Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by Billy.Who

Main valve/shutoff valve replacement

Billy.Who — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 16:10:27 +0800

The main valve in my bathroom was leaking and then jammed when i shut it so I got a contractor/plumber via recommend.my to inspect.

Not sure if its called a shut off valve or stopcock valve (or if the terms are interchangeable) but the valve and some of the piping would have to be replaced. Since its a main valve connected to the wall, some hacking would also be necessary. Contractor quoted me RM 800 for the entire job.

Is this pricing OK? Did not expect it to be this high but I guess the drilling probably takes a bit of time and effort..

Short term / contract free broadband

Billy.Who — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 01:09:02 +0800

Are there actually any short term broadband plans available in Malaysia?

Need something for around 2 months usage. Still working from home frequently so plans with throttling or data caps won't be suitable.

The only one I'm aware of so far is Unifi Air:
https://home.unifi.com.my/personal/home/wireless-broadband

It's not fiber but rather 4G LTE and you have to opt for the SIM only package (no router) so you won't be bound by a 24 month contract. Speed isn't decent though, as TM promises 20Mbps max.

IIRC TIME dotCom used to have contract free plans but it seems to be discontinued. Coverage is also an issue since TIME still seems limited to condos.

Update:

Applied for Unifi Air.

The process was rather quick- went to a TM Point and got the sim on the spot with the whole process taking about 30 mins.

Haven't gotten a modem/router yet so I'm running it off the 2nd sim slot on my phone (Poco X3). Initially tried running it off my ancient Gen 1 Google Pixel XL and while it could connect to the network, the internet connection didn't work.

Surprised it actually works on a phone since one of the TM reps said it won't be possible as they would block it if they detect you're using the Air sim on a phone. Apparently this is to encourage mobile users to sign up for Unifi Mobile instead..

Speed is decent if you manage your expectations. I'm getting slightly above the 20mbps promised by TM and can even hit 30+ mbps when torrenting lol

Titan Army Mini-LED

Billy.Who — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 16:23:54 +0800

Has anyone had any experience with Titan Army monitors?

Just noticed they've launched a very affordable Mini-LED monitor- the 27A6MR.

The specs are very impressive for the price:
http://www.titanarmy.cn/english/goods/deta...208/cid/26.html

Highlights:
-27"
-2k/1440p
-165hz
-Freesync/Adaptive Sync support
-384 zone Mini-LED backlighting
-HDR 1000
-Light sensor for adaptive brightness

As for downsides, the contrast ratio is rather typical of an IPS monitor @ 1000:1, there are no USB ports, and it seems to lack a VESA mount.

384 zones backlighting is also rather low considering most of the CES 2022 announced Mini-LED monitors have 576-1000+ zones but at the price point, its more than a fair compromise lol

Have seen it online (Lazada/Shopee etc) from both overseas and local dealers/resellers for RM 2,099, making it by far the cheapest mini-LED monitor around.

Just unsure about the reliability & image quality of Titan Army monitors in general.

Also unsure about the HDR & Mini-LED performance of the 27A6MR as there are barely any reviews and info online.

Seagate Hard Drives

Billy.Who — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 18:24:49 +0800

Hi all,

Looking to get a 6TB drive that can hold games, media etc, and preferably from a NAS product line for durability.

So far the best deal based on my preferences seems to be the Seagate Ironwolf (non Pro)- its relatively affordable (~RM 800) and well specced (7200RPM, 128MB cache, 3 year warranty).

Alternatives would be the HGST Ultrastar (noisier according to reviews, rarer too) and the WD Red (slower @ 5400RPM).

Thing is, Seagate has a terrible reputation when it comes to reliability for its spinning hard drives lol..

Personally I've had 2 2.5" Seagate drives die on me after around 2 years but also have one of their 3.5" external drives that's been running since ~2012..

Also, based on Backblaze latest report, most of their Seagate drives fared decently:
Backblaze 2018

Just want to hear your experiences with Seagate drives and any issues you've had with them over the years.