Lost security code for ration card

In case you want to apply for a ration card online in Karnataka one can register through the online site. Once it is registered then one will get a security code on the registered mobile in 1-3 months. This security code is needed when you visit the biometric center to take your photograph and fingerprint. So, Once you get it and somehow you lost the security code and one can regenerate it online. The process needed is mentioned below, which i learned after multiple hit and trials:

1. one can "Click here to verify your LPG/Ration Card status (ಎಲ್.ಪಿ.ಜಿ/ರೇಷನ್ ಕಾರ್ಡ್ ಸ್ಥಿತಿ)" use the link in the same site and then click on the last bullet. 
2. Click on this link and you may need multiple clicks before it works as the server is usually very unresponsive.

This option helps you to get security code for the Ration Card application through SMS and also change your mobile no in the application if required. ಇದನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಅರ್ಜಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂದಿಸಿದ ಸೆಕ್ಯೂರಿಟಿ ಕೋಡ್ ಪಡೆಯಬಹುದು ಮತ್ತು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ ಬದಲಿಸಬಹುದು.

1. Fill the details and don't be alarmed if it raises an error or exception with proper details.Give it multiple tries and if not even wait for sometime before you re-enter it. 
2. Try to regenerate the code with the same mobile as in your application. If it raises exception multiple times change the mobile number to a new one and ask the security code to be regenerated.
3. Please verify if the name in the SMS is same as the registered person you had applied for the ration card else regenerate the pin again. Otherwise like me you would have to go to the biometric center and redo the process again.

It worked for me and hope it will work for you as well.

Indane gas booking status online

In case you want to see the consumption pattern of your indane gas and details of ordering date and delivery date etc you can find it here in this site. You need to give your location and your gas distributor details. You can also know how much subsidy has been availed by you.

Using USB port in Huawei LTE CPE B593

Huawei TDD or FDD LTE modem or CPE B593 (provided in India as well) supports connecting of USB port. To use it one has to do the following.

1. Login to CPE through 192.168.1.1 through the browser.
2. Plugin the USB.
3. Go to "USB Management"
4. Go to the "Server Setting". If the USB is working fine it will show there. Click on submit button.
5. Go to "User Setting". Create a new user by clicking "Add item". Fill in all the details mentioned and make it "Read/Write" if you need to do that mode of operation. The directory will create a directory which can be accessed through FTP. Fill all details and submit it.
6. Run "cmd" command from the windows.
7. Run "FTP 192.168.1.1".
8. Give the user name and password based on the input you gave in step (5) above.
9. You can use all ftp command like mkdir to create new folder, put to copy something to that folder and so on.

Bharti 4G speed J P Nagar 7th Phase

This is a speedtest.net test done using 4G TD-LTE from Airtel using a Huawei B593s-82 Cat 3 modem at J P Nagar 7th Phase, Bangalore. Other details on RSSI, RSRP and RSRQ are shown below:

Latitude	Longitude
12.89218	77.58379

3	Frequency(kHz):	23350
4	Bandwidth(kHz):	20000
5	Cell ID:	404
6	Signal Strength:	4
7	RSSI(dBm):	-65
8	RSRP(dBm):	-91
9	RSRQ(dB):	-13

I also did a test with BSNL Speed test for Bangalore and the result is here.

Checking data usage in Tata Photon +

Tata Photon + data usage would require one to have a registered account number and password and then login at their my account page. In case you do not know your account number and/or photon number the following is the procedure you have to follow to get yourself registered before you can view your usage.

1. Call 1800-266-121
2. Tell them the MEID which you can see if you open the cap of Tata Photon + where SIM is kept. It is a 14 digit hex format number which you would have to tell the call center.
3. In case of postpaid, one needs to tell the billing address
4. They will then provide you two distinct numbers (in case of postpaid)
1. Photon number
2. Account number (for postpaid)
5. Use this number to go to my account new user page in Tata Photon+ and register with all these details.
6. You are supposed to get a password in 24 nos to both your emailID and your Alternate number. (So check that these are entered correctly)
7. In case you have doubt that if it is registered or not try registering with the same user ID which was available in your earlier attempt again. If it does not allow you rest assured you will get a mail in next 24 hrs.
8. If you still have not got a password send a mail to 1515@tatatel.co.in for password regeneration by providing all the account details.
9. Relogin with the account details and password to change your initial PIN and then there is a boring survey which you can skip to get to the account page. 
10. Right at the end of the page there is a link through which you can check your usage. Please note that if you are around the end of billing cycle you may not be able to see the present month usage.

Hope this helps.

BIAS-5 timing at J P nagar 6th phase

Timing of Volvo BIAS-5 bus service to Airport from J P Nagar 6th Phase. "V" denotes volvo service and other normal service.

Nokia N78 Call signal Trace: Does this meet standard?

This is a signal trace which uses the same tool as used in my earlier post for measuring signal strength. The set is a Nokia N78 and the measurement was carried out at Kalyani Motors, Banargetta Road with GSM Mode of operation with operator being Bharti Airtel. The call was made from a landline with call being picked up with the Nokia N78 handset.

See the violet colur line and the average power measurement of the radiated signal from the handset. The average is 24dBm or 250mW over the 1 minute duration of the call. The green line below shows the input signal strength which is an average -77dBm. So an hours call can cause a lot of harm.

Also like the recent articles coming in the media it may be a good option to take the call in loudspeaker mode ad avoid it keeping it near the ear.

Measuring mobile signal strength

I got hold of an App for Nokia Symbian called Nokia Energy Profiler, which gives a wealth of information on the power consumed and expected time at the the present rate of power consumption before which you may need to get another recharge.

I used it for another purpose to measure the signal strength of my operator. The test environment was my home at J P Nagar 7th Phase and the operator is Bharti Airtel. As the levels were different in different rooms ranging from -35dBm (Open Balcony), -47 dBm (bedroom with one wall away from open) to -51 dBm (Living room enclosed in all sides by rooms) for 2G. This was done over a 1 minute average. This is done at a height of 3-4 ft from my house which itself is 40 ft above ground level. Sadly i cannot see the tower on to which i am connected though i have enabled the cell info "on".

I also did a drive test from my office to JP Nagar 7th Phase in a car traveling at less that 40 Kmph. This was done with UMTS/ 3G Mode of operation. The screenshot shows the result between 4 min to 18 min of travel from J P Nagar 3rd Phase along the outer ring road and on the 24th main road/brigade millennium road before reaching J P Nagar 7th Phase.

Indane gas booking IVRS process

Finally one can book Indane gas through telephone call to Telephone No 8970024365.

Getting Hypothecation Revoked

I went through a process of getting Hypothecation revoked from my RC in Bangalore. It turned out to be a long process to find the right process (mostly because i thought i will do it myself). The process is as follows:

1. You can download Form 35 from this site.
2. Get this filled in duplicate from the bank to which your vehicle was hypothecated.
3. Also they have to give a covering letter which mentions all the dues are cleared.
4. You have to take a copy of emission and insurance certificate.
5. Submit all of this at RTO (which can cost you Rs 100-150) or go through an agent if you do not want to go through the hassle.(to whom i paid 450)

The RTO is so crammed that my first there made it clear that it is better to go through an agent even though it was more than 60% cheaper to do it directly.

BSNL 3G review on Nokia N78

BSNL caught me by surprise when i loaded the BSNL SIM (which i was using in another mobile) onto N78. It was showing that it is connected on 3G. So i just tried browsing, then it told me that i am using a wrong access point and that if u need the new access point i need to send an SMS as NOKIA N78 to 58355. The SMS came after few minutes. I got a configuration message and accepted the same. I am on BSNL 3G now. Cool to see BSNL becoming so easy to operate. Then i tried doing youtube using 3G.

As soon as i connected my youtube application it was showing some 3.5G and started seeing Apollo in Moon Video. It was a very good experience with no buffering issues which i used to see in case of WiFi (over BSNL DSL connection) for the same video. Full marks for BSNL. I had consumed 2.4 Mb and it charged me Rs 2/-. looks neat for a prepaid connection.

I tried to speedtest.net but sadly N78 does not support java and flash to run the speedtest. From a QoE perspective 10/10.

215BM and 500BM Bus timing

Other Volvo or Vajra services being operated by BMTC, Bangalore timings can be found at Vajra site.

Review of Bangalore Taxi

I am a regular user of taxi to get to the nearest boarding point to reach airport. I have been using the cellcabs (080-60609090) to do it for now more than an year. I am seeing a perceptible drop in quality recently. I used their service as they had a database of the user location and i need to say from my home to so and so location. They used to send an SMS well in advance giving the details of the driver. They also used to provide printed bills and only drawback was payment with cash.

Recently, for last 2-3 trips i am not getting the advance SMS and last min i have to call them and find out an alternate cab. Alternate cab driver mostly do not pick up calls and then u are in a hurry to find an alternate means of transportation. I heard similar complaints from my friend as well. I hence would recommend people who are booking cellcabs to be doubly sure well in advance of the travel about the arrangement. Avoid using their service or keep a large buffer along with a last minute alternate option. Also u cannot book merucabs or other service as they have a 1 hr notice period to book.

Hope you do not have to go through last minute pain through this advice.

Monitoring BSNL Dataone Home 500C

One of the very useful addon to firefox for BSNL limited plan is Datafox. In case you are a BSNL broadband user do the following:

• Install Datafox from this site
• Once it is installed a graph like icon would come in the status bar
• Click on it and key in the login and password and click the remember password option
  
• Use the override option
• From the pull down menu select the data.bsnl.in

Once you are logged in it will show the usage beside the graph icon. So use all the 1.5G of home 500C but never breach the threshold :)

Tata Photon + in J P Nagar 7th Phase Bangalore

Review of Tata Photon + in J P Nagar 7th Phase Bangalore

Test: Speedtest.net from Colombo, Srilanka server (Recommended by Speedtest)
Avg Download Speed: 0.96 Mbps
Avg Upload speed: 0.25 Mbps
Ping time: 288ms

Test: Speedtest.net from San Francisco, CA, USA
Avg Download Speed: 0.86 Mbps
Avg Upload speed: 0.32 Mbps
Ping time: 369ms

Applying Passport : What you should not do?

I went through a really long process of three months to get my passport reissued. To get passport follow the process verbatim as specified in the RPO website. Here i list some small set of steps which can help you a lot:

• Check the police station in which your building falls: This was my basic mistake. I wrote the nearest police station to my home but actually it was some other station. If it goes to the wrong station, it is sent back to commissioner office before reaching your actual station. this is a long and tedious process which may not happen automatically. this can delay the whole process my a month or two.
• Check in the police station with 2-3 days of submitting your application: The application is sent very soon. so check with your police station about the application so that you can speed up the process if it has gone to a wrong police station.
• In case it is commissioner's office, you can go there between 3-5 PM with a copy of the passport receipt and a written letter and submit it. They will inform you where the Police Verification (PV) file is.
• See the site regularly and keep track of status. In case it is going slow then you can convert it into a tatkal. For this you have to go and get application from the RPO (this is in koramangala in case of Bangalore). If you go early better. It is open from 9.30 to 12.30 and usually has a long queue.
• If it is dispatched it reaches your post office in a day or two. So check with the local postman. If you do not collect the passport in 7 days it is sent back to the RPO.
• And lastly, if you need it urgently just apply for tatkal as the normal process does not happen in less than 2-3 months though the passport office claim they do it in one month.
• Also if possible do not change the address, then no police verification is needed. this is the most time consuming operation.
  

Last week the process is now outsourced to TCS in Bangalore. So may be the above learning may not be relevant now. Hope no one have to suffer so much to get the passport reissued.

TVS King review

Recently a new auto rickshaw got launched in the otherwise boring segment. This auto TVS King seems to be a 200cc vehicle but in ground seems to be really powerful with respect to the old bajaj. It is quite comfortable while travelling with the seat solidly fixed onto the pedestal. Shock absorber may be slightly better than the old Bajaj ones. And what really bowled me off was that it covered my travel from palakkad railway station to my home in same time as the car travel. So may be if u get a choice, try going for a TVS auto. Hope over time the drivers in this vehicle also become less arrogant compared to the present auto drivers in Bangalore.

Intercom from BSNL

I had taken an intercom from BSNL with is integrated to the apartment EPBX in Brigade Millennium. When they shifted it everything was working fine with no issues seen in broadband or the land line connectivity. One needed to press "0" to connect to local call. The STD by default got blocked. To enable it I needed to set a password for access. The procedure for which is as follows:

1. Press 123 xxxx xxxx (where xxxx is your password)
2. Press 124 xxxx 0 to open the STD facility
   
3. Press 124 xxxx 1 to close the STD facility

I also tried a new facility for informing BSNL of landline fault. One were to send LLF to 56xxxx (I forgot!!). This works perfectly well.

BIAS-5 and BIAS-12 timing at Jayanagar

Timing for volvo vayu vajra in route no 5 and 12 from jayanagar bus stand (as photographed from the stop)

LG AMC for Refrigerator

The defrost unit in my fridge failed and i got it replaced. The lower part of the fridge was not getting cold even if we keep at the highest level. The region around the door was getting hot as well.

During this time i got an AMC for my Double door Intellocool LG Refrigerator. It seems this unit is failing so often for most of the users of this range of Refrigerator based on the comments i saw googling the Internet. I paid Rs 1900+ for this AMC and is valid for three year and does not cover some aspect. Read the backside of the bill before you sign up. The replacement of unit atleast worked in my case.