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site iconJeff GeerlingModify

Creator, writer, and open-source contributor, specializes in application scalability and DevOps.
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Noctua Fan Swap on a Calnex Rb/GPS Frequency Reference

2026-10-28 00:37:00

Since this will be the only source of this process on the Internet1, I figured I'd document a quick fan swap I did on a piece of test/reference equipment I'm running in my Atomic Clock Tower.

Calnex Rb/GPS Frequency Reference open on workbench

I took my Torx T10 screwdriver and popped off the top cover. The screws required some force to loosen, as they were all secured with Loctite.

The inside is simple and serviceable. There's a SpectraTime GRClok-1500, with an integrated timing-grade GPS module, and a stabilized 10 MHz output2.

Ubiquiti's $99 Vape Detector is actually pretty good

2026-10-23 21:00:00

Since learning about the effects of high CO2 concentration on attention and cognitive performance—especially at levels much higher than 2000ppm—I've started monitoring CO2 and other air quality indicators in my house, at my studio, and even on the road.

Ubiquiti Vape Detector and Air Quality Monitor

I have a few other air quality monitors I'll be covering in the future, but today I wanted to focus on one I only heard about in the comments on a recent video tearing down a cheap no-name 'Air Quality Detector' from Amazon.

Upgrade your PHP installs immediately to protect against php2shell

2026-10-21 22:10:00

This morning, two critical PHP Security Advisories were published:

If you're running PHP for any service, you need to upgrade immediately to 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27, or 8.5.12. And if you use Remi's repos on RedHat-derivative Linux distros, you need to switch to official repos temporarily as Remi's on vacation and can't update his community repo. (Reminds me of xkcd 2347). Remi pushed updates even while on vacation!

Formlabs dropped the Raspberry Pi on the way to a $699 SLA printer

2026-10-14 21:00:00

Formlabs Form Studio 1

Formlabs sent me a Form Studio 1 resin 3D printer to test after years of back-and-forth about their Form 4 printer.

Like the Form 4, it's an SLA (stereolithography) printer, but unlike the Form 4 (which starts at $2,600), it's affordable for a hobbyist. It's not cheap, coming in at $699 (or $749 with a flex build platform, which I highly recommend), but it is affordable.

I can't say as much about this printer as people who are well-versed in resin printing and use other SLA printers (all my experience until now is with FDM, or Fused Deposition Modeling1, printers). But I can convey my first-time experience using this printer and with the entire SLA experience.

Radxa's Q8B has 2x the performance and expansion of the Pi 5

2026-10-10 04:00:00

Radxa Dragon Q8B with Raspberry Pi 5

There was a time I'd look at a board like the Radxa Dragon Q8B (at left, above) and be like, "there's no way I'd spend $209 on an SBC with 8 gigs of RAM". But we're in 2026, and seeing the 8 gig Raspberry Pi 5 going for almost the same amount, I figured I'd give it a shot.

On paper, the Q8B beats the Pi 5 in pretty much every way. A lot of that is thanks to this Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chip, which is the same chip I tested on Microsoft's Windows Dev Kit 2023.

I'm starting HomelabFest (in St. Louis, Sep 2027)

2026-09-25 23:16:00

I've been working on my homelab for years, and I enjoy sharing what I learn through this blog and my YouTube channel.

HomelabFest 2027 banner

Over the past few years, I realized the homelab community (which isn't really a defined thing—that's okay) hasn't had its own gathering, the way makers, software engineers, embedded developers, and HPC professionals do.

There are many events that have crossover into the homelab realm, but nothing focused on energy-efficient servers, privacy-respecting self-hosted software, keeping old hardware useful, or cable management and rackmounting on a budget.