We have sure been enjoying this period of smooth sailing here at Radio HRGS. It’s been several weeks since I got everything patched up from all the lightning damage. Well, almost everything. The AM computer is still up at the transmitter site. That’s because we don’t yet have the $2,000 plus we’d need to replace the necessary equipment and get the computer back where it belongs. It forces some minor work-arounds, but we are managing.
I’ve been using the extra time to do lots of cleaning up and working on small projects that have been waiting for times like this. For example, we had four network cables that needed repair. One was in use, but only worked as long as you didn’t bump it. The others were all spares. They are all fixed now. I’ve done some work on having a stronger and more convenient wi-fi signal in the studios and office for when people come here from the home office with their laptops.
In my wandering and cleaning expeditions, I found that we again had termites in the shop. So I called in the exterminator. He spotted a huge nest on the other side of the fence behind the shop. I shot a little video when I wasn’t helping.
And I finished a secret project. It’s something that we will activate the first week of February. Peter and I talked a little about it when we recorded the HRGS Update yesterday. You can listen to that by clicking the player at the bottom of this post.
So, part of the reason I’ve gone so long without writing anything is that there wasn’t all that much to say. The other is that the hard drive on my computer was going bad and it took me a while to get things together to replace it. It turns out that replacing an iMac hard drive isn’t as hard as the web sites make it sound, as long as you follow the directions. But getting the fans under control with the new hard drive is another matter. I’ve learned that, in order to know the exact temperature of the hard drive, rather than ask the drive its temperature through the data cable, Apple installs special firmware in the drive at the factory so the system can ask the drive its temperature via an additional cable without interrupting the flow of data. I’ve been reading the biography of Steve Jobs and I guess this is part of his obsession with perfection no matter the cost. Without that firmware in the new drive, the fan runs wild. I finally found a software solution so I don’t have to buy a super expensive hard drive from Apple. The payoff is a computer that looks like it should last forever, as long as you can keep the non-Apple made parts running. By the way, ever seen the guts of an iMac? Here you go. 
27' iMac innards
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:08 — 7.6MB)
Don’t want to claim too much credit, but the boys have been praying every Monday night (Monday is Missionary night) that you guys would not be having any more problems with the radio station and that things would be working smoothly for you. I’ll let them know their prayers seem to be helping.
And just for a bit of a chuckle, Tuesday night is Taxes to pray for (and Wednesday is witnessing-get it). Anyways one Tuesday when we were first beginning this, Kevin reminded everyone, “It’s Tuesday night, taxes night,” and when it came to be Luke’s turn he very seriously prayed for the “taxis” and that their cars will run well.
Wow! Thanks, Christine. It sure is an encouragement when people tell us specifically how they pray for God’s work here. Say hi to those wonderful boys of yours. You & Kevin seem to be doing an outstanding job with them. We sure are blessed to have friends like you guys.
And on the chuckle side of things, they could pray for the taxis that they stay on their own side of the road for a change, especially on the blind curves.