General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: -gg- on April 26, 2022, 09:31:01 AM
Title: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: -gg- on April 26, 2022, 09:31:01 AM
So this might be interesting to see what you guys come up with because I like to learn about people.
For me I love recording and writing music. I don't actually read music, but I'm self-taught on guitar and I play guitar, obviously, and bass and I can hack away on keyboards.
I like to mix music and I tuned my room as much as I can for acoustics. Believe it or not there's a lot of stuff that you hear out of speakers that you would never know are interfering with the true sound unless you really measure it with a room measurement mic and software. That kind of thing really interests me.
I just got done putting wood laminate flooring into my place so I reposition my mixing area and went through all these calculations again. Very interesting.
I also like history and world affairs. I like to keep up with world affairs. Even though there's not a much anyone can do about the course of things, I like to keep tabs.
I also run two forums. Well actually three forums but one of them is a private forum for music where I partner with a few other musicians and songwriters.
For work I am a technician and I work in the field. I pretty much been a technician my whole life. Either with PCs, car electronics or IT stuff. Right now I am a field engineer for a company that repairs and installs large format printers.
So what do you guys like? You know, some people don't have any hobbies at all. Like one of my brothers he was always trying to figure out what he would like to do but it doesn't seem like he has any hobbies at all.
Oh I thought of another. I used to be heavily into model building when I was a kid.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: 100Coogn on April 26, 2022, 10:01:32 AM
Creating music in Adobe Audition. Video editing/creation in Premiere. Playing acoustic guitar. Local DJ for fun. PC building-repair.
Coogan
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: decoy on April 26, 2022, 10:15:41 AM
Where to start? I'll leave out all the things I used to do but don't/can't anymore and move on. I love being outdoors, and more importantly, I love spending time with my horses. There have only been two periods in my life when I didn't have horses, once when I was in college, and the second time after my divorce. Given my choice, aside from my wife, my daughters, and grandchildren, I'd rather spend a whole day with one of my horses than with most people I know. Right now I'm down to three, which is a good number, because if someone comes along and wants to buy one, I have two good ones left while I break in another one.
I also play guitar and, though I took lessons fifty years ago, I still consider myself self taught. I like to play poker and I love a good game of pool, either 8 or 9 ball, but I'll shoot straight pool, too. Very few folks, except old timers like myself, understand straight pool.
But my biggest hobby is writing. In 2008 I started writing a humor column for the local fish wrapper, and an editor of another paper invited me to submit my stuff to him. Eventually I was published in four print editions and a couple of online rags. In 2012 I published my first novel, and I've been writing novels ever since. I currently have ten books out, some of which are actually operating in the black and some of which are actually not. All and all, I've made more money than I've spent in publishing, but I'm getting rich by any means.
I don't want to shamelessly plug my stuff, but here's my website www.claymercer.com (http://www.claymercer.com) Click on the link for Clay's Books.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Arlo on April 26, 2022, 10:21:32 AM
Rather inspiring, Mr. Mercer. :)
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Bizman on April 26, 2022, 10:30:48 AM
Guitars everyone, huh?
Well, I can't call myself a player but I can accompany some three chord tunes and add a fourth one if needed. And for the last 7 or so years I've built them on wintertime Saturdays. Just for hobby. Just electric ones. The necks are more or less like baseball bats but it's easier to file them thinner afterwards than to add material.
The building hobby led me to YouTube videos of other builders and after having seen a thousand or so vids I have created somewhat of an understanding to finer woodworking. Not that I could do everything I've seen but I now know how something has been/should be done and, more importantly, why. A never ending learning process!
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: 8thJinx on April 26, 2022, 11:34:33 AM
Writing. Learning new languages. Gardening. Woodworking.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Ramesis on April 26, 2022, 12:25:12 PM
I suppose you can call me an Amateur's Amateur Egyptologist... I am teaching myself 18th dynasty hieroglyphic and am actually at the point where I can read some... Was a scuba diver until the strokes, so that is out now... I also enjoy programming in assembly language :salute
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: MORAY37 on April 26, 2022, 01:43:42 PM
Ice Hockey SCUBA diving Photography (yes, I took that profile picture) Aviation (PPL) Military history Fishing Hiking Scale models Trying to learn guitar (poorly) Programming languages
:salute
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: SIM on April 26, 2022, 03:32:40 PM
I done many things in my life. Almost too many to list, but here goes a few... For years I fly fished and tied my own flies. I trained and played as a classical violinist many years ago. Now I play guitar and find indoor peace with a hammered dulcimer. I find my outdoor peace riding my ATV on trails, just to see what lies around the bend of the trail or what kind of view is available from the next ridge. I was once an honest sailor in the USN. My line crossing map and shellback card hang in my cave. I have had a fascination with aircraft since an early age, yet I've never tried to get a license. Ive just had other priorities. I am a lineman and take great pride in the work I do. I am part of the frontline that no one thinks about. I enjoy ropecraft and paracord. I've raised 5 men who have helped to bless me with 2 granddaughters.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Gogolinius on April 26, 2022, 05:55:57 PM
In order of importance:
Do my best to raise my son to not be a degenerate Do my best to not inspire hatred from my wife Take care of my mom Do my best to not have a heart attack Private equity investing Science fiction writing Gun collecting Traveling
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: -gg- on April 26, 2022, 06:23:24 PM
Where to start? I'll leave out all the things I used to do but don't/can't anymore and move on. I love being outdoors, and more importantly, I love spending time with my horses. There have only been two periods in my life when I didn't have horses, once when I was in college, and the second time after my divorce. Given my choice, aside from my wife, my daughters, and grandchildren, I'd rather spend a whole day with one of my horses than with most people I know. Right now I'm down to three, which is a good number, because if someone comes along and wants to buy one, I have two good ones left while I break in another one.
I also play guitar and, though I took lessons fifty years ago, I still consider myself self taught. I like to play poker and I love a good game of pool, either 8 or 9 ball, but I'll shoot straight pool, too. Very few folks, except old timers like myself, understand straight pool.
But my biggest hobby is writing. In 2008 I started writing a humor column for the local fish wrapper, and an editor of another paper invited me to submit my stuff to him. Eventually I was published in four print editions and a couple of online rags. In 2012 I published my first novel, and I've been writing novels ever since. I currently have ten books out, some of which are actually operating in the black and some of which are actually not. All and all, I've made more money than I've spent in publishing, but I'm getting rich by any means.
I don't want to shamelessly plug my stuff, but here's my website www.claymercer.com (http://www.claymercer.com) Click on the link for Clay's Books.
That's a full, good life! Good for you.
The writing thing is very impressive, and even breaking even at doing something you love is more than worth it in my book. Being published. Just awesome!
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Peanut1 on April 26, 2022, 08:47:55 PM
I am an avid outdoorsman, ski area heavy equipment operator and I own a custom Saw milling business.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: FLOOB on April 27, 2022, 05:41:22 PM
I build scale radio controlled tanks. Just starting to learn arduino, planning on getting a 3d printer someday. With a 3d printer and arduino one can pretty much build any rc tank you can imagine from scratch. It's an exciting time for big boy toys. I'm also into aquascaping and cichlids in the aquarium. I've had many hobbies over the years, these are just a couple that I keep coming back to.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: -gg- on April 27, 2022, 06:56:14 PM
I love your work bench and that room. That's a nice setup.
That tank is beautiful and natural looking!
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: The Fugitive on April 27, 2022, 07:02:47 PM
Nice bench Floob !
Like most of the other guys I.ve had many through the years Being in my 60's now leaves out some of the more strenuous like hockey, and woods riding on a motorcycle.
I play enough guitar that it sounds like one, some drums and keyboard, but dont ask me to sing! Video games, AH, VR poker and some driving games now and then. Built my own driving pit for that. Modeling (plastic), tanks, planes, cars, it doesnt matter, they are all a challenge if you are going for details. Wood working, nothing too wild but I know how to use saws without cutting a finger off. Playing with my Mustang, 99 coupe. tweaking as money allows. Driving, I love to drive. I work as a technician for a vending/coffee company and average about 200 miles on most days going from place to place repairing machines. Mass, NH, VT, and Maine are all with in my range for work. Between work and my Mustang I can log some miles! The rest of my time is spent with my wife of 40 years, and lending a helping hand to my 2 boys if/when they need it. Both are in their 30's and are doing well in the computer field.
Below is my man cave with my model bench and picture of a Panther Im working on. Finally getting to that "detail" stage I look forward too!
The writing thing is very impressive, and even breaking even at doing something you love is more than worth it in my book. Being published. Just awesome!
My day was busy, and I missed this in the morning. Yes, it has been a full life. I'm 63 and I have a major health crisis every thirty years or so. I figure, since this last one is pretty much in the books, I'm good up to 100, maybe.
But after reading your list of 'things,' I thought, "Dang, if this gal owned half interest in a liquor store, I might have to look her up!" Keep living the good life, because this is not a rehearsal.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: FLOOB on April 28, 2022, 04:02:58 PM
Beautiful job on that panther Fugitive. Thought about converting it to rc?
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Shuffler on April 28, 2022, 04:57:54 PM
I hunt down along the Texas border. I have some nice sandal mounts.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Hajo on April 28, 2022, 06:14:49 PM
I collect WWII aircraft prints. I now have nine of them from the living-room to the bedroom. Hey...I couldn't do that stuff when I was married!
I collect antique table radios from the 1930s thru the 1950s. Yes..they all work. MY Grandson asked if he could hear one play......so he picked the 1938 Zenith. He turned it on and immediately said it was broke. I informed him if he would wait a minute or two it would play. He wasn't familiar with vacuum tubes from back in the day. ;)
History.......of any kind. from my families history (while investigating I found out my Great Grandfather and his brother, my Great uncle were in the Ohio 6th Army during the Civil War and both were in the Oho 6th Cavalry which was at the Battle of Gettysburg. The 56th FG also.........I am a voracious reader on aircraft from WWII. I own many books on the subject. I also have many model aircraft from the era everywhere but in the bathroom :D
I've been a gearhead since the mid sixties and have owned several muscle cars since (drove my wife nuts...I had to get rid of a few because the used to much gas.....women eh?) I still own a muscle car but it is of the recent vintage only driven during the summer......a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Yep......I may be 72 but I still like my toys :aok
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: The Fugitive on April 28, 2022, 08:56:22 PM
Beautiful job on that panther Fugitive. Thought about converting it to rc?
Did you read the part where I said I am married to the same woman for 40 years???? There are certain prices to pay for that and building RC into my models isnt one of them...... yet :devil
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: decoy on April 29, 2022, 08:35:09 AM
I've been a gearhead since the mid sixties and have owned several muscle cars since (drove my wife nuts...I had to get rid of a few because the used to much gas.....women eh?) I still own a muscle car but it is of the recent vintage only driven during the summer......a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Yep......I may be 72 but I still like my toys :aok
One of my cousins married a man and then insisted that he sell his Ferrari. The rest of us wanted to have her burned at the stake as a witch. Her first husband drove a Porshe 914, and she made him get rid of that. They divorced the next year. C.O Jones versus no C.O. Jones.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: zack1234 on April 29, 2022, 09:54:49 AM
My hobby is stealing womens underwear off washing lines :old:
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Grayeagle on April 30, 2022, 01:56:47 AM
Been a lotta places, done a few things, have a few t-shirts gathered along the way. Hiya Hajo :) You and I are 'middle-aged' looks like :) A lot of similar interests. I'll be 72 in May :)
Gearhead.. ohh yaa. Still have my NHRA license :) Sadly, muscle cars are gone. I finally let Kathy pick out our last car and she tackled it like a project doin all the research, surprised me .. and ended up getting us a Honda CRV. -embarrassed look- I ..umm .. kinda like it :) (ducks) I do miss drivin the Hemi R/T Challenger (Hellcat sounds like it would be FUN) ..and I miss the Corvettes. Go-carts on steroids.
Very sucked into Cities:Skylines atm. Puzzle-solving city builder. Kind of my primary 'thing' these days. Kathy got me a laptop that just buried my old beast of a desktop in every aspect. I am hammered dog poop after having a lung removed, kinda slowed me down, so I have the laptop on a pillow on my chest most days an just rock on. Lookin forward to Forza 8, should be interesting makin scrap metal out of some of those cars :)
Enjoy the day :)
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: dkff49 on April 30, 2022, 02:06:09 AM
My favorite of all the hobbies I have is beer brewing. Nothing like sitting back with a brew made with my own 2 hands and time. Not to mention the uniqueness of the flavors that larger brewers will never try.
Others include: woodworking, fishing, keeping fish (this is more of an addiction with 6 tanks), just started rc planes, camping, pretty much love tinkering with anything i can get my hands on.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: turt21 on April 30, 2022, 06:32:02 AM
some woodcarving www.millersbiedcarving.webs.com
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: The Fugitive on April 30, 2022, 08:45:05 AM
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: knorB on April 30, 2022, 09:13:33 AM
Shooting, mostly steel plates. Reloading, because you'll shoot more, and it's fun to develop a load for a specific rifle. 3d printing, I just started playing around with it. Surprisingly, it fits well with reloading.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Hajo on April 30, 2022, 10:14:06 AM
Been a lotta places, done a few things, have a few t-shirts gathered along the way. Hiya Hajo :) You and I are 'middle-aged' looks like :) A lot of similar interests. I'll be 72 in May :)
Gearhead.. ohh yaa. Still have my NHRA license :) Sadly, muscle cars are gone. I finally let Kathy pick out our last car and she tackled it like a project doin all the research, surprised me .. and ended up getting us a Honda CRV. -embarrassed look- I ..umm .. kinda like it :) (ducks) I do miss drivin the Hemi R/T Challenger (Hellcat sounds like it would be FUN) ..and I miss the Corvettes. Go-carts on steroids.
Very sucked into Cities:Skylines atm. Puzzle-solving city builder. Kind of my primary 'thing' these days. Kathy got me a laptop that just buried my old beast of a desktop in every aspect. I am hammered dog poop after having a lung removed, kinda slowed me down, so I have the laptop on a pillow on my chest most days an just rock on. Lookin forward to Forza 8, should be interesting makin scrap metal out of some of those cars :)
Enjoy the day :)
Hiyas GE! Great to see you again! I do hope all is well with you and yours. We may age, and think that when we wake up in the morning we are still 19. Then...we have to get out of bed :rofl
When the boy dies in the man, so does the man.
Keep well old friend from AW.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Treize69 on May 01, 2022, 10:02:12 AM
Aside from work and being a part-time dad (divorced), reenacting and hiking/climbing.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: nopoop on May 02, 2022, 01:43:35 PM
Collect Morgan silver dollars. Have every year MS64 or better. Collect WWII german helmets. Collect junk silver, walkers and mercury dimes. And.....this game.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: turt21 on May 02, 2022, 06:11:17 PM
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: The Fugitive on May 02, 2022, 08:52:13 PM
Very Nice <S>
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Brooke on May 02, 2022, 11:49:38 PM
In terms of time devoted, Aces High scenarios and TFT's are my main hobby. I get everyone I can manage into those events -- my Dad, my nephews, neighbors, coworkers. I want to get my daughters flying in them.
Other hobbies include:
-- Family stuff with daughters and wife. -- Reading (history, especially WWII, persuasion and motivation, economics, science fiction and fantasy, among others). -- Running role-playing campaigns (such as D&D). -- Investing (part hobby, part profession). -- Politics. Political, business, and social networking. -- Easy, recreational biking and rollerblading. Maybe get back into ice hockey, which I played a lot of when younger. -- Occasional forays into new things, like learning a new bit of IT, or building a play house for my daughters. -- University of Michigan football and basketball during the seasons.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: -gg- on May 03, 2022, 12:21:58 AM
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Rocco on May 03, 2022, 02:01:24 AM
Love seeing all the different hobbies ppl have.
My current hobbies : -Aviation of course (I hold a CPL) -Video games. I can't say there's a genre that I really hate though I tend to avoid AAA titles. Current go-tos other than AH is DCS, Dyson Sphere, Kerbal, Squad, Rimworld -Snowboarding. I don't get out as much as I used to but still manage a couple mountain trips a year. Canadian Rockies are just 3 hrs away -Travel. Not so much the past couple years for obvious reasons but we do one big international trip every second year with small ones mixed in. -Photography. Mostly travel, nature, and aviation. I even have a website set up that I completely neglect. -Cooking. Wife and I love to cook together. -Building computers and coding. I've built my last 2 gaming rigs and have built a few for friends and family. Something really satisfying about the whole process. I've also built a few android apps for the wife. -Writing. I'm not published or anything, I just do a bit when the mood hits. Mostly sci-fi. -Studying history. Also alternate history. Really like thinking about how one decision made different could alter the world. -D&D. Just built my first character and about to start my first campaign. I've always had friends that were in to it but it never really interested me until now.
Past hobbies : -Drones. I still have my cheap Eachine fpv racing drone but I don't fly it much anymore -Martial Arts. In my early teens I started in Taekwondo, then moved into Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, and Judo as I thought about jumping in to MMA in my early 20s. I quit when I started to seriously consider aviation as a career. It wasn't worth the risk of concussion or other injury that would most certainly have occurred. Because though I was an ok striker, my ground game was terrible. All in I spent about 10 years practising various Martial Arts. -Sports. I used to be really active in different sports throughout my 20s (I'm 37 now) but injuries and life caught up to me. Snowboarding is about the only one that I've kept up. -Brewing. My former roommate and I made a few home brews. When he moved in with his gf the equipment went with him. -Blacksmithing. Dabbled in it a few years, my cousin and my dad both had small forges and I took a couple classes. I was not great at it but made a kitchen knife that turned out ok. It's way too heavy in the blade but it still makes short work of whole chickens.
Some of my photography :
(https://i.imgur.com/rVKUL7e.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/q2Bzfbo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/jcEmloS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1ahGU2v.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/aDhWerm.jpg)
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Nefarious on May 03, 2022, 08:48:53 AM
I collect military surplus - firearms and camouflages mostly. I have a pretty extensive collection.
Aces High and other flight sims.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Mano on May 03, 2022, 05:16:55 PM
Pyramids and Ancient Megalithic Structures.
I have visited many in South America, Central America, and almost every one in Mexico. I hope to visit the pyramids in Egypt someday and in Thailand.
The most difficult site to visit was Puma Punku and Tihuanaco in Bolivia. Both sites are within a kilometer of each other. The altitude is 12,500 feet and you need to be there for a couple weeks to get climatized to the lack of 0xygen in the air. It is difficult to breath if you walk up a slope no matter how shallow the climb.
A few years ago I was talking to my sons and their cousins standing next to El Castillo in Chichen Itza. The tour guide asked me to leave because I was discussing things he does not agree with. I believe because the steps are so large that it is very likely in ancient times pre dating 600 A.D. there were probably some very tall Mayans. If you go to any city today there are always people of all size statures and not just short people. That is true in any large city in Mexico including the state of Chiapas where people tend to be of shorter stature. The manager came to see me and apologized for the tour guide. I have read tons of books on the Mayans in English and Spanish. There are lots of hypothesis and theories on how their civilizations evolved.
I like the show Ancient Aliens, but I do not believe their theories that aliens built everything. I think humans did. In ancient times when a civilization reached an economic plateau the intelligent were allowed to prosper and build what ever the king instructed them to build. The megalithic structures create an image of prosperity and that attracts more people to move to their community. The economy flourishes and trade increases with other communities.
In Peru scientist have no clue how the building blocks were assembled in Sachsaywaman nor how the stones were vitrified. The blocks exceed hundreds of tons and there is no evidence left behind on how they were lifted and put into place. The rock quarries are a considerable distance. How were the stones transported?
I could go on forever but I will stop here. I enjoy reading and visiting ancient sites. Our ancient ancestors were more advanced than we can imagine. The uncovering around all ancient sites might reveal in the future how they were able to build such wonders. I can't wait.
:salute
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Shuffler on May 04, 2022, 09:57:25 AM
I have visited many in South America, Central America, and almost every one in Mexico. I hope to visit the pyramids in Egypt someday and in Thailand.
The most difficult site to visit was Puma Punku and Tihuanaco in Bolivia. Both sites are within a kilometer of each other. The altitude is 12,500 feet and you need to be there for a couple weeks to get climatized to the lack of 0xygen in the air. It is difficult to breath if you walk up a slope no matter how shallow the climb.
A few years ago I was talking to my sons and their cousins standing next to El Castillo in Chichen Itza. The tour guide asked me to leave because I was discussing things he does not agree with. I believe because the steps are so large that it is very likely in ancient times pre dating 600 A.D. there were probably some very tall Mayans. If you go to any city today there are always people of all size statures and not just short people. That is true in any large city in Mexico including the state of Chiapas where people tend to be of shorter stature. The manager came to see me and apologized for the tour guide. I have read tons of books on the Mayans in English and Spanish. There are lots of hypothesis and theories on how their civilizations evolved.
I like the show Ancient Aliens, but I do not believe their theories that aliens built everything. I think humans did. In ancient times when a civilization reached an economic plateau the intelligent were allowed to prosper and build what ever the king instructed them to build. The megalithic structures create an image of prosperity and that attracts more people to move to their community. The economy flourishes and trade increases with other communities.
In Peru scientist have no clue how the building blocks were assembled in Sachsaywaman nor how the stones were vitrified. The blocks exceed hundreds of tons and there is no evidence left behind on how they were lifted and put into place. The rock quarries are a considerable distance. How were the stones transported?
I could go on forever but I will stop here. I enjoy reading and visiting ancient sites. Our ancient ancestors were more advanced than we can imagine. The uncovering around all ancient sites might reveal in the future how they were able to build such wonders. I can't wait.
:salute
I too have always had a huge interest in how these were built so long ago. This among all my other interests.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: zack1234 on May 04, 2022, 11:23:04 AM
Rather impressive. Had a squad mate back in my active duty days that was into CW re-enactments (both sides). Wasn't a cheap hobby, for sure.
I work at a site that does everything from French and Indian War to WWII- we were continually occupied by one army or another from 1755 to 1943. So I get to do it all but my main impression is the First Sergeant for our 1868-69 garrison.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Ack-Ack on May 20, 2022, 10:20:00 AM
Building, driving and sometimes racing RC off road cars.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: nrshida on May 22, 2022, 02:19:33 AM
Building, driving and sometimes racing RC off road cars.
Which types?
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: nrshida on January 19, 2023, 03:06:32 AM
Life is always untidy loose ends and lost possibilities. I expect AKAK was sick around this time. I have a 1979 Tamiya Rough Rider loaded with sentimental value and a Hotshot project based on TRF503 transmission with active suspension.
Also presently busy with Sony Walkmen both cassette and Minidisc and am waiting for my first DAT recorder just to explore the format.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: DmonSlyr on January 19, 2023, 07:25:05 AM
Life is always untidy loose ends and lost possibilities. I expect AKAK was sick around this time. I have a 1979 Tamiya Rough Rider loaded with sentimental value and a Hotshot project based on TRF503 transmission with active suspension.
Also presently busy with Sony Walkmen both cassette and Minidisc and am waiting for my first DAT recorder just to explore the format.
I was looking into RC on road cars but ended up getting a short course truck instead, just because I could use it offroad while on trails and there isn't a road course I don't believe around where I live. Just picked up a Tekno 410.3 for under $300 which was a great deal. Will start the build soon. This is my first rc car build. I had other RTR before but the moving company "lost" (stole) them and my RC boat, about $750 worth of RC stuff. Really pissed me off.
I also do Metal Earth Models and Lego models for fun.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: DmonSlyr on January 19, 2023, 11:03:29 AM
(https://i.ibb.co/s97LHyS/20230115-211447.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/rxPSLhn/20221231-142749.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/V9b5JqV/20221207-214802.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/2jgHPvK/20230119-115415.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/kx6dhPZ/20230119-115920.jpg)
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: RUSH1 on January 19, 2023, 11:32:22 AM
CptTrips, that is amazing! I love those pictures too. Very nice!
Is that building the same one where the telescope is at? How does the roof open up?
Really cool.
Thanks.
Yep. That is a roll-offf roof observatory design. The building is divided in half with an interior wall/door.. The right have is a cabin where I can sleep after an all-nighter on the scope. The left half is the observatory.
The scope is mounted on a concrete pier that doesn't actually touch the building. A hole in the floor lefts the pier in with a 2 inch gap around the floor. That way I can be doing long exposures and walk around in the cabin and not vibrate the scope and ruin an image from vibration. The pier goes down 3 ft in the ground to the bedrock limestone of the hill and is tied into it with drilled and epoxied j-bolts. It's basically a part of the hill.
The roof is built to be supported on v-groove steel wheels and I welded up some angle iron rails. I can roll the whole roof on and off with one hand. It's locked down when I'm not observing. ;)
Roof in closed position... (https://www.dropbox.com/s/bklxju3wz3guks7/roll-off-closed2.jpg?raw=1)
Me learning to weld. Kinda sloppy. I think I had the wire speed too fast. But it was functional. These are the rails that allow the roof to roll out over the patio area. (https://www.dropbox.com/s/jm2pybuhaj3imi8/rails.jpg?raw=1)
Here is the best Jupiter I've done. My goal is to try and beat that this year. And do some better solar. (https://www.dropbox.com/s/ejyp1u41sas4lrm/Jupiter.jpg?raw=1)
I tend to enjoy solar\lunar\planetary stuff the most. In all those things change. You see new cloud patterns or changed in band colors over time in Jupiter. Watch it's moons transit and watch the moons shadow move across Jupiters face over the course of a couple of hours. Even the Moon features can be strikingly different beteen nights and the shadow angles change with the phase. Some structure only appear at certain times of the Lunar day when angles are just right for the shadows.
A nebular or galaxy is going to be pretty much exactly the same 5, 10, 40, 80 years from now. No real change. The only reason to go back to photograph those is to test your new levels of skill or equipment and compare to your previous best to see if you have improved.
The scope has been down a couple of years. The dive gears were hosed. I finally worked up the courage to take it all apart and fix it. It's all go to go now. I hope to get back to photographing this year.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: CptTrips on January 19, 2023, 07:06:35 PM
Here is a pic of the block after it had been poured.
You can't imagine how many bags of concrete that was hand mixed with water I hauled out there in jugs. :rofl
Here the floor with the hole e=letting the block be accessed. (Good ole Dad, sadly passed. I couldn't have built that without his help.) (https://www.dropbox.com/s/uggck98inbk4qw7/floor.jpg?raw=1)
Then a steel pier is bolted to the block. (like this one but not exact. Mine is black.) (https://skyshed.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/05/pierpageimage.png)
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: -gg- on January 19, 2023, 07:10:09 PM
wow! that is really impressive!
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: Mano on January 19, 2023, 07:18:43 PM
Hope to upgrade my telescope soon. Hopefully a Schmidt–Cassegrain in the 9 to 11 inch range if budget allows. Might go second hand from EBay. GPS is a must. Calibration takes a long time with my current telescope and that is time you are missing out observing the sky.
Quantum Mechanics is another hobby as well. No way to have a clue how Black Holes even exist with out some knowledge of what is happening at the event horizon. Acceleration dilates time, not gravity. Gravity is the result of acceleration. Understanding what warps space makes one scratch their head.
Albert Einstein did not like quantum entanglement. He called it spooky action at a distance. General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics cannot be linked together as there is still a big piece missing. Einstein believed Black Holes exist.
Understanding what space (space-time) is will be the next big step for scientists in this discipline. Does space actually flow into the even horizon of a black hole? Is it traveling faster than the speed of light? Does space stretch, is it malleable like soft metal, and warped by acceleration? How can quantum entanglement react faster than the speed of light? So many questions that will not be answered until we can send a probe close to a feeding black hole and observe if information is lost. More experiments with entanglement will be designed to develop communication in the near future. Computers are already using quantum mechanics. Their speeds of computing are the next step forward.
:salute
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: CptTrips on January 19, 2023, 07:38:09 PM
Hope to upgrade my telescope soon. Hopefully a Schmidt–Cassegrain in the 9 to 11 inch range if budget allows.
Hard to go wrong with a quality 8" SCT.
Depends a lot on where you do most of your observing. If your hauling it out and setting up at a dark sky site, 11" is a lot of heavy glass. I hauled my 12" Meade around for about a year and realized that wasn't enjoyable. Next thing you know you will be build an permanent observatory so you don't have to. ;)
If you're going out to your back yard, not so much a problem. An 11" is still pretty heavy to have to take up and down.
Of course more glass means it's hard to come to thermal equilibrium. Until then you will have tube currents that make high res work impossible. In my close to desert region with a big temp swing between night and day it is very hard to get and keep my scope equalized. I often have to resort to active cooling but in mid-summer that night air continues to drop all night just a bit faster than my scope can equalize. If I am doing hi res planetary photography I have to stop every hour and do some more cooling and then quickly grab my images. It only takes 0.5f to create tube currents.
Still, we always want bigger. :cool: I know. I know. :D
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: knorB on January 20, 2023, 07:43:59 AM
Trips what caliber are you shooting?
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: CptTrips on January 20, 2023, 08:17:08 AM
And lots of .22. ;) I also have a Ruger Precision .22. It is designed to be a close approximation to it's bigger brother so it is good to practice with and build muscle memory. You probably get 80% of the needed training before switching to the 6.5. That's a lot cheaper as the Creedmoors are over $2 a round for precision ammo.
I found Prime ammo does really good in that creedmoor. I always have some of that.
I have all the loading stuff. I was getting very good results but right now my life is in chaos so it's all packed away in storage. After I get settled back and get my move over with I will set it back up again. That helps with the cost, but more importantly allows me to tune the powder and bullet grain size to my barrel's particular harmonics.
A couple of years ago I was on a quest to work my way up to shooting 1000 yd and hitting man-chest sized metal targets. There is a range not too far from my land where they have a 1000 yd range. You have to pass a qual course first to shoot it. I was working my way up to that but life has interfered the last two years.
Another thing I want to restart after I'm done crawling through my Shawshank 1/4 mile tunnel of sht. ;)
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: knorB on January 20, 2023, 08:53:40 AM
I'm shooting a savage 110 tactical topped off with a Primary Arms ACSS Apollo. Just scored a bunch of large rifle primers and looking forward to load development.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: CptTrips on January 20, 2023, 09:01:56 AM
I'm shooting a savage 110 tactical topped off with a Primary Arms ACSS Apollo. Just scored a bunch of large rifle primers and looking forward to load development.
Nice. Savage are fantastic values. Solid rifles at a good price.
308 huh. Old school. ;) Less expensive rnds though. ;)
I'd like to get a 308 at some point.
Both my rigs are topped with SWFA scopes. Great value for the money. They sell to military mainly. They added a civilian version.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: knorB on January 20, 2023, 09:06:10 AM
Have you a 17 HMR? Great little pest control round, as the ballistic tip 17gr explode on impact and minimize over pen and ricochet.
NO, just .22LR. I was tempted to go that route and I heard a lot of good reviews.
However I wanted to shoot .22 precision at ranges that the 17HMR would drop out of trans-sonic.
For precision you either want to stay above speed of sound within the range to target or start sub-sonic. You'll introduce a lot of random deviation crossing trans-sonic.
I don't know how far you are along in your journey, but this is the video series that got me hooked ;):
The whole playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwG-D0HjCBQ&list=PLJUaiRIEduNXoal2_PkBZi0vDCIcEPxUn (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwG-D0HjCBQ&list=PLJUaiRIEduNXoal2_PkBZi0vDCIcEPxUn)
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: knorB on January 20, 2023, 09:56:38 AM
Yup I've gone through that series. Check out this review when you get the time.
Title: Re: Interests and hobbies! What are yours?
Post by: CptTrips on January 20, 2023, 09:58:47 AM
There was a guy that had a show on PBS years ago where he would carve duck decoys. But like take them to level 11. Works of art. I don't know why, but it was mesmerizing to watch. Like watching Boss Ross. ;)