johna's blog

S188 Drone Review

2025-11-18T12:00:00+10:00

Our S188 drone cost about A$85.22 from Aliexpress and was delivered to Australia in exactly two weeks. It arrived in a cardboard box with a carry case inside and included the drone, remote control, double charging cable (charges both drone and remote control at the same time) and manuals.

The drone itself is quite small and folds up to fit in the carry case.

The remote control includes an LCD screen which is very useful compared to cheaper drones. The remote control has a holder for a mobile phone with the RXDrone app installed to see a live video feed and can also be used to control the drone and access advanced features like following you, navigating to waypoints and stunts.

I had a lot of trouble getting the RX Drone app (Android) to show live video and record video. Turning airplane mode on seemed to help, but sometimes it took many attempts to get video. I think what helps is turning on airplane mode, enabling Wifi and connecting to the drone all before starting RXDrone. [FIXED BY INSTALLING RXDRONE 1.4.6 - SEE BELOW]

I also sometimes had trouble in calibrating the drone before it would take off. I don't have a solution for this other than just keep trying until calibration completes successfully.

Camera quality is quite poor. It was advertised as 8K triple cameras but has one camera and the resolution is 1920x1080. Still photos save at 16MP and 5333x3000 resolution but are not good quality and nowhere near as good as they sound. There is no gimbal so the picture moves around wildly as the drone manoeuvres.

There are also lots of gaps in videos, possibly due to constant Wifi disconnections and reconnections.

You can rotate the camera vertically from the remote, so you can view anywhere from straight up to straight down.

It does fly quite well and respond to commands well. However, at times it can be confusing to control and this may be either inexperience or headless mode, where the controls vary depending on whether the drone is facing the controller or away from it.

It hovers well but does move around a bit in all directions. We have tried it in winds up to 15km/h and it copes well but does need corrections.

It is very slow to descend and land. You pull down on the joystick and it takes forever to come down, and the longer it takes the more corrections you need to do to avoid obstacles.

We are yet to try out some features like return to home, mostly because of bad experiences with a prior drone which would return to a random location far from the take off location.

The battery has lasted a little over ten minutes before giving a low battery warning where it still shows 50% remaining. If you are courageous you may be able to get close to twenty minutes flight time, although fifteen minutes would be a more realistic and safe maximum.

Most S188 sellers only offer one battery and buying a second battery adds to the cost considerably. There are other models that come with two or three batteries that might be a better option if you don't want to have to wait 90 minutes between flights for charging.

Although it is little hard to recommend the S188 drone, it is priced half way between the really cheap drones (A$30) and better drones ($200+) and it is a reasonable choice if you don't want to spend $200 or more.

Our previous drone was an S135 which did not have any issues with recording or Wifi dropouts, and had a much higher quality camera and a gimbal. Although it did sometimes have a mind of its own and took off in the wrong direction on a couple of occasions when returning to home. Unfortunately this drone crashed multiple times and was destroyed beyond repair within two days.

UPDATE: We had a lot of problems getting the live video preview and video recording working. I found this TikTok video where somebody explains how to revert to an older version of RXDrone, v1.4.6, and this solved the problem. Or see my instructions.

We have also now tested a few of the GPS features. Return to home is very useful and reasonably accurate. We have had it return to within a metre of the take-off location, but we've also had it attempt to land more than five metres away -- where there was a building -- and have had to take over and land ourselves.

We have tried to fly long distance over bushland where we have line of sight to the drone. We have flown somewhere around 400 metres. You can't even see or hear the drone at that distance but it still sends back live video, although it does break up at times. On one flight we used the return to home function which worked well. It's a great feeling when you can finally here the drone and then see it returning. On another flight the controller and phone disconnected at around 400 metres and we almost gave up hope on seeing the drone again, but fortunately it has a feature where it will return to home if disconnected for six seconds, and it was a big relief when it not only came into view but landed one metre away from where it took off.

Here is a single video frame from one of those longer flights, looking home from about 400 metres away:

What's the cheapest way to send a DVD through Australia Post? (1 July 2024)

2025-06-30T12:00:00+10:00

Updated with 1 July 2025 price increases.

The average DVD including plastic case weighs around 100g.

These can be sent by regular post as a large letter up to 125g without any tracking for $3.40.

You will need to use your own envelope or packaging for this rate. DVDs usually fit snuggly in a C5-sized envelope (229 x 162mm).

For heavier DVDs such as those with more than one disc, a booklet, or a heavier case, you can send up to 250g for $5.10 but it's better value to purchase a prepaid C5 envelope (229 x 162mm) for $4.30. These can be up to 20mm thick and 500g in weight.

If you need faster delivery you can pay an extra $1.00 for priority mail, which might be 1 to 2 days quicker than regular letter delivery.

For the quickest delivery option, you can send in a C5 Express Post envelope for $9.35 for overnight delivery to capital cities. Express Post includes tracking.

Another option is a prepaid medium domestic letter with tracking for $7.50. These envelopes will fit a DVD up to 500g (240 x 162mm envelope size) and include proof-of-posting and tracking. You can also add $0.70 for speedier delivery using priority mail.

Registered Post is also available for $9.90 (B4 envelope) but the only advantage over Domestic Letter with Tracking is signature on delivery.

For all of these services, there is a maximum thickness of 20mm for the item including packaging. This allows a small amount of room for a thin piece of cardboard for a little protection in transit.

What's the cheapest way to send a large letter using Australia Post? (Updated July 2025)

2025-06-30T12:00:00+10:00

Updated with 1 July 2025 price increases.

tl;dr

For letters and documents less than 250g, it's cheapest to send in your own envelope ($3.40 up to 125g, $5.10 up to 250g).

For letters and documents over 250g and under 500g, you can send in your own envelope for $8.50 or use a prepaid B4 envelope for $8.80.

If you need tracking then consider using a $9.40 prepaid C4 envelope with tracking or an $9.90 Registered Post B4 prepaid envelope.

Express post is the quickest option and costs $11.05 for a prepaid B4 envelope.

Regular letters

Australia Post define a large letter as up to 360 x 260mm in size and a maximum of 20mm thick. The weight limit for letter rates is 500g.

If you use your own envelope, you will pay based on weight:

Up to 125g - $3.40
Up to 250g - $5.10
Up to 500g - $8.50

However, in some cases it may actually be cheaper to use one of Australia Post's prepaid envelopes. For large letters, these now come only in B4 size (C4 were discontinued in July 2025), and you can send up to 500g.

B4 (353 x 250mm) - $8.80

Source: https://auspost.com.au/sending/send-within-australia/compare-letter-services/regular-letters-cards and https://auspost.com.au/business/shipping/satchels-and-packaging/prepaid-satchels-and-envelopes

Domestic letter with tracking

If you need tracking, Australia Post offer a prepaid C4 envelope (329 x 229mm) that includes tracking and proof of delivery for $9.40. These have the advantage of being a sturdy cardboard instead of paper so will better protect the contents and are unlikely to be folded. Being cardboard, though, they are heavier (about 70g) and will use up some of the 500g weight limit.

Source: https://auspost.com.au/sending/send-within-australia/compare-letter-services/letter-tracking

Registered Post letters

If you need tracking for something larger than will fit in a C4 envelope, or if you need a signature on delivery, then there is a B4 size (353 x 250mm) Registered Post envelope available for $9.90. These also have a 500g weight limit.

Source: https://auspost.com.au/sending/send-within-australia/compare-letter-services/registered-post-letters

Express Post

Express Post for large letters is available in one size only – B4 – which costs $11.05.

Express post includes tracking and delivery is next business day to major cities, although this is no longer guaranteed.

Source: https://auspost.com.au/sending/send-within-australia/compare-letter-services/express-post-letters

Australia Post Parcel Rates - Updated July 2025

2025-06-30T12:00:00+10:00

Updated 1 July 2025 with new increased prices, removal of tough bags as a flat rate packaging option, and the new extra small postage tier.

Here is what you need to know when sending parcels with Australia Post.

There are two options for postage rates for parcels:

1. Use your own packaging and pay for postage based on the weight or physical size.

2. Use one of Australia Post's packaging options that includes flat rate postage.

Both options include tracking and can be sent by regular or express post.

Flat rate postage is usually the least expensive option but is only available if your item weighs less than 5kg and fits in one of the packaging options.

What you need to know for #1 - use your own packaging

Australia Post charge by whichever is greatest out of the items weight, or the cubic weight which is the items deemed weight based on its physical size.

Postage costs for regular and express post (up to 5kg)

Weight	Regular	Express
Up to 250g	$9.70	$12.70
250g to 500g	$11.15	$14.65
500g to 1kg	$15.25	$19.25
1kg to 3kg	$19.30	$23.80
3kg to 5kg	$23.30	$31.80

For parcels over 5kg, you'll need to use the online calculator.

Source: https://auspost.com.au/sending/parcels-australia

What you need to know for #2 - flat rate postage

Not all of Australia Post's packaging qualify for flat rate postage, so you need to choose carefully otherwise you will pay for the packaging plus the same rates as if you used your own packaging.

There are five packaging size categories: extra-small, small, medium, large and extra large.

The least expensive packaging is satchels.

However, padded mailers are sometimes the best value as they are bigger than satchels for the same postage cost. For example, if your item is a little too big for a small satchel (355x225mm - $11.50), check if it fits a small tough bag (240x340mm - $12.95) before going to a medium satchel (390x270mm - $15.65).

Packaging options

These are the packaging options that are available for flat rate postage.

Satchel

Parcel Box

Padded Mailer

Padded Bag

Extra small

Type	Size	Price*	Total Regular*	Total Express*
Satchel	280x215mm	N/A	$10.05	$13.05
Padded Mailer Extra Small	215x280mm	TBA	TBA	TBA

Small

Type	Size	Price*	Total Regular*	Total Express*
Satchel	355x225mm	N/A	$11.50	$15.00
Padded Mailer Small	240x340mm	$1.80	$12.95	$16.45
Parcel Box Small	220x160x70mm	$2.40	$13.55	$17.05

Medium

Type	Size	Price	Total Regular*	Total Express*
Satchel	390x270mm	N/A	$15.65	$19.65
Padded Mailer Medium	265x380mm	$2.20	$17.45	$21.45
Parcel Box Medium	240x190x120mm	$2.80	$18.05	$22.05

Large

Type	Size	Price	Total Regular*	Total Express*
Satchel	405x315mm	N/A	$19.75	$24.25
Padded Mailer Large	483x361mm	$3.00	$22.30	$26.80
Parcel Box BX24	410x300x80mm	$3.30	$22.60	$27.10
Parcel Box Large	390x280x140mm	$3.50	$22.80	$27.30

Extra large

Type	Size	Price	Total Regular*	Total Express*
Satchel	510x440mm	N/A	$23.80	$32.30
Parcel Box Extra Large	440x277x168mm	$4.00	$27.30	$35.80

*Packaging discounts are available if buying in bulk

Source: https://auspost.com.au/shop/sending/flat-rate-packaging

Skmei 2255 Calculator Digital Watch Review

2025-01-27T12:00:00+10:00

I recently bought a Skmei 2255 calculator digital watch from China and would like to share my opinion of it.

The 2255 is a clone of the Casio DBC-32-1A and, aside from some different colour options and case labeling, looks and operates basically the same.

I haven't owned or used the Casio so I can't comment on the differences, but I have used other Casio watches so can make some general observations from my experience.

When my 2255 arrived it came in just a plastic bag with an instruction sheet and I was initially impressed with the way it looked. That feeling faded once I put it into use.

The first issue is the viewing angle of the LCD screen. You cannot read the display from an angle of more than about 30 or 45 degrees. This is common with cheaper watches and, although it is a little annoying that you have to check the time looking almost straight, it is something you can probably live with.

The next issue is the colour. I ordered the black version of the watch (it's also available in blue, gold and green). I did not notice until I went out into sunlight that the control panel is purple! It's hard to capture a good photo of this but when outside it is bright purple and I didn't sign up for purple. Strike two.

The third and final strike is the calculator keys. I have watched video reviews on the Casio and the Casio keys appear to be usable, but it is impossible to press the Skmei keys with your finger – you must press hard with your finger nail. It makes the calculator and phonebook almost unusable and you also have to use these keys sometimes for other functions like setting the time. I thought at first it was nice to be able to type in the time rather than incrementally adjust it, but it's hard to do.

With those issues aside I can confirm that the phone does look good like the Casio (as long as you don't mind purple) and features like the automatic light work well. If like me, you are choosing a calculator watch for nostalgia, then you might still be happy with it for half the price of the Casio or less.

Skmei website
Casio website

Weather station reviews

2024-06-02T12:00:00+10:00

My son is interested in the weather and in particular, the wind, so we have a weather station installed on our roof.

The following brief reviews are a result of our research to find a weather station with a quick measuring interval and good storage of minimum and maximum measurements over various time periods.

Nylex Digital Weatherstation PLUS (719035)

This is a relatively inexpensive weather station that has less features than some.

It has the usual indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity, plus wind speed.

It lacks wind direction.

The wind speed features are better than many weather stations. The speed is updated more often than some and you can view average wind speed or maximum gust. You can also cycle through a history of the maximum wind speed for the hour, day, month and year.

Instruction manual

Holman Aspect Wireless Data Centre Weather Station (WS5029)

This weather station has a lot of measurements but has been disappointing for us.

It has indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity, a rainfall gauge and both wind speed and wind direction.

However, for the wind measurements, these readings are not updated very regularly and there is no history so you can't see what the maximum wind speed has been for any period of time.

Instruction manual

WS0232

I haven't used one of these myself, but from a little research these units display readings every 48 seconds, which is slower than we want.

They do have indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity and wind speed and direction.

According to the advertisements, they have a history of readings for the last 20 hours.

Digitech Weather Station with Mini LCD (XC-0400)

48 second measuring interval.

Instruction manual

Maxkon

These weather stations are sold under various brands and there are a few different control panel styles. They are generally available inexpensively on eBay and Aliexpress.

The one that we have can transmit weather data via the Internet to the Weather Underground and Weather Cloud websites. This generally works well except you cannot send to any other websites and it does not send every reading so sometimes you miss out on recording some maximums readings. I don't know the exact interval, but it appears to send data every minute.

The control panel does store maximums and you can choose to keep a maximum for all time, or a maximum for the day.

The measuring interval is 12 seconds.

If you have one of these weather stations and can add any information please contact me or leave a comment.

Australia Post now enforcing cubic weight checks for parcels

2024-02-07T12:00:00+10:00

Most transport companies charge for delivery based on which is the greater of actual weight or cubic weight.

Cubic weight is a comparative weight calculated based on the volume of the item. This means that the company can charge a more appropriate fee for transporting an unusually light but large item.

The industry standard is that one cubic metre is equivalent to 250kg.

Australia Post have always advertised that they do charge by cubic weight if it is greater than the actual weight, but from my experience at least, it is rare for staff to actually measure parcels unless they happen to be unusually large.

However as of this month (February 2024), I have heard from Australia Post staff that they have been instructed to always measure parcels and charge based on cubic weight where it is the greater weight.

What does this mean to you? If you send physically large packages then you are now likely to pay more for postage.

Even a light weight package that might have fitted in the under 1kg postage rate, will now be measured for size and may be charged at a higher rate.

To calculate the cubic weight:

Measure the package dimensions (length, width and height) in metres
Calculate length times width times height, then multiply this by 250
This final result is the package's cubic weight, in kg

So a 30 x 20 x 10 cm parcel would be charged at 1.5 kg, even if it was less than 1kg.

To minimise your costs you should keep your packaging size to a minimum, and measure both actual weight and cubic weight when working out your shipping costs.

Review of Konka DE1 Dash Cam

2021-02-24T12:00:00+10:00

My Konka DE1 dash cam came bundled with a Konka mobile phone that I bought from Big W.

The specifications are:

-2.7” Full HD DVR Display
-1080p Full HD
-12mp Image Resolution
-3.0 MP CMOS Sensor
-150-Degree Wide Angle
-GPS
-Motion Detection
-G-Sensor
-Parking Monitor
-15 Min. Continuous Recording
-180mAh Li Battery
-SD Card Expandable To 32GB
-W/S Suction Mount Included
-Car Charger Included

Installation is easy and the suction cup seems good enough as it has not fallen off ever so far. The cable is long and it comes with a USB connector and a cigar lighter USB adaptor. The cable is suitable for charging only so another cable is needed to connect to a computer. It's a standard USB cable - the same as used on most phones.

When turned on and off it has an annoying startup and shutdown display and sound.

Video quality is reasonably good and the maximum recording resolution is 1920 x 1080 (1080P). Though, it might be hard to read a number plate unless it is reasonably close and in front of the camera.

Files can be 1 minute, 3 minutes or 5 minutes. 3 minute files have a 13 second gap.

1 minute files are around 75 to 100 MB, 3 minute files are around 200 to 300 MB and 5 minutes are 460 MB

Unfortunately I found that on some random occasions there is a significant gap between files so you can miss out on potentially important footage. Usually there is no gap, but frequently I find gaps of around 10 seconds and in one important recording I found an amazingly large gap of nearly one whole minute!

The unit does have a GPS and there is the option of recording the speed on videos. It seems to take a little while to get a GPS signal and will show a speed of 0KM when there is no signal.

It has a microphone and recording can be turned on or off.

Recordings can be played back on screen, or the unit can be plugged into a computer and used like a USB storage device.

Something is seriously wrong with Payoneer - my review of Payoneer.

2020-11-02T12:00:00+10:00

Around a year ago I created an account with Payoneer so I could receive payments from Rezdy as this is the only option Rezdy provide.

I remember registration being a bit of a pain as you have to provide all sorts of identification but it went reasonably smoothly.

I haven't had any need to log in to Payoneer for a long time until now, when Rezdy informed me that I needed to reconnect my account with Payoneer due to some interface changes.

But I couldn't log in to Payoneer. It reported that either my email or password was incorrect. I tried to reset my password but despite it saying it was sending an email, no email was ever received (I checked junk too, of course). I tried an alternate email address which also didn't work.

One concerning thing was that when I tried to log in using my user name it offered to send a password reset via SMS but it was showing someone else's phone number and email address. I Googled to see if other people were having issues with Payoneer and found that other people were reporting similar problems and incorrect phone numbers or emails being shown. (Note that Payoneer don't show the full email and telephone, just the first and last digits)

The next step is to ask Payoneer for help. The contact us links lead to support pages and it seemed impossible to find a contact method: the contact form required me to log in which I couldn't do, and links to the contact form without having to log in just took me back to the support home page.

What to do next? Maybe social media? I went to the Payoneer Facebook page and it immediately came up with a live chat window. I put in a short message explaining my problem and got back an immediate automatic reply saying that live chat wasn't for live chat and I should use the contact us page and a link was provided which did exactly the same as before. I replied to the robot and got back the same automatic reply.

I gave up for a few days then went back to the Payoneer site and found a contact us page that worked (maybe they had a problem previously). I wrote about my problem and submitted and got back an immediate reply which was simply an automatic response telling me to refer to the support pages and don't bother replying because this is a no-reply address. I also found some mention that if I couldn't log in maybe create a new account.

The website also has options for live chat and telephone but these require you to log in.

Given that I seemed to be at a dead end I decided to go with the option of creating a new account.

I thought it was odd that I was able to register a new account with the same email address but I did create the account successfully and then started the painful process of identification. I submitted my driver's license, a utility bill and bank account evidence. They rejected my license because they said it had either expired (it expires in 2022) or is too old (huh?) so I submitted it again and this time it was okay.

A short while later my account was approved (woo hoo) so I went back to Rezdy to connect with the new account. This took me to a Payoneer log in page. I typed in the details that I just created and once again I could not log in.

I don't know where to go from here...

So my review of Payoneer is to avoid them if possible mainly because support appears to be non-existent. If that's not enough then there is also a question over their security (showing incorrect telephone numbers and email addresses) and how I got into this dead-end of not being able to log in.

Update #1:

I was able to get into my new account after resetting my password. I still have no idea what happened to my original account.

I also eventually got a reply via Facebook just saying that they didn't have an account under the email address I gave them.

The time came to withdraw money from Rezdy into the new Payoneer account. Rezdy reported a successful withdrawl so I logged in to Payoneer and found the transaction under pending transactions but with the status of "Under Review". It seems transactions have to be manually reviewed and this can take up to three days.

I wonder why companies like Rezdy choose Payoneer over alternatives?

Update #2:

So you pay to receive payments and then you have to pay again to transfer the money out of Payoneer into your bank account?

48 hours after requesting a transfer to my bank account I get an email saying my request has been received and that transfers typically take 2 business days.

Rezdy, have you heard of PayPal?

Review of Max Power V8 Frameless Car Windscreen Wipers

2020-01-11T12:00:00+10:00

This time when I needed new windscreen wipers I thought I would give the modern, all plastic, frameless style wipers a try instead of the traditional metal frame wipers.

As usual, I hopped onto eBay and bought the cheapest ones I could find -- A$15.99 for a pair that fitted my car (20" and 21").

The brand of the ones I bought is "Max Power V8", and the box says "design by Wan Yang". There's no mention of where they are made, but I am pretty confident they are made in China.

They arrived very quickly and were well packed and even include a protective piece that covers the rubber blade in transit.

Fitting is extremely easy, much easier than fitting metal frame wipers. You just need to unlatch the cover and slide into the "U" part of the wiper arm until it clicks into place and then re-latch the cover.

As you can see in the next photo, the wipers do not contort to the shape of the windscreen on one side when parked, but they do seem to wipe the windscreen well enough. I recall that the metal frame wipers also didn't confirm too well in the parked position on the same side.

The next two photos are the metal-framed wipers (before) and the new V8 wipers (after).

Do they look better? It's not a big difference but they do look a little more modern. However, the clip that holds them to the wiper arm is quite bulky compared to the metal-framed wipers.

I do have concerns about how long they will last, only because they are made of plastic and plastic doesn't always last well, particularly in a hot climate like here in Sydney. Will they lose their ability to conform to the windscreen shape after some time?

I'll post back here with how they perform in the longer term.

Update:

Having now driven in some heavy rain I can provide some better feedback about these wipers.

As I mentioned, the passenger side wiper does not conform well to the curvature of the windscreen. The result is that it does not wipe the far passenger side well. I've included a photo and added a red line to highlight the area where the wiper blade does not make good contact. It's not really a problem, as it is not on the driver's side, but worth mentioning.

Perhaps a more expensive brand like Bosch would be better in this regard.

The wipers work as well as any other wiper blades I have had, and they are reasonably quiet.

They do look much bulkier than metal-framed wipers when they are running in front of you.

My opinion? I will probably go with metal-framed wipers next time because I think they actually look better as they are less bulky, and they can conform to the shape of the windscreen better.

Cheap Chinese eBay Dash Cam (DVR) Review #2

2019-09-10T12:00:00+10:00

After my last cheap dashcam failed I decided to buy another cheap one off eBay.

This one is a good size - even smaller than the last one - and fits nicely behind my rearview mirror. It also has the USB port at the top for good cable positioning, and a built-in battery so you don't lose the last recording when you switch the car off.

It came set up for the Chinese language so the menu was impossible for me to understand, but I eventually found the setting for language and changed it to English.

The resolution options in the menu are QVGA (320x240), VGA (640x480), 720P (1280x720) and 1080P (1920x1080).

I changed it to 1080P (of course) and set it up in my car to test. I also set it to record as soon as the car is started (the default setting), and turn off when the car is turned off (surprisingly not the default).

There is no button to press to save recordings but the 16GB memory card I use holds footage for just over one day so that isn't an issue for me.

The first problem I encountered was when I tried to get the footage off. I tried connecting the memory card to a Windows 10 PC but it was not recognised. I then tried to connect the dashcam to the same PC using a USB cable but it only worked as a webcam. The instructions pointed to a setting to change the USB mode from webcam to USB disk but this setting does not exist.

Fortunately, the memory card did work in a Windows 7 PC so I have been able to get the footage off. If connected using a USB cable, the dashcam functions as both a webcam and a USB disk, so it looks like there has been a software upgrade so the USB mode setting is no longer required.

The default setting is to create files every 3 minutes. The webcam creates AVI files. With the file length set to 5-minutes (other options are 1 minute and 10 minutes) the file size is about 600-700KB. There is a small gap when a new file is created of approximately 1 second.

Despite being set to 1080P the actual videos are 1280x960. I also tried the other settings and they record in the chosen resolution (QVGA - 320x240, VGA - 640x480, 720P - 1280x720). The seller I bought from did advertise as 720P so I was not really expecting 1080P, despite the product being labelled as 1080P.

The picture quality is not very good, worse than the last camera which was 1280x720. If you want to read a number plate the car has to be stopped and right in front of you.

The instructions say that the field of view is 120 degrees and it certainly does seem to be quite limited. The seller I bought from claimed 90 degrees, which may be more accurate. Some sellers advertise these as 170 degrees! The limited field of view means that anything not directly in front of the car does not get recorded, so makes it not a very useful dash cam.

It has a microphone and the sound level is high and the recording quality is reasonable. It also has a night vision LED.

It also has a G sensor and setting to turn on and record if it is turned off and there is an accident, such as someone running into tour car when parked. I haven't tested this.

Overall I couldn't recommend this as a serious dashcam and the incompatibility with Windows 10 will be a major problem for many people.

Sample recordings

The following are some footage taken in the dark and light recorded in "1080P mode" (1280x960) and uploaded to Youtube:

The following picture is a single frame captured from a recording done in "1080P" mode:

Instructions

Review of cheap eBay / Aliexpress pipe inspection camera / endoscope / borescope

2019-06-13T12:00:00+10:00

My 7-year-old son has developed an interest in plumbing and is fascinated by the pipes in our house.

He has been asking what the pipes look like inside so I invested around A$6 in the cheapest 2-metre waterproof pipe inspection camera I could find.

Here is my review.

Unboxing (unbagging actually): the camera came with a CD, a mirror (for looking sideways) and some bits of wire that I'm not sure the purpose of, though I read one was a magnet and one was a hook.

Although the device comes with a CD, when I connected it to a USB port on my son's notebook, Windows 7 found a driver and installed it as a USB camera. This meant it would work as a webcam.

I also installed the software on the CD as it was easy to capture still frames and record video.

The camera comes with 6 LED lights and brightness can be adjusted by a control on the USB plug. They light up dark pipes well enough.

The resolution of the camera is 480P which is quite low but is fine for looking inside of pipes.

The main problem with these cameras for looking inside pipes (and probably other things) is the very flexible cord which makes it difficult to position the camera where you need it once it is down a pipe. It also makes it impossible to get around some bends in pipes, like the S-bends under a sink.

The camera needs to be at least a short distance away from objects to be in focus but due to the flexible cord, it is often up against the wall of the pipe and can't focus.

When pushing the camera down a pipe you usually see 90% blurry images that you can't make out and 10% somewhat clear images.

I did try using the mirror but could see absolutely nothing with it for some reason.

Overall it is a disappointing product but for the very cheap price it provided us with some entertainment, and I did actually find a metallic obstruction in one of our pipes. My wife thinks it might be jewellery but we could not make it out what it was with the camera.

Sample snapshots:

Sample capture:

Instructions:

Update

I've done some more pipe exploration with the magnet and hook ends attached. I have actually found that with the magnet attached the camera doesn't get as close to the walls of the pipe so is almost always in focus. So this works much better but the downside is that the magnet is always in view in front of the camera.

Top 10 Books for Car and Motor Racing Enthusiasts

2018-01-08T12:00:00+10:00

Here's my top ten favourites from my automotive book collection. Most of the books are probably now out of print but available from the usual sources as pre-read copies.

1. Cannonball! By Brock Yates

Everyone knows the Cannonball Run movie, but not everyone knows that it was based on a series of illegal cross-country races in the 1970s. A lot of what was in the movie was inspired by real events from the races!

This book tells the story behind how the races started and a chronicle of each race, including stories from many of the people involved.

Brock Yates was also involved in making the movie, and the book has some entertaining behind the scenes stories.

Motorbooks International, 2001, ISBN 9785558899986

2. To Hell and Back by Niki Lauda and Herbert Völker

A great autobiography from a legendary racer.

He shares how he got started in motor racing, the ups and downs in his racing career, and the challenges of starting his airline.

The highlight of the book for me was reading about his famous accident at the Nurburgring where he suffered serious burns, and how he got straight back to racing with little regard for anything else.

Stanley Paul, 1986, ISBN 9780091642402

3. Bob Bondurant on Police and Pursuit Driving by Bob Bondurant and Edwin J. Sanow

Learn from the man who teaches many US police how to drive.

It’s not just for police. Enthusiast drivers might also learn a few techniques for fast and safe road driving.

And you never know when learning the PITT manoeuvre might come in handy.

MBI Publishing Company, 2000, ISBN 9780760306864

4. From the Alice to the Arctic by Jeff Carter

Jeff Carter, motoring and travel journalist and writer, shares 40 years of motoring memories.

He loved Porsches and the book has stories about his many Porsches including his first 356, 911 and a Kremer turbo he once had.

The book is part autobiographical, part motoring and part travel.

Hodder & Stoughton, 1989, ISBN 9780340518571

5. Winning is not Enough by Jackie Stewart

Another great motoring racing autobiography.

He raced in an era when Grand Prix racing was extremely dangerous and he watched as many of his friends and rivals were killed in accidents. Somehow he managed to avoid being killed himself and made it his mission to improve safety in motor racing for all.

The book follows his early life and career up to 2007.

Headline, 2007, ISBN 9780755315376

6. For the Record by Ed Bolian

Another book about illegal cross-country racing (my favourite type of racing). This one is from the current record holder.

Not only does the book cover the preparation and running of his record attempt, but it also autobiographical and Ed shares his interest in cars and his various business ventures.

Independently published, 2017, ISBN 9781520302645

7. Our Gumball by Clement Wilson and Richard Dunwoody

The entertaining story about Clement Wilson and Richard Dunwoody experiences in the 2004 Gumball Rally.

It covers Clement's attempts to enter the race, sorry rally, and find a car to compete in and their adventures throughout the race.

Virgin Books, 2005, ISBN 9780753509920

8. Project VN by Pedr Davis and Tony Davis

The full story behind the Holden Commodore VN, including the struggle to keep the Commodore a truly Australian car when GM disagreed, the change from the Nissan engine used in the VL to the Buick engine.

Marque, 1988, 9780947079062

9. The Mechanic's Tale by Steve Matchett

A Formula One autobiography from a different perspective. Steve Matchett was a F1 mechanic for several teams including Ferrari, BMW and Benetton.

He was mechanic for some of the great drivers including Michael Schumacher, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, and shares the stories.

Orion, 1999, ISBN 9780752827834

10. The Man in the White Suit by Ben Collins

Ben Collins was the Stig and his book not only has a lot of great behind the scenes stories from Top Gear but is an entertaining autobiography of a true car lover and racer.

Harper Collins, 2010, ISBN 9780007331680

Cheap Chinese eBay Dash Cam (DVR) Review

2017-12-21T12:00:00+10:00

I thought it might be fun to get a cheap car dashcam so I could record some of the interesting things I often see on the road and share them with Dash Cam Owners Australia on Youtube (one of the highlights of my month is when they put up a new video).

I studied eBay and thought that a budget of A$15 should get something that could be used for this purpose.

I wanted something small that would fit behind the mirror and not be blocking my vision or make me stand out as one of those people with devices all over my windscreen.

I chose this one because it looked small, and had a top-mount power socket so I could run a wire unobtrusively under the roof lining and down the inside of the A-pillar trim.

The DVR is unbranded so you will have to go by the pictures if you want to try and find the same unit. The manual mentions NT96220 which is a common processor by Novatek used on cheaper models. One website says of this chipset: "720P 30fps, (1080P 25fps interpolation), M-JPEG (NOT H.264, double file size), NO WDR, NO GPS. ...should be avoided due to their low quality. Many poor quality dashboard cameras come with these 2 Novatek chips due to the low cost of the processor."

It came in a box which is unusual for cheap devices from China on eBay. It also came with a manual in both Chinese and English. As you would expect the manual is pretty bad and there's lots of mistakes and poor English writing.

A car cigarette lighter power adaptor with a long cable was included. The DVR has a built-in rechargable battery too.

It has a 3-inch 16:9 LCD screen that is useful for positioning the unit, playback, and operating the menu.

Straight out of the box, the dash cam starts recording a few seconds after being plugged in or starting the car, and switches off and saves the current file when unplugged or the car is switched off.

If you want to keep a recorded file you can press a button and the current file will be protected from being overwritten. The device also has a G-sensor and will do the same if it detects a certain force, like that in an accident.

I'm not sure how you unprotect a file (delete it I guess), and I'm also not sure what happens if a file is protected just a second or so after a new file is generated. I'm guessing it won't protect the previous file that might have had what you wanted to save.

There is a microphone and it records sound by default, but this can be switched off in the menu.

You can also adjust the recording length (1, 3, 5 and 10 minutes) and turn on motion sensing recording if you like. I am not sure if that is the feature that protects a file in the event of an impact, or whether this is that type of feature where the unit will turn itself on and record if it detects aa significant force while turned off.

Date and time stamp recording is also enabled by default and setting the date and time is fairly quick and easy.

The video resolution is set to the maximum by default which turns out to be 1280 x 720 px rather than the "Full HD 1080" advertised on the box and also displayed on the screen.

It is meant to have night vision but I haven't tested this yet.

I am also yet to test the HDMI output (requires a cable with a mini HDMI plug) but from reviews of cheap Chinese dash cams I won't be expecting it to actually work.

When connected to a computer using a USB cable (requires a cable with a USB Mini B plug, not included) the device acts as a storage device and you can copy files from it. It's not quick. It was copying at a rate of a little over 2 mb/second and the file sizes are around 400 - 500 mb.

Each video file contains approximately 5 minutes of footage by default. There does not appear to be a gap between each file, unlike some similar DVRs.

I was not able to open most of the video files in Windows Media Player as it reported the files were corrupt. I was able to open them using Windows Live Movie Maker though.

The video quality is quite poor. It is impossible to make out registration plates unless on a car right in front of you and when not moving.

See below for some sample recordings, including driving in the rain.

It is claimed to have a 170 degree lens on the box but the manual says 120 degrees. From what I can see, I would guess the manual is correct.

In summary I would say that for A$15 it does the job of a basic car cam and is better than some, but if you want something to record evidence and identify registration plates you should look at a more expensive product.

PROS: works, no recording gap, top-mount power socket
CONS: video quality, slow to copy files off

Update 11-Jan-2018: I left the dashcam attached to the windscreen all day on one of Sydney's recent 40+ degree days and at first it would not turn on when the car was started. But it started straight away after being turned off and on again by the switch.

Update 29-Mar-2018: Finally got around to adding some night time footage. Video quality is not great in very dark conditions. It does improve under street lights but approaching headlights cause a lot of glare. Perhaps my dirty windscreen contributes to the poor quality though.

Update 10-Sep-2019: I can't use the camera anymore. I took the Micro SD card out to copy some video files but when I put it back in it would not recognise the card. I tried formatting and I tried a new card. Nothing worked so I gave up on it. It also stopped working whenever it got hot so it was not possible to leave the camera on the windscreen when parked. I've got a new dashcam now, and it's even cheaper.

Review of Universal Carbon Fibre Cold Air Intake System (IP-009)

2016-01-11T12:00:00+10:00

If you've shopped for a universal air filter on eBay you've probably seen these carbon fibre cold air intake kits listed by a number of sellers.

I recently needed to replace my K&N pod filter as it is (b) very dirty, (b) getting dirty very quickly because it is exposed to the under bonnet area; and (c) illegal where I live.

Ideally I want to refit my original air box but this is difficult as my car has an aftermarket supercharger and the original air box is going to need modifications that I don't have the time for at the moment (nor the skill probably).

I looked at what sealed systems were available that I might be able to fit easily, that would solve my problems.

First I found the K&N Apollo closed air intake system which appears to be a good choice. It includes a hole for mounting an original sensor (includes a plug if not to be used). However, although it can be cleaned it needs to be oiled. I don't particularly like this extra level of maintenance and I know there has been discussion about possible issues with oiled filters. Also, the plastic housing makes it quite bulky and heavy, and subsequently harder to secure.

As a sidenote, the K&N kit is quite expensive (A$400), but there are replicas for sale on eBay for a fraction of the price (A$70). The housings look identical, but I'm not sure about the quality of the filter on the replicas. You can however save yourself a lot of money by buying the replica kit but only using the housing and then buying a genuine replacement K&N filter element only (A$135), which I presume would bolt straight on.

I then found these universal carbon fibre kits which appear to need less maintenance and may be easier to mount due to their smaller size and lighter weight.

They appear to be sold under various brands. For example, the SAAS branded product appears to be identical.

They are usually all black but I have also seen one where the carbon fibre body section is white, and a black body with red or yellow end pieces.

Here's a rundown on what usually comes with these kits:

Air filter

The air filter is housed in a container to seal it from the air inside the engine compartment and insulate it from heat.

The filter housing is available in black or white and it is claimed to be constructed from real carbon fibre.

The filter element itself is noted as being dual layer, and washable and reusable repeatedly. I presume it doesn't need oiling like some filters.

I am not sure about what size engines the filter is suitable for, some sellers say it is suitable for all engines including forced induction, but I did see one seller list that it was suitable for normally aspirated engines.

Dimensions: 190mm (body)/250mm (inc. inlet and outlets) long, 132mm wide
Inlet ID: 70mm
Inlet OD: 76mm
Outlet ID: 70mm
Outlet OD: 76mm
Weight: ~400g

The photos below are of the air filter element removed from the body.

It is approximately 120mm wide at the base, and 60mm wide at the top, and 135mm long.

On the outlet side, the body has a removable end piece that has a rounded edge to smooth airflow, although it doesn't extend to the edges where it meets the air filter body.

Mounting bracket

Most kits include a mounting bracket for the filter.

These kits usually come with a clamp that attaches to the filter air housing. The mounting bracket can be secured to this and attached to a secure point of the car body.

Dimensions: ~180mm long, 22mm wide

Turbine

These kits sometimes come without a turbine, but often they come with a single or double turbine fan.

The effectiveness of these fans is debatable. The sellers claim that they improve fuel burn and subsequently there are improvements in fuel economy and engine performance.

My guess is that the restriction to airflow that these devices create would cause more issues than these devices could offer in benefits.

The double fans are noted as being twice as efficient as the single fans (or twice as restrictive?).

They do not need to be fitted and can be left out if preferred.

They are apparently made from lightweight aluminium for strength and durability.

Overall Size: 64mm (2.5") × 50mm (2")

Pipe

The kit comes with a flexible and adjustable pipe that can be used to route air from outside of the engine bay into the filter housing.

The pipe is made of a thin metal so it is flexible but will remain in any shape it is set to. It's length ranges from 230mm when fully compressed to 1 metre when fully extended. It could be cut to length if required.

Length: 230mm (?) to 1 metre
ID: 76mm

Reducers

Different kits come with different reducers, sometimes two and sometimes three.

It seems to be either two 76 (3") to 63mm (2.5"), or three different size reducers - 76mm (3") to 70mm (2.75"), 63mm (2.5") and 60mm (2 3/8").

Dimensions: ~77mm long
Inlet ID: 76mm
Outlet ID: 63mm

Hose clamps

These kits usually come with two or three hose clamps.

These are ~80 mm clamps that are most likely intended for each end of the filter housing.

Legality

This will depend on where you are. Where I am (NSW, Australia), I believe that an aftermarket filter must be sealed and must be securely attached. With this kit it is possible to meet these requirements, which is one of the reasons I chose to try it.

Another requirement is that original sensors must be retained. If the original air box has a temperature sensor, as mine does, you will need to find a way to mount this to this air filter. I plan on just drilling a hole and securing the sensor somehow.

My impressions

I fitted this kit to my BMW 318is (E36) which has a few modifications including a supercharger. Previously I had a K&N pod filter that is not sealed.

Firstly, this air filter kit smells awful - a very strong plastic or chemical smell. But I guess that doesn't matter as it's going into the engine bay. [Could this be that the filter element is oiled?]

Quality is as expected for a product made in China and as cheap as these kits are (I paid A$70 shipped). It looks a bit cheap and nasty and the air filter element does not look very well made (uneven gap between folds), although I can't see any obvious issues with the filter material itself.

The filter housing is very thin, as to be expected, so mounting my inlet temperature sensor is not going to be so easy. I have no experience with carbon fibre but this material can be scratched off and is very thin, and this exposes the underlying housing material which is plastic. The "carbon fibre" scratches quite easily and mine got plenty of scratches during installation.

The air filter element came with a small piece of loose fabric on the engine side so it is worth ensuring that there are no foreign objects before fitting.

The size of the filter looks to me to be similar to most aftermarket pod type filters (perhaps narrower but longer) so I am not concerned that it might be too small for my supercharged four cylinder engine.

No instructions are included with these kits so I am not sure on how the element can be cleaned. I think am going to follow the instructions on AutoAnything which is basically just to vacuum it. (Update: I found one listing which says, "can be washed for long term use, it is reusable.")

The mounting bracket looks to be suited to mount to narrow hose clamps, but the hose clamps that come with the kit are wider than will fit. It may have to be cut to suit your application. It seems strong enough for the job. I ended up buying another slightly longer bracket and used that instead.

I needed to fit the original air intake temperature sensor that is usually mounted inside the air filter housing. I drilled a hole on the intake side of the housing and then secured the sensor to the housing.

The two hose clamps that came with my kit are the type that are suitable for silicone hoses, which is good news.

The reducers (two of 76mm to 63mm) appear to be made out of rubber.

The kit came with a single turbine. Although it seems of a reasonable quality (cast aluminium blade with bearing), it looks to be a big obstruction to airflow and it does not spin with the ease which I would have expected. I haven't and won't be installing it.

I found the kit easy to install and haven't noticed any negatives since installing. It's actually noticeably quieter than my previous open K&N filter (I can barely hear my supercharger now unfortunately), although still very loud under hard acceleration. If you are switching from an OEM filter then you will probably notice a big increase in noise.

Have you tried one of these kits? Please leave a comment and share your experience.

Here's a list of brands and models that I have seen these filters sold under: SAAS, CNSPEED, KRICNG, RYANSTAR RACING, Autloader, PQY RACING PQY-AIT13, RASTP RS3-OFI012, HDI AF-CA01, TANSKY TK-FB2303-NF, EPMAN EP-FB2303-NF, AUTOFAB AF-FB2303-NF, VBESTLIFE, VGEBY, WALFRONT, Hilitand, DOACT, JX-LCLYL, wz heng, BesT RyingL 76655, and Mayitr.

There is also a smaller version available. It is known as model IP-002 and it is 120mm long instead of 190mm. These are usually all black or black main body with yellow end pieces.

Update (November 2018):

Thanks to Rob, who posted a comment below, we now know that these filters appear to be a copy of the BMC Air Filter brand's model CDA - Carbon Dynamic Airbox (I've seen these selling for A$350!).

The CDA uses a cotton filter material that is preoiled. BMC say that these should typically be "regenerated" every 15,000 km. Perhaps the copies also need to be oiled?

The cheap version appears to differ on the outlet side. The BMC bellmouth extends to the filter body, but the cheap version has a trough around it.

Unfortunately BMC doesn't provided any details on what size engines these are suitable for, although they do offer different kits for specific cars including 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder powered models one of them being the E36 M3.

A couple of people have asked which way these should be installed (as there are no instructions). See the attached diagram for the CDA to see which way it should be installed.

Update (January 2019):

Rather than cleaning my filter I just bought a new one. I found them selling for just over A$30 on Aliexpress.com now.