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#249308 - 14/02/2005 16:14 Power
schofiel
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/06/1999
Posts: 2993
Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK
More Power, Igor, More Power! (Bwa ha ha ha haaah)
Only one choice allowed


Votes accepted starting: 14/02/2005 23:13
View the results of this poll.
_________________________
One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

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#249309 - 14/02/2005 16:17 Re: Power [Re: schofiel]
JBjorgen
carpal tunnel

Registered: 19/01/2002
Posts: 3584
Loc: Columbus, OH
Annoying BBS feature...the start of a poll is local to the poster. I can't vote till 8:13 pm ( it is now 1:17 EST).
_________________________
~ John

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#249310 - 14/02/2005 16:23 Re: Power [Re: schofiel]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
Actually, my favorite are the new style of wall warts, like the plug-top adapter that some Rio Car owners got. It's a wall wart that doesn't cover up the other plugs. Best invention since the Tivo.

There's also this, which has been marketed to musicians for many years, but really should be going for the mainstream too.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#249311 - 14/02/2005 19:36 Re: Power [Re: tfabris]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Quote:
It's a wall wart that doesn't cover up the other plugs.

Unless your power strip has turned its outlets 90°.

Quote:
[Wall Wart Remover]

I guess I know which way you voted in the poll, then.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249312 - 14/02/2005 19:37 Re: Power [Re: schofiel]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
How about putting a power supply in the damned devices, you lazy-ass engineers?
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249313 - 14/02/2005 19:43 Re: Power [Re: schofiel]
matthew_k
pooh-bah

Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
Yeah, I think I'd have to go with power bricks, but not too many things these days come with them.

How dificult would a universal DC power supply system be? I'd sure like to have some sort of universal "DC Power Cent(er)/(re)" that had perhaps 12v and 5v rails that had a standard socket/cord sytem that multiple DC lovin' appliances could plug into? Are there serious disadvantages in forcing electronics to pick betwen 5 and 12 volts?

Matthew

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#249314 - 14/02/2005 19:46 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
Quote:
How about putting a power supply in the damned devices, you lazy-ass engineers?

Some products I agree with this, others it makes a lot more sense to go outboard.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#249315 - 14/02/2005 20:07 Re: Power [Re: matthew_k]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
There's something like that for guitar effets pedals, so it's certainly doable, but it'd make more sense to me to be able to have a variable setting for each output port. I don't think that size is too big a concern. I don't know why someone hasn't done something like that before.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249316 - 14/02/2005 20:09 Re: Power [Re: JBjorgen]
jimhogan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Quote:
Annoying BBS feature...the start of a poll is local to the poster. I can't vote till 8:13 pm ( it is now 1:17 EST).

Obviously Rob's hope is that all of his "Euro" pals will vote and those of us in lesser time zones in the West West will get discouraged by the exit polls and just decide "Screw it! Why bother? It won't make any difference anyway!"
_________________________
Jim


'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.

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#249317 - 14/02/2005 20:32 Re: Power [Re: jimhogan]
schofiel
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/06/1999
Posts: 2993
Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK
Hang on - I posted this on the 14th (today) and I enabled immediate voting - yet it chose the timezone of the BBS and has even locked me out, dammit!!!
_________________________
One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

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#249318 - 14/02/2005 20:36 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
Ezekiel
pooh-bah

Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
Bitt,
Sadly, the power supply outside the device issue has much more to do with power regulations than engineers. If you had any idea how much crap you have to go through to get a device CE, CSA, UL, AU/NZ certified, you'd know why there are external power supplies. Getting these certs not only takes effort, it can take time, LOTS of it. Months if you company is too small to have a self-certifying lab. It can also cost tens of thousands of dollars. Essentially if you're making a device that uses AC power, you have to submit & test every device in every regulatory market. By using outside power supplies you just get the supply and go, as the supply manufacturer already has the certifications needed. Devices using power <42V DC (the low-voltage directive) do not need to go through this rigamoarole, so all your electronics will use these external power supplies until the day that a)regulations change or (more likely) b)hell freezes.

-Zeke
_________________________
WWFSMD?

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#249319 - 14/02/2005 20:36 Re: Power [Re: jimhogan]
StigOE
addict

Registered: 27/10/2002
Posts: 568
Don't think so. At least, if that was what he wanted to do, then he failed...

Votes accepted from (15/02/2005 02:13)

Stig

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#249320 - 14/02/2005 20:41 Re: Power [Re: Ezekiel]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Oh. Good point. Someone needs to devlop a standard modular system, then. The engineers leave a hole with a standard connector of some sort and then ship a standardized-upon power adapter that fits in that hole.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249321 - 15/02/2005 05:11 Re: Power [Re: schofiel]
canuckInOR
carpal tunnel

Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
I hate wall warts enough that, even though I don't know what a power brick is, I picked the first option -- can't be as bad as those damn wall warts.

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#249322 - 15/02/2005 08:04 Re: Power [Re: matthew_k]
bonzi
pooh-bah

Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
Quote:
How dificult would a universal DC power supply system be? I'd sure like to have some sort of universal "DC Power Cent(er)/(re)" that had perhaps 12v and 5v rails that had a standard socket/cord sytem that multiple DC lovin' appliances could plug into? Are there serious disadvantages in forcing electronics to pick betwen 5 and 12 volts?

Exactly. Power supplies for my phones, PDAs, cameras, radios and other miniaturised gadgets are often bulkier and almost always heavier than the devices they feed, and, needless to say, mutually incompatible. Solving this problem should be simply a matter of standardization.
_________________________
Dragi "Bonzi" Raos Q#5196 MkII #080000376, 18GB green MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue

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#249323 - 15/02/2005 12:11 Re: Power [Re: bonzi]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
I have a little gizmo from Maplins in a spare slot in the back of my PC, which works brilliantly, doing away with bricks and plug tops, and is sufficient for my Empeg, Karma and 35mm slide and neg. scanner (Which cost exactly half the Amazon UK price from a little shop in Delft, last year). I would put a link, but I can't find one in the Maplin catalogue
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249324 - 15/02/2005 12:30 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
bonzi
pooh-bah

Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
Ah, so the things do exist! If you run into the link, please post it.

I have only seen 'universal' wall warts with switch selecting output voltage and a hedgehog-like cluster of plugs at the end of the cable: usually non-regulated, with inacurrate voltage, underpowered and all too easy to accidentally bump up the voltage, reverse the polarity or short the terminals - in one word, useless.
_________________________
Dragi "Bonzi" Raos Q#5196 MkII #080000376, 18GB green MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue

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#249325 - 15/02/2005 13:25 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
I know exactly what you mean and I saw it in Maplins yesterday, however I can't remember the cat number and I don't seem to be able to find the right combination of words to find it on their website.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#249326 - 15/02/2005 13:45 Re: Power [Re: canuckInOR]
jimhogan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Quote:
I hate wall warts enough that, even though I don't know what a power brick is, I picked the first option

Exactly. And that's how I voted (now that Rob's conscience got the better of him and he opened voting up to North Americans!)
_________________________
Jim


'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.

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#249327 - 15/02/2005 14:01 Re: Power [Re: bonzi]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
It's here as "Power (I/O)", about halfway down the page and 2/3 rds of the way across. For some reason, the "More Info" link is dead.
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249328 - 15/02/2005 14:02 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Ahh Godfrey, your search-fu is much stronger than mine.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#249329 - 15/02/2005 14:06 Re: Power [Re: andym]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
If you've worked with the filing system in my office, you'll have developed a razor sharp appreciation of the illogical!
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249330 - 15/02/2005 14:36 Re: Power [Re: schofiel]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Of course, if the US had adopted a sturdy three pin plug large enough for an astronaut to plug his razor in with certainty whilst weightless in space, none of this would be being discussed. The average UK plug top will house a family of four, transforming from 230 to 12v can be accommodated in one small corner of the available space: You just have 2 puny little pins.
I remember the days when they came in three different sizes and people also had the option of burning the house down by plugging the toaster in to the light fitting with a bayonet plug: Another fundamental difference between our two lands, we have bayonets, you have screw fittings (Although we seem to be wavering between the two, probably because of some European Community directive to stamp out unfair prejudice in light fittings).
Whilst I'm on the subject, who invented those wretched halogen lamps that flush mount in the ceiling: I spend my life balancing on a kitchen stool. The mains ones pop just as quickly as the 12v ones.
Yes, and those low consumption, long life bulbs: So they may be - except when you put them in an outside light fitting that requires borrowing the ladder of the neighbour you don't like and getting the wife to stand at the bottom screaming hysterically that she can't hold on much longer. Then it is absolutely mandatory having taken those risks that the bulb that you've bought from B & Q doesn't fit inside the glass globe. When you go back Tracey, or whatever her name is, won't budge on changing the bulb, if you don't have the receipt, although you've got the bag, packing and credit card slip.
And as for that high power light with the PIR over my neighbour's garage, is it fair, when I creep out surreptitiously with the boxers for a late night wee, dressed only in underpants, towelling dressing gown and Hunters, that I should be illuminated with 2000watts of power?
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249331 - 15/02/2005 14:52 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
RobotCaleb
pooh-bah

Registered: 15/01/2002
Posts: 1866
Loc: Austin
wouldnt it be easier to creep into your bathroom for a late night wee?

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#249332 - 15/02/2005 15:06 Re: Power [Re: RobotCaleb]
Roger
carpal tunnel

Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
with the boxers for a late night wee

Er, he means Boxer dogs, not boxer shorts.

I hope.
_________________________
-- roger

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#249333 - 15/02/2005 15:31 Re: Power [Re: matthew_k]
n6mod
enthusiast

Registered: 27/09/1999
Posts: 200
Loc: Berkeley, CA
Actually, for a lot of devices, there is an emerging standard for 5V power: USB

I have a Cig. lighter plug with a USB A connector on it, that I use variously to charge my cell phone, run my GPS, &c.

Conveniently, my laptop has standby power on USB when plugged into AC power, so I can just carry one power brick for the laptop, and use the 4 convenient charger outlets on the side.

And the original iPod (at least) did the same with 12V and Firewire, though that's less common.

-Z
_________________________
-Zandr
Mk.IIa #010101243 currently getting a 500GB SSD. More spares in the shed.

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#249334 - 15/02/2005 15:34 Re: Power [Re: n6mod]
robricc
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
Quote:
Actually, for a lot of devices, there is an emerging standard for 5V power: USB

You need this then.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736

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#249335 - 15/02/2005 16:05 Re: Power [Re: n6mod]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
Quote:
Actually, for a lot of devices, there is an emerging standard for 5V power: USB

Which is actually a really hideous hack since you're not supposed to draw power from the USB port without actually telling the host/hub how much you'll be drawing. A lot of the devices actually try to draw more than the 500mA that you're allowed on each port if it's self powered.

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#249336 - 15/02/2005 16:07 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
Quote:
How about putting a power supply in the damned devices, you lazy-ass engineers?

Putting a PSU into a device can potentially reduce it's life span as well since you're increasing the internal temperature. Also if the PSU packs up it's easier with an external PSU to get it fixed/replaced.

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#249337 - 15/02/2005 16:16 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
Quote:
Of course, if the US had adopted a sturdy three pin plug large enough for an astronaut to plug his razor in with certainty whilst weightless in space, none of this would be being discussed. The average UK plug top will house a family of four, transforming from 230 to 12v can be accommodated in one small corner of the available space: You just have 2 puny little pins.


The UK plug is vastly overengineered. It's nearly indestructible though and at a guess those solid brass pins can probably pass at least 40-50A. Good plug until you tread on an upturned one...

I don't mind wallwarts so long as they're the small SMPS style which don't overhang anything. I hate the old chunky linear ones you'd get on cheap equipment which were huge, heavy and inefficient. Usually if I get anything with one then I replace it with a small brick on a leash style one or a tiny wallwart.

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#249338 - 15/02/2005 16:26 Re: Power [Re: tman]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Actually, Godfrey does have a point. In the US, it's hard to find a wallwart that doesn't overhang at least one other outlet due to the relatively small size of our plugs. I imagine that it's less of a headache in the UK with those massive plugs you guys use.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249339 - 15/02/2005 16:27 Re: Power [Re: tman]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Quote:
The UK plug is vastly overengineered. It's nearly indestructible though and at a guess those solid brass pins can probably pass at least 40-50A.

And just the metal that goes into them is probably worth a fiver... I also love the quaint tradition of eqipping every outlet with a rocker switch...

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#249340 - 15/02/2005 16:32 Re: Power [Re: Roger]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
Er, he means Boxer dogs, not boxer shorts

Now that has taught me something that I didn't know: Americans wear boxer shorts over underpants? Nothing like a bit of extra security I s'pose.
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249341 - 15/02/2005 16:37 Re: Power [Re: tman]
Ezekiel
pooh-bah

Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
Aaah yes the BS 1363/A, officially rated at 13A/230V/50Hz.

The brief 75 pages of BS specifications may be found here.

Electrical regulations are fun no?

Best,
-Chris
_________________________
WWFSMD?

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#249342 - 15/02/2005 16:40 Re: Power [Re: julf]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
I also love the quaint tradition of eqipping every outlet with a rocker switch...

Ah now, be fair, every householder has the option of selotaping over the toggle switches on the sockets they don't want switched off. Actually both with and without are available, equally - but as they cost about the same, you might as well have the switches.

I once went to a demonstration by MK, where they got an elephant to stand on a plug and socket to demonstrate the strength. It was never made clear which jungles had installed a ring mains.
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249343 - 15/02/2005 16:50 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
In the US, boxer shorts would be considered a type of underpants.

Hard to tell if you're being glib here or not, though, so I'm taking the road of making myself look like an idiot.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249344 - 15/02/2005 16:53 Re: Power [Re: julf]
Roger
carpal tunnel

Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
Quote:
I also love the quaint tradition of eqipping every outlet with a rocker switch...


What's quaint about that? It means you can turn things off without unplugging them. And, as stated elsewhere in this thread, UK plugs are a health hazard when left unplugged, with those titanic prongs...
_________________________
-- roger

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#249345 - 15/02/2005 16:55 Re: Power [Re: Roger]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Out of curiosity, what electrical devices do you have that don't have switches on them?
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249346 - 15/02/2005 17:33 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
In the US, boxer shorts would be considered a type of underpants

As indeed they are in the UK, but the important point to remember here is that boxer shorts are unsuitable for running for buses, where other types suit that purpose.
I'm happy for you to assume glib, and, hopefully amusing.
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249347 - 15/02/2005 17:36 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I have to wonder how often you're running for buses in your underpants, and the percentage of those times that it occurs in a bad dream. Or maybe for you it's a good dream.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249348 - 15/02/2005 17:45 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
peter
carpal tunnel

Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4180
Loc: Cambridge, England
Quote:
Out of curiosity, what electrical devices do you have that don't have switches on them?

Car-player, Rio Receiver, Karma, Carbon... the only Rio product I can think of with a real mains power switch is the Rio Central. ATX PCs tend not to have power switches, too (though some do) and so having them plugged-in but switched-off at the wall when upgrading means the cases are still earthed.

Peter

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#249349 - 15/02/2005 17:57 Re: Power [Re: peter]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Curses! Foiled again!
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249350 - 15/02/2005 18:04 Re: Power [Re: tman]
n6mod
enthusiast

Registered: 27/09/1999
Posts: 200
Loc: Berkeley, CA
Quote:

Which is actually a really hideous hack since you're not supposed to draw power from the USB port without actually telling the host/hub how much you'll be drawing. A lot of the devices actually try to draw more than the 500mA that you're allowed on each port if it's self powered.


Only if the device you're plugging in doesn't have a USB slave. My phone and GPS have USB interfaces, so it's fine.

The ugly hacks are the lighter plugs and wall warts that just have a powered port with no other electronics.

Speaking of hacks, I have a bus-powered hub that works just fine as a power splitter in the car.
_________________________
-Zandr
Mk.IIa #010101243 currently getting a 500GB SSD. More spares in the shed.

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#249351 - 15/02/2005 19:20 Re: Power [Re: n6mod]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
Quote:
Only if the device you're plugging in doesn't have a USB slave. My phone and GPS have USB interfaces, so it's fine.

Ah yeah. If it's a proper USB device then it's okay but there are loads of them that aren't. Fans, lights and mobile phone chargers come to mind.

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#249352 - 16/02/2005 04:27 Re: Power [Re: tman]
bootsy
enthusiast

Registered: 17/08/2000
Posts: 334
Loc: Seattle, WA. USA
I would love to see more "wall warts" like the one that came with my Linksys WET11.

The "wart" is fashoned like a wide plug, instead of the usual 90 degree, power strip hogging monstrosity. It works great, either on a power strip or a standard wall outlet.
_________________________
Brian H. Johnson
MK2 36GB Blue, currently on life support
"RIP RCR..."

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#249353 - 16/02/2005 05:44 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
bonzi
pooh-bah

Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
Quote:
I have to wonder how often you're running for buses in your underpants, and the percentage of those times that it occurs in a bad dream. Or maybe for you it's a good dream.

LOL! (and I was drinking coffee)
_________________________
Dragi "Bonzi" Raos Q#5196 MkII #080000376, 18GB green MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue

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#249354 - 16/02/2005 07:08 Re: Power [Re: bonzi]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
The bus services round here are more of a nightmare than a bad or good dream, for us motorists.
In a good dream, I'm drifting along the Cote d'azur in the Citroen DS Decapotable, which I've finally acquired.
In a bad dream, I'm trying to cope with the expense of keeping it running with the rust and hydraulic problems.
In neither dream do buses or underpants occur!
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249355 - 16/02/2005 17:00 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
jimhogan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Quote:
In a good dream, I'm drifting along the Cote d'azur in the Citroen DS Decapotable, which I've finally acquired.

Need to know: Did you acquire the Citroen in the dream?
_________________________
Jim


'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.

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#249356 - 16/02/2005 17:18 Re: Power [Re: jimhogan]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
Did you acquire the Citroen in the dream?

It's the only way I'm ever going to acquire one!

I thought that I might quietly acquire my other "must have" icon as a retirement present to myself: A Revox Reel-to-Reel, until I discovered that a decently reconditioned one comes in at around $3,000 - 3,500
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249357 - 16/02/2005 17:20 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Quote:
I thought that I might quietly acquire my other "must have" icon as a retirement present to myself: A Revox Reel-to-Reel, until I discovered that a decently reconditioned one comes in at around $3,000 - 3,500

I have always been drooling for a B77, until I found out that they have stopped making tapes!

The only thing that would come close would be a Nagra...

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#249358 - 16/02/2005 19:41 Re: Power [Re: julf]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
I have always been drooling for a B77, until I found out that they have stopped making tapes!

Amazing how many 10 1/2 in. reels, sealed, knocking about on ebay, but one of the 2 places I asked about a B77 reckoned that they were still getting fresh supplies in 2,500ft reels.
A77's come in at about 1/2 the price and a couple of B77's have gone recently on ebay for around £2 - 300, but I didn't want to take the risk.
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249359 - 16/02/2005 20:16 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
Quote:
A Revox Reel-to-Reel...


Silly youthful question time:

What the hell would you want an old reel to reel tape machine for?

What would you do with it?



Cheers

Cris.

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#249360 - 16/02/2005 20:58 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
bonzi
pooh-bah

Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
Ah, B77 was my object of desire, too (in the times, some 20-25 years ago, when I was doing light and sound for several amateur theatre troupes). It was a standard fixture (usually two of them) in theatres we were performing in, but I was recording and preparing tapes on a contraption of Polish manufacture (a copy of an ancient Grundig or something). I still have somewhere multicoloured blank tape and cutting and splicing gadgets...

Several months ago I learned that a girl I knew very well in those times used to work in Studer recently (and probably could have bought some old but working Revox machines), but she got 'downsized' in the meantime....

As for the value of those machines: purely sentimental, of course, but isn't it enough?
_________________________
Dragi "Bonzi" Raos Q#5196 MkII #080000376, 18GB green MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue

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#249361 - 16/02/2005 21:31 Re: Power [Re: Cris]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Quote:
Quote:
A Revox Reel-to-Reel...


Silly youthful question time:

What the hell would you want an old reel to reel tape machine for?



Says the man with a pinball machine at home. Reel to reel machines are seriously cool. I had two mint A807s until recently, sold one and kept the best one for myself complete with trolley.

It's still my best recording medium at home. Plus with BBC moving to solid state digital recording there's tonnes of Zonal on 10.5 inch NAB spools going begging.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#249362 - 17/02/2005 07:47 Re: Power [Re: Cris]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
What would you do with it?

Watch the spools go round with uncanny, silent, precisely engineered precision (Sorry for the tortology, I couldn't think of anything better!), instead of counting rabbits, in my dotage.
As I said to Andy, I could well take down an impressionist print and stick it on the wall instead, on the basis that it's a better art form!
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249363 - 17/02/2005 10:36 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Quote:
Watch the spools go round with uncanny, silent, precisely engineered precision


Couldn't have put it better myself. Nothing looks better than 10.5 inch spools at 15 IPS, except maybe 30 IPS.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#249364 - 17/02/2005 20:38 Re: Power [Re: andym]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
Couldn't have put it better myself. Nothing looks better than 10.5 inch spools at 15 IPS, except maybe 30 IPS.

Many years ago, Piccadilly Radio, erroneously thinking that I was a high roller in the media industry, showed me round the facilities, I pointed to an A77 and asked what it did, "oh, we have to keep a record of all our broadcasts, they said, we change that tape every 24 hours": Which says to me that it was recording a 10.5"LP tape at 15/32, or a triple play tape(Which was brittle, but available at the time) at 15/16 .
Philips had 4 speed recorders with the bottom speed at 15/16, has anybody seen a 15/32 or 16 Revox special for that purpose?
As a clue, they demonstrated a 1 7/8 4 track Dolby A77 against a 7.5 2 track to show how impressive the Dolby B system was at an audio show that I went to.
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249365 - 17/02/2005 21:07 Re: Power [Re: Cris]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
What the hell would you want an old reel to reel tape machine for?
Because I always wanted something better than my 16th birthday present
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249366 - 17/02/2005 21:42 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Most stations have used VHS machines on long play for recording their RoT logs for well over a decade now. It's only in the last few years that they've used computers to do it instead. Hallam FM were still using VHS and a Sony F1 last time I was there.

The 807s can be fiddled to do whatever speed you like as they're entirely servo controlled.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#249367 - 18/02/2005 09:25 Re: Power [Re: andym]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
I suppose when you've got security video recorders that do 40 days, 24 hours or more was quite fast and low bitrate on a PC comes almost for free.
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249368 - 19/02/2005 12:08 Re: Power [Re: tman]
David
addict

Registered: 05/05/2000
Posts: 623
Loc: Cambridge
This page briefly explains the one-of-a-kind UK electrical system. The site it comes from has all sorts of information about mains plugs, sockets and approvals around the world.

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#249369 - 19/02/2005 17:27 Re: Power [Re: David]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Oh, no, we're not going to be forced to have a Europlug if we vote for the constitution!
How come none of these plugs is like the outlet plug in the back of my Pioneer, Kenwood or Yamaha amps and Maplins don't stock whatever it is?
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249370 - 20/02/2005 07:55 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Quote:
Oh, no, we're not going to be forced to have a Europlug if we vote for the constitution!

Ah ja! All of yuuroop under One Plug!
Quote:
How come none of these plugs is like the outlet plug in the back of my Pioneer, Kenwood or Yamaha amps and Maplins don't stock whatever it is?

Because outlet plugs use the even more international IEC standard? 3-pole or 2-pole?]

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#249371 - 20/02/2005 14:17 Re: Power [Re: julf]
peter
carpal tunnel

Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4180
Loc: Cambridge, England
Quote:
Quote:
How come none of these plugs is like the outlet plug in the back of my Pioneer, Kenwood or Yamaha amps and Maplins don't stock whatever it is?

Because outlet plugs use the even more international IEC standard? 3-pole or 2-pole?

Boxer might be a bit old-skool, but I think you can credit him with knowing what an IEC connector looks like! If his Pioneer amp is like mine, the connector is a 2-blade plug superficially (but not sufficiently) like a US one, with a third, horizontal, plastic blade between them (not quite centred, so it can only go in one way round). When my Pioneer CD player broke, I just cannibalised its cable and put a trailing socket on the end -- not quite legit (no earthing) but good enough for a double-insulated Sony CD player.

Peter

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#249372 - 20/02/2005 15:30 Re: Power [Re: peter]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
the connector is a 2-blade plug superficially (but not sufficiently) like a US one, with a third, horizontal, plastic blade between them (not quite centred, so it can only go in one way round)

That's the b****r, I have one on the end of a 4 way distribution thingy from Radio Shack, 20 years back, but I could really do with getting the plug, or a plug on a lead.
I'll forgive the old skool jibe:(a) because if I was honest, it's true and (b) because you've just proved to the staff at Maplins, Farnells, RS and a couple of smaller retailers that It exists, and I'm not a loony!
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249373 - 20/02/2005 15:30 Re: Power [Re: peter]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Quote:
Boxer might be a bit old-skool, but I think you can credit him with knowing what an IEC connector looks like!

Well, I assumed he would, but as the 3-pin IEC or the 2-pin "8" are the most common appliance-end plugs, and were not on the web page, I had to make sure.
Quote:
If his Pioneer amp is like mine, the connector is a 2-blade plug superficially (but not sufficiently) like a US one, with a third, horizontal, plastic blade between them (not quite centred, so it can only go in one way round).


Great! Yet another non-standard!

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#249374 - 20/02/2005 16:12 Re: Power [Re: julf]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
Great! Yet another non-standard!

The more non-standard plugs, the harder to get the all conquering Europlug, up and running: I'm all for it!
Bulgin made this plug, but the nearest they have now is much the same with 3 pins.
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#249375 - 20/02/2005 20:23 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
Quote:
the connector is a 2-blade plug superficially (but not sufficiently) like a US one, with a third, horizontal, plastic blade between them


Are you talking about one of these ???



I have these on the rear of my Kenwood Amp, no idea what they are for, but it has bugged me for ages

Cheers

Cris.


Attachments
249334-KenwoodPower.jpg (230 downloads)


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#249376 - 20/02/2005 21:13 Re: Power [Re: Cris]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Yep, that's the little t*****s, they are to switch off whatever ancilliaries you have: Cassette Deck, Tuner, CD Player, Reel to Reel Tape Deck, Turntable etc., up to the designated wattage, when you switch the amp off: Saves wiring and effort. I just want to plug the wireless headphones in on mine, because it's the only item in my set up that isn't controlled by the remote control.

That is apart from the Digi-Tv on the PC: It's difficult to integrate items in to a home theater set up if they have toggle on/off switches, all my other stuff has hidden codes, so that you can programme macros on the remote .
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#249377 - 22/02/2005 13:45 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
I'm informed by a hi-fi manufacturer, a client of mine, that they fit them on all models as a world policy, but manufacturers are banned from selling the plugs, They would have to fit a 3pin UK plug, or a Europlug to be legal. Which rathers makes me wonder, looping back to Julf, why they don't fit an IEC socket, which is used universally on PC's and ancilliaries?
And why, for that matter, don't they fit the 3 pin version of the same plug, which, for some reason, is acceptable?
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249378 - 22/02/2005 14:15 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
Quote:
I'm informed by a hi-fi manufacturer, a client of mine, that they fit them on all models as a world policy, but manufacturers are banned from selling the plugs

I take it you can only get a plug when it's attached to a piece of equipment?

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#249379 - 22/02/2005 14:22 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I'm not an electrician or an electrical engineer, but maybe there's some audio-quality reason that they don't want a separate ground, but instead need a polarized supply. Of course, that doesn't explain why they don't just provide a regular receptacle and do whatever needs to be done to "combine" the ground and neutral within the unit itself. Maybe that wouldn't be legal, either.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249380 - 22/02/2005 14:32 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
Don't see any audio reason not to provide a earth connection on the plug. If you really don't want it then you don't need to connect it.

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#249381 - 22/02/2005 14:35 Re: Power [Re: tman]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I agree, but, as I said, maybe that's illegal in some way.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249382 - 22/02/2005 14:38 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
g_attrill
old hand

Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
Quote:

I once went to a demonstration by MK, where they got an elephant to stand on a plug and socket to demonstrate the strength. It was never made clear which jungles had installed a ring mains.

My dad installed MK sockets all through our garage when fitting it out. They are the surface mount type but have brass sleeve things around the earth pin thats grips it so that you need near super-human strength to remove a plug from the damned thing. One of these days I swear I'm going to rip the cover off a plug.

It's unusual because the rest of the house is mostly MK and the sockets and switched feel very smooth and solid to use.

Gareth

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#249383 - 22/02/2005 15:34 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
maybe there's some audio-quality reason that they don't want a separate ground, but instead need a polarized supply

I'll ask the same client to ask his technical bods. that question, and report back.
By the way, can you get those plugs (Have a look at Cris's post) in the US? Maybe somebody coming to the meet could smuggle me one in their luggage?
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#249384 - 22/02/2005 16:22 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Nope. Never seen 'em before.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249385 - 22/02/2005 16:29 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Strange, isn't it, every manufacturer, or at least every Japanese one, seems to have them on their amps, and yet no-one seems able to use them. i wonder where it originates from, curiously, not Japan, as far as I can tell.
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#249386 - 22/02/2005 16:53 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I mean I've never seen even the receptacle. In the US, amplifiers tend to have standard US 125V, 15A 2-prong polarized receptacles (NEMA 1-15R).
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249387 - 22/02/2005 17:00 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
I was flicking through my RS catalog and this looks like it to me but it has the earth pin. It's part 261-5828. Time for the hacksaw? (Note: If you electrocute yourself then it's not my fault! )

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#249388 - 22/02/2005 17:50 Re: Power [Re: tman]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Yep, Farnells have the same, with the advantage that they're a stone's throw from my office in Leeds, but at @£4.50 a knock,:which is fine, as long as I'm sure that it'll fit once I've taken the hacksaw to it.

I've emailed Yamaha's HQ this afternoon to pose the question: What's the point of putting this socket on all your gear if your customers are precluded from using it?
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249389 - 22/02/2005 18:22 Re: Power [Re: g_attrill]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Pardon me, but the emperor's invisible cloak just re-surfaced, and I thought that MK plugs were the height of opulence!
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249390 - 22/02/2005 18:34 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
I tell you what ! It was a bloody good job I didn't have a cup of tea in my hand at the exact moment when I saw the price of THAT !!! I would have been monitor shopping in the morning if I had

I'm sorry, but how can THE MAINS FLEX improve sound quality ???

Working for one of the UK's biggest telcos (or is that commco ?), and dealing with ADSL related customer complaints most of the time (just ask boxer ), I see people spending silly money on Belkin RJ11 leads trying to improve signal quality. I always chuckle under my breath, as if they knew the state of the network the ADSL had to go through before it reaches their socket, I think they would be more inclined to use a damp bit of string instead

A chain is only as strong as the weakest link !!!

Cheers

Cris.

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#249391 - 22/02/2005 18:39 Re: Power [Re: Cris]
CrackersMcCheese
pooh-bah

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
Remember though that some people own amplifiers that cost as much as your average car! With the right kind (read expensive) of setup the power cables will go some way to improving the quality (reducing 'noise') but as you say, its only as good as the weakest link. No use using that cable on a £300 hifi.


Edited by Philip O'Hare (22/02/2005 18:40)

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#249392 - 22/02/2005 18:54 Re: Power [Re: CrackersMcCheese]
peter
carpal tunnel

Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4180
Loc: Cambridge, England
Quote:
Remember though that some people own amplifiers that cost as much as your average car! With the right kind (read expensive) of setup the power cables will go some way to improving the quality (reducing 'noise') but as you say, its only as good as the weakest link.

Even the cheapest modern amplifiers contain power supplies that reject mains hum to inaudible levels. Any amplifier whose sound changes if you change its power cable is defective and should be returned to the manufacturer.

Quote:
No use using that cable on a £300 hifi.

Agreed. And an expensive amplifier's power supply should be even better, and see even less benefit.

Peter

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#249393 - 22/02/2005 19:08 Re: Power [Re: peter]
CrackersMcCheese
pooh-bah

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
Well either way I'm not buying it!

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#249394 - 22/02/2005 20:14 Re: Power [Re: CrackersMcCheese]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
Remember though that some people own amplifiers that cost as much as your average car!

Many years ago, I ended up, after the pub, in the house of a guy who had the most stupendous stereo ever, even nearly 40 years ago, it was in the thousands,and he had had triple glazing fitted to ensure that no noise got in.
But all the Lp's he had were purely to demonstrate the stereo: 1812 and I can't think what else, except I picked up Miles's Davis's Kinda Blue " Oh you're interested in modern jazz", I said: He ignored my remark and said: " I bought it, because it's meant to have the best channel separation of any recording" - he had no taste in music, at all!

What did you think, my girlfriend asked: " Seems OK as a guy, I said, but Leonard Bernstein listens to his music on a Philips portable, and if it's good enough for him, who are we to argue?"

We seemed to be obsessed in the '60's & '70's, with hum and how to cut it out, but it struck me some time back, that we're inputting and outputting sound from our PC's through, what we would have considered, crummy little 3.5mm jacks, and I can't remember ever thinking about or hearing obtrusive hum.


Edited by boxer (23/02/2005 04:53)

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#249395 - 22/02/2005 20:53 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Yes, well, the turning point for personal computers was not so much electronics miniaturization as much as the advent of compact, quality, switching power supplies.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249396 - 23/02/2005 07:51 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Quote:
Pardon me, but the emperor's invisible cloak just re-surfaced, and I thought that MK plugs were the height of opulence!

I think that's why there is the "BS" in "Mainstream BS Power Cord"

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#249397 - 23/02/2005 08:11 Re: Power [Re: julf]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
It looks like someone has reviewed it.
Quote:

AVreview User Rating
Christopher Harnett
'Really good but the price is ridiculous'

Strengths:
Detailed. As good as any mains cable I've heard and only challenged by the new Nordost.

Weaknesses:
The price.



It's the 'As good as any mains cable I've heard' bit that cracks me up. I bet it sounds great at 50Hz.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#249398 - 23/02/2005 10:08 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Ah, I've found a source for those plugs (the ones from the back of the HiFi's), but at £9.05, I might have to make do with two matchsticks and bare wire!
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249399 - 23/02/2005 10:15 Re: Power [Re: andym]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
It's the 'As good as any mains cable I've heard' bit that cracks me up

I've just crawled round the floor of the office, been slapped by one of the girls and have to say, it may be an off day, but not one of our mains leads seems to have anything to say!
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#249400 - 23/02/2005 13:28 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
The friendly folks at Bulgin tell me that it's a PX0782 and that the mating part is the PX0772. Neither of these seem to be listed in their catalog. Nor are those part numbers found in a Google search except for one obscure, useless PDF on Bulgin's site. They tell me that they're very soon to be obsoleted, too.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#249401 - 25/02/2005 14:58 Re: Power [Re: wfaulk]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Well I'm now the proud possessor of "The Plug", regrettably, it's set me back $18, a monstrous price, but a small matter in the affairs of men. I regret to say that, even at this price, it sounds remarkably similar to any other piece of plastic, rubber and metal that I ever purchased and has totally failed to raise the quality of the dynamic audio experience!
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249402 - 25/02/2005 16:57 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Where did you get it from? I've got the same plugs on the back of my amp.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#249403 - 25/02/2005 20:02 Re: Power [Re: andym]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Charles Hyde & Sons. Ltd.,
T.A. Partspeed,
Part No: 42007
Sales Tel: 08709 90 94 74
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag

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#249404 - 25/02/2005 20:24 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
Thay are showing at £3.71 +vat on their website (out of stock). How come you had to pay so much ???

Cheers

Cris.

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#249405 - 25/02/2005 21:19 Re: Power [Re: Cris]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
You might well ask, if you go through the Yamaha site, it comes up +3.99 handling + 1.35 v.a.t., I could have almost got my friends, nearby, to pick it up from the place.

I'd start a big argument, but after three months negotiating with solicitors and accountants and three weeks arguing with Comet* over my Sky+ box warranty, I'm all argued out. The magic day, hint, hint, is Tuesday: If you want to come by for 10 pints with Bushmills chasers tuesday night, you'll know where to find me!

Just a minute, If it costs £1.20 to have a pair of kippers* sent to me from the Isle of Man, each week, how can it cost £3.99 to have a plug sent to me from Pocklington, in the County I live in?

*If you ask, I'll start anothe thread!
I
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#249406 - 25/02/2005 22:21 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
Roger
carpal tunnel

Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
Quote:
*If you ask, I'll start anothe thread!


I'm asking.
_________________________
-- roger

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#249407 - 26/02/2005 10:53 Re: Power [Re: Roger]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
Kippers

For many years, my duty as CEO has been to walk to the Bank at about 11.30 Wednesday, Pay the week's cheques in, draw enough money for the week for me and petty cash, and conduct any other business.
Then, walk to Leeds market and buy a pair of Manx* kippers for breakfast, walk from the market to the Shabab Indian restaurant, taking advantage of the £4.99, as much as you can eat, buffet and 2 pints of Cobra, chat to the odd friend and business associate that knows that that's where to find me, and return to the Office for a snooze.
Impending retirement led me to 2 conclusions:
1. It's a cheap, not a particularly good restaurant, far better to go with the wife to the Rajput in Harrogate, trumpeted as one of the best, most innovative Indian restaurants in Britain.
2. I'm not going to drive the whole way to Leeds for 2 kippers, I tried Morrisons and Sainsbury's but they weren't up to scratch.

So, I googled, and found that for £1.20, a firm in the Isle of Man would send me a pair a week. All I have to do is email them any weekend I'm away, to hold.

* The Manx kipper is grey uncoloured, but immensely more tasty than the Loch Fyne or North East, Supermarket kipper, with the rust red colouring.
_________________________
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#249408 - 26/02/2005 11:55 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
peter
carpal tunnel

Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4180
Loc: Cambridge, England
Quote:
So, I googled, and found that for £1.20, a firm in the Isle of Man would send me a pair a week.

In the post? I was flicking once through a guide to posting things, whilst in the queue at a post office, and it said something like "Special permission is required to send bacteriological or radiological material through the post, but fish cannot be posted under any circumstances."...

Peter

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#249409 - 26/02/2005 12:28 Re: Power [Re: peter]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
but fish cannot be posted under any circumstances

Well they never mentioned it, I was more worried that Jasper, our rescue dog, grabs all the mail as it comes through the letterbox.
They did say they can only ship to the mainland UK, maybe what you were reading referred to overseas.
_________________________
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#249410 - 26/02/2005 13:00 Re: Power [Re: peter]
CrackersMcCheese
pooh-bah

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
This wasn't live fish was it? Or overseas?

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?catId=400044&mediaId=400251

"Fish, fruit, meat and other perishables: Items must clearly be marked PERISHABLE. Must be sent First Class as a minimum requirement"

Items Royal Mail won't send: http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?catId=400044&mediaId=400255


Edited by Philip O'Hare (26/02/2005 13:01)

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#249411 - 26/02/2005 14:01 Re: Power [Re: CrackersMcCheese]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Only a fish with 9 lives would be live after the smoking process!
Thanks for the clarification, Philip!
Oh, that's tailess cats, not fish!
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#249412 - 27/02/2005 07:59 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
"Special permission is required to send bacteriological or radiological material through the post, but fish cannot be posted under any circumstances."...

Good grief, I've just realised the significance of that, Selafield is directly facing the IOM, I'd better check that they don't glow in the dark like self-seal envelopes!
So, I spend £9 0n a plug, after weeks of trying to find it, plug in the RF headphones, and discover that it's so long since I last used them that the batteries have leaked and corroded - Mallory alkalines at that, b******s!
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#249413 - 27/02/2005 09:01 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Quote:
Selafield is directly facing the IOM, I'd better check that they don't glow in the dark like self-seal envelopes!

Is it double jeopardy if you post the radioactive kippers in self-seal envelopes?

Anyway, discussing Rajput and kippers with Wayne, my friend from Harrogate, he told me that there are some smoke houses not too far from them in Harrogate where they still do it the traditional way. Not sure if they sell from there though or just supply retailers

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#249414 - 27/02/2005 09:20 Re: Power [Re: julf]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
smoke houses not too far from them in Harrogate where they still do it the traditional way

One of those is run by an ex-employee of mine, I think that I've tried them all over the years, but somehow, the Manx kipper is just to my taste, although, at this time, I've only tried the ones from Leeds market, hopefully the posted ones will taste much the same.
I meant to try Ramus, which is the big seafood place in Harrogate, but I fear that they would be as overpriced as their other stuff, and it would still be more than £1.20 for the round trip.
What's Wayne's opinion of the Rajput?
Years ago, the Shabab had the leading restaurant in Harrogate. The owner approached me one day, as I'm in advertising, and asked if I'd like to re-do all their publicity material. This was fine, until it came to paying, when he suddenly became "unavailable".
After a couple of months, he walked in to my office with a suitcase, saying that he had just got off the plane from Bangla Desh, opened it, and paid me in used fivers, their must have been £30,000 in the case.
"Sorry to have mucked you about, he said, I'll explain it one day, I've told the manager in Harrogate - no bills", and we ate for free for a good eighteen months, until he sold the restaurant.
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#249415 - 27/02/2005 11:27 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Quote:
What's Wayne's opinion of the Rajput?

He really likes it for socials, but think it's a bit noisy for a quiet dinner. He gets takeaway/delivery from there quite often.
Quote:
I'll explain it one day

Did you ever get an explanation?

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#249416 - 27/02/2005 11:35 Re: Power [Re: julf]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Never did, I never saw him again in person - probably a little knowledge would have been a dangerous thing!
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#249417 - 27/02/2005 13:12 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
Quote:
So, I googled, and found that for £1.20, a firm in the Isle of Man would send me a pair a week. All I have to do is email them any weekend I'm away, to hold.

Mmm... Haven't had a decent kipper in ages actually. There seem to be quite a few sites out there which will post you Manx kippers actually. Average price is about £5?

Some of them say they'll only ship to UK and other say they'll even do Europe so they're either flaunting the rules or a kipper is exempt?

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#249418 - 27/02/2005 13:36 Re: Power [Re: tman]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
£2.40 + 1.20 at isleofmankippers.com
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#249419 - 27/02/2005 14:09 Re: Power [Re: tman]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Quote:
Some of them say they'll only ship to UK and other say they'll even do Europe so they're either flaunting the rules or a kipper is exempt?

Isle of Man might have different postal regulations

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#249420 - 20/03/2005 12:18 Re: Power [Re: Cris]
Derek
addict

Registered: 16/08/1999
Posts: 453
Loc: NRW, Germany
yeah, but unfortunately one-up-manship will require that some people use a gold plated piece of damp string, just to be better than the next guy.
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(list 6284, Mk1 S/N 00299 4GB blue [sold]. Mk2 S/N 080000094 20GB blue)

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#249421 - 06/04/2005 08:15 Re: Power [Re: Cris]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Quote:
Silly youthful question time:

What the hell would you want an old reel to reel tape machine for?

What would you do with it?


Whoa! I've got one off ebay and it's only in Newcastle! By Friday lunchtime, I'll be staring at it in adulation: who needs MP3's when you can have a B77!

It started at "Buy it now £295" and on the third re-post I got it at £137.99. It's got a documented recent service, but the low price is because it's a slow speed one (1 7/8 & 3 3/4)and I'm one of the few people that wants that, specifically for radio recordings, also it's missing the NAB hubs, but they aren't hard to source,
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#249422 - 06/04/2005 16:56 Re: Power [Re: boxer]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
So you got it then ...and at a pretty good price too
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Andy M

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