Most liked posts in thread: What's new Pussycat too?

Quality kit, quality build - you have a hi-fidelity quality appreciation of real music, Matt.
We have no doubt you have a sensational system there.
Would be marvellous if we could maybe "see it" in action some time, you know, a short vid, not that we would be able to get the full acoustic treat through our tinny laptop speakers, but just to see the turntable and needle alight on a Rush LP and then hear that slight crackle as the stylus makes it through the initial pick-up grooves and then... the system speaks in all it's sonic splendour...

 

The best part of all is that the main, high quality old school systems was a gift, that I just refurbished to new quality (with some minor upgrades) and all other system hardware I used for upgrades, including even a new turn-table needle worth much more than I payed, speaker replacements, subwoofer speaker and amp, the new Pyle amp to go with the JVC amp, pre-amp, equalizer, etc. cost me less than $300 total, for a system I could now sell for a couple thousand on ebay.

One man's old trash is another man's treasure to polish. I love having a standard of living and quality of life equal to people who are four times wealthier than me, because I'm a DIYer that repairs and restores rather than being a revolving door consumer replacing something for usually the smallest issues that can be easily fixed and restored with a bit of knowledge. You also gain a sense of pride and value your possessions more from putting all your knowledge, skill, blood, sweat and tears into your possessions that doesn't exist with consumers who constantly throw-away and consume new products, which on top of it all are generally products of lesser quality than what they replaced, and for more money! I pity the fool...

My conscience wouldn't even allow me to brag on my sound system, even brand new and of highest quality, if I merely spent thousands of dollars and had it installed. I get no pride or feeling of accomplishment or endearment toward the possession from merely from spending a lot and pride in it's ownership quickly fades. I only get great sound as a benefit and an empty wallet. And a careless personal character that looks at everything as disposable and wastes money over and over on similar possessions while people are homeless and starving in the world.

Of course all the Rush albums and CD's cost me closer to a $1000, even finding the best prices, as they are all the highest quality LP's that can be made and much improved over the standard album fare that can still be purchased of the same music for $20-30 new in record shops, though I actually got a couple of the audiophile quality LP's at those prices, the original retail price for them was $150 or more. The costliest Rush Album cost me $100, but most I found great deals on for around $50 each.

 

That's the same all over as far as Royalty/Other Elites goes. Proper upstanding people on the surface and in public, but now we get to see the dark side, as you say. And most are also connected to Illuminati or Free Masons or some other occult-like or even satanic secret societies who do not have the best interests for common man and his freedoms and liberties but are actively working to end democratic freedoms, and over time, just under the surface, have been successful in turning us all into banana republics that are bastions of despotism.

Just compare our democratic societies today with this 1946 film that was shown to kids at school to teach them how to spot a despot country and propaganda. To warn against allowing to happen what we have allowed to happen! All the while using the media to tell us they are making everything more fair, democratic and with equal opportunity, including passing laws that seem on the surface to be for this very purpose, while in fact doing the exact opposite in practice. Like the "equal opportunity" job act here in the states where people are hired to fill check marks for race or creed instead of the most qualified candidates, regardless of race or creed. In most cases this leads to under or unqualified people in the positions that can fail upward and eventually are in control and the entire company or organization itself declines into despotism.

 

My cats ripped my records to shreds and I had no clue they were getting in the box, but then again, me and my LP's never had a good times I'm lucky Felix isn't a scratcher as my big speakers have no guards on (when I say big, I mean,compared to shelf speakers)

 

Speakers like those are beyond my budget. I can dream, but really I don't have the space anyway, atm. Once upon a time I had much nicer speakers, with big woofers with semi-transparent plastic cones, and two adjustment dials like those above, but still only 3-way speakers. I was going to add another set of tweeters to them, making them 4-way, but of course one of my puppies managed to get one of them!

Mine are completely home-made now, the old woofers were the last of the original speakers (I still have one I may add to my sub-woofer...I just finished installing the new speakers in the boxes, and repaired the one speaker cover. I just need to repair the trim and I'll take pictures of my now completely DIY speakers, since I also repaired the boxes themselves last year and repainted them. They still look a bit more plain than those fancy ones you pictured @Paul "Mclaneinc" Irvine .

I also need to finish off the exterior of my subwoofer so it looks professional instead of DIY like it still does atm.

new pictures soon. I've just about finished the restoration of each individual component of my stereo system now too, installing LED back lighting on all components too now, except for the receiver and the second tape deck. So most of it lights up now, but looks a bit odd with two components out of place with no LED lights.

 

Are you referring to a traditional billiards table? We have bar/pub and pool-hall tables that are the most common, but you can go to higher class locals and clubs that have the true billiards tables that are larger than pool tables. If I ever have the space and money, I'd probably get one of the smaller pool-hall tables because they are about half the cost of a true billiards table (which I prefer, but I don't know if I'd want to pay what they cost even if I could afford one).

Do you play a lottery or anything similar Paul? Here is wishing you a winning ticket if you do, enough to get you a single family home.

 

Aw, Al, what a shame - I'd persevere, mate.
I mean you've only just picked it up, fella.
You can't beat putting a vinyl disc on a turntable and listen to that wonderful intro and slight crackle as the stylus starts its way into the groove and then belts out your fave artists and tracks - it beats tapes and CDs hands down for me, buddy.
Am enjoying this thread as I can feel the joy that folks like Matt and Paul and your good self feel when it's just you sat there quietly contemplating, with your music remembering the great times together with others and for me, music lifts us and takes us on journeys like no other media can do... ok, a good book maybe...but you get the gist, guys.
The speakers that Paul flagged up and the gear that Matt puts together is all such a blast - great kit / conversations, fellas.

 

Third Lanark are a lesson in how to drive a club into the ground and their story makes for a very interesting, albeit sad, story Andy.

Weather has been pretty good here today. Met up with my childhood best friend for some banter and a walk round Paisley Abbey which is a magnificent building dating back to the 1200's While my football team (Celtic) were celebrating back to back league titles the two of us took in a Juniors game from the 3rd tier of the Scottish amateur league. It was a great game with some very decent play and cost us less than £10 each including admission, a pie, and a cuppa tea

Tomorrow I'm off to visit the Forth Canal near Falkirk and then a nearby historic castle and the heritage village of Culross. I like to fill my days off work with stuff to save me sitting in the house and then it being too late to go anywhere by the time I decide what to do!

p.s. the record player has gone along with the accompanying vinyl. Meant the amp/cd/dab radio only cost me £15 in the end

 

Fair enough, mate.
Glad you've had a successful sunny day and met up with yer old pal and up on the trading plus back2back titles for Celtic - all in all, you can't grumble!
I will check out Third Lanark, Al, and see what the hell happened there - don't tell me Philip Schofield had anything to do with it ;-)

 

Bang on Andy. They should never have put him in charge of the boys team....

 

You definitely need to make time for dogs, especially if they have no real place like a fenced in yard, to run around and have a bit of freedom and space. Otherwise don't have them. I expect the worst and hope for the best with the puppies. Sometimes they are left alone in the room for hours and are well behaved. But there have been times I came back and found things torn and shredded and scattered about. Stuff I put up out of puppy reach, but forget that was a month ago and they've grown, etc.

But they are very near the end of days in a play pen (about a 3x3 meter affair) during the days and in my room at night and bad weather. I have dog houses and chains for them until I can get a larger fenced in yard done, and they will stay on chains and in the dog houses until that time, though I will take them for morning and evening walks daily, except during bad weather. I will rotate them, allowing one to stay in the room with me at night.

Of course time will also tell if any of them can be trusted to be a free roamer; two of my 3 grown dogs are free roamers that stay on the property and behave and are well behaved indoors too, and can come and go as the please. My brother 2 dogs are indoor and get walks, not trusted to stay on the property. And my hound dog who can't socialize with the other dogs is always on a chain and gets walks, and is my guard dog outside during the day and inside my shop trailer at night. Every dog we own earns freedoms or restrictions based on how well behaved they become, depending on how trainable they were.

 

Hey, Al - boxed as well.... you might make him an offer and try and knock him down a bit, fella:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235034096978?hash=item36b91fb552:g:EjUAAOSwiWNkeOhc

 

Incredible. Never seen the Al mancave from that view before - it looks amazingly well-organised, pristine and presented, Al. So so sorry to hear that Paul's so low when it comes to health and positive vibes for the Atari 8bits, mate. Wish to hell we could do something to make you feel better about the situation, fella.
Shame we're not all closer and we can't get us together etc.
Sincerely, hoping something comes along to get you your mojo back as Al, mentions...

 

Keep smiling through, Paul. I'm certain there's life in the old dog yet, mate.

 

Speaker repair tip:

Have a speaker or two that the center bubble has gotten pressed in? Use a vacuum with it's hose attached to suck them back out. You may need to rig a temporary nozzle to the end of the vacuum hose if the bubble is small. Or try using a straw and sucking on the bubble with it if small enough.

 

Looks powerful... the dog's bollys from where I'm standing, Matt.

Very well repaired and revamped.

Would lurve to hear these bad boys really open up and give it some Def Leppard on full bore, maybe a bit of Animal?!

 

here is a shot of my front speakers set up properly.

 

The real reason for the controller is that I remember seeing it in a games shop in Glasgow when it first came out and thought it was amazing that you could get 'arcade' controls at home It's been on my wishlist ever since!

Kicking myself for buying Sensi even though I know it should re-sell okay, but hey-ho. Going to make a list of ST floppy games that I want to hunt out and make sure I don't end up with more dupes.

All in all it was a good retro day. Hopefully pick up another couple of bits when I'm down North Yorkshire at the end of this month

 

Excellent results, Al.

I can feel your sense of satisfaction from here, mate!

Just a shame they didn't say, hey when you buy a track and field controller, Sensi Soccer, plus a mug and poster... you get a FREE ATMOS thrown in!

If only, mate... if only.

I do get em from time to time but the price they're going for now, Al, I'd be lucky to get you one for less than £150 fully functioning but you never know... we'll keep looking and who knows when yer down our way next, fella?

We'll keep our radars active for the Track n Field cart too, budster.

WELL DONE, Al - you can deffo chalk that expo expedition down as a total success, pal.

 

Very nice Andy. The Newsroom was always a favourite of mine.

Been busy with work since getting back so not had time for pictures yet but will post my little haul soon. Think your bundle is more impressive though!

 

Cheers, Al.

Not bad at all that little lot, eh, for the money?

Real nice guy clearly just wanting shut of em so I did very nicely indeed... will have to test em out and post a new thread soon.

Hey, Richie's been in touch, guys - maybe he's posted elsewhere here, so just a heads-up that he's perfectly OK and just been busy with his consoles/life/the summer days with his missus etc... and why not?

Looking forward to seeing what you got when you do get chance, Al, then I'll show the sad start to the beginning of the end for my retro room where it's all cheek by jowl anyhow with the exercise bike in there...BUT, the new look going on in the arcade cave where a new beast has landed... (Al, don't give the game away... not yet anyhow!!)

 

Sorry no picutes yet lads, been very busy in work since I got back so hopefully get a chance to sit down and have some retro fun this weekend sometime.

On that note Andy, book arrived safe and sound mate. Thank you very kindly!

 

Superb Andy!!

Pinball machine looks great. And the title is very fitting considering your past profession lol. How does it feel to sleep on now that Bev has probably kicked you out of the master bedroom

Loving those big box Amiga games as well. So many memories playing games like Swiv and Ikari Warriors. I remember getting up at the crack of dawn (she was a lovely gal) to jump a bus over to the other side of Glasgow to pick up Player Manager on the day of release. Them were the days indeed.

The snippets of the Baz Cave look great. Are we going to see a quick video walkround soon so that it can be appreciated it in all its retro glory?

 

P.s. why bother with a dartboard when you have a Man Utd line up to aim for instead?

 

LOL! Knowing my darts skills (?!), Al, I'd throw and miss and hit a Scouser instead. No bad thing...
Any road, yes, I will do vids of the games you mention and a walkaround the Baz Cave. It's currently once more getting a clear out as all sorts gets slung in there as it still has to double up as a garage for our bikes, outside furniture and parasols etc so sometimes you gan in there, trip up and very nearly break yer neck as you encounter something that has been slung in before the rain comes down!
The pinball is lovely and yes, a nod to my former "profession".
However, overnight 4-5 of the little lights have either failed or dimmed so I'm in the process of tracking down which type of mini bulbs they take and then order some off Feebay and get them replaced as you can't play pinball properly without flashing lights, bumpers and ejectors ganning off left right and centre...
Yes, I've now been dismissed to me cave and the back bedroom is free of Baz Amiga and ZX81 presence.
Bev suggests I use those Amiga big box titles as pillows... very thoughtful of her indeed.
Oh, don't mention Player Manager... the hours I spent on that one!
Cheers, mate.
Any more Amiga game suggestions that I play test from any more groovers on here?