Craig Sawyers

I'm of two minds regarding the Tokyo Olympics. On the one hand, Japan has forked out the massive sums of money to build all the venues, Olympic villages etc. Only for it to be cancelled last year for obvious reasons. Cancelling for a second year would have given real financial problems. Part of the financial rationale for the 2012 games in London was conversion of the facilities to other uses after the games, and I would expect Tokyo to be the same. So the pressure to hold the games this year must have been very high. On the other hand, it is a Covid superspreader event just waiting to happen. Or clearly already happening.

We'll know if it is Boston Dynamics if it starts doing somersaults

Looks like a bunch of stuff from Boston Dynamics shoehorned onto/into a Jag.

That is audio porn on so many levels

Then there is the fairly new Elma A47 (47 positon) four channel attenuator https://www.elma.com/en/products/rotary-switches/audio-solutions/a47-audio-switch--4-wafers-12070365 But you are back in RK50 territory. The conclusion is: highest quality four channel attenuators all end up at about the same price, or even beyond RK50!

Then there is this http://www.tkd-corp.com/products/att/pdf/p65cs-e.pdf which is what Curl used in the Blowtorch. He used a stereo one, not four channel, because Blowtorch was not inherently a balanced preamp. It is available in four channel, I have no idea of the price, but expect it to be substantial. Then there is the Seiden 74005, 58 position 4 channel switch. You need to add resistors of course. That switch is Y47,000 direct from Seiden ($430, shipping, taxes etc on top). Depending on the resistor choice you could be back in RK50 territory or beyond. Although the Seiden price list is 2012, that is the one that Seiden sent me in Feb 2020. I have not tried either the TKD nor the Seiden, but at least considered the Seiden for another project (pending) that needs a really weird attenuation law. SEIDEN.pdf PRICE_LIST_2012.10.pdf

Very happy belated birthday, Jose!

Anyone come across The Beast of Turn. A 1911 Fiat S76. 110 years ago it held the land speed record at 185 mph. over 28 liter engine, four cylinders each one more than 7 litres. The guy that restored it bough the only two that were ever made, in rusted out total basket cases. He then spent ten years making a complete car, totally original in all respects. Watch the flames from the exhaust.

Behind the scenes shot from The Graduate. The idea being that feckless youth is seduced by a much older predatory woman. In fact Ann Bancroft was 36, and Dustin Hoffman was 30 at the time

The video has had nearly 3 million hits now

Tried the Hoffman method. Bit of a faff, and not something to do if rushing to get to work - but the resulting coffee is to die for. Has real depth, but without the bitter edge from the regular French press method. Win!

That is an expensive pot for sure. Mouser are expecting 8 of them in September for UKP729 (so about $1k) I think I ended up using a DACT switched attenuator. The RK50 was just too hot for my pocket.

The usual insane Red Bull stuff

Never heard of the Hoffmann technique. Now I have, and am definitely going to try it today!

Happy birthday!

Woah - how did I miss this! Very happy belated, Justin!!

I've only had one root canal done. I'm not nervous about dental work, and wasn't for this either. But three two hour sessions in the chair was pretty full on. The first session was emergency work to stabilize it and shove some sort of disinfectant in there. It will improve Fitz, and the feeling of having your jaw feel as it has been kicked by a horse will quickly go. I honestly have lost track of the number of crowns I've now got.

I had to click the link. I saw Northampton and thought it was the original one (this is a nice bit; there are bits that aren't so nice!). But it sounds like an amazing day at the US one.

Sennheiser used to be great with spare parts. My original DT990's were just starting to wear out. Senn supplied new stirrups (a pin had broken) ear pads and leather inner strap. About three or four years ago.

An impossibility surely (And don't call me Shirley...)

Interestingly the data sheet is inconsistent. It says 20AWG and 0.05mm^s in the title block, but 0.5mm^2 in the main drawing (which is the correct number) Anyway, assuming it is 0.5mm^2, that is 0.033 ohms per metre or 0.066 ohms loop resistance assuming 1m long umbilicals. The output tube pair takes 0.9A, so the voltage drop along the wires will be 0.9 x 0.066 = 0.06V. So that wire looks just fine ================================= Correction Wrong current! I looked up 6AC7 rather than 6CA7. Correct current per pair is 3A. So the voltage drop is 3 x 0.066 = 0.2V, which is a bit more significant.

Yes - I use the same PTFE coated wire, 600V rated. So from one conductor to another it should be 1200V. The maximum difference is from -500V to +500V - so 1000V. In fact it is a bit more, because there is a -560V line, so 1060V. Now in all likelihood the insulation will be OK. But I decided to double insulate the heater wires at -500V just to be sure. But hey guys - just telling you what I did with mine. Whatever works for you is OK with me.

They have replaced the UT513 with the UT513A. But it seems to be a bolted on bargain - in the UK £227. And unusually for a Chinese product the CE mark conforms to the correct logo, so it looks as if it was properly certified. Thanks for the heads up! I regularly use an AVO RM290 Megohmmeter, but that only goes up to 1kV, but it does go to 10^12 ohms. Good old analog meter.