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Re:The Doctor's Wife by wonkey_monkey · 2012-09-03 19:30 · Score: 1 · on Hugo Awards Live Stream Cut By Copyright Enforcement Bot

I think this one is more apposite!

Re:Meh by element-o.p. · 2012-08-28 08:21 · Score: 1 · on White House Finalizes 54.5 MPG Fuel Efficiency Standard

If your motorcycle is only getting 44MPG, I sure as hell hope it would smoke every car on the road! That thing HAD to be built purely for speed and power, completely ignoring fuel efficiency, if something that small is only getting 44MPG.

Actually, no. It's a Suzuki V-Strom, (one of) Japan's answer(s) to the BMW F650GS, F800GS and R1200GS. It's a street bike with trail pretensions, meaning it isn't particularly good at either one, although it is adequate at either (not so much for true off-road, though).

Part of the problem, I suspect, is that on pavement, I ride it as if it were a sportbike, even though I'm running 80/20 dual sport tires (thick lugs == lots of drag), and I've got all kinds of crap hanging out in the breeze (Pelican 1430 cases for saddle bags, and crashbars covering the engine and fairing). As if that wasn't enough, another V-Strom rider on a forum I hang out on described his bike, which was parked in a row of sportbikes, as "the Lurch of the family" (photo -- his Strom is the third from the left, the blue one with the gas tank that sits higher than the windscreen of the bikes on either side of it), so it's a big, draggy beast. But it suits me :)

Little mistakes reflect the bigger ones by macraig · 2012-08-27 11:50 · Score: 1 · on PC Makers In Desperate Need of a Reboot

I have an HP laptop. It has a number of profoundly dumb design choices, like for instance putting the disk activity LED on the side where you can't see it. I managed to correct that, with some bit of personal effort.)

Perhaps those little mistakes reflect the bigger corporate ones... or the other way around? What's the sayings... what goes around comes around, or you reap what you sow?

Little mistakes reflect the bigger ones by macraig · 2012-08-27 11:50 · Score: 1 · on PC Makers In Desperate Need of a Reboot

I have an HP laptop. It has a number of profoundly dumb design choices, like for instance putting the disk activity LED on the side where you can't see it. I managed to correct that, with some bit of personal effort.)

Perhaps those little mistakes reflect the bigger corporate ones... or the other way around? What's the sayings... what goes around comes around, or you reap what you sow?

Little mistakes reflect the bigger ones by macraig · 2012-08-27 11:50 · Score: 1 · on PC Makers In Desperate Need of a Reboot

I have an HP laptop. It has a number of profoundly dumb design choices, like for instance putting the disk activity LED on the side where you can't see it. I managed to correct that, with some bit of personal effort.)

Perhaps those little mistakes reflect the bigger corporate ones... or the other way around? What's the sayings... what goes around comes around, or you reap what you sow?

Re:World's Greatest Pioneer by catchblue22 · 2012-08-25 09:16 · Score: 3, Informative · on Astronaut Neil Armstrong Has Died

He had The Right Stuff.

I really used to like that movie. Ed Harris as Neil Armstrong. Perfect casting. One thing I really got out of that movie was how NASA originally wanted to have the astronauts as ballast, giving them little or no ability to pilot the craft. Neil Armstrong was one of the astronauts who protested, and forced NASA to outfit the capsules with pilot controls. If you look at the Gemini capsules, they actually do resemble airplane cockpits if looked at from the right perspective.

Off to the wild blue yonder. RIP

Re:seriously? by pr0nbot · 2012-08-23 01:31 · Score: 3, Funny · on Booted From Airplane For Wearing Anti-TSA T-shirt

I once unthinkingly put on a t-shirt that had a machine gun on it on the day I was travelling. At security I was asked to turn it inside out (by the guys with actual machine guns), which I did, and that was that. Thankfully I wasn't wearing one of my other t-shirts...

Re:hyperbole by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-09 05:51 · Score: 0 · on Man Orders TV On Amazon, Gets Shipped Assault Rifle

Relevant: http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/randy762ak/POLITICS/77d3d70b.jpg

Re:Idiots! by LynnwoodRooster · 2012-08-08 19:26 · Score: 1 · on No Bomb Powerful Enough To Destroy an On-Rushing Asteroid, Sorry Bruce Willis

What? Next you're going to claim this photo is real!

First picture of a Real Martian by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-05 18:23 · Score: 0 · on Curiosity Lands On Mars

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/grumpfuk/AzmA53zCEAAmuyS.jpg

Bill the Cat n' BMO by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-28 14:27 · Score: 0 · on Facebook Invites Hackers To Attack Its Network

Hahaha. Question: What do BMO n Bill the Cat have in common after his "homegrown" self-administered electroshock sessions? Answer = Looks http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s34/GHERU/fun/BilltheCat.gif LMAO!

I am BMO's neighbor by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-28 14:14 · Score: 0 · on Facebook Invites Hackers To Attack Its Network

He's got the entire neighborhood pissed since he shorts out local powergrids sometimes during his "homegrown" electroshock sessions, and can't seem to stop. The local power company's tried to prosecute him even to no avail. He keeps getting off on insanity pleas! I saw him cutting into the "hot" wires in the local transformer once (he must have been really in need of a "dose", or locked himself out of his house or basement where the fusebox is)! Afterwards, man" BMO looked just like Bill the Cat http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s34/GHERU/fun/BilltheCat.gif when he stuck that wire up his nose I tell you. I called the cops after the entire area blacked out but the bastard snuck into a Mickie D's bathroom and combed his hair really well and wormed out of it again. BMO really needs help. I respect he's trying to help himself, but that is NOT the way to do it, lol!

APK, your psychiatrist called. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-28 12:23 · Score: 0 · on Facebook Invites Hackers To Attack Its Network

He says your appointment is moved up to 8am Monday. He would like to speak to you about your abuse of bold type.

Oh, and, he sent me a pic. I didn't know that doctor-patient relationships were ok. He says you took the photo.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/electricpetertork/bears4.jpg

Re:I believe by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-26 17:02 · Score: 0 · on "Exploding" Termite Species Discovered

Funny, that description made this image come to mind.

Re:Hey Apple by tibman · 2012-07-24 13:11 · Score: 1 · on Apple Wins EU Ban of Smaller Samsung Tablet, Demands $2.5 Billion In Damages

Here's a picture of a tablet i owned years before the ipad was released: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/tibman/VisionPlate/DSCN0919.jpg

Rounded corners.. squarish shape.

Re:A patent troll public shaming. Interesting by sosume · 2012-07-18 20:52 · Score: 1 · on Apple Must Publicly Post That Samsung Did Not Copy iPad

Actually, you seem to be the one not understanding the issue. Let's examine.

First, the design patent. A very generic design of a device shaped in a rectangular form with rounded corners. Looks like a clipboard. Or a small TV. Nothing spectacular in design such as a Mustang, which looks unlike anything else. The design patent seems to be missing any recognizable feature on purpose and has been designed to look as generic as possible.

Now examine this picture, posted by an AC in this same thread.
Can you keep a straight face and defend that the design patent does not have prior art, that the design is original, immediately recognizable and unique?

Re:A patent troll public shaming. Interesting by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-18 08:13 · Score: 5, Interesting · on Apple Must Publicly Post That Samsung Did Not Copy iPad

Yes. Apple innovated the shit out of that rounded rectangle.
/sarcasm

Re:WHAT MACBOOK PRO DO I HAVE? by hendridm · 2012-07-11 13:58 · Score: 1 · on OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) Won't Support Some 64-bit Macs With Older GPUs

Hmm, I ran the program but it wasn't terribly helpful...
http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj612/hendridm/Screenshot2012-07-11at85337PM.png

Not a big deal. Lion runs like shit on my silver-keyboard MBP, so I'm guessing Mountain Lion would be even worse, but I was curious since I bought mine used.

You'd think it would at least assume that it was built in China because, well, they all are. :P

Re:Agreed. by Savage-Rabbit · 2012-07-08 21:44 · Score: 1 · on Objective-C Overtakes C++, But C Is Number One

"all illegal immigrants should be sent back to whence they came. america for americans."

Wasn't that Sitting Bull motto?

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w50/alix2304/cartoons%20II/Immigration.jpg

Re:DSNChanger??? by hairyfeet · 2012-07-08 06:55 · Score: 1 · on DNSChanger Shut-Down Means Internet Blackout Coming For Hundreds of Thousands

You are missing the point friend in that they do not NEED to see the extension because while it is an executable the AV will be SCREAMING at them "Don't run that!" and they will DO IT ANYWAY because they want the porn/music/video/kitty screensaver.

Here let me give you an example, a real swear to God that happened in a small business I was working at setting up some systems: ME "Do NOT run that! Its a password protected zip with the password in the email! Its a Virus!" Velma "Oh you worry too much, its from my BFF Kim, see her name right there? Oh and it says its kitty pictures, i love kitties!" ME:"It is NOT from your BFF Kim because I KNOW KIM and she wouldn't have a clue about how to set up a Pword protected zip!" Oh you are just paranoid, stop drinking so many colas!" /Velma promptly ignores me, runs contents of zip, next thing here comes the pop ups/ "Velma:oops... ME..........

And NOW do you see why extensions doesn't help? if the AV is saying NO and an honest to goodness human with years of experience is saying HELL NO and they do it anyway, how in the hell are you gonna stop them with extensions? Even the dumbest moron knows there is free AV out there, but that doesn't help if they ignore it if it gets between them and the "goodies" the malware writer is offering, as they will disable or even uninstall the AV if that is what it takes. Its PEBKAC friend, tech can't fix that.

Oh and the ONLY reason I was pointing out the extensions is that IE WILL LET THEM SEE THE FULL NAME including the extension as they download and they STILL ignore it, they just don't care.

Re:Fantasy vs Reality by Qzukk · 2012-06-26 02:14 · Score: 2 · on Allen Institute Data Enables Hackathon For the Human Brain

Combine them both and you get Ceiling Cat. Where is your god now, indeed.

Re:Bunk. by BlueStrat · 2012-06-24 09:24 · Score: 1 · on Fires Sparked By Utah Target Shooters Prompt Evacuations

In my opinion ( and others), the 2nd amendment is wildly and widely misunderstood.

I'm including in parentheses the part that gets dropped by most supporters when they point to its constitutionality

(A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state,) the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

That 1st part is as important as the much-touted 2nd part.

Except that the SCOTUS recently ruled exactly the other way. OOPS!

Let's say Obama woke up tomorrow fully possessed by Hitler, Stalin and Attila, how will your pistol or shotgun help in the short term?
They have helicopters, tanks, control of the ulitities, etc. Hacker skills would go a lot further fighting against the gov't than trying to pit your Magnum against a 50-cal.

No, *WE* have helicopters, tanks, etc etc.

And who says I *don't* have a Ma Deuce (M2 .50 cal heavy machine gun)? It's not illegal, just expensive.

I might even be the owner of this: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Junk/633518421146213483-Seriously---Get-off-my-lawn---Motivational-Army-Poster-1.jpg

Who do you think makes up a large percentage of conservative gun owners and 2nd Amendment proponents? Military people.

To quote from one of my previous posts:

You speak of the military like they are some kind of brainless machine that just automatically does whatever politicians want, the politician just says "kill all those civilians" and the military will just do it without question.

I've got news for you. I've lived almost my entire life in and around the military, as did my father. If such orders came down, a significant portion, if not the majority, of the military would be pointing their weapons back at the politicians and removing them from power, not killing the citizens.

Don't count on the US Military to do your dirty domestic civilian suppression/pacification work. You may not like which way they point the loud end.

Strat

Re:if they care about it so much by MacDork · 2012-06-20 03:47 · Score: 1 · on Microsoft Wins Congressional Backing For Do-Not-Track Default In IE10

Like other people have mentioned -- if Congress wants DNT as the default, it needs to be required by law. Otherwise, making it the default means making it meaningless.

Yeah, and getting a law passed in the US is like impossible man. What group of people could do that?

I generally have zero trust in MS, but I applaud them on this move. Whether it pans out or not, you have my most sincere thanks for the effort Microsoft.

Re:Huh. by Metabolife · 2012-06-08 03:34 · Score: 0 · on How Many Seconds Would It Take To Crack Your Password?

Maybe bass guitar? Like one of these: http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/LordDemonMan/Bass_player.jpg

Re:Where is why? by Crosshair84 · 2012-06-07 09:23 · Score: 1 · on Taking Issue With Claims That American Science Education is 'Dismal'

"Troll-like tendencies" like disagreeing with the group-think and having critical-thinking abilities. Yes, Copernicus and Galileo were quite familiar. I'm in good company.

*Sigh*, Galileo did not get int trouble for teaching heliocentric theory.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/GilRuiz1/galileo_02.jpg

Galleleo had no evidence for heliocentric theory being true and could not answer the quite serious scientific objection raised by other scientists about the lack of observed stellar parallax. (The stellar parallax is there, but was not observable using instruments of the day.) Galileo could also not answer the equally serious objection concerning the lack of perceived motion of the earth. Remember that Newtonian physics was still 60 years away and the first successful measurements of stellar parallax did not happen until 1838. At that time, claiming heliocentric theory as true would be like a professor going around today claiming that string theory is true. They would get an intellectual beat down of epic proportions by their fellow scientists because the evidence is not yet there to support such a statement. Teaching string theory as a theory today is OK. Teaching it as a fact is not.

Galileo was free to teach heliocentrism as a theory, nobody ever got into trouble for that. What got him into trouble was claiming heliocentrisim was true, without being able to prove it, everyone who disagreed, regardless of the valid scientific objections, was an idiot, and he, a layman in the area of philosophy and scripture, was going to reinterpret scripture for the church. Remember this is less than 100 years after the Protestant reformation.

His best "evidence", since he couldn't answer the stellar parallax or lack of perceived motion objections, was to suggest that the tides was evidence of heliocentrism because with the earth rotating on its axis as well as moving around the sun meant that all the water was sloshing around the oceans. Yes, Galileo thought the Earth was a giant snow-globe. Try and put forth that theory in science class tomorrow and see where that gets you.

The Church was the leading sponsor of the new science at that time and Galileo himself was funded by the church. The leading astronomers of the time were Jesuit priests. They were open to Galileo's theory but told him the evidence for it was inconclusive. (It was.) This was the view of the greatest astronomer of the age, Tyco Brahe.

The Church's view of heliocentrism was hardly a dogmatic one. When Cardinal Bellarmine met with Galileo he said,

"While experience tells us plainly that the earth is standing still, if there were a real proof that the sun is in the center of the universe...and that the sun goes not go round the earth but the earth round the sun, then we should have to proceed with great circumspection in explaining passages of scripture which appear to teach the contrary, and rather admit that we did not understand them than declare an opinion to be false which is proved to be true. But this is not a thing to be done in haste, and as for myself, I shall not believe that there are such proofs until they are shown to me."

Galileo had no such proofs and Cardinal Bellarmine's view is hardly unreasonable.

Did the church overreact? Probably. However the story has been blown completely out of context by anti-catholic propaganda from hundreds of years ago.

Re:Humans F-up everytime they toy with nature by The+Mister+Purple · 2012-06-01 06:04 · Score: 1 · on Solar Geoengineering Could Lead To Whiter, Brighter Skies

I read this post and immediately thought of this Far Side cartoon.

Re:Some people just like to complain. by AHuxley · 2012-05-31 11:36 · Score: 2 · on BT Fibre Pulls Out of Chelsea Over Ugly Equipment Cabinets

Welcome to the world of Australian digital loop carrier boxes getting an adsl2+ upgrade.
This is a cabinet:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/kimmys34/IMG_0362.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/kimmys34/IMG_0359.jpg (side on)
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/kimmys34/IMG_0357.jpg
Photo credit:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1723486

Re:Some people just like to complain. by AHuxley · 2012-05-31 11:36 · Score: 2 · on BT Fibre Pulls Out of Chelsea Over Ugly Equipment Cabinets

Welcome to the world of Australian digital loop carrier boxes getting an adsl2+ upgrade.
This is a cabinet:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/kimmys34/IMG_0362.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/kimmys34/IMG_0359.jpg (side on)
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/kimmys34/IMG_0357.jpg
Photo credit:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1723486

Re:Some people just like to complain. by AHuxley · 2012-05-31 11:36 · Score: 2 · on BT Fibre Pulls Out of Chelsea Over Ugly Equipment Cabinets

Welcome to the world of Australian digital loop carrier boxes getting an adsl2+ upgrade.
This is a cabinet:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/kimmys34/IMG_0362.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/kimmys34/IMG_0359.jpg (side on)
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/kimmys34/IMG_0357.jpg
Photo credit:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1723486

Re:Want. Now. by Jeremiah+Cornelius · 2012-05-30 12:04 · Score: 1 · on Sergey Brin Demos Google Glasses Prototype

Wave goodbye... At least they didn't make a comic for it.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p30/mrstash/Picture6-1.png

Re:No expectation of privacy by BlueStrat · 2012-05-29 06:55 · Score: 1 · on Audio Surveillance, Intended to Detect Gunshots, Can Pick Up Much More

I'm a European living a relatively crime-free city, but it boggles my mind that a city in a 1st world country might not have enough police officers to respond to every single gunshot. Just how crime ridden is Detroit, and how long before we see a real life ED209?

Perhaps some visual aids might help you gain a clearer understanding.

A picture of a typical Detroit street might convey the atmosphere found there: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Junk/detro.jpg

And this is what happens when you refuse to stop recording cops when they (illegally) order you to stop: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Junk/Cops_government_protecting_and_serving_the_shit_out_of_you.jpg

Actually, the "Detroit" photo is, of course, not of Detroit. But not far from it. I live just a short drive outside of Detroit. Detroit is a Third-Word city in a Second-World State & economy. If you're wondering how Detroit came to this, just look at who has been in charge of the city and county for decades.

The second link is, of course, self-explanatory and absolutely accurate for the situation I outlined.

Strat

Re:No expectation of privacy by BlueStrat · 2012-05-29 06:55 · Score: 1 · on Audio Surveillance, Intended to Detect Gunshots, Can Pick Up Much More

I'm a European living a relatively crime-free city, but it boggles my mind that a city in a 1st world country might not have enough police officers to respond to every single gunshot. Just how crime ridden is Detroit, and how long before we see a real life ED209?

Perhaps some visual aids might help you gain a clearer understanding.

A picture of a typical Detroit street might convey the atmosphere found there: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Junk/detro.jpg

And this is what happens when you refuse to stop recording cops when they (illegally) order you to stop: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Junk/Cops_government_protecting_and_serving_the_shit_out_of_you.jpg

Actually, the "Detroit" photo is, of course, not of Detroit. But not far from it. I live just a short drive outside of Detroit. Detroit is a Third-Word city in a Second-World State & economy. If you're wondering how Detroit came to this, just look at who has been in charge of the city and county for decades.

The second link is, of course, self-explanatory and absolutely accurate for the situation I outlined.

Strat

Re:Probably violates Facebook's TOS ... by strength_of_10_men · 2012-05-25 02:32 · Score: 1 · on Microsoft Tests Social Search Waters With 'so.cl' Network

http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii571/bender_unit/soclbug.png

Re:News for who? by BlueStrat · 2012-05-24 22:35 · Score: 1 · on Return of the Vacuum Tube

They need to make a +1 awesome mod for your post. What design did you use for the amp? I've been considering building one myself, and keep looking at replicating a Trainwreck, the costs of the transformers are quite prohibitive though. I have quite a few old valve amps spare, but they never seem to have enough current on the HT

Sorry, just noticed your reply.

Wow, thanks for the kind words!

Unless you plan on gigging in some fairly large venues, a Trainwreck clone may be a bit much power/volume-wise. Those things are *loud*! I know from personal experience. And, they don't really get into their "sweet-spot" until you get some serious volume going. A basement/garage/bedroom amp it is not. I don't even know of a club in my area where I could really play one.

Now, the Phat-Ass is much more bar/club and even home-jammer friendly, depending on which power tubes you stick in it.

The design is a custom design based partially off of a combination of a Matchless Spitfire/Lite-IIb preamp utilizing both triodes of the 12AX7 preamp tube in parallel, rather than the more common cascaded triode gain stages found in most guitar preamp designs, with a custom power supply and custom power amp sections based on the Weber Speakers "Smokin' Joe II" 18 watt EL84-based amplifier and the legendary Marshall 1974 18W amp.

As a matter of fact, the majority of parts for the build can be sourced through Weber.

Here's a rough BOM (Bill Of Materials): https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?hl=en&hl=en&key=0AvaJlN_t-xVwdDR1T05nN2UwcGNDd1EtY1o4MmVSNGc&single=true&gid=0&output=html

Here's a chassis layout: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Tech/PhatAss16_layoutfromsjII.jpg

And a schematic: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Tech/PhatAss16rev3.jpg

One of the Weber Kit Builders Forum members, ScottVA, did most of the development and prototyping of this design, with some help and suggestions from me via the Weber forum, I'm quite proud to say.

Most people buy the basics of a Weber "Smokin' Joe II" amplifier kit, with some items of the SJ-II BOM either dropped or substituted as shown in the above PA16/PA26 BOM link. For instance, instead of the stock Chinese electrolytic power supply filter caps, I used much higher quality German F&T brand electrolytic caps, and instead of the stock generic Chinese coupling caps, I substituted them for Mallory 150 series caps.

Weber is extremely flexible in this regard, and will let you substitute or drop/add just about anything in their amp kits. You don't have to buy stuff you don't need or don't want. The big advantage is the savings in getting almost everything needed from one source and with one shipping charge.

You could probably buy 90%-plus of the entire PA16/PA26 BOM for the prices I've seen just for one of the Trainwreck transformer sets from some boutique suppliers. It's ridiculous. The Weber iron works fine, costs a fraction of those "boutique" transformers, and sounds fantastic.

The same Weber iron set also works great for all the common power tube choices for this design...6V6, 6L6, EL34/6CA7, and KT66. Just change the power tube cathode resistor value (or add a switch to change between values) to use a different power tube set.

Whatever you do, please, *PLEASE* learn and observe electrical safety rules and procedures. Even a small tube amp can kill you easily or cripple you for life.

You can start here: http://www.weberorders.com/forum/index.php?topic=944.0

(I'm the first poster)

There's

Re:News for who? by BlueStrat · 2012-05-24 22:35 · Score: 1 · on Return of the Vacuum Tube

They need to make a +1 awesome mod for your post. What design did you use for the amp? I've been considering building one myself, and keep looking at replicating a Trainwreck, the costs of the transformers are quite prohibitive though. I have quite a few old valve amps spare, but they never seem to have enough current on the HT

Sorry, just noticed your reply.

Wow, thanks for the kind words!

Unless you plan on gigging in some fairly large venues, a Trainwreck clone may be a bit much power/volume-wise. Those things are *loud*! I know from personal experience. And, they don't really get into their "sweet-spot" until you get some serious volume going. A basement/garage/bedroom amp it is not. I don't even know of a club in my area where I could really play one.

Now, the Phat-Ass is much more bar/club and even home-jammer friendly, depending on which power tubes you stick in it.

The design is a custom design based partially off of a combination of a Matchless Spitfire/Lite-IIb preamp utilizing both triodes of the 12AX7 preamp tube in parallel, rather than the more common cascaded triode gain stages found in most guitar preamp designs, with a custom power supply and custom power amp sections based on the Weber Speakers "Smokin' Joe II" 18 watt EL84-based amplifier and the legendary Marshall 1974 18W amp.

As a matter of fact, the majority of parts for the build can be sourced through Weber.

Here's a rough BOM (Bill Of Materials): https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?hl=en&hl=en&key=0AvaJlN_t-xVwdDR1T05nN2UwcGNDd1EtY1o4MmVSNGc&single=true&gid=0&output=html

Here's a chassis layout: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Tech/PhatAss16_layoutfromsjII.jpg

And a schematic: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Tech/PhatAss16rev3.jpg

One of the Weber Kit Builders Forum members, ScottVA, did most of the development and prototyping of this design, with some help and suggestions from me via the Weber forum, I'm quite proud to say.

Most people buy the basics of a Weber "Smokin' Joe II" amplifier kit, with some items of the SJ-II BOM either dropped or substituted as shown in the above PA16/PA26 BOM link. For instance, instead of the stock Chinese electrolytic power supply filter caps, I used much higher quality German F&T brand electrolytic caps, and instead of the stock generic Chinese coupling caps, I substituted them for Mallory 150 series caps.

Weber is extremely flexible in this regard, and will let you substitute or drop/add just about anything in their amp kits. You don't have to buy stuff you don't need or don't want. The big advantage is the savings in getting almost everything needed from one source and with one shipping charge.

You could probably buy 90%-plus of the entire PA16/PA26 BOM for the prices I've seen just for one of the Trainwreck transformer sets from some boutique suppliers. It's ridiculous. The Weber iron works fine, costs a fraction of those "boutique" transformers, and sounds fantastic.

The same Weber iron set also works great for all the common power tube choices for this design...6V6, 6L6, EL34/6CA7, and KT66. Just change the power tube cathode resistor value (or add a switch to change between values) to use a different power tube set.

Whatever you do, please, *PLEASE* learn and observe electrical safety rules and procedures. Even a small tube amp can kill you easily or cripple you for life.

You can start here: http://www.weberorders.com/forum/index.php?topic=944.0

(I'm the first poster)

There's

Re:And dont you DARE close your eyes or not listen by Scarletdown · 2012-05-24 16:30 · Score: 0 · on Fox Sues Dish Over "Auto Hop" Ad-Skipping Feature

I wouldn't be surprised if they sued me for all the TV I didn't watch back when I did have cable TV, since that also meant I didn't see their ads. And then they could sue again because I cancelled my cable TV subscription so I am still not seeing their ads.

Ah well, if they try, I say...

Bring it on!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/Scarletdown/COH/Bringit.jpg

Re:News for who? by BlueStrat · 2012-05-23 20:02 · Score: 4, Interesting · on Return of the Vacuum Tube

It has more to do with reputation than with "can't be done otherwise". A 50 cent-a-pop DSP probably has enough power to simulate the good ol' vacuum tube sound.

Well, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree here. For 40 years I've worked at music stores and been in bands, never mind being an amp tech/designer/builder, even worked in avionics and military-related high-end electronics systems, heard many of the very best DSP studio rack processors made costing many thousands of dollars, and my ears and everything else I know and have learned so far during all this time convinces me that, although DSP has gotten much, much better compared to even 5 years ago, it hasn't arrived yet at the point where the human ear can't tell the difference.

DSP guitar tone, clean or overdrive/distortion/effects, does not sound like real tubes *yet*. They will probably get there, I'm not saying it won't happen, maybe quite soon. It's just not there yet.

There's one solid-state amplifier made starting in 1975 that sounds great for jazz guitar. The Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus 120 amplifier. Beautiful clean sounds. It does have a distortion function, but *nobody* used it once they heard it! :)

Don't get me wrong. If you're in a local small-town working bar/dive band that is mostly there for the $40 to $80 a man per night, and not trying to impress anyone with your tone except the bar owner...just enough, that is, to pay you and keep you on the booking rotation, and you don't want to carry any more than absolutely necessary nor tie up more money than you absolutely have to in an amp, something like one of the "Line 6 Spider" combo amps will "get it done". Sorta like when old people...well, never mind. :-/

Those type of DSP solid state amps are also great for those just starting out, as it has a bunch of effects in software already, no effects pedals or rack effects, cords, etc to bother with, and they're dirt-cheap as amps go. If it breaks, throw it away and buy another just like a disposable lighter.

And yes, I do prefer the vacuum-tube amps, not only because of the sound, but also the warm feeling of old electronics :)

Here's my personal amp that I built recently.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Testament%2030/cabhead03.jpg

4 tubes total. two 12AX7 dual-triode preamp tubes (one a parallel-triode preamp gain stage, the other is the "long-tailed pair" style dual triode inverter/driver tube) and two KT66 beam tetrode power tubes in cathode-biased push-pull Class AB, producing around 30 watts. Volume and Tone controls, Standby/On and Power On/Off toggles. That's it. It sounds fantastic. You can't find a Volume/Tone control setting combination that sounds bad. I keep finding wonderful new tones and sounds almost every time I play it.

The sealed-back dovetail pine cab finished with Tru-Oil gunstock finishing oil with a Baltic birch plywood baffle has a pair of Celestion G12T-75 12-inch 8 Ohm guitar speakers wired in parallel for a 4 Ohm total impedance. It sounds absolutely gorgeous. Combined with that amp, some serious guitar tone-heaven.

I took the amp head into the local Guitar Center store shortly after I'd finished it. They had *nothing* that sounded anywhere near that good. The manager finally noticed the small crowd gathering, and (gently) asked me to cease after he started hearing a couple people asking if I sold amps like that one. :D

Oh, and since you mentioned a "warm feeling from old electronics", here's a little something that's sure to make wherever it is at just a little warmer. And louder. A *LOT* louder.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h103/stratman_el84/Junk/monster.jpg