GAS Latest Shiny Things (non camera related)

I've been doing electronic hobby stuff for around 60 years so there was no way I was going to miss out on the world's smallest (and cutest) oscilloscope!

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I've been doing electronic hobby stuff for around 60 years so there was no way I was going to miss out on the world's smallest (and cutest) oscilloscope!

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Depending on the definition of doing electronics as a hobby, mine dates back to at least 56 years ago. As much tempted as I am by these ridiculously low prices for equipment that used to cost an arm and a leg, I still own a cathode-ray tube oscilloscope, albeit transistorized. If that one gives up, I'll probably buy one of these computer-type scopes.
 
Depending on the definition of doing electronics as a hobby, mine dates back to at least 56 years ago. As much tempted as I am by these ridiculously low prices for equipment that used to cost an arm and a leg, I still own a cathode-ray tube oscilloscope, albeit transistorized. If that one gives up, I'll probably buy one of these computer-type scopes.
Around 20 years ago I picked up a Navy surplus scope that was made the year I was born. I fixed some problems with it and got it running but I'm a bit scared to power it up now considering the age of the capacitors. CRT scopes definitely rule! But I don't really need a scope for anything so this is just for fun and to get my grandchildren excited about stuff.
 
A lovely friend bought me the unit as a surprise present for doing them a very small favour. I bought the memory card, games, HDMI convertor and SCART lead. The old 15" TV, with SCART input, was £10 off eBay and is for those times when I want a quick play in the home office. A reconditioned, genuine second controller is on its way. Then I'll be all set to play my three all time favourite games again.

(Rewind to the early noughties. On a visit to one of my then employer's satellite office, I saw a PS2 retail display unit in the foyer of the IT department. Puzzled, I had a quick play of Smuggler's Run and carried on with work. A few months later I revisited the same site and the PS2 unit was gone. I asked my IT contact what happened to it. His reply: "Didn't need it. Most of us bought one." This in a department of about 150 staff. Smart marketing. Little wonder it remains the best selling games console of all time.)

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Not even vaguely photography related.

We've just bought two Stressless Sunrise recliner chairs and footstools for the living room. These should significantly improve back comfort for us both, but me in particular.


After all, It's only money, and they have a 25% off sale ATM.

{Edit} These:

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You can't take it with you John, and you might as well be as comfortable as possible while you can!
Our thoughts exactly, Charles.

Besides, household possessions only count at their resale value for the pensions asset test here, and these are worthless the day they are delivered.

So, we are comfortable, and receive more pension ... ;) .
I'm not your average CPA ...
 
Our thoughts exactly.

Besides household possessions only count at their resale value for the pensions asset test here, and these are worthless the day they are delivered.

So, we are comfortable, and receive more pension ... ;) .
I'm not your average CPA ...
After some googling I found CPA could stand for Certified Public Accountant. Being a non-US citizen this doesn't make much sense to me. Just curious, here in The Netherlands pensioners don't have to deal with separate taxation for assets. We pay enough taxes, including wealth taxes, as it is...
 
After some googling I found CPA could stand for Certified Public Accountant. Being a non-US citizen this doesn't make much sense to me. Just curious, here in The Netherlands pensioners don't have to deal with separate taxation for assets. We pay enough taxes, including wealth taxes, as it is...
Ad, there is both an income and assets test for receipt of a government pension here. Greater of the two governs what one is entitled to.

I have arranged our financial affairs over about 30+ years such that we are both comfortable and receive a part government pension. It's tricky ...

What I've done ensures that we will never be totally dependent on the government (that's to their benefit), but still qualify for a part government pension (that's to our benefit). Win:Win situation.

Qualifying for a pension means that one also qualifies for a discount on public utilities, phone, vehicle registration/s, local government rates, pharmaceuticals, medical services, etc. These are worth as much to us as the pension itself.

BTW, CPA here, and in most of the world, stands for Certified Practising Accountant.
 
Ad, there is both an income and assets test for receipt of a government pension here. Greater of the two governs what one is entitled to.

I have arranged our financial affairs over about 30+ years such that we are both comfortable and receive a part government pension. It's tricky ...

What I've done ensures that we will never be totally dependent on the government (that's to their benefit), but still qualify for a part government pension (that's to our benefit). Win:Win situation.

Qualifying for a pension means that one also qualifies for a discount on public utilities, phone, vehicle registration/s, local government rates, pharmaceuticals, medical services, etc. These are worth as much to us as the pension itself.

BTW, CPA here, and in most of the world, stands for Certified Practising Accountant.
I get it, intricate financial optimization. I'm a pensioner myself, so I have to do similar things too, although fortunately not as complicated as in your situation.
 
Well, after three years, we have just about finished renovating our house (re-novating, in the precise sense of the word). The painter finished painting all the external woodwork and garage Tilt-a-door today. Just the front and rear screen doors to be painted (separate job).

This has involved (in part!):
  • Repairing the 6-8 foot high front brick fence where our 80 foot high eucalyptus viminalis had broken it. Involved cutting out a panel of brickwork, and replacing it with a 'floating' picket panel.
  • Repairing side gate
  • Chasing telecom wires into front wall, prior to rendering
  • Replace garage roof and tiny valley gutter.
  • Replace north facing main roof on house
  • Clean and re-render the external brickwork with a modern render, that both binds through remnant cement render, and binds like baby poo to a nappy if one wants to paint it (we have left it a natural cement colour). This also sealed up the gaps where the brickwork and doors/windows didn't meet up.
  • Run existing wiring internally for upstairs power circuits
  • Replace west facing wall cladding on upstairs
  • Miscellaneous repairs to old woodwork, etc
  • Install 8 kW solar panel system and inverter
  • Rewire garage on separate circuit
  • Install power circuit for new Fujitsu 5 kW reverse cycle air conditioner for front entrance, my study and main bedroom.
  • Install overhead fan in main bedroom
  • Install reverse cycle pool heater (replaced old tubing type pool heating system), plus wiring and replacement pool heater pump controller
  • Install electric pool blanket
  • Replace broken Fujitsu 26 y.o. 3.5 kW reverse cycle air conditioner in kitchen area, with a new 5 kW unit and (legally required) new wiring circuit.
  • The painting included the back wall of the garage, and enamel on the rear garage door that I picked up off the nature strip about 15 years ago. It's a solid frame door, with ten glass panes in it.
Phew! Nearly as painful as building a new house, and took longer! Took us 2.5 YEARS to get a painter, but at least Gary has done a really terrific job. Nothing was too much trouble for him.

This has cost a small fortune, as can well be imagined!

I will try to put up some before and after photos, when I sort them out ...
 
So I recently picked up my first NAS drive, a Western Digital 8tb. I’ve spent the past couple days getting it set up on my network and loading the past few years of photos on there, as well as the yearly photo movies I make. I have Plex pointed towards the right folders, and am able to easily watch slideshows of my pictures or the movies on my TV. I’ve also been able to share the movies with a friend across the country who can watch them from my drive with his Plex account. I intend to spend the rest of eternity ripping every old DVD I own and storing them here, for an elegant solution to ridding myself of the hard media. I also will transfer all my lossless music here, and eventually buy a network server for my audio system that can fetch and play the music over WiFi. Super cool so far! Plus, I can ditch all my google albums, including the one I pay $20 a year for, since I can now remotely access and view or download all my photos!
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-my-cloud-home-8tb-personal-cloud-white/5990209.p?skuId=5990209
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Are they progressive lenses or standard bifocals with a sharp line?

- K
Straight cut bifocals, Keith. Poor Jeffrey has a nightmare getting these right. He's OK with that, as he enjoys my company, and I his.

I could never adjust to the blurry quadrants in progressive glasses. I look through those quadrants at my external rear vision mirrors when driving.

When I was tested, I have an exceptionally wide field of view when looking straight ahead. Over 180⁰ , and in colour (tested). Quite weird.

I have a slight suspicion that I might also be a tetrachromat, but no one has ever tested/examined me for that. Purely speculation on my part due to observation of comparing my colour perception with that of others over my lifetime. I do see well into the ultraviolet, and somewhat less so into the infrared (tested).
 
Are they Disney Infinity characters?

- K
Yes, most of the run for 0.50 £ to 2-4 £ each. They are meant to be used with NFC to unlock characters ingame using the Nintendo Wii or Switch but I have no interest in those games. They are decently detailed with a cartoons look to them but I like that look, it reminds me of The Clone Wars and I loved that show.

Also. Apparently, there's an FX identical model of these but the lightsabers glowimg (probably has coin sized batteries in the base) for around 8 to 12 £ each. (I might be tempted to get those one day, they would look cool in the evening in the dark)
 
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