Posted on September 20, 2026
Sun 20 September 2026
I’ve finished digitizing all the tapes I have, that still work. The VCR (Prosonic VCR X-21) does have some issues, where it has low audio output, so you get more static noise. I’m currently trying to compress the files a little so they’re not over 5GB per file.
Yesterday evening I cleaned up in the shed, so it’s now possible to get into it and see all of the shelving on the back wall.
I did get my retro Windows XP machine up and running, but I’m struggling with the network. Because the room I’m in only has 1 network cable output on the wall. So I need to get a network switch, but right now with my financials I am not able to afford that. The USB wireless dongle I have connected does find the wireless network I have here, but it’s on so low a bar that it can’t connect.
With the finances in mind, then I’ve made a Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/pedernissen) with that idea that it would help with getting more interesting tech, and help with funding more videos and that stuff online. I have some things I would really love to do, but being unemployed and with debt it’s difficult to do much.
It is not needed to donate or tip, or whatever it’s called. But it’s appreciated if anyone does.
Posted on September 13, 2026
Sun 13 September 2026
I’ve been getting a lot of these videos on both my TikTok and Youtube feed, where people get away from their computer or phone. Because it’s taking overhand. You use it more and more and get addicted to just sitting or laying and doom scrolling. I have been doing a little of the same thing over the past few years, except I just spend more time doing other stuff on the computer, but not social media stuff. This one guy I’m watching has a P.O. box (I believe) and he has a type writer, and everyone who writes to him will get a response back, and he will write it on a type writer, or by hand. He uses his devices less and less, and works at a bakery. His Youtube is Andrew Loura. I just find it very interesting with how the world is going to take a step back and use the electronics less and less. For some social media like Facebook I get it with being social with people that you don’t keep in touch with. Like seeing what they’re up to, if they post. And also keeping contact with them. As people do change their phone number, and might not transfer all their numbers over to their new phone. I’ve had the same phone number for almost 20 years now (got it in December 2006). And I just have a hard time getting used to new things. With the way that the government is in this country, then you’re forced to have a mobile phone, because everything we do that requires authorization needs a 2FA code that is required to have an app for on your phone. The only reason you can get rid of it is if you’re having troubles with it, like older people. But for the young people you can’t do anything, even if you are paranoid of having stuff like that on your phone. The government program that I go to have started to see how paranoid I am with having stuff on my phone, because they require a different app to write to me or to them. You can’t just send them an text or call them. I would have to call the switchboard first and see if they could transfer me to the person I want to talk to, or leave a message.
Yesterday I got a few tapes digitized, it was running for most of the day, until around 9pm. This morning when I wanted to digitize a longer tape, the VCR just said Er:03, and from what I see then it’s something to do with the mechanism that grabs the tape itself where it’s either too fine, because of the length of the tape, or that it’s drying out and needs to be lubricated. But I’m leaning towards the first one, because the other tapes are working fine, even the one I got in now.
Later today my brother will come by and then we will go to the recycle center and see if there’s any interesting stuff. Sometimes there is tapes I grab if they’re interesting, sometimes I don’t take anything. I do want to get more tapes, but I just don’t know where to put them. I already got too many, some would say, but I just like the feeling of the analogue items. It’s not digital, but it can break because it’s analogue, which is why I’m digitizing them. Maybe I would never use them, but then I at least know I got them somewhere. I took some tapes out about half an hour ago to start digitizing, and the first tape I opened was still in the plastic packaging. Like the tapes here are not sealed from the outside, you have to open the plastic box and then see the sealed tape inside. So that’s a tape that will just go back on the shelf. Or get sold, so I can get one that’s open already.
I think that’s it for today. I have some technical stuff that I need to help the friend with, because of the stuff the other day. He needs extra stuff added. So I’ll have to stop procrastinating and get going.
Posted on September 12, 2026
Sat 12 September 2026
As an update to the last post.
Yesterday I did spend some time setting up an PBX, using 3CX on a locally hosted virtual machine. I just need to get some devices that can run on it, and also I would need to get an SIP Trunk, but I already wrote to one that’s at a decent price. I do want to get other devices connected to the same number, but it’s a little more difficult getting the older hardware running on it.
If I ever get my own place, like not renting, but a place I purchase, then I would like to add this system to every room, so I can have a landline phone everywhere. I don’t like the wireless technology, everything, except my mobile phone is wireless, even my laptop is running cable. The plans I have for a house is a little technical, and would have wireless connections, like access points, but I would prefer not to use them. Some years ago I did purchase, on accident, about 20 access points, but I have not been able to test if they work, as I don’t have the hardware to test it with. I would need to get some POE switches to test them all at once, and I’m not even sure if they can be reset or what hardware they are. Update it’s Juniper Access Points MP-522. I did look at an switch yesterday when I was out to get a new USB flash drive, I needed a bigger one than 8GB for Windows 11 install media, but the switch was not POE.
Posted on September 12, 2026
Sat 12 September 2026
My VHS player started having issues some days ago, and then my dad found another one, that he got from my granddad. And it seems to work, but the audio is just very quiet. So now I can continue getting tapes digitized. The only issue I see when I’m digitizing with that tape player is that the audio is very low, but it could be the tape itself, or that the player doesn’t boost up the audio like the old player, that I still want to get repaired. I’m about 58 minutes into this tape so far and the audio hasn’t cut out, but it’s showing as low on the VU meter, I’ll have to check this tape after in a video editing program to see if it’s something that can be heard, or if I need to put more gain on it. I just don’t want to add gain to a video, unless it’s absolutely necessary. I was just thinking that I could add another capture card with another computer and see if that works out better, or have a different version to compare to, but then again it would be a lot of work.
Nothing much has happened otherwise.
Yesterday I had to help an old colleague with his computer, because he had used his work computer, which is an Lenovo Thinkpad, to get one of his clients email accounts into his Outlook mail program, and their IT department had locked down the computer due to how Windows 11 accounts work. So he couldn’t do much. That client is no longer one of his customers, so he had no use for their email, but couldn’t remove it due to their IT department locking it down. So I had to get it removed. Which I did get working, after a few hours. I didn’t get a laptop charger with it when he delivered it, but I managed to do it before it ran out of power.
I have been looking about getting more into the repair part of hardware, like with a soldering iron, and such, both because I like the older hardware, and they break due to the age.
The plan for tomorrow or next week, is to order a new power supply for my desktop, as it’s not really doing too well. I would like at some point to get more parts of the computer upgraded, but money is an issue.
When I was at the recycle center the other day with my brother, then I found another monitor, one that’s actually identical to one of my other monitors, and it works. I tested it the day before yesterday.
Posted on September 8, 2026
Tues 8 September 2026
Yep, I’m 30 now.
Just sitting on my laptop listening to music while waiting for others to wake up. The only person that has said anything to me has been my youngest sister. It is still early, so people could be waking up. Or they could just be ignoring me. Either way, it’s like you expect people near you to say something, even when they say it’s in their calendar. I don’t know.
I was crying yesterday evening while in bed, and I have been this morning as well. There’s guests coming by today, and I don’t want it. And it’s too late to cancel now. I don’t like people, and I don’t like people coming for my sake, even if it’s a birthday. I hate being in the center.
Someone from the government called yesterday to schedule a meeting with me on Wednesday, tomorrow, so I could learn them better, and so they can see how I’m doing. They need to do this so they can see how I’m doing in my daily life, and what I struggle with. So I might one day be able to retire. I honestly don’t know what I would do. I feel sick, like headache, nausea, sweating and I’m shaking. These are the normal symptoms I have whenever I’m social. Even now before it’s happening then I’m doing it. Because I know it’s going to happen. Last Christmas it was the entire month because I know I was going to celebrate with family. Even when I just wanted to be alone and away from people. Funny enough then I do want to be social, I just feel sick if I am. And then I also do stuff online so people see me there. Even if it’s under a different name, then people can see it.
I went last week to the doctor and got a urine test, blood test, EKG (the test where they use a bunch of wires on you), and blood pressure test. And got a blood pressure tester with me home, and it’s not really looking too good. First my blood pressure is very high, and even with taking medication to lower it, it still is high.
Away from the life update stuff, then my power supply in my desktop died. It’s just making so much noise now that it wont show anything. And I can’t really afford to replace it. Since I could get a cheap one, or I could save up a little more and get one that would be more future proof, in regards to the newer graphics card connectors they use.
I had this idea which I believe I wrote in an older post, where I was thinking of making a daily vlog series of my entire year 30, as in everyday where I’m 30, but I don’t think that would be a thing. Either I procrastinate for too long, or I just get too nervous and get panic attacks. I mean I could write on this blog about what has happened to me daily, because I could just do this in a dark room, the only thing I need is an internet connection. Speaking of which, I just paid for the monthly fee for the web host I have. So the server is good for another month.
Yesterday evening I wanted to tinker with an server, so I just set up an Debian 13.6 server with 1 core¸ 512MB RAM and 12GB HDD. Which isn’t in itself an server, but I just use it as it fits fine for what I was thinking about. At first I thought I should use it as an VPN, but then I thought, why does it even matter with an VPN, since I just use Tailscale for that stuff.
I have been looking at some CRT monitors and TV’s lately, or rather for a long time, since I do want to get one for my older stuff. Like whenever I want to play any of my consoles and some games just look better on it.
I’m not sure if I wrote about this in the last post, but my brother has a Commodore PC20-III and he couldn’t get it working, so I told him he could bring it here and I would look at it. And I got it working pretty much within 2 minutes of having it here. Because normally it would display something on the screen even if there wasn’t anything connected, or something. But it didn’t. So I looked on the back and noticed there was some dials for brightness and such, and I just turned the brightness a little bit and it worked, it started showing whatever the machine put out. Then there was some issues with the previous owner having installed a game directly on the C:\ drive which caused the game to launch with the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in that directory. So you had to hold down the left SHIFT key to get it to boot outside, or just in the game press ESC, and Y to exit the game. Which then got you out to the terminal. There is no graphical interface on this version, or it’s just not installed. The system is running MS-DOS 4.01, we tried to put other discs into the floppy drive, but it seems like it is broken, there is no sound from it loading, you can hear a slight ticking sound, which would be the motor inside trying to move it’s head, but not really getting anywhere. I would suspect that it’s just dried out. Could maybe work with putting some alcohol in there, or some kind of oil for the motors, but I don’t think it’s worth it to spend so much time with this, unless he wants to get a mint system, and get other games and a newer operating system, but I don’t think he knows how to do any of that. He doesn’t even know how to change the boot order on his newer computer. So seeing him try out commands in the terminal to see if there was anything other on the machine was a little funny, also having to teach the commands, yeah.
Yesterday I did look at my other VCR, the Finlux VCR 6857 NE, but I couldn’t get it working, it just kept eating the tapes. I’m not too familiar with the player, and there isn’t any manuals online for this model. So I just listed it for sale and that’s it. I did list it as defective.
I think that was all for this morning update.
Posted on September 3, 2026
Thur 3 September 2026
I got some ideas for content that I would like to do. But I just don’t know if it would be good content, and if it isn’t stuff that I would watch myself, then I don’t see the reason to make it.
One of them being now that I turn 30 in a few days, then I was thinking of doing daily vlogs for my entire year, so people could follow on what I actually did. But I am also afraid of what people would say to the content. There are friends of mine that tells me I should just do it, but I do also know that they don’t watch the content I make, unless it’s about something they want to watch.
More than that, I haven’t really done much. I have upgraded the laptop, but not really used it. I don’t remember if I wrote about the upgrade I did to the computer.
Then I’ve found out the power supply in my desktop is dying. The fan is running at 100% all the time and vibrating. The CPU fan I have in the desktop has also stopped working. But I don’t have the funds to fix any of those.
That’s currently why I’m on my laptop currently. Just because it’s starting to have issues.
Then also yesterday my VCR player started showing issues. The image is wavy, like looking at the waves in the water, and then there’s a high pitch whine, which I would expect to be the power supply as well.
Posted on August 18, 2026
Tues 18 Aug 2026
I forgot to add yesterday in the post. I have gotten an SSL certificate some days ago, because I made a page which users can use to compare costs for their car on a monthly cost, when you calculate everything into it. Like you add the buy price, the years you would own it, and the estimated sales price. Then you can add the yearly insurance cost, the road taxes and such and the page will calculate what the monthly cost would be. This is made because I got tired of having to do all the calculations manually. And because I wanted to check if a cheaper bigger car actually would be more expensive than an more expensive smaller ECO car. The page for it is bilbudget.spody.org
It’s currently only in danish, as I don’t exactly know what the costs are for other countries. I have also sent it to quite a few different people I know in the country, but they haven’t really responded, or feel the same need for it as I do. That’s just how it is. I’m just happy that I made something other people might use.