Well it's still a bit pricy (eMachineShop) -- figure $50 to $100 for a simple one off part. But it certainly is an interesting idea.
A bit pricy??? compared to what??? It was cheaper for me to buy a used lathe and a new milling machine to create my own parts, than it was to pay a Machine Shop $$$ dollars for a one off part.
A machine shop will charge you a setup fee and (for me at least) US$60.00 a hr to build a part.
even a simple part was costing me over US$100.00
Ok, if Mplayer and Xine can both use M$.dll codecs to play other video formats, Why can't the codecs be extracted from any DVD player software that came with your DVD player???
I actually have some experience with this, being that I grew up farming and have several relatives who still do.
#1 These tractors are WAY too expensive for a farmer that plow 1 and 3 hundred acres. the people that are going to use them are the peeple who plow 1 to 3 thousand acres at a time. And these farms always have somebody on hand that can fix a tractor at a moments notice.
#2 farms have been using GPS for years, I have a cousin who is a Crop Duster. Those planes have military grade GPS units on them thanks to the Cotton Industry and the "Boll Weevil Eradication Program". If he strays as much a a foot off course the goverment gets a report of it. and flying 6 feet off of the ground at 100 MPH, in a high performance, turbocharged, custom built and maintained by the pilot, airplane doesn't leave any room for error. Especially when there are power lines that have to be flown under and trees that seem to always be at the end of the field that needs to be sprayed the most.
I for one applaud the use for GPS, since it was usually me at one end of the field measuring over a dozen or so feet and flagging the pilot of the plane so he could line his prop up with me and another person on the other end of the field and start spraying just as he flew over me. Several people have lost heads to this antiquated way of doing things not to mention to all of my family and friends who now have cancer because of the poisons. Luckily, I do not.
#3 Automation must come to farming if it is going to survive. How much do you pay for Catfish in the store? $3.50? $5.00? a pound. I can tell you that those farmers don't make but 45 to 50 cents a pound (in a good year). and it cost 42 cents a pound and two years to raise them. Those farms are now highly automated with oxygen sensors, floating paddle aerators, automated feeders, and backup power generators since most everything runs off of electricty, and in the country, the power goes out frequently. (D&#N AUTOMATED TRACTOR! it just ran over another power pole !!)
#4 NASA is helping out because it is technology that can be transferred to/from other projects. How much do you think the have LEARNED from all those probes sent to Mars and into deep space?.
Remember, It was NASA that came up with the "microwaves as a cooking source", "micro sensors" used in pacemakers, various different forms of plastics and adhesives, "improved manufacturing ideas", along with countless other pantents. (and dont forget "thermal forming cushioned seats" ala Tempur-Pedic(r) );)
People want good food, but most don't want to pay good prices for it. That is why a lot of our food comes from Mexico, Central, and South America where the growing time is shorter (time to market) and labor costs are nil. A portion of our seafood comes from China and Viet-nam. where they can pull it out of the water with almost no regulations, and dump it on the open market at a rate below American production costs.
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An even easier thing to do is:
.223 WSSM .270 WSM
1) 1
2) 1
3) Several Balistic Silvertip Cartriges
4) 200 Yards of space
5) FUN!!!
I have gotten rid of a couple this way, Several 2+ inch holes blown through the drives sure feels good!
Damn, You must live REAL close to me 8)
Not if the energy storage system is a thermal reservoir of hot water or molten sand.
UMMM... Correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't the current solar mirror technology using molten salt for their thermal mass ???
Well it's still a bit pricy (eMachineShop) -- figure $50 to $100 for a simple one off part. But it certainly is an interesting idea. A bit pricy??? compared to what??? It was cheaper for me to buy a used lathe and a new milling machine to create my own parts, than it was to pay a Machine Shop $$$ dollars for a one off part. A machine shop will charge you a setup fee and (for me at least) US$60.00 a hr to build a part. even a simple part was costing me over US$100.00
All the more reason NOT to have a cell phone
Ok, if Mplayer and Xine can both use M$ .dll codecs to play other video formats, Why can't the codecs be extracted from any DVD player software that came with your DVD player???
Finally A reason to subscribe ;)
;)
I actually have some experience with this, being that I grew up farming and have several relatives who still do.
#1 These tractors are WAY too expensive for a farmer that plow 1 and 3 hundred acres. the people that are going to use them are the peeple who plow 1 to 3 thousand acres at a time. And these farms always have somebody on hand that can fix a tractor at a moments notice.
#2 farms have been using GPS for years, I have a cousin who is a Crop Duster. Those planes have military grade GPS units on them thanks to the Cotton Industry and the "Boll Weevil Eradication Program". If he strays as much a a foot off course the goverment gets a report of it. and flying 6 feet off of the ground at 100 MPH, in a high performance, turbocharged, custom built and maintained by the pilot, airplane doesn't leave any room for error. Especially when there are power lines that have to be flown under and trees that seem to always be at the end of the field that needs to be sprayed the most.
I for one applaud the use for GPS, since it was usually me at one end of the field measuring over a dozen or so feet and flagging the pilot of the plane so he could line his prop up with me and another person on the other end of the field and start spraying just as he flew over me. Several people have lost heads to this antiquated way of doing things not to mention to all of my family and friends who now have cancer because of the poisons. Luckily, I do not.
#3 Automation must come to farming if it is going to survive. How much do you pay for Catfish in the store? $3.50? $5.00? a pound. I can tell you that those farmers don't make but 45 to 50 cents a pound (in a good year). and it cost 42 cents a pound and two years to raise them. Those farms are now highly automated with oxygen sensors, floating paddle aerators, automated feeders, and backup power generators since most everything runs off of electricty, and in the country, the power goes out frequently. (D&#N AUTOMATED TRACTOR! it just ran over another power pole !!)
#4 NASA is helping out because it is technology that can be transferred to/from other projects. How much do you think the have LEARNED from all those probes sent to Mars and into deep space?.
Remember, It was NASA that came up with the "microwaves as a cooking source", "micro sensors" used in pacemakers, various different forms of plastics and adhesives, "improved manufacturing ideas", along with countless other pantents. (and dont forget "thermal forming cushioned seats" ala Tempur-Pedic(r) )
People want good food, but most don't want to pay good prices for it. That is why a lot of our food comes from Mexico, Central, and South America where the growing time is shorter (time to market) and labor costs are nil. A portion of our seafood comes from China and Viet-nam. where they can pull it out of the water with almost no regulations, and dump it on the open market at a rate below American production costs.