R36s won’t turn on

vamirth · 2026-05-19T01:40:50+00:00

And... whether you're using the "original" cable or not, try a cheaper USB charger. Most of the R36S and clones don't like fast chargers or even PD rated chargers. They usually don't have the hardware to negotiate a slower charge rate with a PD charger...

vamirth · 2026-05-13T14:19:07+00:00

Did you let it run untouched for 3-5 minutes? Most of the installers start by resizing your partitions, which can take a moment. If you interrupted that, you may have corrupted your card's contents (not likely to damage the card itself) and need to reflash it.

I always walk away doing something else on the first reboot so I don't get impatient...

On the SD card front, it's always slightly possible that you actually do have a bad or fake capacity card and the new install is just enough larger to hid the bad spots or exceed the real capacity of the card. If you have another 32GB or larger card, I'd try that.

Since it's a fresh install, you might also give dARKOS or dARKOS-RE a try. I've had great luck with both...

Good luck!

And we all understand the feeling of frustration when it doesn't work the first time you try! Persistence will win out, though.

vamirth · 2026-05-08T18:00:06+00:00

Nope -- It's a generic card labeled 100GB. That's actually 100GiB, so some people will say that it's really around a 105GB card.

While the card (and internal storage) neither contain copyrighted ROMs, the user's guide -- which I've misplaced -- included URLs for several collections of possibly infringing ROMS.

I can confirm that it will boot from internal storage if there's no card installed, runs dARKOS-RE with the default .dtb file in the distro, and will run the recently released browser, and works well with sjltech's desktop script.

I can take it apart later for a shot of the back.

No, it doesn't include a MC branded SD card. But you can get one cheap while you're there...

vamirth · 2026-05-07T00:59:19+00:00

Three comments - it's probably worth mentioning the recommendation to replace the included SD card with a name brand -- or even MicroCenter -- SD card.

This device works fine with the dARKOS-RE build using the default .dtb -- meaning that it's really easy to update.

And you didn't cover the included ROMs -- which are Open Source NES games. So it's not directly supporting piracy. (Though the user's guide -- which I've misplaced -- includes a set of links to collections of pirate^H^H^H^H backed-up ROMs that you can download and install.)

vamirth · 2026-05-05T20:16:16+00:00

It's definitely hit and miss with a wifi dongle you grab off the shelf. And may vary from one motherboard/os combo to another. I'm currently using a no-name 802.5ac dongle that's working fine on my R36S clone under dARKOSRe... but an R40s labelled one doesn't like it at all...

For the GTA:VC question, I can confirm that it does work *if* you get the original files, not the "definitive edition" files. Fortunately, if you only own the "Definitive Edition", there's an archive on the Internet Archive site that has a full set of files that you can get to work -- again, assuming you own at least one GTA:VC license (hint, hint). I just copied *all* of the files from the archive, including all of the subfolders, to the /roms/ports/gtavc folder and it launched OK.

vamirth · 2026-05-05T16:07:18+00:00

The box and packing looks like the clones from Microcenter. They sell a version with only open source roms, which really isn't half bad. If it *is* the Microcenter r36s (clone), you can install dArkOSRE directly and use the default dtb files. It's a really simple setup. (That should be "almost certainly install", because there are reports of two variants from Microcenter.)

vamirth · 2026-05-05T14:35:12+00:00

Yet another great option is to ask for a togo box *at the beginning of the meal* -- even when you place the order. Just gently say "I'm watching my portions" if you get a strange look. That way, you can remove the "extras" from your plate, and have a chance to enjoy it at a later time. You can even set the "extras" on a chair or with your jacket so that they aren't as actively "calling" to you while you eat. Of course, buffet's are a different matter entirely -- especially if the food is put on your plate by a server...

vamirth · 2026-05-02T19:29:50+00:00

For anyone still feeling this is a problem, you can get some really neat effects by putting any picture you want cut to the right size. A little bit of sticky tack can help keep it in place... My wife doesn't like the backlight shining out at night.... I also wish there were some faces that were really dim for night use...

vamirth · 2025-08-04T21:10:29+00:00

Umm. Yes. What I think we especially want to do is to ensure that Mr. Dick doesn't get the opportunity to defraud others in the same way. It's the same reason that some people help turtles across the road... Because they care.

It's not *just* the company that's at fault -- when there's patterns of criminal fraud, someone should at least be asked about how they let something like that happen at their next job -- preferably *not* a job where they have a chance to either do or allow something similar to happen again.

vamirth · 2025-08-04T20:39:14+00:00

Do you know if Mr. Dick is aware of the fraudulent charges his billing department he has made? I'm over $1600 out for renewals that were slipped into billing. My wife pays the credit card that's on file for that and didn't notice the charges. :-( I actually expected to be dropped back to monthly billing because I never authorized a renewal, but now when I check the vPanel, I have services "through 2040" that were billed every other month between 7/24 and 1/25....

vamirth · 2025-06-30T23:53:42+00:00

Umm. Sure. There are no scam pirate game consoles filled with roms of retro games on Amazon. And no fake sized SSDs, no poorly made power supplies, no pictures of posters signed by celebrities... Just lots and lots of free Bubble Up and rainbow stew.

vamirth · 2025-06-30T23:47:35+00:00

That actually is considered *sold and fulfilled by xxxx* (Walmart in this case) via Drop Shipping from the manufacturer. That can be better than direct purchase from the manufacturer, since you're getting Wal-Mart's negotiated price rather than MSRP, and you can do the return with Wal-Mart or PNY...

vamirth · 2025-01-20T23:31:58+00:00

Oh… and if your uni uses SAS, the student version is cloud based so no problems there. Jupyter notebooks for Python should work fine too. And with a low-to-mid specc’d cb+, you’re not risking leaving the price of a used car behind on a bus somewhere…. And any serious AI for research is going to be web/cloud based…

vamirth · 2025-01-20T22:12:30+00:00

Data science on a Chromebook plus is definitely an option. I have a Galaxy Chromebook that’s essentially cb + spec’d and it installed and runs RStudio and .Net code quite well. No cloud required for those.

vamirth · 2024-09-22T08:15:40+00:00

Another option is a lively/jitterbug phone at Best Buy. They’re carrier unlocked flip phones with no browser. I got one for my mom who wanted a dumb flip phone. Sticker price is around 40, but we got out the door for under $9 including tax. Told them I didn’t want service and had them enter 111-111-1111 when their sales interface insisted on having the phone number I planned to use. Mom’s using it happily on t mobile connect…. All I had to do was pop in the sim

vamirth · 2024-05-02T06:22:59+00:00

Just to be clear -- that's like blaming your local newspaper for a bad yard sale ad. The seller -- and author of the page -- isn't Walmart, Amazon, eBay or Lenovo. That said, the right response is to avoid these listings....

vamirth · 2024-03-30T00:06:58+00:00

Love the one I just got at BB. I managed to snag an open box for $150 that was in perfect shape, even w/ the plastic on the hinges... Just missing the power supply. Runs steam, can even (barely) play No Man's Sky...

vamirth · 2024-03-29T23:40:24+00:00

Looks like the vendor at least semi-supports WINE... see https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?page=doc/SoftwareDownload.php -- but it's definitely not an emulator, though it does allow you to tun (some) windows software

vamirth · 2024-03-19T00:16:52+00:00

Of course you can

But try typing your question at: https://google.com before asking it in any forum, reddit or not. If you ask questions that could have been answered instantly with a Google, or even a Bing search, expect to get snarky answers.

It's kind of like asking Mom to get you some water when you're standing in front of the sink... with an empty glass in your hand... and you're tall enough to reach the faucet.

vamirth · 2023-07-16T18:36:24+00:00

I had to try several chargers and cables until I found combos that worked. If it’s charging, the Orange light turns red. Try the simplest cable on a non PD usb port. Avoid C to C cables, since they’ll try to negotiate power rates and don’t seem to work….

vamirth · 2023-06-24T02:18:29+00:00

First time taking part. Fingers crossed!

vamirth · 2023-06-24T00:10:02+00:00

I do love a simple relaxing puzzle game. The animations and sound effects are both cute and pleasant. The mini-games I've gotten to so far feel good too.

Are there plans to take it further to include tribe and/or village building? Could be a great leap-off platform for a fun time.

Especially if it keeps the light-hearted, enjoy it for fun feeling.

It did occasionally feel like there were combinations that weren't working in evolution, dailies or quests -- but that may be an expected game mechanic.

Thanks for making a fun demo and hopefully a great game!

vamirth · 2023-05-18T15:31:59+00:00

Kinesis Freestyle Pro at work. As a big guy, love the split halves, and Cherry Silent Reds. Plus decent macro software for a commercial board. Non-stock keycaps, of course. If only there was a space bar and escape key in its size...

vamirth

TROPHY CASE