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#1
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
Way back when, a bit over 16 years ago in fact, I wrote this:
http://groups.google.com/group/news....934bbff7e1550# I pop in occasionally to see how it's doing. It seems that despite some horrific flame wars and personality clashes (and the inevitable influx of spam), this group is still useful. I'm pleased. What do you think? Is this still a cool place? Reid |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
In article ,
Reid wrote: Way back when, a bit over 16 years ago in fact, I wrote this: http://groups.google.com/group/news....read/thread/d7 a934bbff7e1550# I pop in occasionally to see how it's doing. It seems that despite some horrific flame wars and personality clashes (and the inevitable influx of spam), this group is still useful. I'm pleased. What do you think? Is this still a cool place? Considering the general decline of the usenet, it is doing better than one might expect, it is definitely still a cool place. Unfortunately the group is currently suffering through one of its worst periods as a result of constant OT political posts by a craized Australian wing nut, one can only hope that he will eventually tire of his OT silliness. -- Regards, John Byrns Surf my web pages at, http://fmamradios.com/ |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On Sep 13, 10:03*am, John Byrns wrote:
In article , *Reid wrote: What do you think? *Is this still a cool place? Considering the general decline of the usenet, it is doing better than one might expect, it is definitely still a cool place. *Unfortunately the group is currently suffering through one of its worst periods as a result of constant OT political posts by a craized Australian wing nut, one can only hope that he will eventually tire of his OT silliness. -- Regards, John Byrns Hi John. I'm glad to see you're still here! Thanks for the reply. Reid |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On Sep 13, 11:03*am, John Byrns wrote:
In article , *Reid wrote: Way back when, a bit over 16 years ago in fact, I wrote this: http://groups.google.com/group/news....browse_thread/... a934bbff7e1550# I pop in occasionally to see how it's doing. *It seems that despite some horrific flame wars and personality clashes (and the inevitable influx of spam), this group is still useful. *I'm pleased. What do you think? *Is this still a cool place? Considering the general decline of the usenet, it is doing better than one might expect, it is definitely still a cool place. *Unfortunately the group is currently suffering through one of its worst periods as a result of constant OT political posts by a craized Australian wing nut, one can only hope that he will eventually tire of his OT silliness. -- Regards, John Byrns Surf my web pages at, *http://fmamradios.com/ It's a helluva lot more civilized,and saner than the knock-down drag- out brawls,at rec.music.classical.recordings Roger |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On Sep 14, 3:03*am, John Byrns wrote:
In article , *Reid wrote: Way back when, a bit over 16 years ago in fact, I wrote this: http://groups.google.com/group/news....browse_thread/... a934bbff7e1550# I pop in occasionally to see how it's doing. *It seems that despite some horrific flame wars and personality clashes (and the inevitable influx of spam), this group is still useful. *I'm pleased. What do you think? *Is this still a cool place? Considering the general decline of the usenet, it is doing better than one might expect, it is definitely still a cool place. *Unfortunately the group is currently suffering through one of its worst periods as a result of constant OT political posts by a craized Australian wing nut, one can only hope that he will eventually tire of his OT silliness. This group, rec.audio.tubes has only a tiny amount of technical discussions relating to vacuum tubes compared to 10 years ago when maybe there were 100 posts a day and many of those posting were wearing out their soldering irons buiding various item, mainly tubed audio power amps and preamps. There is an extremely small amount of practical work building tube operated gear going on. Most guys who turned 50 some ten years ago got an urge to build the amp iof their dreams like they always wanted to for the previous 30 years but were stopped by having to work and raise a family and deal with a missus who said NO. Well, finally they got the fad, built their amps, and then what? Fads abd crazes don't last, and nobody knows what they are doing now at age 60. Given up on a whole lotta stuff "they used ta do" once when they were young. My living is earned by working with vacuum tubes, and I'd be one of the rare types who is still interested and has wonderment for what I still achieve with a soldering iron, and who also delights in sharing the whole darn journey by maintaining a relevent website and talking to ppl here or anywhere. Its actually difficult for me to ever find others able to discuss vacuum tube stuff at my level so I keep out of other internet forums where the usual discussion is a series of single sentence comments which contain so little useful info and such dumb questions that I'd be wasting my time by being there. They know where I am though, and that I reply to private emails if they have a question, but of course typing to each other is 99% of what they do, where WORK is 99% of what I do. The social media like FarceBook and ****ter has absorbed the time of millions who like to connect, so groups like this were doomed to loose posters because "alternative pubs" have opened their doors. I never go to pubs where ppl sit about bull****ting to each other. The Internet seems to bring Fake Freindships, ppl think thay have friends if they Farce around or **** about in social media. I don't feel any need, and could be called a loner, misfit, unsociable, but such labels don't stick because there's a lot of ppl I like in the REAL WORLD, and who like me. I don't mind being labelled a "craized Australian wing nut" who has said more on vacuum tube use than everyone else put together for the last 10 years. I do have many political/social/ecomomic opinions and many here seem very glad to read my long posts on such matters. It gives them something to interest them, and someone to flame and insult, and a vent for all the alternative opinions that exist in the minds of maybe 4 regulars from the USA who lurk here, and who hate my guts because I am so disagreable with redneck hardline right wingers. Millions of other left wing "socialist scum" also disagree with the ardent voices which always disagree with anything I say about the world. There IS A HUGE APPETITE for OT subjects amoung a few here and all the limp dicked wallys who dislike any message with more than 3 sylables hate OT, and expect a world to have its people talking just ONE sentence to each other each day, rather than have a world where people might say 500 sentences to other people. So a vast number of people have grown to hate hanging out at this group because ppl like me spoil the place, as well as those who reply to every word I say with huge unsnipped posts which are too big sometimes for Google to give to me in their entirity. Flipper is such an example. He thinks I am a terrible ****struck socialist son of a pig. But Flipper has huge trouble getting a socialist lable to stick because he's so inept at personal judgements. If he were to use his words and brain more wisely he'd notice that I am a capitalist, but not the ratbag FU2 type who tramples over everyone and everything in the name of progress. I run a business which I own, and its 31 years since I worked for an employer or was a member of any union. I've never been a member of a political party. But I love the fact my country has FREE MEDICAL CARE for EVERYONE and that law and order here is so good that our gun ownership is far lower than the USA. I'm quite happy to pay my taxes, and I know that much of Big Business is amoral and inefficient in 101 different ways. Sure Big business is mainly responsible for much basic happiness in the world - when its not being arsolic. Big Government can be seen the same way - thank goodness for the roads and bridges, and traffic laws, police, legal system et all. Sure there are arsoles in Gov and the Gove owned public service, but there are more good ppl than arsoles. Seems to me a sensible mix of private enterprize and socialist Gov activities allows the best of living to happen. I don't expect people I meet anywhere, including here, to be able to tolerate all they see in anyone else, but anyway, I don't give a **** how many rotten cabbages are thrown at me daily. To be able to happily survive in un-moderated groups like this one takes a certain kind of personality which allows one to never worry about being called a truckload of horrible names. I'll still say what I think and mean what I say where possible. It'd be a very dull world without the OT. If you don't like OT, then don't read the posts, but meanwhile its a free world and nobody has the right to shut me or anyone else up. That's enough BLATHER for 15 minutes! Patrick Turner. -- Regards, John Byrns Surf my web pages at, *http://fmamradios.com/ |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On Sep 13, 1:03*pm, John Byrns wrote:
In article , *Reid wrote: Way back when, a bit over 16 years ago in fact, I wrote this: http://groups.google.com/group/news....browse_thread/... a934bbff7e1550# I pop in occasionally to see how it's doing. *It seems that despite some horrific flame wars and personality clashes (and the inevitable influx of spam), this group is still useful. *I'm pleased. What do you think? *Is this still a cool place? Considering the general decline of the usenet, it is doing better than one might expect, it is definitely still a cool place. *Unfortunately the group is currently suffering through one of its worst periods as a result of constant OT political posts by a craized Australian wing nut, one can only hope that he will eventually tire of his OT silliness. -- Regards, John Byrns Surf my web pages at, *http://fmamradios.com/ John, in defence (that's Canadian!) of Patrick, he may have a style that some don't like but he has some of the best understanding of tube audio you can find anywhere. So, let's discuss content... good, bad, and indifferent, and avoid personal remarks! Best to all. Cheers, Roger |
#7
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Quote:
Patrick T talks a lot and we see lots of action & results. And some very important political comments, all worth our consideration. Take your pick! My 2 schillings, anyway. John L Stewart |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
In article ,
Engineer wrote: On Sep 13, 1:03*pm, John Byrns wrote: In article , *Reid wrote: Way back when, a bit over 16 years ago in fact, I wrote this: http://groups.google.com/group/news....browse_thread/... a934bbff7e1550# I pop in occasionally to see how it's doing. *It seems that despite some horrific flame wars and personality clashes (and the inevitable influx of spam), this group is still useful. *I'm pleased. What do you think? *Is this still a cool place? Considering the general decline of the usenet, it is doing better than one might expect, it is definitely still a cool place. *Unfortunately the group is currently suffering through one of its worst periods as a result of constant OT political posts by a craized Australian wing nut, one can only hope that he will eventually tire of his OT silliness. -- Regards, John Byrns Surf my web pages at, *http://fmamradios.com/ John, in defence (that's Canadian!) of Patrick, he may have a style that some don't like but he has some of the best understanding of tube audio you can find anywhere. So, let's discuss content... good, bad, and indifferent, and avoid personal remarks! Roger, that is the point, Patrick doesn't avoid personal remarks in his OT rants. While I may not be a target of his personal remarks, others are, including individuals, citizens of the USA, and humans in general. Bottom line, it would be better if he confined his remarks here to tube lore, as defined in this groups charter, and took his political and environmental religious pronouncements to to other groups where they would be on topic. -- Regards, John Byrns Surf my web pages at, http://fmamradios.com/ |
#9
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On Sep 19, 12:05*am, John L Stewart John.L.Stewart.
wrote: 'Engineer[_2_ Wrote: ;938999']On Sep 13, 1:03*pm, John Byrns wrote:- In article , *Reid wrote:- Way back when, a bit over 16 years ago in fact, I wrote this: http://groups.google.com/group/news....browse_thread/.... a934bbff7e1550#- - I pop in occasionally to see how it's doing. *It seems that despite some horrific flame wars and personality clashes (and the inevitable influx of spam), this group is still useful. *I'm pleased.- - What do you think? *Is this still a cool place?- Considering the general decline of the usenet, it is doing better than one might expect, it is definitely still a cool place. *Unfortunately the group is currently suffering through one of its worst periods as a result of constant OT political posts by a craized Australian wing nut, one can only hope that he will eventually tire of his OT silliness. -- Regards, John Byrns Surf my web pages at, *http://fmamradios.com/- John, in defence (that's Canadian!) *of Patrick, he may have a style that some don't like but he has some of the best understanding of tube audio you can find anywhere. *So, let's discuss content... good, bad, and indifferent, and avoid personal remarks! Best to all. Cheers, Roger John B talks a lot but we see no work, action or otherwise. John B depends on others to research his ideas as he continues to dream on. Patrick T talks a lot and we see lots of action & results. And some very important political comments, all worth our consideration. Take your pick! My 2 schillings, anyway. John L Stewart And to avoid another stoopid war of words about the 2008 GFC and how the world is still fulla problems the deniers refuse to aknowledge, I suggest they read a book, titled 'EXREME MONEY : The Masters of the Universe and the Cult of Risk" written by Satayit Das, published bt Penguin, $32..95 in Oz. The problem of all OT discussions is that discussees so often are fulla misinformed beliefs about 101 things, leading them to inconsistent behaviours where, for example, while they earn more than 100 grand a year, they think the rich should pay more taxes, but oh no, not them. Or, All immigrants are gate crashing arsoles when their grandparents arrived in the great increase in population of the USA about 80 years ago, when the USA opened its arms to all manner of of the poor and the down trodden. Oh, and greenhouse effect. To many ppl it ain't happening, and if it is, someone else is the cause. But were'e all in this world together and equal rights and duty of care apply. Trouble with greenhouse is that its such a slow moving effecxt, its easily denied. In 50 years, YOUR better educated offspring will have a better idea and be more concerned about doing something about it but of course scientists know the CO2 may take +20dB longer time to reduce after we've increased it. So survival will be the focus in 50 years, and in 500 years, as it always has been IMHO. So there's no use calling be wrong about worldy stuff, that ain't gonna make you right, or make me right when I'm wrong, but even unpleasant worldly trends are part of the wonderment of being human, and worth discussion. I can think all about tube things for 1/2 my day, but I'd be a mental retard if my mind didn't stray to other matters of worldly importance. While some would be say I'm well on the way to being 100% insane, usually its the pot calling the kettle black. I'd be more enthusastic about working on tube stuff today if were not for a fuct ankle which I crushed in a motorcycle prang some 43 years ago and the arthritis is now preventing big efforts to control the garden at my joint. Two weeks of spring gardening has me hobbling around like a cripple, and I even suffered during a bike ride yesterday. BUT, I will get time to plant a few pumpkin seeds and let pumpkin plants run amok over the huge heap of garden refuse I've gathered up so that my front yard looks a bit like a wog's backyard. But the 25 cubic metres of fairly well compacted stuff is a Neat Heap, not a mess. We are not allowed to burn stuff off like we used to, and costs for rubbish removal is high, so what can be composted should be composted IMHO, because it otherwise is composted at commercial premises which sell it back to the public. In 3 years when the heap reduces, maybe I get to make the sunny bit of ground grow a few vegies. Of course we cremate bodies here OK, maybe 6 grand a pop, and one day I'll zip up the chimney like the others and my atoms will find others to make whoopee with and form new life, and the future world. BTW, this is real re-incarnation, nothing to be frightened of. We are here to only borrow a few atoms for awhile, and then they are re-cycled. Burying under 6 feet of ground seems such a silly slow way to re-cycle a body, and without O2 involved much you tend to get CH4, much worse than CO2. Hopefully, my atoms won't find their way into too many problem children, mentioned in the title of this thread. Patrick Turner. |
#10
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
"John Byrns" wrote in message ... In article , Reid wrote: Way back when, a bit over 16 years ago in fact, I wrote this: http://groups.google.com/group/news....read/thread/d7 a934bbff7e1550# I pop in occasionally to see how it's doing. It seems that despite some horrific flame wars and personality clashes (and the inevitable influx of spam), this group is still useful. I'm pleased. What do you think? Is this still a cool place? Considering the general decline of the usenet, it is doing better than one might expect, it is definitely still a cool place. Unfortunately the group is currently suffering through one of its worst periods as a result of constant OT political posts by a craized Australian wing nut, one can only hope that he will eventually tire of his OT silliness. Yes definately still a cool place:-) Tube/valve audio was enjoying something of a renaissance before the recession set in. I don't know if the situation here in Scandinavia reflects what is going on in the US, the UK or Oz, but here, there was considerable interest in building and renovating tube/valveamps. So much so that we had local evening classes to teach people the basics. There was even a project amp. I was asked to take along several vintage amps for people to look at and listen to. The neat internal appearance of the Leak TL12 impressed everyone, and the sound of my 1971 vintage Radford STA 100 left nobody cold. But people quickly learned that thermionic audio is not a cheap hobby, and the key component, the OPT can costs a great deal of money (several times more than a complete SS amp) And without a professionally finished chassis, it is difficult to produce an amplifier that "looks the money" Also although one follows the schematic meticulously, there is no guarantee that a PP amp with copious amounts of global FB will be stable. In these plug and play days of instant gratificiation, critical damping is a bridge too far for all except the most dedicated. And so, here at least, the flame has died down almost as quickly as it flared. But fortunately RAT soldiers on:-) Iain |
#11
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On Sep 19, 11:10*am, "Iain Churches" wrote:
"John Byrns" wrote in message ... (snip) But fortunately RAT soldiers on:-) Iain Yes, RAT soldiers on... and a good thing, too. So does rec.antiques.radio+phono, my other vice! Cheers, Roger |
#12
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
"Engineer" wrote in message ... On Sep 19, 11:10 am, "Iain Churches" wrote: "John Byrns" wrote in message ... (snip) But fortunately RAT soldiers on:-) Yes, RAT soldiers on... and a good thing, too. So does rec.antiques.radio+phono, my other vice! Many Usenet groups have declined both in quality of content and in the number of contributors due to the presence of hooligans who, for reasons know best to themselves, want to disrupt the discussion. Audio, in particular valve/tube audio is prone to this - with valves and vinyl being a target for much wrath. Not to mention SE valve/tube amps:-) Iain |
#13
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
"Iain Churches" wrote in message
... Many Usenet groups have declined both in quality of content and in the number of contributors due to the presence of hooligans who, for reasons know best to themselves, want to disrupt the discussion. If that were the dominant factor, then moderated groups would be immune to the decline. IME, they are not. If that were the dominant factor, then groups are generally orderly would be immune to the decline. IME, they are not. The impact of social networking strikes me as being a stronger force. Audio, in particular valve/tube audio is prone to this - with valves and vinyl being a target for much wrath. In fact, the majority of the wrath in those areas is expressed by advocates who can't agree about the best way to advocate, or are just wired to be hostile and argumentative. Not to mention SE valve/tube amps:-) I continue to find it interesting that these are taken seriously today given that mainstream audio abandoned SE amps for high performance audio as soon as they could - in the late 1920s at the latest. Those that are ignorant of history are forced to repeat it, I guess! |
#14
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On Sep 20, 1:10*am, "Iain Churches" wrote:
"John Byrns" wrote in message ... In article , Reid wrote: Way back when, a bit over 16 years ago in fact, I wrote this: http://groups.google.com/group/news....browse_thread/.... a934bbff7e1550# I pop in occasionally to see how it's doing. *It seems that despite some horrific flame wars and personality clashes (and the inevitable influx of spam), this group is still useful. *I'm pleased. What do you think? *Is this still a cool place? Considering the general decline of the usenet, it is doing better than one might expect, it is definitely still a cool place. *Unfortunately the group is currently suffering through one of its worst periods as a result of constant OT political posts by a craized Australian wing nut, one can only hope that he will eventually tire of his OT silliness. Yes definately still a cool place:-) Tube/valve audio was enjoying something of a renaissance before the recession set in. *I don't know if the situation here in Scandinavia reflects what is going on in the US, the UK or Oz, but here, there was considerable interest in building and renovating tube/valveamps. So much so that we had local evening classes to teach people the basics. There was even a project amp. *I was asked to take along several vintage amps for people to look at and listen to. *The neat internal appearance of the Leak TL12 impressed everyone, and the sound of my 1971 vintage Radford STA 100 left nobody cold. But people quickly learned that thermionic audio is not a cheap hobby, and the key component, the OPT can costs a great deal of money (several times more than a complete SS amp) * And without a professionally finished chassis, it is difficult to produce an amplifier that "looks the money" Also although one follows the schematic meticulously, there is no guarantee that a PP amp with copious amounts of *global FB will be stable. In these plug and play days of instant gratificiation, critical damping is a bridge too far for all except the *most dedicated. And so, here at least, the flame has died down almost as quickly as it flared. But fortunately RAT soldiers on:-) And you forgot to mention the majority of re-born enthusiasts were soft flabby gutted types who don't like criticism and real deep study of anything so they mainly left r.a.t because of the heat from those who were intolerant of even a small whiff of BS. The same types also got old, I'd say average age since 2001 went from 49 to 59, a time of enormous decline in most blokes. And you forgot that OPTs don't have to be expensive and they rarely ever cost more than a whole solid state amp but of course as blokes age they become Uncle Scrooge types who hate paying a cent for anything as subconsciously the value of their lives and themselves ebbs away. All these wannabe do littles could have learnt to wind their own OPTs, ie, put the effort in where its needed, and get off the arse and into motion. But all the old guys of America and Europe have other ideas - to take it easy, and try to survive economic depression they let happen, and survive their illnesses they have no control over. Compared to many other far more extravagant hobbies, like owning a private yacht, private aeroplane, or a private mistress, tube audio constructing has to be exremely cheep, but methinks many blokes just got bored with devoting time to building gear because they'd never much use it anyway, because only very few technically proficient personalities actually like music a huge amount. How many OT posts have there been at r.a.t about music? about zero compared to posts about cars, guns, politices, hate, BS et all. Even my father thought listening to music was a sissy activity. Stoopid *******. But lets not psychoanalyse too much. Now we enter a time of economic depression, and all because so many people have spent more than they could afford. This may not have been YOU, but musta bin the guy next door; certainly a lot of ppl somewhere, or else everyone was robbed somehow. No bloody money now. The love affair with credit has bit everyone on their lazy arses, and meanwhile wives are putting final touches on fully controlling husbands' dismal efforts in bed, out of bed, and with the family finances. Mental castration is almost done. Let's face it, un- castrated young males live such awfully expensive lives. So as the decline looks set to continue as the sun sets on baby boomers, I'm staying un-married, out of debt, fit as I can manage easily, and staying armed with a soldering iron, and while other technician blokes drop dead around me I plan to keep going until I drop dead at some time. I've never seen such a crowd come to me this last year for repairs and re-engineering. I got rid of my Yellow Pages add, and still they came. But at least here in Oz, unemplyment is 5.3%, we've avoided recession, average wages are $67,000 per year and some big international finance body awarded our national treasurer Wayne Swan title "man of the year", because he's managed the Oz economy so well, and that IS remarkable bearing in mind he looks and quacks just like Donald Duck, and the Opposition Party thinks he's a complete dickhead. I'm moving into retirement next July and will get the old age pension, and then I'll be able to say NO NO NO to a whole army of people clutching faulty solid state junk which isn't very old and which doesn't last very long these days. So, I'll manage to go on as a local curmudgeonly type for some forseeable future with some subsidization by taxpayers, which will seem like winning the lottery after 15 years putting up with the legions of arsoles who have expected me to slave away for payments far low than they get themselves, and preventing me ever being more than a technical "voluntary worker". The sound of saying NO to someone wanting a cheap fix will echo like, say, the Brandenburg Orchestra in my ears as I say NO to people. BTW, you could all do a Google on the Brandenburg Orchestra, and you'd find they give the very best of good music which is made heavenly with a glass or two of dry red. Both will help anyone forget their downers, until tommorrow. Its a very nice spring morning here and my body has improved after temporary ruination caused by last week's gardening efforts. So I'm off on the bicycle to have coffee and read a paper some 35km away, and just what the rest of the world gets up to is of SFA concern to me. Patrick Turner. |
#15
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
Someone said...
Not to mention SE valve/tube amps:-) Arny blurted.... I continue to find it interesting that these are taken seriously today given that *mainstream audio abandoned SE amps for high performance audio as soon as they could - in the late 1920s at the latest. Arny, hardly anyone takes you seriously, you stupid old dinosaur! Patrick Turner. |
#16
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Its a very nice spring morning here and my body has improved after
temporary ruination caused by last week's gardening efforts. So I'm off on the bicycle to have coffee and read a paper some 35km away, and just what the rest of the world gets up to is of SFA concern to me. Patrick Turner.[/quote] I'm gone on the bike (the kind one must pedal) again in 1/2 an hour for 50 km or more. Was same yesterday & same Sunday. The TUBES are in the tires. Then I will get on the tractor & haul some logs (not track)! The TUBES are the hydraulic hoses. Gotta chain saw some fire wood for coming Winter. What? No TUBES? Cheers to all, John L Stewart |
#17
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
"John L Stewart" wrote in message ... Gotta chain saw some fire wood for coming Winter. What? No TUBES? John.- I am engaged in a similar autumn task. The wood we will burn this winter was cut and stacked for drying three summers ago. We get through about 1 000kilos of logs in a winter. I like the idea of a self-renewing energy source. http://www.kolumbus.fi/iain.churches...ummer/SC22.jpg My Stihl chain saw certainly has a tube - a rubber pipe around the hand-grip:-) Cheers Iain |
#18
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On Sep 22, 4:54*am, "Iain Churches" wrote:
"John L Stewart" wrote in ... Gotta chain saw some fire wood for coming Winter. What? No TUBES? John.- I am engaged in a similar autumn task. The wood we will burn this winter was cut and stacked for drying three summers ago. *We get through about 1 000kilos of logs in a winter. I like the idea of a self-renewing *energy source. http://www.kolumbus.fi/iain.churches...ummer/SC22.jpg My Stihl chain saw certainly has a tube - a rubber pipe around the hand-grip:-) Cheers Iain The last time I bought a tonne of hardwood to burn during ceremonial occasions, ie, when a sheila was positive to the idea of letting me cook dinner for her, provide music, wine, and a damn good rogering by an open fire was in 2006. Since then, all available shielas have dried up, paused from men, whatever, and I have half a tonne of wood still left. The wood is eucalypt, and so darn hard only an idiot would try to cut lengths off a log then split it by hand. Since 2006, the only fires I've had were to roast a few defunct transformers to vaporize the plastics so the cores can be salvaged with ease. I'm never in my lounge in winter because I use a PC and 750W one bar radiator and TV set in my bedroom, and I don't yearn for the nightly physicals with sheilas because I'd rather get physical on a bicycle during daylight, and unlike a sheila, the bike is so much cheaper to run, doesn't whinge, and I can hop on any time I like, leaving me fit enough and mentally un-distracted and not disconbobulated to better cope with our 100 nights of frost we get. I really don't give a **** about my CO2 footprint. I'm on very low wages, and spend 20dB less than most other folks do on things that pong the Planet badly. Plus, I more or less deliberately refused to have any kids, so people of the future won't have t compete with my offspring for a bitta fresh cool air. I'd really like a decent solar hot water system, and evap cooling for summer, but all such things cost piles and piles of bucks. Back in the days when I earned slightly more, I might go through a tonne of wood a year. After about 15 years of blazing open fires, I then I put a steel drop door in front of the fire to slow the flow of hot air up the chimney. That made the open fire about 3 times more efficient but it still wasn't much cheaper than electricity. But now electricity has gone up and wood is marginally cheaper, and I should demolish the front of the fire place and put in a decent cast iron wood heater with turbo flow action, which would work better than my home brew enclosed fire place. But the list of what I should do is a long one, and very easily dismissed as expensive vanity, and of course firewood ain't cheap, about $300 a tonne now, and when you buy a tonne, the weight docket is false of course, a complete fiction, so what ya pay is more like $600 a tonne. The extra two skivies and a jumper are looking good. I made a rather large compost heap after cutting my hedge to size last week. Its all recycled carbon, but as it rots down and becomes soil, much CO2 is released. Huge eucalypt trees in Oz forests are excellent carbon sinks but if forests were not being flattened around the world they'd have a neutral effect on CO2 because old trees die, rot to bits while new ones rise to replace them, and there's no long term CO2 reduction. If someone is proud of using 1 tonne of firewood a year, and considers it a renewable, its only 1 tonne, and meanwhile most ppl need some sort of external power from fossil fuels - coal, gas, petro- oils to enable their modern life to happen. With me, I need about 800 watts 24/7, and if one adds in the indirect fuel in food and delivery of goods and services, the tonnage of non renewables is a very depressing large quantity, hardly at all reduced by using wood fires, compact flouro lamps, or not using plastic bags at the supermarket. Maybe if Oz built a decent big thorium reactor in each major city and if we banned our humungous coal exports, we'd have a cleaner greener reputation, but I doubt such will happen soon. If the world moved entirely to "renewables", what would the cost be? huge? probably. But suppose the world managed to drastically reduce CO2, and invented means of removing it from the atmosphere, while also reducing the cost of energy over say the next 100 years, then that merely gives everyone the chance to explore how greediy thay can be in 1,001 other ways they cannot afford now. Not to worry, people get used to whatever ****ed up world they find themselves born into, and they'll just muddle through their life like we do, congratualting themselves for solving 1% of the problems while making everything worse. But maybe with luck, we'll invent space travel faster than the speed of light, and zip off to a new Planet ready for a rooting. There are now about 600 known planets outside the Solar system, and probably billions of them Out There. I see that I have a problem with the speed of light. One would think that if there is a God, then whatever kinda entity it is would likely have to know what's going on around the the little tiny known universe we find ourselves in, plus also around the infinitely large number of other universes outside of the one we perceive. For a God to know about space and stuff far away, he'd need instant communications, not limited by the terribly damn slow speed of light. Anyway, whatever God is out there ain't letting us know very much about anything; he ain't including us in the Big Picture. And so while people like to use renewables, and be green, exactly why? And so why raise a sweat being green, of acting renewably, when we have no clue why and how all of existance came to be, and what our ultimate fate as a species might be? Maybe as a young man I subconsciously figured there were far too many unanswered questions to proceed with breeding, and therefore this avoiding the avoidable saved me raising the sweat, and thus cluttering the Planet with too many ppl who don't have a clue about why they are here. Maybe I figured I was just a mushroom boy, kept in the dark and fed on BS. Meanwhile, the traffic jams only seem to get worse, and ppl are paying $65,000 a kilo for rhino horn, and rhinos will be extinct soon. Everyone's problem child can be their own thinking. |
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Your photo shows some very good fire wood. The trees appear to be an evergreen plantation, all simlar trees I think. That is done here in some places when the land is found to be infertile for farming. It prevents the soil from blowing away. Still lots of good land left for food crops. The forest at our property here is mixed hardwood & evergreen. Hardwoods such as red oak, ash, beech & maple grow well. Also pine. I take only the dead stuff, except if something breaks in a storm. There are so called 'soft maples' here that grow at about twice the rate of the other hardwoods. These occasionally crash to the ground in storms. Altho they are called 'soft' it turns out the wood is very hard. It has many red streaks & burns well when dried. I'm also burning a lot of well dried sumach. They seem to die off at about 30-35 years of age. When dry they make an excellant fire. When we built the house more than 40 years ago I investigated a combination wood & electric fired furnace. The provincial power company, Ontario Hydro was loaded with water (hydraulic) & nuclear power. But I was running hard at the time, travelling extensively with HP in Canada & later with R&S. It looked to me that in spite of our wood lot I would have to buy the several cords of firewood each year. Based on that a good return on the investment required was not possible. So we went with an oil fired furnace. The house has two large fire places, the one in the lower level used extensively each Winter. Not sure of the actual quantity of firewood each season, but I guess a half ton would not be far out. As is usual in these kinds of fire, most of the heat escapes up the chimney. No Sheilas are present as Patrick T has, my wife does not allow! I have not used a gas chain saw in many years, gave the last one to my number one son. While building we installed underground 220/110 volt power over the entire lot. Outlets are scattered around in convenient places. I bought a one KW Hammond autotransformer many years ago & use that to run the largest electric chain saws available. We will never run out of fire wood. Each Spring & Summer I have to burn off a lot of scrap. Last time a soft maple crashed to the Earth. I cut it up & delivered the best part to a neighbor. Burned the rest in the fire pit. He does heat his house with wood. No bike today, we are getting rained on. Cheers & Good Sawing, John |
#20
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On 09/22/2011 06:51 AM, Patrick Turner wrote:
Back in the days when I earned slightly more, I might go through a tonne of wood a year. After about 15 years of blazing open fires, I then I put a steel drop door in front of the fire to slow the flow of hot air up the chimney. That made the open fire about 3 times more efficient but it still wasn't much cheaper than electricity. But now electricity has gone up and wood is marginally cheaper, and I should demolish the front of the fire place and put in a decent cast iron wood heater with turbo flow action, which would work better than my home brew enclosed fire place. But the list of what I should do is a long one, and very easily dismissed as expensive vanity, and of course firewood ain't cheap, about $300 a tonne now, and when you buy a tonne, the weight docket is false of course, a complete fiction, so what ya pay is more like $600 a tonne. The extra two skivies and a jumper are looking good. -- Patric: Next year, when I'll have to sell this 15 years old eucalyptus trees, I will get, with luck, U$ 28 a metric tonne. How many tonnes do I keep for you ? But you have to come and get them here in Argentina. http://lieber.com.ar/euca.jpg Alejandro Lieber LU1FCR Rosario Argentina Real-Time F2-Layer Critical Frequency Map foF2: http://1fcr.com.ar |
#21
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
But I was running hard at the time, travelling extensively with HP in
Canada & later with R&S. It looked to me that in spite of our wood lot I would have to buy the several cords of firewood each year. Based on that a good return on the investment required was not possible. So we went with an oil fired furnace. Oil heating was popular here until oil prices went high. Gas is a lot cheaper now than electricity for hot water and space heating The house has two large fire places, the one in the lower level used extensively each Winter. Not sure of the actual quantity of firewood each season, but I guess a half ton would not be far out. As is usual in these kinds of fire, most of the heat escapes up the chimney. No Sheilas are present as Patrick T has, my wife does not allow! Yeah, one reason I don't use much fire wood is that whenever the fire gets low in winter, and I ask one of the sheilas to duck outside for a couple of logs, they get a bit uppity and tell me how terrible it was that some very uncool guy sang a song with words "Put another log on the fire, cook me up bacon and some beans, and when your'e done just sew my old blue jeans...." and I have to explain to them there's no need to get cranky, I just want the wood, as I have bought my own sewing machine. This usually calms them down, and of course I pour them another glass of cognac, and pretty soon they are thinking about bed and stuff, - and tomorrow's lawn mowing. I have not used a gas chain saw in many years, gave the last one to my number one son. While building we installed underground 220/110 volt power over the entire lot. Outlets are scattered around in convenient places. I bought a one KW Hammond autotransformer many years ago & use that to run the largest electric chain saws available. I've lusted after a decent chainsaw for years, but the shielas have seen too many repeats of Texas Chain Saw Masacre," and I've always been worried that they jealousy might lead them to using on each other, or on the supports to the front portico. So meanwhile I get by with a bow saw. I can hide the blade. But of course one darn tree has become too large and needs to be cut as it has begun to die anyway, and its grown right over the top of sewer pipes, and I had to do a a big dig out and clean out 2 years ago. The shielas refused to help, just too yukky. It is definately a man's job to clean out the palace **** pipes. Elvis once sang..... "I'm a hopin an' a prayin'..." and I never knew what it was he was crooning about about, but I'm a hopin and a prayin this fukkin half dead tree blows over soon, and thus gets pernanently horizontal and good only to be burnt - before I do - and there's a good chance it might happen, but if not, then the fukkin tree will get to be a nuisance and hafta be manually felled the expensive way, ie, at gi-normous expense, with a couple of blokes and a cherry picker and bit by bit. Unfortunately, The tree is a bit too big to risk felling in at 3AM like I did another 5 years ago, thus saving myself a grand or two. The butt is now about 800mm dia. But its all hardword, makes good firewood, maybe 3 tonnes in the tree, but rather a lotta work to cut it to 600mm lenghths then split it, so I'll leave it in long lengths after it is felled one day, and roll the logs to just inside the hedge around my block. The carbon should then remain trapped for 50 years, although when I die the house & land will probably be bought by some yuppy vain dickhead who will give the whole joint the shove and build a monstrosity to replace it, with a carbon footprint +20dB greater than mine ever was. We will never run out of fire wood. Each Spring & Summer I have to burn off a lot of scrap. Last time a soft maple crashed to the Earth. I cut it up & delivered the best part to a neighbor. Burned the rest in the fire pit. He does heat his house with wood. Soft maple eh, Hmm, cutting eucalypt is something else. Not too bad when green, but when its dry it chalenges the best saws. No bike today, we are getting rained on. I did your miles for ya John, so don't worry. Patrick Turner. Cheers & Good Sawing, John +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Filename: IMG_0033 Bonfire.jpg * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * | |Download:http://www.audiobanter.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=248| +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ -- John L Stewart- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
#22
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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Checkin in. So how's my problem child doing these days?
On Sep 24, 9:52*pm, Alejandro Lieber alejan...@Use-Author-Supplied-
Address.invalid wrote: On 09/22/2011 06:51 AM, Patrick Turner wrote: Back in the days when I earned slightly more, I might go through a tonne of wood a year. After about 15 years of blazing open fires, I then I put a steel drop door in front of the fire to slow the flow of hot air up the chimney. That made the open fire about 3 times more efficient but it still wasn't much cheaper than electricity. But now electricity has gone up and wood is marginally cheaper, and I should demolish the front of the fire place and put in a decent cast iron wood heater with turbo flow action, which would work better than my home brew enclosed fire place. But the list of what I should do is a long one, and very easily dismissed as expensive vanity, and of course firewood ain't cheap, about $300 a tonne now, and when you buy a tonne, the weight docket is false of course, a complete fiction, so what ya pay is more like $600 a tonne. The extra two skivies and a jumper are looking good. -- Patric: Next year, when I'll have to sell this 15 years old eucalyptus trees, I will get, with luck, U$ 28 a metric tonne. How many tonnes do I keep for you ? But you have to come and get them here in Argentina. http://lieber.com.ar/euca.jpg Alejandro Lieber *LU1FCR Rosario Argentina Gees Rosario, I'd feel right at home over there in your forest of "gum trees". Don't worry, despite the most terrible forest management practices by Forest Industries here and the best efforts by GOD to burn vast areas of gum tree forests in big bush fires, we still have plenty gum trees in Oz, so I won't come to collect any wood. But those trees you have look like they are nice and straight and when they are sawn into logs and maybe milled after being air dried or kiln dried, they should be worth much more than USD $28.00 per tonne. See http://www.finlayson.com.au/download...l_hardwood.pdf You need to "value add" to get more money. Growing trees for firewood seems silly, and also woodchipping for paper seems silly, when far better use for timber can be found. Patrick Turner. |
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