The biggest attraction of a 35mm single lens reflex camera is its versatility. Not only is it a useful piece of equipment in its own right, but it can be the ‘heart’ of a complete camera outfit. You can add things like extra lenses, filters, a flashgun, a tripod, as and when you feel you need them, to help you get the results you want.
Smaller items—a blower brush for cleaning lenses, or a cable release, for example—also form part of the serious photographer’s equipment as the collection builds up. And, of course, you will need a gadget bag, or a carrying case to keep everything in. Read the rest of this entry »
When taking black and white infra-red photographs special focusing adjustments must be made because infra-red rays do not behave in the same way as visible light. The point of focus for infra-red radiations is further from the back of the lens than it is for white light, and a small degree of focusing compensation is necessary to produce sharp infra-red photographs. In fact the lens must be adjusted as if the subject were slightly closer. Read the rest of this entry »
Exposure meters indicate light intensity and are designed to help you get a correct exposure every time you take a photograph. When a light reading is taken the meter indicates the correct adjustments needed to the camera aperture and shutter speed settings. This sounds simple, as indeed it is, but not all subjects can be treated in a straightforward way. How would you tackle a backlit subject, a snow scene or subjects in deep shadow, for example? In such situations your exposure meter can well mislead you into giving the wrong exposure. ‘Correct‘ exposures are a matter of interpreting meter readings and applying them to the subject in hand. Read the rest of this entry »
As with any other kind of solar heating, solar water heaters are at an advantage when planned for a new home, because the design can incorporate them efficiently.
In the passive house at lower right, for example, the water heater’s design benefited from the house’s design flexibility, and vice versa, to their mutual advantage. The dormer on which the collectors are mounted lifts the roofline of the house, allowing extra headroom in the second-floor family room behind it. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific failure symptoms include: 1) Washer has burning smell when running or labors excessively when running. 2) Wash water does not drain from the machine either at the end of the cycle or when the washer enters pump out phase of the cycle. To find the cause of the problem, remove the washer drain hose from the drain standpipe and check for a kinked hose and start the washer. If water now pumps out of the washer, the problem is a kinked drain hose. If little or no water is being pumped out of the washer, the problem is either the washer self -cleaning filter, timer assembly, a filter trap restriction, or a non- operating water pump. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific failure symptoms include: 1) Washer begins to agitate or spin and water spills or leaks onto the floor. 2) After the washer has completed its cycle, water appears on the laundry room floor. To locate the cause of the problem, first look behind the washer at the wash station stand pipe. Check the washer water inlet valve, which has two hoses (hot-cold) attached, for deterioration of the hoses. If a hose has a leak, replace it.
To avoid any incorrect readings when using the volt/ohmmeter, always “zero” the ohmmeter scale of the volt/ohmmeter before making any continuity checks on components. See operating instructions. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific failure symptoms include: 1) The washer won’t complete the wash or spin cycle. 2) The washer has a burning smell during the wash and spin cycle. 3) The washer leaves water in the tub at the end of the cycle.
Check the washer power cord for a possible loose connection at the wall plug receptacle.
Check to see if the wall receptacle is defective or has burned or oxidized contacts. If so, the repair should be made by a licensed electrician. Read the rest of this entry »
If the washer is not spinning, the next check is of the washer control magnet. Washers use a control magnet, an electrical-mechanical component, to enable the gearcase to shift into the spin cycle. You can easily check the control magnet by using the volt/ohmmeter set on the RX-10 scale. With the volt/ohmmeter on RX-10 scale, connect the probes to both terminals of the control magnet. NOTE: When checking a suspected faulty control magnet, remove the wires from the washer wiring harness to avoid an inaccurate reading. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific failure symptoms include: 1) Washer fills with water, and motor starts to run, but the washer agitator does not turn in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, or 2) At end of cycle, clothes are gritty and soapy with water.
To find the cause of the problem, first check to make sure that the washer power cord has not worked loose in the wall socket. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific failure symptoms include: 1) When the washer is turned ON, nothing happens. 2) When the washer is turned ON you hear a faint “buzz.”
To find the cause of this problem, first check to be sure that the washer is plugged in a working power source.
Make a line voltage check at the washer receptacle to determine if the problem is a faulty power receptacle or a problem within the washer. Make a voltage line check by setting the volt/ohmmeter on the 150 A/C scale and placing the probes in the holes of the wall receptacle. The meter should read 110-125 volts. Read the rest of this entry »
