Ordinary Porridge Oats (not Jumbo, nor instant)
- Milk (or dried milk powder)
- Water
Add liquid by weight (much quicker and simpler than by volume): FIVE times the weight of oats. Ratio of milk to water isn't crucial: I reckon that milk should be about 50-60%. If you're short of milk, you can use 100% water with a few tablespoons of dried milk powder.
Stick bowl in Microwave. If you have a Countdown/Hold function, you can set it up the moment you get up (I wouldn't recommend overnight because of the milk).
Set the porridge to cook 1 minute for every 100g of liquid that you added.
(So, as an example, for two medium-sized portions: 100g oats, 500g milk/water mix, 5 mins cooking)
This is based on an 850w microwave oven with turntable - you may need to adjust for your particular oven.
As soon as the cooking is finished, stir thoroughly (10 secs should be plenty). This step is important - you can get away without any stirring during cooking as long as you do it immediately it comes out of the microwave. Don't worry that it looks a bit thin at this stage - it will thicken up as it cools down.
Dish up immediately into individual bowls. Use a spatula to remove as much porridge as possible from the bowl (less waste and easier washing up). Soak the cooking bowl (and, later, the individual bowls) to make washing up easier.
Leave the porridge untouched for at least five minutes to thicken (and to cool down to a palatable temperature).
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Not very impressed by Haynes Workshop Manual
Have they started cutting corners?
Replacing the washer fluid pump on my Astra, I found the instructions lazy - telling you to "release" the radiator grille without telling you how to do it. The pictures are often unhelpful - no context to show where on the car you ought to be looking for the odd-shaped bit that the photo shows so clearly. And to cap it all today - a component that simply isn't mentioned. Taking off the bumper, I found a cable dangling from the front of the car by a couple of blue wires, with a moulded component on the end. Where did it come from? I guessed (correctly) that it was the Air Temperature Sensor - so off to the Haynes Manual - to find that they made no mention of an Air Temperature Sensor at all. Eventually worked out for myself that it clipped into a circular moulding near the centre of the bumper. But not at all impressed by Haynes.
