And now what did you do TODAY?

n_maher · May 15, 2020

I feel like an idiot - I still don't understand what I would use this thing for.

*blessingx* · May 15, 2020

21 minutes ago, n_maher said:

I feel like an idiot - I still don't understand what I would use this thing for.

*morphsci* · May 15, 2020

It makes anything you connect one to a Roon endpoint. The one in the photo is sitting on and connected via USB to my DacMagic Plus. It is also connected wirelessly to my network (or you can leave it wired). Roon sees it when it is turned on because of the Ropiee software (Linux running Roon Bridge). It is a single purpose network appliance so I do not have to mess around with Linux per se. RopieeXL can also be used for DLNA, airplay and Spotify.

Edit: But Ric's video makes a much more compelling case.

Edited May 15, 2020 by morphsci

*Fitz* · May 15, 2020

I think it can also integrate with the Rockwell retro encabulator, if you wanted to tie that into your system as well.

Dusty Chalk · May 15, 2020

2 hours ago, n_maher said:

I feel like an idiot - I still don't understand what I would use this thing for.

More gadgetses.

*Grahame* · May 15, 2020

1 hour ago, Fitz said:

I think it can also integrate with the Rockwell retro encabulator, if you wanted to tie that into your system as well.

Well There was the original Turbo Encabulator

The Chrysler Version

Then Rockwell enhanced it to make the Retro Encabulator

And nowadays there's a Micro Encabulator

End the misery of side fumbling forever!

Edited May 15, 2020 by Grahame

*Augsburger* · May 15, 2020

I think I will buy one as well even though I don't know what it will do, how I will be able to assemble it and what it is for but I like the concept.

*Fitz* · May 15, 2020

6 minutes ago, Grahame said:

And nowadays there's a Micro Encabulator

I may have to upgrade to one of those, that definitely saves a lot of space over a traditional turbo encabulator design.

*Fitz* · May 16, 2020

New fans came earlier than expected, so I installed them in the case and got some initial fan curves setup. Two 140mm intakes in front and one 120mm exhaust in back (and changed the cpu cooler fan to match)

*MexicanDragon* · May 16, 2020

5 minutes ago, Fitz said:

New fans came earlier than expected, so I installed them in the case and got some initial fan curves setup. Two 140mm intakes in front and one 120mm exhaust in back (and changed the cpu cooler fan to match)

Needs most lights; I can't see how dark it is in there...

*Fitz* · May 16, 2020

Just now, MexicanDragon said:

Needs most lights; I can't see how dark it is in there...

No, I should probably disable the motherboard logo LED too, and have no RGB lighting enabled.

*luvdunhill* · May 16, 2020

Three that you inspired.

That was my lame attempt at a math joke

*morphsci* · May 16, 2020

I was so burned out yesterday, that went totally over my head.

*Knuckledragger* · May 16, 2020

We got hit by a major storm last night. Power was out for over 6 hours. 10 minutes after 8 until well past 2AM. I had all sorts of fun issues during it. My iPhone refused to connect to my laptop. I had a lightning cable handy and when I connected them, the iPhone went nuts spamming "trust this device" confirmation popups. The problem was that it the popups disappeared immediately and wouldn't let me click on any of them. It also made a chime noise every time a popup appeared, which quickly wore away at my already fraying sanity. Weirdly, the two devices did pair wirelessly and I was able to get on the internets, sort of. I checked my electric company's website and they had a handy map showing my house smack dab in the middle of it. There was a crew assigned, but the estimated time of power restoration was noon *today.*

After half an hour of staring at slow internet on my phone/laptop pair, I had enough. I found my car keys, wallet, etc. (keep in mind I have not left my property in over 8 weeks at this point) and fired up the Fit. I have a "Battery Tender" trickle charger, so the Fit's battery (notoriously fickle) was full. I had also put air in the tires (which go soft after sitting for prolonged periods of time) two days ago. Happily, the engine started right up and purred like a 1.5L kitten. I got halfway down my street when I realized that I was only hearing music out of one set of speakers. I cursed, futzed with the cable, caused all sorts of ear shredding static to pop out of the speakers, but could not get actual music in both channels. I cursed further and drove back home. By flashlight, I located a spare 1/8" to 1/8" cable. The one I'd been using was in service constantly from late 2013, so it didn't really owe me anything. New cable found, I went back out to the Fit and installed it. Yay, music in both channels!

I drove around my town and saw exactly what I expected. Other than my immediate area, everyone had power. This has been the story living here for 20 years. I went to a near-ish ATM and checked my bank balance. Not terrible. Funny thing, I haven't been spending much money apart from regular bills in the last 2 months. Not sure why. I got through the better part of X-Dream's landmark 1998 album Radio before I got bored. I also charged the iPhone a bit. I got back home and of course the power was still out.

I was headed back in the house when a giant electric company truck went down my street. It had a bright AF searchlight on the roof and was scanning the wires. "Looking for the electricity" as a friend of mine described it. Depressingly, the went all the way down my street without stopping. I once again sat in my comfy chair with a couple candles lit and did some IP-over-telephone browsing. I took a nap earlier, hoping to sleep through the blackout. I didn't, but I was wide awake as a result.

Sometime after 2AM, the power came back on. As it always does, it arrived with a surge. I've been through this before many times in the last two decades, so I have a small army of surge protectors. There's a whole house unit with a very low (that's better) clamping voltage that cost me a pretty penny. I also have 3 UPSes and countless power strip form factor surge protectors. Well, once of the devices NOT connected to a power strip was the PSU for my ca. 2001 class compliant (doesn't require drivers) USB audio interface. Of course, it died. It was only my laziness and ineptitude that kept it from being plugged into a power strip.

Much foul language and rummaging later, I found a spare USB audio "interface." It's a Blue Icicle I bought off ...some Head-Caser around a decade ago. I never used it other than to test it. It plugged in and lit up, but Windows refused to recognize it. A google search later, I found an amazingly helpful YouTube video from a British fella who found out that some Hercules drives from 2009(!) called Hercules_2009_GMXLPLT3_2_Win7 worked with the Icicle with both Windows 8.1 and 10.

There were a couple other casualties. The batter for the APC UPS I have powering my network hardware (essential) gave up the ghost. I need to order a replacement, which is a nontrivial task in the best of times. I also had some weird issues with a few other devices. I'm going to have to carefully test a bunch of shit over the next week or so. This weekend has gotten off to an amazing start.

Obviously, I didn't do my radio show last night. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm going to do it tonight, either. After last night's debalce, I'm just not in the mood. I think I'm going to go outside and clear brush.

*Craig Sawyers* · May 16, 2020

Grief - what a mess. Why a massive, electronics shredding surge when they reconnect the supply after clearing the fault is anybody's guess. Sounds like bungling incompetence by the electricity company to me.

*morphsci* · May 17, 2020

Built another Ropiee appliance. This time used RopieeXL and the 7" Pi touchscreen display.

*Augsburger* · May 17, 2020

Had BBQ new york steaks and admired this D2HBaaaA

This one is a is a OM1A with brazilian rosewood one of only six made

*Torpedo* · May 17, 2020

3 hours ago, Augsburger said:

Had BBQ new york steaks and admired this D2HBaaaA

This one is a is a OM1A with brazilian rosewood one of only six made

Did you play them? I like a lot the OM or 000 form guitars. Never played or saw in person a Collings.

grawk · May 17, 2020

replaced the diverter in my shower, after it broke right as I got in for my morning shower.

*Augsburger* · May 17, 2020

A friend owns these and a few other Gibsons and such. I only am allowed to take pictures, not touch. 😃

*Grahame* · May 17, 2020

^

Dusty Chalk · May 17, 2020

35 minutes ago, Augsburger said:

A friend owns these and a few other Gibsons and such. I only am allowed to take pictures, not touch. 😃

Did you at least get to hear your friend play them?

*Voltron* · May 18, 2020

This morning I put the final touch on the silverware chest that Steve and I have been building by installing the insert that holds our silverware set. I bought it from Rockler and designed the chest around it. I'm proud of the chest and think it is beautiful even though it is not completely perfect in every way, and I certainly never could have done it without Steve.

We made the chest from a single large board of jatoba wood and it turned out to have some twists and warps that were a bear to manage. Also, it has high mitered corners and my design idea was to wrap the grain from the left side, across the front and continue onto the right side. The lid is also mostly a single piece with sides formed by the sides of the box and an ebony border around the insert. It was by far the most complicated thing I have ever attempted and Steve claims the same for himself.

I am going to post a bunch of pictures of the finished product, but not the blow by blow building shots as I did with the dining table from last month. I don't want to bore everyone and I don't have many photos anyway. The only two parts that I am going to highlight are the lid and the horizontal routing we did to make an ebony inlay on the edge of the drawer opening (which covered a mistake we made earlier). The lid piece was too big for my router so I had to build a router sled and route it that way. The first pic shows the setup with a dummy board, the second the jatoba board while being routed, and the third pic down shows the board after routing and a first sanding. It was a cool exercise.

The horizontal routing was done on the router table Steve and I built, which can be tipped 90 degrees so that the bit extends outward horizontally, duh, and allows for tenons to be cut precisely. It worked great to make a slot for the ebony insert that is exposed when the drawer is pulled out.

Lastly, here is the box when we glued it up with the lid still part of the box. Steve's plan all along was to build it this way and then cut off the lid an inch down from the top so that it would fit together with the box perfectly. It worked to an extent, but the twists and warps in the wood made it much more difficult to accomplish and not quite "perfect."

So, the rest of the pics are just the chest in some detail to show the continuous grain wrapping around the three sides, and the ebony accents and the handles that we made from ebony as well. It was anxiety inducing and I definitely lost sleep along the way (covid is to blame as well), but the results are pretty fabulous imho.