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Build Your Own Carnival Ride

Posted by michael on from the you-ride-it-first dept.

SoCalChris writes "Check out these guys who are building their own dark ride similar to the ones found at carnivals and theme parks. The ride is complete with PLC's in each of the cars, and one more PLC for the entire ride. The ride also features a blocking system like professionally built rides."

21 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Already?! by Xtraneous · · Score: 5, Informative

    Arghhh, slashdotted, yet there is a Hope!

    Google's Cach

    --
    .noitacidem deen uoy siht daer nac uoy fI
  2. call me anal by spacefem · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm really tired of people getting the plural form of every abbreviation wrong. It's PLCs. Not PLC's. The PLC doesn't own anything. You wouldn't say "programmable logic controller's". Uhg.

    --

    spacefem.com
    1. Re:call me anal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      I looked it up in the Chicago Manual of Style, the APA Publication Manual, and the MLA Handbook. They all specifically say there is no apostrophe when pluralizing an abbreviation. So, it seems she's right.

    2. Re:call me anal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Like I said, a GOOD grammar book.

      Let's just take a look at the dictionary definition of "apostrophe" (www.dictionary.com):

      "The superscript sign (') used to indicate the omission of a letter or letters from a word, the possessive case, or the plurals of numbers, letters, and abbreviations."

      Last time I checked, capitalized acronyms (TLA's, etc.) are still just a subset of "abbreviations".

    3. Re:call me anal by gordon_schumway · · Score: 2, Informative
      When you pluralize an abbreviation, such as PLC, you use an apostrophe.

      I think it's actually correct to use an apostrophe for acronyms with periods, e.g. Ph.D.'s, and not use an apostrophe for acronyms without periods, e.g. TVs.

      --

      Ha! I kill me!

    4. Re:call me anal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      >Last time I checked, capitalized acronyms (TLA's, etc.) are still just a subset of "abbreviations".

      I have 2 cents that says the only reason that you use an apostrophe in the case of abbreviations is because you're replacing the missing period. Of course, this doesn't exist in most modern typography for acronyms, so there's nothing to replace.

      Oh look, I just used another apostrophe.

    5. Re:call me anal by LadyJessica · · Score: 5, Informative

      I agree. Can't people follow the simplest English punctuation? :-) Check out Bob The Angry Flower for a tutorial for the apostrophe impared.

      --

      -- Jessica
      The mutant geek grrl from Hell.

  3. For those who don't know what a Dark Ride is by EraseEraseMe · · Score: 5, Informative

    Visit here

    The Dark Ride and Funhouse historical Society

    --
    "Anybody who tells me I can't use a program because it's not open source, go suck on rms. I'm not interested." (LT 2004)
  4. This is insane by Dragon218 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Before any comments are up, this site is already slashdotted. Google's mirror. No pictures, but better than nothing.

    --

    "It's the little touches that make a future solid enough to be destroyed" --William S. Bourroughs
    1. Re:This is insane by pete-classic · · Score: 4, Informative

      Google will give you thumbnails.

      -Peter

  5. Re:Link or Mirror? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Only 5 replies and the darn URLs been /.ed!

    I don't, but my friend Google does:

    http://216.239.35.100/search?q=cache:j8SrIlANLtUC: www.phantasmechanics.com/darkride/+&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

  6. Mirror by ahaning · · Score: 4, Informative

    All I'm missing is the last file, drvplan.jpg, but here you go anyway: http://www.osuweb.net/~ahaning/www.phantasmechanic s.com/darkride/

    *ahaning throws the URL at the rabid users and gets out of the way as quickly as possible... as if feeding starved dogs*

    --
    Withdrawal before climax is very ineffective and those who try this are usually called "parents."
  7. Convenient mirror... by Jouster · · Score: 5, Informative

    I grabbed what I could, but the site was in the middle of a meltdown.

    Grab the .ZIP file, or the .BZ file.

    Jouster

    1. Re:Convenient mirror... by Jouster · · Score: 3, Informative

      Okay, new version, page 1 is complete, page 2 has some pictures missing, and no page 3 (sorry!).

      Grab it in ZIP, BZ, or convenient browseable form.

      Jouster

  8. While I know money is an object by mhesseltine · · Score: 5, Informative

    From the second page of the article:

    On Friday, February 15, the Chinese -made Enco metal lathe arrived. It took about 4 hours to set it all up, as it had to be hoisted and mounted upon its pedistal. The whole rig probably weighs over 1,200 pounds. Don't even think of starting a project like this dark ride unless you invest in one of these machine tools. (You'll also want a milling machine.) This unit, plus tools and digital readout (DRO) runs about $6K. It's a bit noisy and vibrates, but it's a lot cheaper than a domestic unit - and it works.
    If you are going to do something like this, please invest in a decent tool. EMCO machine tools are the sorriest pieces of crap you can find. Look at a used machinery auction and buy a good Clausing-Colchester lathe and a Bridgeport or Lagun milling machine.

    As another alternative; if you're going to drop this much money on buying machine tools, just to build one ride, contact a local job shop and work with them on making the parts.

    --
    Overrated / Underrated : Moderation :: Anonymous Coward : Posting
  9. The use of an apostrophe is indeed. . . by kfg · · Score: 5, Informative

    accetable in pluralizing acronyms, as well as for other "non word" elements.

    It's a contraction. The apstrophe substitutes for the "e" in the suffix "es," which is an older, but still acceptable form.

    The dropping of the apostrophe in pluralizing acronyms is a modern phemonemon that comes about because of the modern practice, unjustifiable by traditional usage, of treating acronyms as if they were actually words.

    They are not. They are abbreviations.

    KFG

    1. Re:The use of an apostrophe is indeed. . . by ottffssent · · Score: 5, Informative
      The dropping of the apostrophe in pluralizing acronyms is a modern phemonemon that comes about because of the modern practice, unjustifiable by traditional usage, of treating acronyms as if they were actually words.

      They are not. They are abbreviations.


      And the word is controller. Which pluralizes to controllers, not controlleres.

      So, while you may be right in general, that doesn't make PLC's any more acceptable than before.
      --
      High-speed Road Trip (18.000KPH)
  10. Mirror by SoCalChris · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm not sure how long it will last, but here's a mirror...

    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr1.htm
    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr2.htm
    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr3.htm
    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr4.htm
    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr5.htm
    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr6.htm
    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr7.htm
    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr8.htm
    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr9.htm
    http://www.chrisnaimee.com/sd/dr10.htm

  11. Re:Just GREAT!!!! by Xtraneous · · Score: 2, Informative

    In a word...

    No!
    Kinda scary when you think about it, eh?

    There are some in state laws, but that does not stop the traveling carnivals from doing whatever they want.

    If you live anywhere near cedar point (near=within 4hrs drive) it is big, there is a lot to do, and they have an excellent record where saftey is concerned.

    --
    .noitacidem deen uoy siht daer nac uoy fI
  12. This is definitely a gray area. Here's evidence: by egarland · · Score: 2, Informative

    Can you use apostrophes in acronyms when pluralizing them? Some people say yes, some people say no. I say yes! Here's why:

    Purdue University has a nice blurb on how to properly use apostrophes. One of the uses is "Forming plurals of letters, numbers, and symbols" to avoid confusion.

    This page says you can us an apostrophe when the acronym ends in S to avoid confusion. Their example was if you said "The DHSSs of Europe are getting together next week" it would look strange so you can use "The DHSS's of Europe are getting together next week"

    This says use an Apostrophe whenever there is punctuation in the acronym. Many other publications say you can't.

    Since acronyms and codes are getting more popular they have to get more complex to be unique. You wouldn't want someone getting confused between multiple Non-Maskable Interrupts and a Navy Manpower Information System. Why not make it NMI's instead of NMIs so it doesn't get confused with a NMIS.

    Many people seem to agree that you shouldn't use apostrophes to pluralize acronyms but I don't. I think the "ends in S" rule is good but what about the "could be confused with another acronym which is this one with an s on the end" rule. How do you know there isn't an acronym out there that is that one with an S on the end? How do you know there won't be one tomorrow?

    You cant!

    The bottom line is that the purpose of language is to communicate effectively. If I can do that using 31337 sp33ch then that's ok. It's like the whole stupid he/she vs they thing. (They has always been acceptable as a singular gender neutral pronoun despite many people's assertions otherwise).

    To sum it up:

    Language rules are here to help us communicate and any rule that restricts our ability to do so effectively is invalid by definition no matter how much some know-it-all wants to convince you otherwise. It's the way it always has been and the way it always will be.

    --
    set softtabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 expandtab nocp worlddomination
  13. Build your own carnival ride? by djn · · Score: 2, Informative

    Almost as fun as a backyard roller coaster!

    -Dan