Dudedog
Contributing Member
I just got finished setting up my new CED USB device to connect the chrono to my laptop, but rats it's dark outside.
I really did not want to wait until tomorrow to see if it worked so I said "bleep: to bad I don't have a light kit.
Then I got to thinking. (Generally avoid this whenever possible)
I have 5 or 6 free Harbor Freight Blue LED flashlights about. (Coupons in the American Rifleman or in the mail sometimes) for a free light, tarp etc.
The ones I used are the blue dual function ones. They have a spotlight mode (3 LEDS) and a flood light mode (24 leds) They have a hook and a magnet on the back.
Hmm now to attach the lights, something easy to attach them to the sun shades. They have a magnet on the back. Hmm need two more good magnets.
Ahhh have dead hard drives, one of which used to have my reloading spreadsheets on it. :banghead: (had backup but it was not current)
The Harddisks are held togather with a bunch of tiny Torx screws. (2 or 3 sizes) I picked up screwdriver kit from Harbor Freight with a bunch of bits, including you guessed it tiny Torx bits in 5 sizes, just for this purpose.
If you have a dead drive and haven't done this there are a couple reasons.
1. The magnets, very strong small magnets.
2. The disk platters, which are highly polished metal and make execellent emergency signal mirrors. (complete with sighting hole in the middle)
Remove all the screws from the hard drive cover. Some are covered up with the label, keep looking till the cover pops off.
Once the cover is off you will see the platters magnets, and an arm that has the read write heads on it. The top magnet usually just pops out. You will need to remove the arm to get the bottom one, but remove the platters first. There is a round piece on top with more Tiny Torx holding them in. There may or may not be spacers between them you need to remove. Sometimes the arm is press fit and sometime it is held on by a screw in the bottom of the drive. If there is a screw in the bottom you need to remove the circuit board on the bottom of the drive. (more tiny Torx) remove the screw and the arm will come out. The bottom magnet is usually held in place with a screw.
The magnets are attached to metal pieces and can usually not be removed without breaking them. You can cut off excess metal but coat the magnet with grease first or you will have metal dust you will never get off it.
This took me longer to type than it did to do, but I have gutted quite a few drives.
Anyway, put the sun shades on the chrono. Place the flashlight magnet facing up underneath the shade. Place your dead hard drive magnet on top of the sun shade and presto light is attached. (hard drive magnets are quite strong and easily hold the light in place)
I really did not want to wait until tomorrow to see if it worked so I said "bleep: to bad I don't have a light kit.
Then I got to thinking. (Generally avoid this whenever possible)
I have 5 or 6 free Harbor Freight Blue LED flashlights about. (Coupons in the American Rifleman or in the mail sometimes) for a free light, tarp etc.
The ones I used are the blue dual function ones. They have a spotlight mode (3 LEDS) and a flood light mode (24 leds) They have a hook and a magnet on the back.
Hmm now to attach the lights, something easy to attach them to the sun shades. They have a magnet on the back. Hmm need two more good magnets.
Ahhh have dead hard drives, one of which used to have my reloading spreadsheets on it. :banghead: (had backup but it was not current)
The Harddisks are held togather with a bunch of tiny Torx screws. (2 or 3 sizes) I picked up screwdriver kit from Harbor Freight with a bunch of bits, including you guessed it tiny Torx bits in 5 sizes, just for this purpose.
If you have a dead drive and haven't done this there are a couple reasons.
1. The magnets, very strong small magnets.
2. The disk platters, which are highly polished metal and make execellent emergency signal mirrors. (complete with sighting hole in the middle)
Remove all the screws from the hard drive cover. Some are covered up with the label, keep looking till the cover pops off.
Once the cover is off you will see the platters magnets, and an arm that has the read write heads on it. The top magnet usually just pops out. You will need to remove the arm to get the bottom one, but remove the platters first. There is a round piece on top with more Tiny Torx holding them in. There may or may not be spacers between them you need to remove. Sometimes the arm is press fit and sometime it is held on by a screw in the bottom of the drive. If there is a screw in the bottom you need to remove the circuit board on the bottom of the drive. (more tiny Torx) remove the screw and the arm will come out. The bottom magnet is usually held in place with a screw.
The magnets are attached to metal pieces and can usually not be removed without breaking them. You can cut off excess metal but coat the magnet with grease first or you will have metal dust you will never get off it.
This took me longer to type than it did to do, but I have gutted quite a few drives.
Anyway, put the sun shades on the chrono. Place the flashlight magnet facing up underneath the shade. Place your dead hard drive magnet on top of the sun shade and presto light is attached. (hard drive magnets are quite strong and easily hold the light in place)
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