A while ago, I mentioned TVFool.com It's an absolutely amazing, accurate and technical reception prediction engine that will tell you everything you need to know about the TV channels you'll be able to pick up at a given location. This is really an indispensable took.
After much work, they've released FM Fool. Finally, you can get all the same technical information on FM stations that you can on TV stations. Check it out: FMFool.com
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Some Cool DIY Audio Projects
Editor's Note:I haven't built any of these yet, but I've sure heard good things about them.
The hobby of building one's own electronics is certainly a dwindling one. All the same, electronics is a field that just keeps getting better. Particularly, audio electronics. Their one field that can still be built by hand. Infact, some of the coolest low-distortion gear can be made by hand.
I found a wonderful resource of really cool, audiophile quality projects for just about any application. Check out: http://sound.westhost.com/projects.htm
The hobby of building one's own electronics is certainly a dwindling one. All the same, electronics is a field that just keeps getting better. Particularly, audio electronics. Their one field that can still be built by hand. Infact, some of the coolest low-distortion gear can be made by hand.
I found a wonderful resource of really cool, audiophile quality projects for just about any application. Check out: http://sound.westhost.com/projects.htm
Friday, June 6, 2008
Make Firefox 3 Even Faster
Mozilla Firefox version 3, which I mentioned in a previous post, is an incredible browser! The UI is much improved on the already slick Firefox 2. The biggest benefit of FF 3 is it's speed. Many people are reporting that benchmarks and real use confirm it's the fastest browser ever. No joke.
Now, here's the really cool thing. You can make it even faster. That's right. Basically, you need to go into the about:config (open a new tab and enter about:config into the address bar).
You can do a google on about:config tweaks, and come up a bunch of different websites all talking about different changes you can make. I looked at several different sites and condensed all the speed tweaks into a single list. Here it is. Note: The first number is the default, the second is the value which you should change it to.
Here's that list:
1. Non speed related tweaks
browser.tabs.tabMinWidth 100 to 75
layout.spellcheckDefault 1 to 2 (enables spellcheck for one line fields)
extensions.checkCompatibility (right click and create a new Boolean) false
2. Speed tweaks
network.http.pipelining false to true
network.http.pipelining.maxrequests 30 to 8
network.http.max-connections 30 to 96
network.http.max-connections-per-server 15 to 32
network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server 6 to 8
network.http.pipelining.ssl false to true
network.http.proxy.pipelining false to true
Now, here's the really cool thing. You can make it even faster. That's right. Basically, you need to go into the about:config (open a new tab and enter about:config into the address bar).
You can do a google on about:config tweaks, and come up a bunch of different websites all talking about different changes you can make. I looked at several different sites and condensed all the speed tweaks into a single list. Here it is. Note: The first number is the default, the second is the value which you should change it to.
Here's that list:
1. Non speed related tweaks
browser.tabs.tabMinWidth 100 to 75
layout.spellcheckDefault 1 to 2 (enables spellcheck for one line fields)
extensions.checkCompatibility (right click and create a new Boolean) false
2. Speed tweaks
network.http.pipelining false to true
network.http.pipelining.maxrequests 30 to 8
network.http.max-connections 30 to 96
network.http.max-connections-per-server 15 to 32
network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server 6 to 8
network.http.pipelining.ssl false to true
network.http.proxy.pipelining false to true
DIY TV Antennas
Sorry it's been a while since I last posted, but I've been overloaded (to the point of clipping and distortion) with school work and studying for the SAT (I take it tomorrow).
One of my technical obsessions is TV & FM antennas, more specifically, DIY antennas.
In the last year or so, the DIY antenna scene has exploded from just a few nuts to a gazillion nuts.
What could be better? You bring home a fancy new HDTV, and within 1/2hr, for under $10, you can put together a nice down and dirty "4-bay" UHF antenna that will let you get most local stations: all in HD quality.
There are also some more advanced designs, and if built right, could be installed outside and last you a few decades.
So, here's the grandiose list of antenna plans.
First is the basic 4-bay antenna. http://uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com/ Has a pretty good set of plans.
DIYers made a significant breakthrough sometime last year. They took an old, obscure UHF antenna, the Hooverman, patented in the late 1950s and used some computer modeling to tweak the performance. The end result: practically the best bay-type UHF antenna ever made. People have done side by side comparisons with previous top performers, the Channel Master 4221 and 4228, and it's grossly outperformed them. Plus, some modelers are working on an even better version.
Here's the main link: The Gray-Hoverman For UHF Television Reception.
The thread for the original thread is here:Generation I Gray-Hoverman Antenna (SBGH & DBGH)
The thread for the new improved design is here:Generation II Gray-Hoverman Antenna (SBGH2 & DBGH2)
There also a bunch of people trying old designs and coming up with new ones.
Here are a couple of "free for all" Antenna design threads.
Modeling Software for OTA Antenna Design & Creation
How to build a UHF antenna...
and finally:
DIY HDTV antenna Lumenlab
For this one, you'll need a user name and password. Thanks to Bugmenot.com, you have one:
username: surreydistrict36
password: surreygirls
If your looking old obscure antennas, Google Patents is you friend.
I was looking for plans for the mother of all VHF antennas, The deep fringe model of the Channel Master Crossfire, and found exactly what I was looking for:on Google Patents
As far as old designs go, this guy has some good stuff on his Photobucket.
The Worldwide TV FM DX Association also has a good collection of stuff on their site.
One of my technical obsessions is TV & FM antennas, more specifically, DIY antennas.
In the last year or so, the DIY antenna scene has exploded from just a few nuts to a gazillion nuts.
What could be better? You bring home a fancy new HDTV, and within 1/2hr, for under $10, you can put together a nice down and dirty "4-bay" UHF antenna that will let you get most local stations: all in HD quality.
There are also some more advanced designs, and if built right, could be installed outside and last you a few decades.
So, here's the grandiose list of antenna plans.
First is the basic 4-bay antenna. http://uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com/ Has a pretty good set of plans.
DIYers made a significant breakthrough sometime last year. They took an old, obscure UHF antenna, the Hooverman, patented in the late 1950s and used some computer modeling to tweak the performance. The end result: practically the best bay-type UHF antenna ever made. People have done side by side comparisons with previous top performers, the Channel Master 4221 and 4228, and it's grossly outperformed them. Plus, some modelers are working on an even better version.
Here's the main link: The Gray-Hoverman For UHF Television Reception.
The thread for the original thread is here:Generation I Gray-Hoverman Antenna (SBGH & DBGH)
The thread for the new improved design is here:Generation II Gray-Hoverman Antenna (SBGH2 & DBGH2)
There also a bunch of people trying old designs and coming up with new ones.
Here are a couple of "free for all" Antenna design threads.
Modeling Software for OTA Antenna Design & Creation
How to build a UHF antenna...
and finally:
DIY HDTV antenna Lumenlab
For this one, you'll need a user name and password. Thanks to Bugmenot.com, you have one:
username: surreydistrict36
password: surreygirls
If your looking old obscure antennas, Google Patents is you friend.
I was looking for plans for the mother of all VHF antennas, The deep fringe model of the Channel Master Crossfire, and found exactly what I was looking for:on Google Patents
As far as old designs go, this guy has some good stuff on his Photobucket.
The Worldwide TV FM DX Association also has a good collection of stuff on their site.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Audiophiles Can't hear the difference between Monster Cable and Coat Hangers
Check out this awesome story from engadget
Monday, March 3, 2008
TV Calibration (Pt. 1)
It's a common predicament. You spend tons of money on a shiny, new HDTV set, only to get it home and find super intense colors and a blindingly bright picture. While this might look cool for about the first two weeks, it's like listing to all your music with the bass and treble controls all the way up, and the loudness switch on. It gets old after a while. You want to listen to the music the way it really sounds and see the TV picture it's supposed to look.
The reason your TV is so ridiculously intense is simple. Most stores use super bright lighting. While this is great for everything else, TVs are best viewed at normal or dim lighting to look their best. As for the intense color, manufacturers do it to catch your eye. Kinda like turning the bass up on speakers in the store.
Go into your TVs menu, find the picture mode, and set it to "normal." Sometimes the default picture mode is "demo."
Now that you've got the TV relatively on track, it's time to do some more advanced setup. Look through your DVD collection and find a disc with the THX Optimizer. Try an episode of Star Wars or a Pixar movie (I used the one on Monsters, INC.) Make sure you do the setup in the same lighting conditions you'll be watching TV and movies with.
Later, I'll get into the service menu.
The reason your TV is so ridiculously intense is simple. Most stores use super bright lighting. While this is great for everything else, TVs are best viewed at normal or dim lighting to look their best. As for the intense color, manufacturers do it to catch your eye. Kinda like turning the bass up on speakers in the store.
Go into your TVs menu, find the picture mode, and set it to "normal." Sometimes the default picture mode is "demo."
Now that you've got the TV relatively on track, it's time to do some more advanced setup. Look through your DVD collection and find a disc with the THX Optimizer. Try an episode of Star Wars or a Pixar movie (I used the one on Monsters, INC.) Make sure you do the setup in the same lighting conditions you'll be watching TV and movies with.
Later, I'll get into the service menu.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Firefox Three
It's not quite out of beta yet, but Mozilla Firefox 3 beta 3 is plenty stable, and the interface will knock you socks off!!! Well, Ok.. it's not quite as drastic as going from IE 6 to Firefox 1, but it's a significant improvement, nonetheless.
Oh, and btw ...it won't be eating all available RAM!
Check it out... http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html
Oh, and btw ...it won't be eating all available RAM!
Check it out... http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html
Friday, February 22, 2008
A REAL Audiophile Magazine
As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm really sick and fed up with the traditional audiophile scene, because it's filled with ridiculously priced gear, irresponsible journalism, and hard line subjectivism. I'm talking about magazines like Stereophile and The Absolute Sound.
Since I'm much more of an objectivist, and don't buy into $$$$ speaker cables and all the other BS in the "audiophile" world, I've been searching high and low for a source that isn't based on subjectivism, blatently false science and all the other crap prevelent in the audiofool world today.
I have finally found that source. It is .....The Audio Critic. It's a small, low budget operation, but don't let that fool you. This publication is dynamite. They debunk audiophile BS and false science like there's no tomorrow. Oh, and their reviews of equipment are thorough, and they take LOTS of measurements. Plus, each issue has an editorial cartoon.
They stopped publishing a print version in 2005, but have 14 print issues up in PDF form (for free) on their website. From 2005 onward, the magazine has been in Blog format. It's good reading!!!
Since I'm much more of an objectivist, and don't buy into $$$$ speaker cables and all the other BS in the "audiophile" world, I've been searching high and low for a source that isn't based on subjectivism, blatently false science and all the other crap prevelent in the audiofool world today.
I have finally found that source. It is .....The Audio Critic. It's a small, low budget operation, but don't let that fool you. This publication is dynamite. They debunk audiophile BS and false science like there's no tomorrow. Oh, and their reviews of equipment are thorough, and they take LOTS of measurements. Plus, each issue has an editorial cartoon.
They stopped publishing a print version in 2005, but have 14 print issues up in PDF form (for free) on their website. From 2005 onward, the magazine has been in Blog format. It's good reading!!!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Folks, I'm on the front page of Instructibles!!!!
This afternoon, I submitted my second "Instructible" (a tutorial on cleaning vinyl records). About 15 minutes later I get an e-mail:
Hi!A minute later, I go to the front page. Here it is:
Your Instructable "Cleaning Vinyl Records" was just featured by one of our editors!
Look for it on the Instructables homepage within the next 30 minutes. Being featured means we think you are awesome. Keep up the great work!
http://www.instructables.com/
-Eric
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Vintage Hi-Fi
My last post was about modern Hi-Fi equipment. This one's all about vintage Hi-Fi.
It's been said that music died in the 80s. Well, stereo equipment did, too. Ok... this might be a bit of an overstatement, but given a choice between a black plastic component and a brushed aluminum component with wood sides and blue lights, which would you choose?
Vintage audio gear holds appeal in many areas. Most old equipment was built out of wood, or solid metal, or both. Not only that, but vintage Hi-Fi equipment looks really cool. This is something you can't say about most modern plastic faced gear.
Many older gear, especially the tube stuff had a unique, characteristic "sound" (added distortion) that is often coveted today. Coupled with [mostly] outstanding build quality, and relatively low prices, vintage gear is a good investment for many people.
Here are a few sites with galleries and listings of old audio equipment.
The Vintage Knob - This site has an extensive collection of vintage stereo equipment from a number of different brands. They've got lots of big pictures. Definitely worth a look.
Classic-Audio.com - A Collection of specs and pictures for vintage Technics, Marantz and Pioneer gear. They've got lots of technical specs, etc... It's a great resource, if your looking for information on a specific model.
Tuner Information Center - Everything you ever wanted to know about AM and [especially] FM tuners old and new. This is a huge collection of stuff, with plenty information
Vinyl Engine - A huge pile of information on vintage turntables.
HiFi Engine - By the same guys as Vinyl Engine.
Vintage Technics - The name's pretty self explanatory. Lots of information and specs on Technics gear.
ClassicAudio.com - A site specializing in reselling vintage audio equipment. They've got a large gallery for sale and sold items.
OakTreeVintage - Another site reselling vintage stuff. Huge selection and gallery.
HiFiLit - A giant collection of manuals and brochures from a gazillion different brands.
Vintage Scott Gear
Vintage Dynaco Gear
Vintage Heathkit Stuff (including Hi-Fi)
Vintage Fischer
HiFi Audio - Retro Thing - A Large collection of vintage and related stuff.
60's Braun and modern Apple designs side by side - Really interesting comparison.
It's been said that music died in the 80s. Well, stereo equipment did, too. Ok... this might be a bit of an overstatement, but given a choice between a black plastic component and a brushed aluminum component with wood sides and blue lights, which would you choose?
Vintage audio gear holds appeal in many areas. Most old equipment was built out of wood, or solid metal, or both. Not only that, but vintage Hi-Fi equipment looks really cool. This is something you can't say about most modern plastic faced gear.
Many older gear, especially the tube stuff had a unique, characteristic "sound" (added distortion) that is often coveted today. Coupled with [mostly] outstanding build quality, and relatively low prices, vintage gear is a good investment for many people.
Here are a few sites with galleries and listings of old audio equipment.
The Vintage Knob - This site has an extensive collection of vintage stereo equipment from a number of different brands. They've got lots of big pictures. Definitely worth a look.
Classic-Audio.com - A Collection of specs and pictures for vintage Technics, Marantz and Pioneer gear. They've got lots of technical specs, etc... It's a great resource, if your looking for information on a specific model.
Tuner Information Center - Everything you ever wanted to know about AM and [especially] FM tuners old and new. This is a huge collection of stuff, with plenty information
Vinyl Engine - A huge pile of information on vintage turntables.
HiFi Engine - By the same guys as Vinyl Engine.
Vintage Technics - The name's pretty self explanatory. Lots of information and specs on Technics gear.
ClassicAudio.com - A site specializing in reselling vintage audio equipment. They've got a large gallery for sale and sold items.
OakTreeVintage - Another site reselling vintage stuff. Huge selection and gallery.
HiFiLit - A giant collection of manuals and brochures from a gazillion different brands.
Vintage Scott Gear
Vintage Dynaco Gear
Vintage Heathkit Stuff (including Hi-Fi)
Vintage Fischer
HiFi Audio - Retro Thing - A Large collection of vintage and related stuff.
60's Braun and modern Apple designs side by side - Really interesting comparison.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
A Different Kind of Audiophile Site
I have to confess, I'm an audiophile. I love music, and I love electronics and I love audio systems.
Even though, most people would consider my an "audiophile," I absolutely hate the "audiophile" press. All they do is review super expensive gear, mostly just saying that "it's the greatest stuff ever," all in a very subjective and psudo scientific manner. Being a very technical person, I at least want to know why certain gear "sounds better" than other. Why do people like tubes and vinyl better than CDs and solid state? etc.....
The other day, I found just my site: SonicFlare. While they certainly have equipment way out of my price range, they have a different way of reviewing stuff. Instead of throwing everything into one bucket, they categorize equipment into it's appropriate type on their "Sonic Circle," their unique classification system that incorporates just about every sonic "style" and emphasis there is.
It's a cool site check it out. They've got lots of pictures of beautiful equipment.
Even though, most people would consider my an "audiophile," I absolutely hate the "audiophile" press. All they do is review super expensive gear, mostly just saying that "it's the greatest stuff ever," all in a very subjective and psudo scientific manner. Being a very technical person, I at least want to know why certain gear "sounds better" than other. Why do people like tubes and vinyl better than CDs and solid state? etc.....
The other day, I found just my site: SonicFlare. While they certainly have equipment way out of my price range, they have a different way of reviewing stuff. Instead of throwing everything into one bucket, they categorize equipment into it's appropriate type on their "Sonic Circle," their unique classification system that incorporates just about every sonic "style" and emphasis there is.
It's a cool site check it out. They've got lots of pictures of beautiful equipment.
Free HDTV - Antennas, and related stuff
We all know it. February 17, 2009. The Most historic day in television. All full power analog stations will go off the air (some translators may still broadcast analog, though).
Many mis-lead people think that they have to buy an HDTV or subscribe to cable or satellite. This isn't true. All you need is a converter box for your set. The NITA will allow you to acquire 2 $40 coupons for SD converter boxes, available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/ Note: By law, the "coupon boxes" can only have modulated RF out (ch. 3-4), composite video out, S-Video and stereo RCA audio (no HDMI, Component, or digital audio). The HD boxes will cost a bit more, though.
To find out what kind of antenna you need, check out the following sites:
TVFool - The best TV signal prediction site on the planet.
AntennaWeb - The CEA's site. While it's ok, the listings aren't always very accurate.
ota.winegarddirect.com - Winegard's reception prediction tool. Nice Google Maps API. The prediction is super conservative, though.
Forums for OTA - related stuff:
The AVS (Audio Video Science) Forum. The largest general purpose home theater community. In the "Local HDTV Info and Reception" sub-forum, there are threads for every market in the US. The "HDTV Reception Hardware" sub-forum has plenty of info on pretty much every aspect of antennas and related hardware.
Other guides:
An HDTV Primer. This site has everything you'll probably ever need to know about the subject of HDTV. The "Erecting an Antenna" section is probably the best guide on the subject. This site also includes some excellent reviews of antennas.
uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com - A Cheap DIY UHF Antenna (4-Bay conical). Good for the indoors or an attic, and it costs less than $10 to build!!!
HDTV Antenna Labs - A site with reviews of various antenna models.
Companies Making antennas and related equipment:
Channel Master - Antennas, Rotators, Pre-Amps, Accessories.
Winegard - Antennas, Preamps, Accessories.
Antennacraft - Antennas, Rotators, Preamps, Accessories.
Antennas Direct/Terrestrial Digital -Antennas, Preamps.
Wade Antennas (Formerly Delhi/Jerrold) - Antennas, Preamps.
Blonder Tongue - Professional antennas and Preamps.
Research Communications, LTD - The best preamps money can buy.
A-Tech Fabrication - Antenna stacking hardware and tilters.
Many mis-lead people think that they have to buy an HDTV or subscribe to cable or satellite. This isn't true. All you need is a converter box for your set. The NITA will allow you to acquire 2 $40 coupons for SD converter boxes, available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/ Note: By law, the "coupon boxes" can only have modulated RF out (ch. 3-4), composite video out, S-Video and stereo RCA audio (no HDMI, Component, or digital audio). The HD boxes will cost a bit more, though.
To find out what kind of antenna you need, check out the following sites:
TVFool - The best TV signal prediction site on the planet.
AntennaWeb - The CEA's site. While it's ok, the listings aren't always very accurate.
ota.winegarddirect.com - Winegard's reception prediction tool. Nice Google Maps API. The prediction is super conservative, though.
Forums for OTA - related stuff:
The AVS (Audio Video Science) Forum. The largest general purpose home theater community. In the "Local HDTV Info and Reception" sub-forum, there are threads for every market in the US. The "HDTV Reception Hardware" sub-forum has plenty of info on pretty much every aspect of antennas and related hardware.
Other guides:
An HDTV Primer. This site has everything you'll probably ever need to know about the subject of HDTV. The "Erecting an Antenna" section is probably the best guide on the subject. This site also includes some excellent reviews of antennas.
uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com - A Cheap DIY UHF Antenna (4-Bay conical). Good for the indoors or an attic, and it costs less than $10 to build!!!
HDTV Antenna Labs - A site with reviews of various antenna models.
Companies Making antennas and related equipment:
Channel Master - Antennas, Rotators, Pre-Amps, Accessories.
Winegard - Antennas, Preamps, Accessories.
Antennacraft - Antennas, Rotators, Preamps, Accessories.
Antennas Direct/Terrestrial Digital -Antennas, Preamps.
Wade Antennas (Formerly Delhi/Jerrold) - Antennas, Preamps.
Blonder Tongue - Professional antennas and Preamps.
Research Communications, LTD - The best preamps money can buy.
A-Tech Fabrication - Antenna stacking hardware and tilters.
The "first post" post
Hey there, everybody. This is my outlet technology-related content. At least at first, this is going to more of a link blog.
Enjoy.
Matt
Enjoy.
Matt
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