A Simple and Cost Effective Water Irrigation System for Flower Pots

 24 September 2019

 # Water irrigation,  flower pot, capillary,  dripping  https://tinyurl.com/yxc44fzg

Jump to:

1. What’s needed?
2. Special Feature of System?
3. How System Work?
4. Preparation and Installation? 
5. The Previous Home Irrigation System

A Simple and Cost Effective Water Irrigation System for Flower Pots

This is another water irrigation system for flower pots.  It is  improved  from Home Irrigation System described here.   This  irrigation system  utilises the same working principle using water dripping method through capillary action;  only,  in this setup,  the preparation  is much simpler and water dripping rates can be controlled.

What are the Features?

a)  The system is simple;

b)  Cost effective;  mostly using waste and cheap materials;

c)  Wicks are covered and do not allow algae growth

d)  Easy to maintain and last longer without much attention.

What’s needed?

  

1.  1 roll of 4 mm diameter silicone aquarium air tube;  preferably black in color or painted black to prevent algae growth
2. Fish tank aquarium 3 way connector
3.  MS TP250 70cc Plastic water cup with lid for each plant as water receiver to keep water level constant for capillary flow
4. Dremel or similar with abrasive grinding Stone of 3.5 mm tip
5.  A few sheets of woven type fabric filter cloth
6   Few glue sticks & glue gun
7.  Mini float valve
8  MS 850 (800 cc)  Disposable PP plastic Food container
9  One length of 3mm thick 28mm PVC water pipe,  6” (150mm) long

How Water Will Drip?

Each flower pot will have one water cup,  inside which has one or two wicks made from woven fabric depending on the size of the flower pot.  During operation,  the wick will suck up the water by capillary action and drip the water through the stem of the cup.  This will wet the surrounding soil to achieve proper irrigation.

Preparation and Installation

Description	Action	Remark  doubleclick to enlarge pictures
1.  Arranging the Pots	Arrange the pots and group them according to heights	1. The water in the cup must maintain at almost the same level for each group of pot. 2.  One can raise the swallow pot by using styrofoam or wooden planks 3.  For taller flower pots,  make sure the earth is filled only to the same height as the other pots;  hole will need to be drilled at the soil level for the 4mm  tube to thread through.
2.  Preparing the wick	1.  Take 2 sheets of fabric sheet and use an electric iron or a plastic sealer to join the 2 pieces at the edges
	2.  Fold the sheet to ease cutting and cut the fabric sheet into  multiple of ¼” to 5/16” (6-8mm) strips as the wicks
3.  Preparing the cups	1.  Drill 2 holes;  the top one about 5 mm diameter and the lower one about 3 mm,  just smaller than the 4 mm air tube	The top one is for fabric wick to pass through and the lower one is for the aquarium air tube.  The lower hole should be just smaller than the air tube to maintain water tightness when air tube is inserted
	2.  Cut a short piece of aluminium foil of about  10 x60 mm,  fold it and hot glued to the plastic cup	To hide the fabric and prevent it from exposing to sun to prevent algae growth
	3.  Install the wick hangers onto the interior of the cup for  water dripping rate adjustment	Water dripping rate will depend on the length of the fabric. The longer the wick,  the lesser the water dripping rate.  The hangers will allow the wick to be  circled around the internal top of the cup
	4.  Painting the external of the cup to prevent sun exposure and connecting up the plastic cups with T shape air connector
3.  Preparing  the water reservoir	1.  Drill 2 holes on a 800 cc disposable container.  One on top for the mini float and the other at the bottom for the 3 way connector   as shown
	2.  Cut about 6”(150mm)  from a 3 mm thick 28mm PVC water pipe.  Split and heat flattened the pipe to make few  pieces of 15x150 mm PVC strips
	3.  Bend the PVC strip into shape using a lighter;  then rivets onto the reservoir  as shown
	4.  In the field,  using a lighter to further soften and bend the PVC strips so that it will attach onto the selected flower pot as shown.  Using bubble leveller if necessary to set the level.
4.  Field Setting up	1.  Daisy-chain the cups using 4mm aquarium tube and T joint and install the water reservoir	One 4mm hose should be able to daisy-chain more than 6 flower pot.
	2.  Water prime the system by filling up the water reservoir   and  lifting the reservoir;
	3.  After a few hours,  check the level in the cup and adjust the  water level to about ½ cup by lifting up or pressing down the cup	1. If the lifting the cup expose too much of the stem,  use  a larger open ended (top and bottom) disposable cup filled with earth to increase the soil  height  as shown One can  raise the height of the cup by as much as 6”(150 mm) or more using other containers like a small mineral water bottle. 2.  One can put Styrofoam under the flower pot to lift the pot
	4.  Check and readjust the height of the cup	a)  If there is a lot of water leakages from the pot  after lowering the water level to a very low level,  one can further reduce the water dripping rate by  Adjusting the length of the wick that  circulate inside the cup Cut and trim the width of the wick b)  If the flower pot is excessively big,  one can  install more water cup or add an additional wick into the existing water cup.
5,  Painting up	Paint the transparent or semi transparent aquarium hoses, containers, cups dark	So as not to allow algae growth

Source of Water Supply

The water source can be from a water tank like toilet cistern or overhead water tank.   Water mains can also be used provided permanent piping are used for connection from the water source to the water reservoir.     

According to specification,  the mini-float can withstand a maximum water pressure of about 0.6 MPA or 87 psi.

Video Clips for the above Article

Part 1 : How to Make the Water Cup for Flower Pots 

 

 Part 2 : How to Make the Water Reservoir for the Flower Pot Watering System

   

VIU & VIU TV for MiTV

 20 September 2019

# VIU, VIU TV,  MiTV  https://tinyurl.com/yyrlcaux

VIU & VIU TV for MiTV

VIU and VIU TV are Hong Kong based video streaming provider from PCCW Media.  They  provides dramas, variety shows, movies and more. .  This article will introduce 2 APKs that can work in the new MiTV and Mibox with Android TV OS as well as the old MiTV with patchwall OS.

 1.  What is VIU?

VIU is a  over-the-top(OTT)  video streaming provider.  Bulk of the content is from Korea but VIU also has contents from Hong Kong and Thailand as well.

2.  What is VIU TV

VIU TV on the other hand is one of the free-to-air TV station broadcaster in Hong Kong.     It is a competitor of TVB (Hong Kong).   Like MediaCorp/Toggle Singapore,  VIU TV offers its broadcasted programs online for the Web as well as  handphone and TV users.   It is different from Toggle in a way that TV viewers can view the program in almost all TVs whereas Toggle can only be viewed from certain brands of TV.

 

3.  Additional Information About VIU

From VIU,com Website

From VIU Singapore Website

VIU has the largest content deals in Asia and have access to many content providers in Asian countries.

a. Countries Available?

Currently, VIU is available in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan.

Each country has its own  specific content to cater their viewers

b.  Subscription

VIU offers free subscription for its general contents but for those die-hard VIU viewers,  VIU also offers them a VIU Premium (VP).at a cost of about  SGD$6.98/month.   The differences between the free and Premium viewers are as follows

 

 

In other words,  the differences are

Details	Free Users	VIP
Hours after Airing	72 hours	8 hours
Accessibility	Dramas and Variety	All accesses
Advertisement	Frequent advertisement	Some advertisement
Picture Quality	Lower HD (480 p)	Full HD (1080p)
Chromecast & AirPlay Cast	Not available	Available
Downloads	One video at one time	Unlimited download

4. Additional Information About VIU TV

1.  Programs

Viewers can watch programs and dramas broadcasted in Hong Kong as well as  online videos on demand to catch up with programs just like Toggle Singapore;

2.  Live Simulcast:   Can watch live broadcast of ch.99 simultaneously anywhere;

3  Live Events:  Can watch live concerts and showbiz events online.

4. Interactions:   Can play games and chat with others while watching live.

5. Membership: Register with Facebook or Google Accounts.

5.  Working APKs for MiTV?

1.  The Apk for MiTV for VIU can be downloaded here

2.  The Apk for MiTV for VIU TV can be downloaded here

As VIU TV is locked for Hong Kong viewers,  viewers from other countries will have to use VPN to watch the VIU TV programs. Ignore the warning about needs of google services to play the program.

A Possible non-Traditional Method for Caring Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever

18 August 2019

 # Dengue,  fever, caring of dengue  https://tinyurl.com/y4themye

A Possible non-Traditional Method for Caring Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever

One of our family member had  Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever a few years ago.  It was an agony moment for the family.  She was hospitalized after a clinic blood test measured a platelet count of less than 20,000 per microlitre of blood.

Symptoms

She had the following symptoms:

1.   Onset of fever for a few days;  the fever will not go away after taking the Panadole;

2.   Severe and painful headache;

3    Joint and muscle pain;
4    Nausea and not eating 

What is a Platelet Count?

Platelets are tiny blood cells that help your body form clots to stop bleeding.    A typical person has a platelet count of between 150 -250 (150,000 and 250,000 per microlitre of blood).

Dengue patients will have a Platelet count below 100,000.    It is best to admit the patient to hospital when the Platelet count is below 40,000.

What Do they Do?

Presently,  there is no medicinal cure for dengue treatment.  The patient is put under observation for natural recovery.   Once the Platelet count starts to rise,  they would be discharged.   The patient was advised not to do certain things like brushing teeth to avoid bleeding.

What the Chinese Believed?

In the Chinese medical history,  there is this believe that one could achieve the purpose of caring for a corresponding part or organ by eating similar part or an organ of animal or a plant,   resembling a human body part.   For example, patients with fractures can drink more bone soup;  those with  weak waist eat more pork loin.  This therapeutic method is called “以形补形” in Chinese.

Is there any logic?

Platelets are produced in the bone marrow.   The believe is for patient to drink the bone marrow soup.

The Recipe?

Item Description	Nos	Remark
1.  Complete piece of pig leg bone	1	Available from Wet Market Pork Stall.  Break into half to expose the bone marrow.
2.  Red dates	10 pieces	Cut dates into half
3.  Lotus Root	1 piece	Cut into pieces

Cooking

Clean the ingredients properly with water  and put them all in a double boil pot as shown.  Add water to cover the ingredients and place the pot into the slow cooker having water covering 1/2 to 3/4 of the pot.  Boil at low heat for about 4 to 6 hours then serve the soup  in bowl..

Taste of Soup

The soup was  tasty.  Not other ingredients were necessary although a sprinkle of small amount of salt will enhance the taste. This soup can be consumed as normal soup.

  

Result of Blood Test  

The soup was served 3 times a day for about 1 week after being discharged from hospital with a platelet count of about 22,000.     The next blood test at the clinic saw the platelet count rose to about 400,000 per microlitre of blood,   which is the highest limit of a normal person.                            

Differences Between Mirroring & ChromeCast or Similar Devices

17 September 2019

 # Screen mirroring, ChromeCast,  MiraCast,Airplay

Jump to:

1. What is ChromeCast?
2. What is the Difference Between ChromeCast and Google Cast?
3. What is the Difference Between ChromeCast and MiraCast?
4. Other Screen Casting Devices

Differences Between Mirroring & ChromeCast or Similar Devices

In the market,   there are several devices that can help users to cast the screen of the handphones,  tablets or PC to the TV. Some of these come in the form of  an App are free;  other come complete with apparatus that will cost some money.     This article is not intended to find out which device or App is the best but to introduce the concept of mirroring and find out the differences between the various devices to understand them.

What is Mirroring ? 

Simply put,  it is a way to cast what is shown on the screen of the handphones,  tablets or PC directly to the TV.  It is done either through a solid cable or through the home WiFi network.  

Mirroring will need 2 similar apps,  one to be installed  in the handphone and the other in the Smart TV unless the TV  already has built-in devices like GoogleCast or MiraCast that that can work with the mirroring apps in the phones.

During mirroring,  the phone must be on or put on standby mode,   allowing the mirroring apps to run at all time. 

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What is ChromeCast?

ChromeCast is a streaming device that has its own CPU,  RAM and Flash memory,  wireless module just like any other set top box except it utilises handphone as a remote control using wireless or Bluetooth connectivity.    To control the ChromeCast,  the handphone will need to have an app called “Google Home”.   The phone can  be switched off  when the link to the Chromecast has been established.

Inside ChromeCast

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What is the Difference Between ChromeCast and Google Cast?

The main difference is that ChromeCast has its own CPU,  RAM and storage memory.  It is acting like a small set top box.  It can work independently using the TV as a dumb screen provided the TV has a HDMI input port.

On the other hand,  Google Cast is a ChromeCast component built into the Smart TV.   It works within  the Smart TV and helps to receive the link from the phone and runs the appropriate apps in the Smart TV.   Like ChromeCast,     the phone is used only to establish the link and can  be switched off  once the link has been established. Google Cast is also known to be “ChromeCast Built-in”

DoubleClick to Enlarge Picture

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What is the Difference Between ChromeCast and MiraCast?

MiraCast,  like ChromeCast,  come with both,  the stand-alone as dongle or built-in into Smart TV.   Its primary purpose is to replace the wireless links such as HDMI and Wifi network  between the phone and the Smart TV.  MiraCast is often used  for "Power Point" presentation in places where there are no local Wifi network.   Unlike ChromeCast,  MiraCast is just a mirroring device that do not have any streaming capability.

Doubleclick to enlarge Picture

 

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Other Screen Casting Devices

In the market,  there are also many other similar screen casting devices.  They can be grouped into 4 groups. They are more or less the same except some have special and separate functions

Casting Devices	Brand Name	Remarks
Group I  Mirror Screening Device  using Apps	AirPlay,  Airscreen, HappyCast,Apower Mirror, DLNA, Wukong Remote, Lebo,  Mi ScreenCast	Most of the mirror screening device are covered here
Group 2  Mirror Screening Device using dongle remote devices	MiraCast
Group 3  Streaming Device (stick or dongle	Google ChromeCast;  Roku stick,  Amazon Fire TV stick	Some come with separate remote controls
Group 4  Streaming Device (set top box)	Apple TV Box,  Nvidia Shield TV, Roku Ultra, MiBox