Month: March 2016

Cars You Need To Avoid at All Costs

Vehicles are an investment. Choosing cars can be risky and at times downright confusing. It is therefore paramount you read reviews first no matter how popular or cheap a car is. When something is branded by a manufacturer to be fuel efficient and cheap it does not necessarily mean that you get good value for dollar. The same is true at the other end of the spectrum, expensive and stylish does not always mean good performance. Most if not all of the cars featured below will visit an auto recycling Blue Island IL facility soon.

The Mitsubishi Mirage

Mitsubishi MirageThe Mirage may be one of the cheapest and fuel efficient cars today. However it has scored very low in the performance department. Built completely in Thailand, the Mirage is powered by a puny three-cylinder engine that has a nasty habit of vibrating uncontrollably when all 74 horsepower is running. Handling is also a struggle with the Mirage as car reviewers placed it is extremely clumsy that it “leans in corners like a drunken sailor.”

Nissan Armada

Dubbed as having the worst fuel economy at 9/13 miles per gallon on average, it is highly likely that owners will trade this gas-guzzler for more efficient models very soon. This SUV features a 5.6-liter V8 that dates back well into the ancient past. Dubbed by Consumer Reports as the vehicle that aims to suck every last drop of fossil fuel from the earth, the Armada has a thirst for fuel like no other. Units will likely be brought to a junk my car Arlington IL dealer very soon.

Mini Cooper S

Dubbed as the “worst used car to own” by Consumer Reports it has a number of issues including major and minor engine problems, cooling, fuel systems, body integrity and body hardware problems, the car is also quite expensive to fix.

To know more about what cars to avoid and why log on to http://cashforjunkcars-chicago.com/

 

 

Dog Boarding Kennels You Should Avoid

dog boarding 1Dog kennels are places where you can take your pet whenever you need to be out of town on business or vacation. Dog boarding is a better solution as opposed to merely leaving your pet with a neighbor or worse, home alone. Dog boarding kennels can provide not just for the basic needs of your pet but also even their social requirements as well. Not all dog-boarding facilities are the same and hence here are some tips on what to avoid when looking for one.

No Immunization History

It is standard for reputable dog boarding facilities to look for the immunization history of your pet. The reason for this is simple: To avoid infection with potential carriers of disease. The simple fact that your pet will be spending a lot of time closely with other dogs, the higher the possibility of getting a potential life threatening communicable disease like parvo distemper or Bordetella also known as “kennel cough”. Good dog kennel facilities make it a requirement for pet owners to present proof that their pets have updated vaccinations prior to check-in.

Cheap Does Not Necessarily Mean Saving Money

Pet owners that are looking for cheap dog boarding facilities may get what they pay for. Cheap facilities do not guarantee that your pet stays healthy and stress free as there may be some overcrowding and poor hygiene due to substandard facilities. So if you love your pet, look for a facility that is appropriately priced so you can rest assured that your pet is in good hands.

Tours are not allowed

While reputable dog boarding facilities may not allow you to look inside their premises personally for health and security reasons, they should at least provide you with a virtual tour of the facility so that you are informed of the nature of their facilities. This can be done via a virtual tour online or through CCTV monitoring in the reception area of the facility.

 

Effective Website Design and Implementation

According to internet marketing Minnesota experts, the first step to improving your online presence is to make a website that functions well and reads well to your target audience. Ineffective websites serve to only alienate your demographic and can lead to a downward spike in your search engine result rankings. Here are some tips on effective website design and implementation.

Design and Ease of Usage

If the last time you have updated your site was five years ago then boy you are really in deep trouble. The aesthetics and functionality are way different than what is being implemented today. First impressions can really last forever on the internet so an outdated design and poor navigation will definitely not serve your best interest. Five years ago, mobile computing was just beginning to pick up; nowadays it has overtaken desktop usage as the number one gadget people use to go online. If you have a website that is not yet mobile ready but your competition does where do you think those projects will go? Aside from making your site mobile-friendly it is best to stay with a clean layout that is not too dependent on existing trends and fads.

Transparency

Search engine optimization St. Paul specialists recommend that you take steps to make your site transparent to your users. It is important that people see the human touch behind the website and not just make it look like it is run by bots. Customers want to know if they can put their trust in your company and that means putting people that can get hold of if they have concerns or issues. Better transparency can be achieved through the creation of an “about us” page with real people from your company and not just stock photographs. Make sure to include contact information and make it a breeze for your customers to contact them. This means that you are available for whatever requests or questions they may have with regards to your products and services.

Do not be Shady

A lot of website owners believe that just because they have a lot of testimonials on their site they have already achieved a level of reputation that can put them on top of the search engine rankings. To tell you quite frankly, it is very easy to “manufacture” testimonials in a bid to improve reputation. If you do have genuinely good testimonials from users or reviewers, make sure that you place links for customers to verify the information. The important thing to think about here is not to be afraid to link with other sites if it is able to serve your interests.

To know more about how to make an effective website log on to: www.jrhoadesconsulting.com

 

Garage Door Maintenance Advice

Garage doors are utilitarian items that serve an important purpose in any home.  They provide convenient ingress and egress of vehicles into the garage without the need for the homeowner to get out of the car to manually open a door.  As with everything that has moving parts, garage doors are subject to wear and tear.  Here is some useful garage door maintenance recommendations.

Alignment Check

As one of the most used pieces of equipment in the home, garage doors need to be checked regularly for proper alignment.  According to Garage Door Minneapolis MN experts, alignment checks need to be performed at least twice a year.  Check out any worn, loose or misaligned springs, cables, levers and hinges.  Also, check out the condition of the tracks and see if they are correctly aligned with the rollers. When doing the checks, perform also tightening of the screws, nuts and bolts as these are notorious for causing misalignment.

If you are having issues with the garage door lock, it is possible that the lock bar may require realignment. This can be achieved by removing the screws that hold it together and performing the adjustments as needed.  It is important to note however that aligning a garage door can be quite dangerous if you are not familiar with the mechanisms surrounding the door. May be best to call a professional just to be safe.

Oil it up

In order for the garage door to work effectively, all moving parts need proper lubrication such as rollers, roller tracks, latches, hinges, pulleys, bearings and springs.  Using WD-40 or any lightweight oil can do the trick just fine.

Rollers are another important component of the garage door. You know that they require lubrication if they are sticking or not turning smoothly.  Signs of damage means they will have to be replaced immediately.

According to Garage Door New Brighton MN professionals, weather stripping along the sides and base of the door should also be cleaned and lubricated with the use of vinyl cleaner.  Applying this can prevent it from cracking or drying out.

To talk to a professional garage door mechanic log on to http://www.garagedoorsplusllc.com/

 

Features of Microlens

When we talk about microlens we are referring to small lens that possess a diameter that is smaller than a millimeter and are most often about 10 micrometres in size. From a design standpoint, the miniscule size of the lenses provides a feature that offers excellent optical quality but can be prone to some unwanted effects like optical diffraction.

Microlens typically can be a single element that contains a plain surface and a single spherical convex surface for the purpose of refracting the light. The fact that microlenses are quite miniscule, the substrate that supports them is most often thicker than the lens and therefore should be considered in the design. Advanced lenses may use aspherical surfaces while others may feature several layers of optical material for them to achieve the desired design performance.

GRIN LENSAnother kind of microlens contains a couple of flat as well as parallel surfaces and the concentrating effect is achieved through a variation of refractive index across the lens and is known as gradient-index lenses or GRIN. There are some microlenses that attain their focusing effect through both the variation in refractive index as well as the surface shape.

Microlens arrays feature several lenses formed in a one dimensional or two dimensional arrays on a supporting substrate. In the case where each of the lenses contains circular apertures and hence not allowed to overlap with one another, the solution is placement in a hexagonal array so as to achieve the best coverage of the substrate. What you need to know is that there will still be gaps between the lenses which can only be reduced by making the microlenses with non-circular apertures. For optical sensor arrays these feature tiny lens systems that focus and concentrate the light source onto what is called a photodiode surface as opposed to making it come in contact with non-photosensitive sections of the pixel device.

Another kind of microlens also known as micro Fresnel lenses can focus light via refraction through a set of concentric curved surface. These lenses can be made quite thin and very lightweight. On the other hand, binary focus lenses concentrate light via the diffraction process. The contain grooves that feature stepped edges or multilevels that estimate the most ideal form. They are quite advantages in replication and fabrication like semiconductor processes featured in photolithography.

To know more log on to www.igi.com

 

The Basics of Choosing an Analog Slot Car Track Set

When you are new to slot car racing, there are many important things that you need to know in order to get a good handle on the hobby and truly make the most out of it. One of the most fundamental is selecting a slot car track set. For folks that like to go old school here are the basics.

Analog Slot Car Track SetFirst off, there are many amazing brands out there such as Carrera slot car systems, Scalextric Sport and Nimco to name a few. All of them have been around the business for quite sometime already and are known to have excellent track records respectively. Just so you know, all race track sets from the different manufacturers come with everything you need in order to enjoy this hobby: slot car, tracks, controllers and power supply with on exception, Nimco. Some of their analog sets do not have slot cars included to allow the user to choose their own.

Carrera Track Sets

Carrera slot car tracks are unique in the sense that they are the only ones that is made out of hard, smooth styrene plastic material. This allows for a sturdier and more durable track compared to the other brands that are usually made out of soft plastic. Moreover, Carrera is also the only one that features tracks that are wide enough in order to accommodate 1/24 slot car and 1/32 scales both on the same track. While it is true that there are not many 1/24 models lying around, if you prefer flexibility in racing with bigger cars then this is the scale to best use. What makes sets Carrera apart from the others is the that they are less prone to temperature effects due to the styrene material used making it less likely to warp.

Carrera also features rails that have a much higher nickel content which makes them less than likely to corrode in hot and humid conditions. The fact that Carrera has the widest track among the bunch means that there is also lots of room to race. The downside is though; it will take up more of your living room space.

To know more about slot car tracks log on to www.carreraslots.com

 

Water Pollution Solutions

water pollutionAny elementary school student can tell you that water covers about 70% of the earth’s surface and is absolutely vital to the survival of the human race. Water pollution occurs when there is any chemical, physical or biological change to the water quality found in our ecosystem. This results into devastatingly harmful effects on any living creature that lives or thrives in it. According to on-site carbon exchange services specialists, causes of water pollution include untreated waste from homes, industrial and farming activities, oil spillage and a process called eutrophication.

Wastewater Treatment

In order to ensure that wastewater does not harm the natural environment, wastewater decontamination and treatment needs to be instituted. Industrial sewage and wastewater needs to undergo this process prior to its release to the environment. A groundwater treatment system needs to be put in place so that the sewage and other contaminated water sources can undergo a number of chemical processes in order to minimize its toxicity to the environment.

Ozone Treatment

In this method, an ozone generator breaks the contaminants down. It utilizes ultraviolet radiation or an electric discharge field in order to convert oxygen into ozone. Due to its reactive nature, it will oxidize bacteria, mold and organic pollutants.

Septic Treatment

Septic tanks may be able to treat sewage by separating solids from liquids. It relies on biological processes to degrade the solids while the liquids are channeled onto a large drainage system.

Denitrification

This is essentially an ecological process that converts nitrates into nitrogen gas, which prevents it from leaching into the soil and contaminating the groundwater. The process prevents eutrophication or over fertilization, which results to high nitrogen content in the water producing overgrowth of phytoplankton and algae.

To learn more about water treatment methods visit: www.carbonair.com                                                

 

DIY Concrete Resurfacing

As any builder will tell you, concrete is one of the most popular construction materials around due to its innate strength and moderate cost of application. However, due to its porous nature, overtime it will develop cracks and pits if no concrete sealer is applied. According to ready mix concrete delivery Minneapolis MN, instead of replacing broken concrete it can simply be resurfaced by applying a new smooth surface over the previous one. Here is a DIY tutorial on concrete resurfacing.

Cleaning

pressure washerThe first step is to get rid of all surface debris on the damaged concrete floor using a pressure washer. If there are sections that have cumbersome grease stains, using a commercial degreasing product can help remove it.

Concrete Resurfacing

Once done, concrete Twin cities MN recommend that you begin to mix a batch of concrete resurfacing product with water in a mixing bucket. Ideally, the batch needs to be as thick as peanut butter. Using a trowel, fill in any holes or cracks with the product. Simply feather the edges of the product into the damaged concrete as best you can. Try not to worry too much about how to do it, as the patches will be covered along with the rest of the concrete. Once done, allow the patches to dry according to manufacturer recommendations.

Outdoor Projects

If you are working on an outdoor concrete resurfacing project such as repairing a patio, press horizontal lumber pieces into the ground around the concrete, as it will prevent the resurfacing product from spilling past the edges and onto your yard.

Mix a large batch of resurfacing product and water using a 5-gallon bucket, following the mixing ratio provided. Pour the resurfacing product onto the concrete and spread it evenly. Use a tarp over the work area until dry in order to hold in moisture, which slows the drying process and strengthens the end product.

To know more about concrete’s properties log on to www.aggregatemn.com

 

What To Do When A Pacemaker Defibrillator Kicks Into Action

Persons with a serious heart condition like arrhythmias rely on a pacemaker defibrillator which is implanted into the chest. In the event that the heart rhythm becomes erratic, the pacemaker defibrillator goes into action by delivering a small electrical shock in order to correct the abnormal rhythm. To avoid a potentially fatal situation, persons with pacemakers and those that are scheduled to have one installed need to know the steps in the event that their pacemaker defibrillator goes off.

Safety is a Priority

Pacemaker DefibrillatorBefore doing anything else, make sure that you are in a safe environment. For example, if your job requires you to operate heavy machinery, turn it off so that you will not get hurt if the heart condition that caused the pacemaker defibrillator kicks into action making you lose control of the machinery. If you are simply standing when an event occurs, first step is to sit down immediately so that you avoid a nasty fall if you faint. Use relaxation methods like controlled breathing in order to help your heartbeat to go back to its normal rhythm.

Check the immediate environment

If you feel ok and still the defibrillator went off, check the immediate environment to ascertain whether external factors like radios, cellular phones and other devices that can generate magnetic fields are nearby. All of these can set it off even when there is really nothing wrong with you at the moment.

Get Help

Do not be afraid to ask for help as your life may be in peril. Call an ambulance or have someone call 911 for you. Emergency responders have the necessary equipment like an automatic external defibrillator that they can use in the event that the situation warrants it. If it is possible, contact the hospital to which the first responder will transport you or that implanted the defibrillator. This is important in order for the cardiologist to determine what caused the issue in the first place.

To learn more about defibrillators and other emergency devices log on to https://aedland.com