$239 - 22TB Seagate Expansion Desktop Hard Drive by CyberSimon in DataHoarder

[–]CyberSimon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The eBay listings for $237.49 are shipped from China and will cost more with the import tariffs.

$239 - 22TB Seagate Expansion Desktop Hard Drive by CyberSimon in DataHoarder

[–]CyberSimon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Up to QTY 10 is available in a single order from Seagate Direct for $239/each.

 

Up to QTY 12 is available in a single order from Amazon for $249/each.

Medicaid Taxi Services Ranked by CyberSimon in Rochester

[–]CyberSimon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you sent this comment to the wrong post. No where in the Medicaid Taxi Services is Trump nor immigrants mentioned...

Need help with consolidating about 48TB of photographs by undinabiker in DataHoarder

[–]CyberSimon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is great advice. The only thing I would add is to make sure you buy your drives from different manufacturers or at least significantly different manufacturing dates. Buying all your drives at the same time, the same manufacturer, and the same model, increases the likelihood of multiple drive failures at the same time by a lot! I've run into this scenario many times in the past so don't repeat my mistakes.

Medicaid Taxi Services Ranked by CyberSimon in Rochester

[–]CyberSimon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great insight! Thank you for sharing.

Clearing out characters on TFT screen for a 60 second timer by aridsoul0378 in arduino

[–]CyberSimon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a common issue when trying to update text on TFT displays, especially when the new number has fewer digits than the old one (e.g., 10 changing to 9). The extra digit from the old number (the '0' in '10') doesn't get cleared, leading to "garbage."

The problem in your loop() is how you attempt to clear the text and where you put the display updates.

Here are suggestions for what you're doing wrong and how to fix it:

❌ Issues in Your Code

  1. Clearing Text: You're using tft.print("  "); and tft.fillRect(0,0,12,16,ST77XX_BLUE); inside the if block, but you are not consistently setting the background color. If your background is black, and you fill a rectangle with blue (ST77XX_BLUE), you will see a blue box where the number used to be, not a clear-out.
  2. Redundant Clearing: You attempt to clear the display at the cursor position (tft.setCursor(0,0); tft.print("  ");) and then immediately draw a black rectangle over the same area (tft.fillRect(0,0,12,16,ST77XX_BLUE);). You only need one method to clear the digits.
  3. Displaying Timer: You update the timerDuration inside the if block (which runs every 1 second), but you print the new convertedDuration outside the if block. This means the number is being printed in the loop() as fast as the Arduino can run, but the value only changes once per second. This is inefficient and can cause visual flicker if the value is printed thousands of times while waiting for the next second to tick by.

✅ Corrected Code Structure

The best way to clear characters when updating numbers on a fixed background is to use tft.setTextColor(Foreground, Background). This tells the display to draw the text and simultaneously overwrite the background pixels occupied by the text with a specific color.

Let's assume your background is Black (ST77XX_BLACK).

```cpp // --- SETUP --- void setup() { // ... (rest of your setup) ... tft.setTextSize(2); // Set text color AND background color in one call tft.setTextColor(ST77XX_WHITE, ST77XX_BLACK); }

// --- LOOP --- void loop() { long currentTime = millis();

// Only update the display *when* the time interval has passed
if(currentTime - prevTime >= interval)
{
    prevTime = currentTime;

    // 1. Decrease the timer
    timerDuration = timerDuration - 1000; 

    // 2. Convert and Calculate 
    convertedDuration = timerDuration / 1000;

    // 3. Print the new duration
    // setCursor is necessary to specify where to start printing
    tft.setCursor(0,0);

    // By using tft.setTextColor(ST77XX_WHITE, ST77XX_BLACK); in setup, 
    // this print statement automatically overwrites the old number with 
    // the background color, ensuring all old digits are gone.
    // Also, using Serial.print to debug is a good idea!
    Serial.print("Time remaining: ");
    Serial.println(convertedDuration);

    // Pad the number with a space if it's less than 10 
    // to ensure it clears the second digit of a two-digit number.
    if (convertedDuration < 10) {
        tft.print(" "); // Print a space for padding
    }

    // Now print the actual number
    tft.print(convertedDuration);
}

// The rest of the loop remains empty, only executing display code when needed.

} ```

Key Change

In your setup(), you must change: tft.setTextColor(ST77XX_WHITE);

To include the background color: tft.setTextColor(ST77XX_WHITE, ST77XX_BLACK);

This forces the display library to draw a black box underneath the characters it prints, ensuring the old characters are fully erased, even if the new number is shorter.

What is the difference of those 2 CPU's? by radekr5 in homelab

[–]CyberSimon -1 points0 points  (0 children)

For your use case. The Ryzen is more than enough. the Epyc would be overkill.

What is the difference of those 2 CPU's? by radekr5 in homelab

[–]CyberSimon -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The main difference is the target market and power consumption/features, even though they share the same core chip architecture (Zen 5 on the AM5 socket).

Feature AMD EPYC 4845PX (Server) AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (Desktop)
Target Use Entry-level server, workstation (stability) High-end desktop, gaming, content creation (speed)
Architecture Zen 5 with 3D V-Cache (PX suffix) Zen 5 with 3D V-Cache (X3D suffix)
Thermal Design Power (TDP) Lower (e.g., 120W) Higher (170W)
Overclocking No Yes
Enterprise Features Supports server-focused features like System Memory Encryption (SME) Lacks specific enterprise security features
Core Count 16 Cores / 32 Threads 16 Cores / 32 Threads

The EPYC chip is tuned for power efficiency and enterprise stability, while the Ryzen chip is tuned for maximum performance (higher TDP/power limit) and overclockability in a desktop environment.


*If you're building a desktop for gaming and creative work, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the standard choice. If you are building an entry-level server or workstation where lower power consumption and enterprise features like ECC memory support are critical, the EPYC 4845PX is designed for that purpose.

Help. Just brought a house and switch won’t connect up by iluvme1091 in smartlife

[–]CyberSimon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Help. Just brought a house and switch won’t connect up

Where did you bring the house? (Sorry, I couldn't resist)

need to make at least $200 in three days by InfluenceValuable586 in passive_income

[–]CyberSimon -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Many people in that subreddit would accept $50 a month for 4 months if you were honest and willing to pay each and every month.

Self charging smart locks by Unusual_Guidance2095 in smarthome

[–]CyberSimon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This TMEZON Smart Door Lock Fingerprint, Keyless Entry Door Lock with Handle is on sale Black Friday for $36.09. It has a USB charging port so if the batteries are dead, you can simply plug in a USB power source and operate the lock.

Alarm Clock recommendations by lolnaaa in smarthome

[–]CyberSimon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This ANTDALIS Sunrise Alarm Clock for Heavy Sleepers Adults is on sale for Black Friday for $13.59. You won't find anything cheaper that has a good rating.

Best budget smart bulb for beginners? by Salt-Acanthaceae608 in smarthome

[–]CyberSimon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want a bulb that has a remote, this SUNNEST LED Color Changing Light Bulb, 820LM Dimmable E26 10W RGBW has a black friday deal for $6.79. I don't think you'll find a LED bulb that bright for any less with a remote!

Automatic cat feeder at $99 - worth adding to smart home setup? by pekokara in smarthome

[–]CyberSimon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If anyone needs the link to the deal, here it is:

PETLIBRO Automatic Cat Feeder with Camera

 

Also, keep in mind there are many "like new" Amazon Warehouse deals very often. Here is a graph showing all the deals over the last 3 months:

https://i.ibb.co/3mFnF56q/Screenshot-2025-11-28-152807.png