Nick M

Headed back to school on Wednesday.
This is the main library - tallest in the United States.

I'll be spending this semester learning about complex AC frequency response, transformer and power-supply design, assembly-level coding, CPU/GPU architecture, the software/hardware interface, and writing SOP/User manuals.

Off to do some cleaning up.

__________________
~Nick

aud19

Those setups are certainly cool but I dunno... I'm of the opinion if you're going to spend the amount required for one of those I'd rather just go byu a go-kart or similar and actually go race the thing

Other than the wicked bug I had Chris, I feel fantastic Thanks for asking...hope you're feeling better too

Good luck with the nurse Doug

Going to check out the vid now Nick

__________________
Jason

Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTGuide

aud19

Watched this yesterday with Carolyn. It had quite a few laughs in it, we really enjoyed it. Anybody else seen it?

__________________
Jason

Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTGuide

Nick M

Watched it in 3D at the theaters - nothing like a giant meatball rolling through the audience!

__________________
~Nick

Paul Wu

Cool racing rigs! I'd be happy with getting a wheel and pedal setup.

John - Crazy about the Lexoppo, or is it the Oppoicon?

Jason - Have not seen that movie, but want to sometime down the road.

Friend just pickup a Sharp LED display and I had a quick demo on the weekend. The picture didn't really pop like some of the LED Samsungs that I have seen. It is still a good picture.

I picked up a media player last week and have been playing around with it. So far I am really liking how it works. We did a marathon of last season's 24 over the weekend.

I'm a bit bummed as I have lost my rear tow-hook cover. I was pretty sure I know where it was as I heard a big clunk/crack as I was parking for dinner on Friday. I back tracked the next day but there was no sign of it. I'm sure it will cost a lot to replace.

__________________
Paul

There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

aud19

Some LED back lighting is addressable and will shut off LED's on black parts of the screen. Other types use LED "edge lighting" which is not addressable. All LED back lighting is not created equal. Perhaps that would account for the difference?

__________________
Jason

Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTGuide

Paul Wu

I was wondering about the same thing. I did not get the model number, but I think it was a backlit LED. I know all the Samsung's that I have seen were the Edge lit ones.

I'm sure there were other settings to play with to get the picture better.

We were using a PS3 and watching Star Trek.

Heh, I've got to manually recheck all our budget workbooks again. Seems like the automated process did not complete the required tasks over the weekend. I really don't understand why it should take this long and in the end not work.

__________________
Paul

There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

Dougie085

Well might be getting one of these instead of a Heli for now lol. Seeing as lately I've been home at night mostly a guitar might be more enjoyable. Also picking up a headphone amp for it so I can practice late night. Kind of something I've been wanting to do for a long while anyways. This guitar seems to get a lot of great reviews and I like the Les Paul guitars. I've looked at this one at a couple stores locally before too and it seems very nice for the money.

dyazdani

Are you looking at the little Vox headphone amps?

__________________
Danish

Chris D

Cool, Dougie!

Go figure, another Nick flip!

__________________
CHRIS

So I bought a fancy new-fangled flatscreen the other day.
I don't get this new ADHD-TV thing... beautiful resolution, but it keeps changing channels every 15 seconds!

Nick M

I actually took a look at the stats the other day, and I have no chance in hell of breaking the record. I think Danish has that trophy for life!

__________________
~Nick

Dougie085

Yeah Danish the VOX AC30 model I think it is.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-VOX-APAC

I think it's supposed to be a clone of their classic AC30 amp. I guess sound wise anyways. Also will probably get a Line 6 Spider Valve amp. So pretty decent setup I suppose. I always tend to overbuy as far as beginners go because I like to avoid upgrading later. If I do upgrade this one I'll probably just swap for some nicer pickups or what not some day but I think for now it should sound great. That Spider Valve amp has a very clean sounding clean channel so I think it'll be nice for learning.

I did take a few free lessons at a guitar store when I was in AZ and it was fun but I just borrowed a guitar from the store there so never got to practice at home. Then school and job and what not kept me from going regularly (they had a free class every wednesday) so I figure if I start practicing on my own with all these video's and what not out there for free I should be able to at the very least get started.

Chris D

Started a thread on racing simulators over in the "Speed" section.

http://htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=35706

__________________
CHRIS

So I bought a fancy new-fangled flatscreen the other day.
I don't get this new ADHD-TV thing... beautiful resolution, but it keeps changing channels every 15 seconds!

JohnA

True, real racing is a lot more fun. But I can also tell you from years of racing moto-x, road racing motorcycles, and also some very limited road racing of production class cars. That even on a non professional week-end warrior type level, you burn through a lot of money doing so. With all the types of racing I did combined, I probably raced for roughly a total of about 20 seasons/years. I raced all over the US at many tracks that most people never even heard of, all the way up to big well known tracks like Daytona Int Speedway. I had tons of fun along the way, and also quite a few times of not so much fun. Like driving all the way from Chicago IL to race at a track in Pueblo Co, only to have the cam chain break in the engine on the 2nd lap of a 500km endurance race. Would I trade having those experiences, naa I doubt it, because some of them were truly once in a lifetime experiences. Like the very first lap of ever, of riding a 1000cc superbike on the banking at Daytona at 160+mph. Talk about something that gets your attention and opens up the eyes wide on the first time, the very first lap ever on that banking is beyond a doubt one of the big ones.

But sometimes I also go back now and look at all the money I spent in all those years racing, and I can't help but think, what if I would have invested it all even in just a normal savings account instead of using it all racing, of what that total amount would be now with interest.


When you are having all the fun doing the racing, the money it cost to do so pretty much was not ever a real concern. But then when the fun factor started to slip, I also started wondering if it was worth spending so much money to race. And I also started to get bit more concerned about getting hurt. When I added those concerns all together, I pretty much knew it was time to quit racing.

Dougie085

Yeah, you might spend 15k on a really nice racing sim, but to get any sort of nice performance car you'll have to spend much more. And then there are all the other expenses of motor racing Those racing sims can feel pretty darn realistic of course it costs money.

JohnA

Well, when I look back at what racing cost me back then, and how much it would cost to do it now. I just can't even see where I would even be able to do it now. The cost for everything I would need to race like I did, has pretty more then doubled, all across the board. Just to buy the motorcycle itself you need to race, the price has more than doubled. The last bikes I raced were 1987 GSXR1100, their MSRP was about $5K. And I bought TWO of them for just a bit under $8k. Now, one GSXR1000 has a MSRP of almost $13k, and the smaller GSXR600 is $11k. Costs of race tires, more than doubled, cost to get to the races, roughly doubled or more depending on the price of gas.

But yet the amount of pay my profession earns now, has not come even anywhere near close to doubling what it was back when I raced. I was at about $20-21hr back then in the last two years I raced in 1987 and 1988. I'm retired now, but in Oct of 2002 the last year I worked, and also just before I had my back surgery and all the problems that came with it, I was at $24hr. And with the last new union contract passed in Aug 2009, I think the pay for a union auto dealership journeyman mechanic up to somewhere around $26hr now.

dyazdani

Unless you want the VOX simply for portability, I'd just get an amp with a built in headphone out. ...or you can get a USB "box" from Line6 or M-Audio. I've got a Roland Cube 30X and I use the headphone out 75% of the time.

There are a lot of good sites for online guitar lessons. If you want to play a particular sone, YouTube is very handy. General lessons can be found in numerous places. I like Justin Guitar pretty good for lessons. JamPlay is good, but has a subscription fee.

__________________
Danish

dyazdani

I nearly got into 2-wheel road racing with a few friends. The cost for travel and tires was pretty steep, even at the amateur level. Race or track day fees, etc were pretty reasonable, no more than a green fee at a decent golf course, give or take. Luckily, I never got off dead center, probably saved me some money and wear and tear on my body.

__________________
Danish

JohnA

Oh the entry fees for races were relatively low cost. It was about $150 to enter a endurance race, and about $50 for the first entry in a sprint race. And if you entered a multiple different classes of the sprints, the fees got lower for each additional class, until you hit whatever limit they had for multiple class discounts.


However, tires for a endurance race were about $$350-400 per set, per race, and they were totally wasted at the end of the race. And sometimes you even needed to change worn out rear tires during a race, so that's a additional $200 for a another rear during a race. Running a 1000cc superbike in 24 hour endurance races, used up a lot of rear tires, and at least 2-3 fronts. Every endurance race, required a full new set of Ferodo racing brake pads, a complete new set front and rear was about $150, 24 hour races usually also required 2 or 3 additional sets of front pads to finish a race. Race gas back then, anywhere from $3-$6 a gallon at the track. And I had two bikes, both identical. One main and one backup. And both had to be ready race with new tires and such. You could have both bike out at the same time during practice. But you could not change to the backup during a race, if the bike you used to start the race blew up or had a crash. Swapping parts among them during a race was allowed. But if something happened to one in practice, it did not matter as far as which one to use in the the race. Because you could use either one to actually start the race with, just you could not swap them after you started the race. So that saved me a few times from going home without racing because of something that happened to a bike in practice that could not be fixed before the race started. Plus it also allowed the other riders on my team to get a lot more practice time in with having two bikes. Plus I had a spare set of front and rear wheels w/brake rotors with tires mounted on them and ready to swap. Plus in case of rain, a set of rain tires and intermediate tires, and usually also two different compounds of slicks. Which we also had to decide on which of the three types to mount on the spare wheels before a race started. Plus we could also swipe the wheels with tires off of the second bike and use them if needed. For my wallet, it was a very good thing that there was usually no more than 2 endurance races scheduled per month. Most months there was only 1 endurance race.

And then there is crashing, and engines going big time BANG.... Absolutely nothing else in racing gobbles up huge amounts of money in one fell swoop faster than a bad crash or a serious engine failure!

I had a crankshaft break at Daytona in the banking during practice on one of my two bikes, and it pretty much wiped out the entire engine. About the only things salvageable was transmission parts/gears, clutch, camshafts, carburetors. When the crank let go, besides the crankshaft instantly becoming a multiple piece crank when it should only be one piece. It also completely wiped out the engine cases, a $$$ set of 4 Carillo connecting rods, a $$$ set of 4 Cosworth racing pistons, wiped out the engine cylinders, damaged the combustion chambers in the cylinder head beyond repair and also bent almost all the valves.

And I had one very bad crash at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix AZ, 1-1/2 hours into the race, that pretty much totaled the bike. Just about only the rear wheel, tire, some exterior engine parts, some interior engine parts, main engine cases, carburetors, and seat were still usable. Frame, gas tank, handlebars/controls and front wheel, cooling fins on the cylinders, were all wasted. And also quite a bit of very bad internal engine damage, a lot of dirt and gravel got packed in engine through the carburetors while it was still running.

Alaric

Yeah , but when you're down to your last few breaths and can't spend any more money , the memories make you smile. Even when shit went south , you can say "That made me tougher , stronger".

__________________
Lee


Marantz PM7200 Marantz SA8260 Marantz ST6000
Bellari VP129 Music Hall mmf5-SE Paradigm Studio 60 v.3

Dougie085

Does the VOX unit just now work that great?

They have these too

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-DUN-RKGA-LIST

dyazdani

I'm sure it works fine, but if you're going to get an amp anyway...

Either way, it is pretty cheap, so you won't be out a lot if you don't like/use it.

__________________
Danish

Dougie085

Yeah and I've heard American Musical has a pretty good return policy if I don't like it. Which is where I'm ordering everything from. I don't see a headphone port on the Spider Valve amp, it does have a direct out which is nice cause I can use an XLR cable from it to my M-Audio Firewire 400. Maybe I can set it up some how through that to get headphones?

aud19

I dunno.... I'm thinking I could do an awful lot of go-kart racing for $15k....

__________________
Jason

Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTGuide

dyazdani

The Firewire interface should allow you to do that...I think it's got headpone jacks on the front.

__________________
Danish

Paul Wu

Vent vent vent the usual work stuff. It's no rush, to it's kinda like a rush.

Had another good class last night. Also helped out a couple as they did not start on the first lesson.

Just installed my tax program and will be starting on it soon.



Jesh, if I don't hit post, I'll never get to post.

__________________
Paul

There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

Dougie085

Yeah I use it for a soundcard currently and hook my headphones to it.

Dougie085

Depends, if you want a racing style go-cart then you can spend a lot of money. Either way it's not going to be the same experience as a full sized car. But still loads of fun I agree Also you can't race go-carts in the middle of winter (certainly up there) so there is one advantage to a simulator. Also games like R-Factor let you download any track out there so it's good for learning the tracks.

aud19

At least as much fun as a racing sim though And yes I certainly could race up here all year. It's 10C (50F) and sunny with clouds today. I think Doug's had more snow in Tennessee this year than I have Plus they do have indoor tracks as well

__________________
Jason

Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTGuide

Nick M

Here is a great local place for me to race...
http://www.f1boston.com/racing_arrive_and_drive.asp
-----
Off to sleep. Work tonight, and then back to school in the AM.

__________________
~Nick

aud19

and me

http://www.tbcir.ca/tbc_flash.html

__________________
Jason

Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTGuide

Chris D

Hey, Paul! Good to see ya.

Nick, do me a favor, and make sure you go and vote today! I believe the election today in Massachussets could be the final key that determines the future course of our entire country. However you vote, it's critical that the people speak out.

__________________
CHRIS

So I bought a fancy new-fangled flatscreen the other day.
I don't get this new ADHD-TV thing... beautiful resolution, but it keeps changing channels every 15 seconds!

Dougie085

What are they voting on?

And unfortunately Jason we don't have those places around here.

aud19

hmmm

__________________
Jason

Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTGuide