Fossil watch battery

Here’s a list of Fossil watch model and its battery type.

Fossil CE-1026, CE-1027 and CE-1031

Battery = SR612SW (also know as SR621, SR60, 164, 364, SG1, or even AG1)

Dyson Vacuum Cleaner Battery replacement

Many households globally now own a Dyson handheld cordless stick vacuum cleaner, to allow convenient vacuuming of their area. Being cordless means there is a requirement to be battery operated, which is a part that perishes over time and leads to a reduced run time capacity of the vacuum.

When I first purchased my Dyson DC44 Animal vacuum in 2016, after a full charge, I was able to vacuum my entire house (not large) on a single charged battery and on the ‘MAX’ setting of the vacuum, which is approximately 7 minutes of continuous vacuuming. The motor head on the vacuum would collect all varieties of hair and the canister would be loaded with dust and debris.

Fast forward to 2019 and my DC44 was lucky to stay on for 35 seconds at the most and would cut out and fail to clean even a small area. I was so disappointed, firstly because my house does need to be vacuumed and secondly because I really did stretch my budget to allow the initial purchase of the Dyson vacuum, as they are a premium brand.

What is wrong?

So I set out to determine what could possibly be causing my DC44 to cut out the way it was. I took the entire unit apart and made sure there were no blockages or items stuck where they shouldn’t be. Checked to make sure there was a secure connect from the charger to the battery, also check to see if the actual battery was securely attached to the vacuum (there were reports of some Dyson handheld vacuums having loose batteries). All checks proved there was no obvious reason for the short run time, except for the battery itself.

After looking for information on the internet relating to Dyson battery replacements, I didn’t really find many details on what to do or how successful a battery replacement has been for other Dyson owners. From here I took to ebay to see if there are any replacement batteries for my Dyson DC44 model and sure enough there were many! I decided to look for a seller with reliable feedback and a reasonable price. There are many varieties of batteries to purchase but I determined I required a Type B battery (it has an extra part to allow the battery to be securely screwed into the Dyson base) and that I would try and get the highest mAh (milliamp hour) available, to hopefully provide greater runtime.

Solution?

An order was placed for a Type B 3,000mAh battery. Here is the link to the battery I purchased (please note I have no affiliation or ownership of the sellers site, I purely clicked ‘Buy it now’ and crossed my fingers):

www.ebay.com.au/itm/3-0A-Battery-For-Dyson-Vacumm-Cleaner-22-2V-Type-B-DC31-DC34-DC35-DC44-TypeB

The price was about $49.00

This is not a genuine part from Dyson and is an after market battery that suits a number of Dyson models, which are DC31, DC34, DC35, DC44, DC45 plus their Animal equivalents. Other models may have batteries available, just search for your model number online for a battery that may be suitable.

Interestingly, when the battery arrived about 4 days later, I was surprised to see the battery was actually a 3,500mAh model. So slightly larger capacity than originally purchased but I was happy to receive it.

Battery replacement

Removing the old battery require the canister and filter to be removed, plus two screws to be removed. One screw was behind the washable filter at the bottom and the second was on above the charging port on the rear edge of the Dyson vacuum. Once the screws were removed, I was able to slide the battery easily out of the unit.

Attaching the new battery was a little difficult, only because a bit of force was required to align the screw holes. A firm press of the battery into the Dyson unit, seemed to work and I’m assuming the battery fit more firmly due to the part not being a genuine Dyson part.

Outcome

The battery seemed to arrive fully charged and I was eager to see how well it performed over the previous battery that was lasting for such a short period of time. I also wanted to determine if it was simply the battery that had been faulty or was it a bigger issue that I faced. I was relieved to hear the Dyson vacuum still functioning after 1 minute of use. It sounded just as it had always sounded and was gobbling up dirt was well as it ever has in the past. On the ‘MAX’ setting, I was able to run the vacuum for 8 minutes 45 seconds, longer that I had ever been able to before!

So I decided to put the vacuum on charge and see how long it would take to charge. It took around 10 hours for the first charge to complete. Then I decided to try an endurance test again on the ‘MAX’ setting. This time it lasted 8 minutes 50 seconds, so very consistent with the previous running. I put it back on charge, this time it took roughly 8 hours. The next test I tried was to try it in ‘normal’ mode, this time I was able to used the Dyson for 21 minutes 16 seconds. How fantastic is that!?

One really interesting thing I noticed when comparing the original battery that came with my Dyson DC44 Animal and the new battery, is the difference in operating temperature between them. From new in 2016, I noticed the base of the battery on my Dyson would always be extremely hot to touch after vacuuming my house, with the new battery on ‘MAX’ or ‘normal’, it is not hot at all, in fact the entire unit feels the same temperature all over.

Analysis

DC 44 Animal – I will update the runtime over time as a review.

Replacement battery runtime – BRAND NEW:

‘MAX’   =  8 minutes 45 seconds
‘Normal’ =  21 minutes 16 seconds

Replacement battery runtime – After 1 month:

‘MAX’   =  TBA
‘Normal’ =  TBA

Replacement battery runtime – After 2 months:

‘MAX’   =  TBA
‘Normal’ =  TBA

Replacement battery runtime – After 6 months:

‘MAX’   =  TBA
‘Normal’ =  TBA

Zinken Compact 21 Instruction Manual

I’ve not got a background in woodworking but my recently passed father-in-law, was an expert joiner and carpenter. In his workshop, he has a Zinken Compact 21, a combination saw made in Italy.

After finding the instruction manual for this item, I decided to put it online for others to read, if they have misplaced their manual.

You can download the PDF of the manual by clicking on this link, Zinken Compact 21

California, USA travel

Car Rental: Enterprise Rent-a-car is the best company

 LA and Vegas!

Here’s an itemised list of things to do in both cities. Not saying I know all there is to do but I can suggest and see what you think.

Las Vegas:
We stayed on the ‘strip’ at a now demolished hotel, but anywhere on the strip is good (Best place to stay too, http://www.bellagio.com/). Off strip can be a little annoying to get around, but still fun.

1. Best thing we did was a Helicopter flight to Grand Canyon (with lunch inside the canyon next to the Colorado river), so good and think about it everyday even though it was 6 years ago.http://www.papillon.com/popris/show_package.aspx?package_id=19&lang=en-US

2. Fremont St is the original strip, its got some ‘classic’ casinos with an old school feel, the best thing about it is viva vision! You can catch a bus from your hotel or there is a public bus which takes you to Fremont St, it is well worth it. http://www.vegasexperience.com/#/viva/

3. Before or after Fremont St, the best shopping is at the Factory Outlets nearby. http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=58 By far the best shopping for the price.

4. Bellagio fountain is very impressive, look for it on the hour.

5. Sign up for the loyalty programs at any of the Casinos you visit as they have some really great gifts on offer.

6.  In Vegas the New York, New York, it is a fantastic casino with the best roller coaster I’ve ever been on. http://www.nynyhotelcasino.com/entertainment/entertainment_therollercoaster.aspx.

Los Angeles:
We love LA, I guess as its got so much going for it. Here’s a list of things to check out. Don’t be afraid to hire a car and drive, because you can get a car with GPS and get almost anywhere. Make sure you take out all insurance know to man if you do though (as I found out the hard way). LA is a driving city and the roads/freeways are so well linked its not funny:

1. Santa Monica pier for lunch or dinner is great. Lots of atmosphere and an excellent view. If you want to look around the Santa Monica area a little, walk across the road from the pier and into the Westfield shopping complex. Out the front is a nice ‘mall’ and cool cafes and bars.

2. Universal Studios with the VIP Experience is really good!http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/ticket_vip.html Or you can just head to Universal and look around, which is still great fun. Have a look at Universal City Walk for lunch or dinner, its a great experience.

3. Hollywood sign is a must! Most GPS devices have it listed. All tours go near it too. The roads around it are steep but have some amazing houses to check out.

4. Disneyland is worth a look too. The Downtown Disney area is great for shopping and eating.

5. The Griffith Observatory gives a fantastic view of LA, drive up and have a look around, http://www.griffithobs.org/

6. If you don’t get a car and want to see everything, then this will basically take in the main things in one day.http://www.starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-2A.asp Rochelle and her mum took this tour and loved it.

7. In Anaheim the best hotel to stay at is the Tropicana Inn, on South Harbour Blvd. Its 5 minutes walk to the gate (most other places you need to get a bus to and from the park and can be really annoying). Its very well priced too.  http://www.tropicanainn-anaheim.com/ 

8. A drive to San Diego is definitely worth it, the best beach is Coronado Beach (where they filmed a few scenes of Top Gun and right near the Pacific Naval base). There is an aircraft carrier museum with excellent jets and helicopters on deck to look through, awesome!

9. If you feel like drive up highway 1 from LA to SF make sure you check out Hearst Castle, it is by far the most amazing thing we have seen in all of our adventures to castles etc and on a lovely strip of coast line.  http://www.hearstcastle.org/ . We stayed in Cambria which is a lovely little town.

One thing we did which was whilst in LA, drive to Malibu. Pacific Coast highway and sun/sea/sand combination is something I cannot explain, just writing about it gives me a certain taste in my mouth and feeling. The houses and atmosphere are worth a look.

**** ONE THING YOU MUST DO, go to In-N-Out burger! Best burgers on earth and cheap. http://www.in-n-out.com/, theres one on the ‘strip’http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&oq&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=4888+DEAN+MARTIN+DR+LAS+VEGAS%2C+NV&fb=1&gl=au&hnear=4888+DEAN+MARTIN+DR+LAS+VEGAS%2C+NV&cid=0%2C0%2C1107683312251953565&ei=iIGdS6O7CsGOkQWG8uDIAg&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAcQnwIwAA

HOLLYWOOD – Where movies are made and the Stars live, also known as the entertainment capital of the world.

• WALK OF FAME – Where the stars are immortalized in cement.
• GRAUMAN’S CHINESE THEATRE – Footprints and hand prints of the most famous movie stars in the world are here.*
• KODAK THEATRE – New home of the Academy Awards, also nicknamed the “Crown Jewel of Hollywood”.
• HOLLYWOOD & HIGHLAND – Where you can shop at the newest star in Hollywood and also one of the most popular places to visit.
• SUNSET STRIP – Famous shops, restaurants and bars where celebrities meet, eat and play.
• RODEO DRIVE – Where you see Gucci, Prada, Versace, Chanel, Bijan, Louis Vuitton, should I say more?*
• THE BEVERLY CENTER – A shoppers paradise where at any time the most beautiful super models in the world can be found shopping for lingerie at Victorias Secret.
• CHINA TOWN – A fascinating place where the mix of chinese culture and the west seam so seamless.

Info from this tour: http://www.starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-2.asp

San Francisco

• Make sure you book your trip to Alcatraz now, as its really busy all year around and most of the time you cannot just walk up and get a ticket. Here’s the link to buy your tickets now with a city tour:https://www.alcatraztrips.com/citytour.asp (Tour checks out the best parts of SF and goes over the Golden Gate too). Great location 

to stay is Fisherman’s wharf just a short walk (1 block) and you’re on the Cable car either going  or into Union Square (centre of town). Reasonable
hotel is http://www.hiefishermanswharf.com/. One thing I might suggest is getting over to Sausolito for an hour or so, such an amazing place, this ferry can take you there from fishermans wharf return:http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/Ferry/Sausalito/index.cfm, or drive over the Golden Gate bridge there.

One thing you’ll have to do is walk up the world crookedest street in the world, Lombard St,http://www.sftravel.com/lomabardcrookedstreet.html.

So there you go, there are a heap of other things, like drive to Palm Springs and check out the desert or head to Yosemite (awesome views and scenery). Hope this list helps out a little.

iHerb.com

Do you rely  on nutritional supplements, I’ve found that iherb.com is by far the best pricing and also the lowest shipping cost out there.

If you are in the market to purchase supplements or other products from iherb.com, feel free to use my discount code TUS403.