So sometime last year, I bought this interface because, hey, it’s relatively cheap right? And who cares that it comes without a case?
Well. I kinda did after getting it. Inserting it into a cartridge slot with a lid is incredibly annoying, because it’s difficult to align it to the actual cartridge port.
However, a little while ago, a friend gave me some hardware, and among it was a Philips NMS 1250 modem. Not very useful in these modern times, so it sat on the shelf for a while, and although I did try to convert it to an RS-232 interface at one point, the project wasn’t a very successful (or useful in my case).
I had considered putting the Maxiol into this case before, but never really fully attempted it because of how it would fit; I’d have to dremel out the screwholes and everything… but today, I just thought “screw it”, and went ahead.
Some rough measuring did make me find out I had to cut a slight hole for the PATA connector (which I’m not using, so I didn’t cut it out in full… yet), and a hole for the socketed chips (which are a bit too tall to fit otherwise).
A little while of dremeling later, and this is the result.
It’s not pretty, but it does work, and it’s a bit more protected. I might end up trying to make it look a bit tidier later on as well, but functionality was a bit more important at first ^^
Still to do: drilling 3 small holes to make the LED’s visible. Maybe even putting LEDs in the case itself so they’re properly visible, but I’m not too sure yet if I want to attempt soldering directly on the cart… I’d hate to break my only mass-storage device for MSX ^^
[Image Descriptions: A tweet from Alice Wong saying: “The delights of being disabled: I found out the BiPap machine I use at night and day (both models) are RECALLED (US only). Due to disintegrating foam inside!! That people…who need respiratory support…are breathing in.” A retweet from Erik Ekins (QueerlyAutistic) saying: “The fact that people are finding this out through Twitter, about the machines that literally help/enable them to breathe.”]
Current as of June 14, 2021. Tweets are from June 15 and June 16, this reblog is on the 18th.
Also, the tweet says “recalled (U.S. Only)” but the article says “recall notification (U.S. only) / field safety notice (International Markets)”, so I’m guessing it’s not that only machines sold in the U.S. have this problem, just that the terminology of the required warning varies country to country. This is probably worth looking at even if you’re outside the U.S.
Called my CPAP distributor/service on June 14, 2021, upon hearing about this.
They were not informed of the recall in advance of the press release. The poor woman who answered the phone was frantic. They were swamped with calls and nobody could tell her what to say.
As of my second call (Wednesday 16th) they still claimed to have no way to know which devices/patients were affected. They were supposedly “hoping” to have a sort of what-to-do email out to customers/patients by Friday 18th. They didn’t.
(The link above lets you register your device and provide contact info, but then sadly informs you that Philips don’t know nothin’ ’bout nothin’ and they’ll get back to you approximately the 12th of Never.)
But seriously, if you have a CPAP/BiPAP/etc. from Philips, don’t assume you will get a card in the mail. Don’t assume the company that sells, rents, maintains, or keeps you in parts for your durable medical equipment EVEN KNOWS THIS IS HAPPENING, let alone intends to contact you directly.
As it goes in America: you have to fight the corporations for your own lives.
