NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, October 2004
President's Corner
by David Hinds, President
dlhinds@cox-internet.com
(click to email author)


Our September Q&A session resulted in a lot of questions that I couldn't answer. Fortunately, it's not up to me to know all the answers or there would have been a lot of people going away wondering why they came. As is usually the case we had at least one person present (and sometimes several) that could respond with how they had overcome the problem or else made a suggestion that could lead to a solution. Even though the session lasted longer than usual, from where I was standing it looked like most were interested in the discussions. It's difficult for me to make notes while moderating but some of the questions I did manage to get notes on included "Website not found" (or similar message) from a site that had been accessed before. One thing to remember that just as every home or business that I know of has a limited number of phone lines, every website has a limited number of connection points and when these points are all busy your browser is going to tell you somehow that it can't connect. That message, while not necessarily audible, can still be as annoying as Ma Bell's familiar beep, beep, beep, but the problem usually can be overcome by time and persistence.

Another interesting question was what to do about a clock that kept losing time. This is a good indication that the battery on the motherboard needs to be replaced. Changing the battery is not as big a challenge as some people might think once you get over the hurdle of opening the case. Before opening the case disconnect the power cable so you don't accidentally let the smoke out of any of the chips (remember that when the smoke gets out of any type of electronic equipment it usually won't work anymore). Once you have the case open look for the button cell battery (resembles the battery in your watch only larger-generally about the size of a quarter in diameter) on the motherboard (the largest circuit board inside the case). Write down the numbers that are on the battery (usually visible without removing from the socket), then take those numbers to your local Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, etc. and purchase a replacement. Once you have the replacement in hand, pop out the old battery and plug in the new one, close up the case, plug it back in and you should be back in business. A few cautions should be observed while inside the box. Keep one hand always in contact with the metal case to avoid static electricity discharges. Use caution if you have to move cables to access the battery that they don't get disconnected. Don't leave the battery out for a month or you may end up having to restore the CMOS settings.

A reminder, officer elections are coming up in November. The nominations from the E-board will be in this newsletter. Any member can make nominations from the floor during the October business session, but if you intend to nominate someone, be sure that person is agreeable.

The November E-board meeting will be on November 6, 1:00 P.M. at Springdale's Number 6 Fire Station training room. Station 6 is on South 56th street across from the Marketplace Grill. All e-board meetings are open to all members, but you are especially encouraged to attend this meeting if you have suggestions, ideas, or topics of interest for next year's programs. Parking is available in front and in the back of the station, just don't park in front of the big doors!!

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