NON-intelligent design

[aamicrophones]

Hi Lynn, I went up to our local dump the other day to get rid of some old packing material. I always look in the electronics shed where they are lots of obsolete PC's and remove the IEC power cords.

Sitting there was a Sansui AU 517 stereo amplifier with detent controls and it looked to be in great shape so I threw it in the SUV and brought it back to the shop.

I fired it up and it worked perfectly except for some noise and an intermittent tape/source switch which caused the right channel to drop out. WIth a couple of squirts of De-oxit contact cleaner it cleaned up and now sounds like new.

I had picked up a couple of mint Q660 Quest 2-way speakers at the local Thrift store a few weeks ago for $10 each so now I have a very nice sounding system in my shipping area so I can listen to music as I pack up microphones. The headphone out on the laptop drives the aux in perfectly.

At the thrift store I also bought a Big Bertha 3 wood Callaway driver for 50 cents that someone dropped off because the grip was worn. I had it re-gripped for $12 and I hit dead straight out to 175 yards with it last week on the local golf course. It feels even better when you out drive your friend with a $12.50 driver.

We have become a disposable society with designer affectations.

When I was in Shanghai I bought a leather carrying case for my laptop for $20. It fit the laptop and had some nice pockets. It had some LOGO on it that I didn't recognize but when we arrive back at the Vancouver Airport another passenger said, " Wow that's a Mount Blanc." I asked my wife and she said, if it was a real Mount Blanc it would be worth over $200. My only concern is now it looks like a designer laptop case someone might be more likely to steal it.

One of my favorite Bob Dylan songs is , " Everything is broken".

If you are the least bit handy you can make out like a bandit these days.

Instead of buying expensive foam acoustic panels go and get some of the burlap bags that the coffee beans come in. Cut a piece of 1/8" plywood to fit inside and then fill the burlap sack with Rock Wool close the burlap by stapling it to the plywood and you have a acoustical panel that will absorb down below 200hz for very little money. You can hang them on the wall like a picture frame. My local coffee bean roaster gives the bags away. They look pretty cool in the studio as they have different designs and in my experience coffee is an important part of the studio culture.

Someone tagged the plastic bumper on my Toyota SUV while I was in the grocery store and bumped it in so there was an indentation about the size of a small dinner plate. To replace the bumper was going to be over $500 so I went home and got out the heat shrink gun and after heating it up for a good amount of time it popped out. There is a slight little crease about 2" long that you can only notice when you wash it.

My guess is that's why a lot of folks have the credit cards up near their limits as they don't try and fix things themselves.

Also, it probably felt pretty good when you fixed it yourself right, Lynn.

You feel like you are more in control and not a victim of consumerism.

Cheers, Dave

I fixed two vacuum cleaners for friends and family this weekend. One (an Oreck from my ex-mother-in-law) would have cost $50 at the shop to clear out a clog in the body. The other was a problem with a switch. I'm sure another $50. Fixed them both in less than an hour.

I don't know how non-handy people can afford to live.

[QNote]

One of my hobbies as an early teenager was invading the local county landfill on Sunday's (covertly through the woods) and removing two or three push lawn mowers that had been placed in the metals area within a large sand pit. 4 out of 5 of the mowers always had minor issues that $10 or less would remedy, and a few minutes of labor. Usually, just the spark plug, clogged air filter, clogged carb, etc. I would then sale them for spending money to help a starving 14 year old!

[QNote]

Instead of buying expensive foam acoustic panels go and get some of the burlap bags that the coffee beans come in. Cut a piece of 1/8" plywood to fit inside and then fill the burlap sack with Rock Wool close the burlap by stapling it to the plywood and you have a acoustical panel that will absorb down below 200hz for very little money. You can hang them on the wall like a picture frame. My local coffee bean roaster gives the bags away. They look pretty cool in the studio as they have different designs and in my experience coffee is an important part of the studio culture.

Maybe leaving the coffee beans in them would be even better!

[3daudioinc]

Strike Four.

After waiting three weeks for a replacement memory card, I finally called Vivitar's tech support and informed them that it had not come. They told me that memory cards were back ordered and were expected within the next week and that they would mail it then and I should see it within the next 10 days. I was not reluctant to tell them of my dissatisfaction.

"I've had this camera for nearly a month now and haven't been able to use it yet."

Do NOT, I repeat, NOT subject yourself willingly to this degree of frustration.