A motley collection of ideas
In this section, you’ll find all kinds of articles. Some of them are machine translations of my older writings in Hungarian, which may contain grammatical errors or content that is no longer up to date. I apologize for these mistakes, and I would be very glad if you let me know when you come across any. Happy reading!
The DP–2 digital intercom indoor units are widely used. They are compatible with the Codefon intercom systems commonly found in Hungary, and their circuitry is completely identical to the Codefon EVK apartment handset. On some versions, an external doorbell button can also be connected, and there is an option for an external loudspeaker output, which … Read more
This device was sold in Hungary by ALDI and eMAG, among others, for €8–9, but I have also seen it in foreign online stores priced between €10 and €25. It is a Peltier-element dehumidifier, which in principle removes water from the air by cooling it so that the moisture condenses and drips into the tank. … Read more
Hunting meteorological radiosondes is one of the exciting pastimes of amateur radio enthusiasts.These small instruments—launched into the stratosphere by meteorologists using hydrogen balloons—must be tracked by receiving their signals and following their trajectory based on their GPS data until they land somewhere. And those who are skillful may even take the “prey” home and give … Read more
A lady with no technical background inherited a pile of assorted multimeters, and—rather unwisely—dared to ask in a Facebook group devoted to such things how much each might be worth. She did not receive many straight answers. Some people immediately latched onto one instrument or another and offered her a token amount; others promptly denounced … Read more
A new arrival — whether a kitten or a puppy — always brings joy, excitement, and plenty of questions to a household. “Is it growing well?” “Is it too slow?” or “Maybe it’s getting a bit chubby?” Slow growth can indicate developmental issues, improper nutrition, or even serious hidden illness. Too rapid growth isn’t good … Read more
As cats get older, their joints, muscles, and spine become less flexible, and movements that were once effortless can start to cause discomfort or even pain. One simple way to make mealtime easier is to raise their food bowl about 8 cm above the floor and tilt it roughly 15 degrees toward the cat. This … Read more
Different types of tea release their flavor compounds at different rates: delicate green teas reach their peak after about 3 minutes, while robust black teas often need closer to 5, and strong herbal infusions may benefit from the full 7. Steeping too briefly can leave the flavor underdeveloped, while leaving the leaves in too long … Read more
We found this instrument at a collectors’ fair with my partner. We simply couldn’t resist it, so we took it home for 12 euros. According to its technical logbook, it left the Gamma factory on August 13, 1983, and was last calibrated on July 25, 2000. After cleaning and restoring it, it became a very … Read more
Some time ago, if I remember correctly, I got this instrument for 1,000 forints, and more recently I parted with it due to lack of spac. The first impression, despite being a tube instrument, is that it is incredibly light. No doubt, it’s a rather large unit—and you could practically keep a guinea pig in … Read more
I came across this interesting device in a Facebook post. The person who shared it didn’t explain what it actually is, and the comments, as usual, were rather uninformative. So I looked it up in Russian sources to find out what it is. The Soviet space program used completely different controls and instruments from American … Read more