Humor Random Comments Thread

[Urwumpe]

Well true, but the possibility of a random flame causing a hydrogen fuel cell to explode isn't high, probably like 1 in 5000.

Depends, it was pretty high outside the cabin, and you also had diesel vapors that could help catching fire near the fuel tans.

But practically, the chance for it catching fire was really low, but more like 1 in 500 flights. The problem was, that hydrogen really wants to catch fire. Even a small leak was enough. The cells themselves had no oxygen inside so it would not have been enough to just light a fire inside the cells. You needed a leak first, and the Zeppelin design had many good ways to develop small and large leaks. That is why the hydrogen was also mixed with a gas that has a strong garlic like smell. When you smelled garlic, you had a problem.

 

[Linguofreak]

Here in Europe, the classic impulse dialing system was more common than frequency dialing, thus the rotating things dominated until the late 1980s.

But that has absolutely nothing to do with letter <-> number association. It existed before touch tone.

---------- Post added at 17:23 ---------- Previous post was at 17:18 ----------

I'm not going to lie, I like the idea of blimps/zeppelins, but the fact that all they are used for nowadays is advertisements at sporting events doesn't exactly preach to me about their safety, if they were truly safe they'd be using them for transport of some kind, wouldn't they?

At this point it's more economics than safety, I think. Planes simply do better in most markets than airships do.

 

[Turbinator]

The control room and passenger areas on the Graf Zeppelin were both located within the airship’s 98′ long gondola.

Gondola of LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin.

As seen in the deckplan included in this 1934 brochure, the ship’s control room was located at the very bow of the gondola, just ahead of the chart room, radio room, and kitchen.

Deckplan of Graf Zeppelin's Gondola.

The Control Room, Chart Room, and Radio Room

The control room contained rudder and elevator control wheels, gas and water ballast release controls, engine telegraphs, and flight and navigation instruments.

Graf Zeppelin Control Room

Graf Zeppelin Control Room

Chart Room of Graf Zeppelin

Radio Room of Graf Zeppelin

The Kitchen

Across from the radio room was a small kitchen containing electric burners and ovens, an electric water heater, a refrigeration unit, and compact storage and preparation areas. Obviously, no open flames were allowed on the hydrogen-filled airship.

Kitchen of Graf Zeppelin

The Passenger Lounge and Dining Room

Aft of the kitchen was a combination lounge/dining room, approximately 16′ square, which was the only public passenger space aboard the ship.

Lounge and Dining Area on Graf Zeppelin

While the surroundings were luxurious, they were also unheated, and during the winter months, or when the ship flew over the North Atlantic, or during the flight over Siberia as part of the 1929 Round-the-World flight, passengers often spent much of their time wrapped in heavy winter coats or covered by layers of blankets while ice crystals formed on the windows.

As frequent passenger Lady Grace Drummond Hay described it:

We have a million cubic feet of gas but no heat. . . . Merciless cold driving through the canvas walls of this flying tent. … I have visualized myself gracefully draped over a saloon window ledge romantically viewing the moonlit sky. The men . . . have reminded each other not to forget evening jackets and boiled shirts in their baggage. We have drawn ourselves lovely pictures of dining elegantly in mid-air with Commodore Eckener at the head of a flower-decked table . . . but . . . leather coats, woollies and furs will be our evening dress. Hot soup and steaming stew more welcome than cold caviar and chicken salad.

Lady Grace Drummond-Hay aboard Graf Zeppelin

Lounge and Dining Area on Graf Zeppelin

Dinner on the Graf Zeppelin

The Passenger Cabins

Accommodation for the ship’s twenty passengers was provided in ten small cabins, containing upper and lower berths similar to those aboard a railroad sleeping car, and which could be arranged for daytime or nighttime use. Like the rest of the ship, the cabins were unheated. The cabins were located on a narrow corridor, at the end of which were separate washrooms for men and women.

Steward making up berth

Passenger Cabin of Graf Zeppelin

Passenger Cabin aboard LZ-127 during the Day

Passenger Corridor on Graf Zeppelin

Passenger Cabin aboard LZ-127 at Night

Women's Washroom on Graf Zeppelin

 

[Artlav]

A cruise ship in the sky...
Not the cramped jets of our time.

We still make cruise ships on the ocean, which make no profit, why not make the airships again? With all the modern materials and technology, non-flammable helium in abundance, and so on?

A blimp is inherently safer than a plane - it never catastrophically fails (unless filled with hydrogen), it wont fall out of the sky if the fuel is depleted or engines broke, it cannot be rammed into buildings with a devastating result, etc, etc.

 

[Turbinator]

The main reason why blimps fell out of favour to planes is due to the fact that planes are much more faster. Blimps can hold a lot more passengers at any one time, however the fact that planes can get people from origin to destination an order of magnitude faster than blimps can is what caused their downfall. Now, there is nothing stopping someone from creating a "cruise the skies" experience with a modern blimp. They could cruise for days over the European Alps, the North American Rockies, or over the South Asian Himalayas. They could visit the Grand Canyon, and explore the African Savannas. There are a lot of opportunities here, and I can clearly see myself taking on a "sky cruise" like this. Can you imagine spending an entire week over any of the previously mentioned locations? Having your own private room, with a view. Then dining with the rest of the passengers in the dining room, entertaining each other in common viewing areas, and landing for excursions. There is nothing stopping anyone from creating such an experience, they only have to get the idea and that is the challenge. In today's world no one thinks much about blimps and the possibilities a modern blimp would offer.

 

[jedidia]

I definitaley see a job for Blimps for luxury cruises and cargo transportation, as mentioned.

Both do not rely on speed alone. A blimp can outrun a ship any day, so with a decent cargo capacity the deal could very well pay of. Plus, the infrastructure for a blimp airport seems to be a lot easier to maintain than the infrastructure for a conventional airport, and a Blimp could even deliver cargo to where there's no airport at all.

Also, for a big blimp, the surface area can get huge, which makes me think... solar-powered blimps, anyone? That could potentially be the most cost-efficient cargo-beast ever built...

 

[Pyromaniac605]

Can somebody please tell me what the can cause repeated bluescreening!?
I've about had it with my computer bluescreening constantly, but I have no idea what's wrong or what I can do about it! :beathead:

 

[Linguofreak]

Can somebody please tell me what the can cause repeated bluescreening!?

What Windows version? If it's Win9x, that's (quite seriously) enough to cause repeated bluescreening right there (as the OS doesn't take proper measures to protect itself from buggy applications).

For XP or more recent, buggy drivers, hardware trouble, malware, a bluescreen screensaver installed by someone else with access to the computer as a prank...

Details? Machine age? Recently installed hardware/software? Virus scan results?

 

[Pyromaniac605]

What Windows version? If it's Win9x, that's (quite seriously) enough to cause repeated bluescreening right there (as the OS doesn't take proper measures to protect itself from buggy applications).

For XP or more recent, buggy drivers, hardware trouble, malware, a bluescreen screensaver installed by someone else with access to the computer as a prank...

Details? Machine age? Recently installed hardware/software? Virus scan results?

Windows 9x, are you kidding, surely no one still uses that? I'm using Windows 7 64-bit.
And I'm sure it isn't a screen saver, as I've never heard of a screensaver that resets your computer, have you? :dry:

I've got an Intel Core2 Qaud 2.40 GHz, 2 Gb of RAM, Gigabyte GT 220 graphics card.
The computer's about 2 or 3 years old, not exactly brand new, but hardly old. The most recent software I've installed is Dead Island off of Steam. Hardware wise, I've taken out my RAM and put it back in. (Long story.)

As for a virus scan, I'll tell you that when I manage to get through a 12+ hour virus scan without bluescreening. :dry:

---------- Post added at 07:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:42 PM ----------

Failed anti virus attempt No. 1.

Now to go for attempt No. 2.

 

[Linguofreak]

Windows 9x, are you kidding, surely no one still uses that? I'm using Windows 7 64-bit.

I figured as much, but you never know. And 9x was bad enough that it's the first thing I think of when I hear the words "repeated bluescreening".

And I'm sure it isn't a screen saver, as I've never heard of a screensaver that resets your computer, have you? :dry:

I've heard of screensavers that pretend to, complete with startup splash screen. I'm not seriously suggesting it's your problem, but, believe it or not, such things do exist.

I've got an Intel Core2 Qaud 2.40 GHz, 2 Gb of RAM, Gigabyte GT 220 graphics card.
The computer's about 2 or 3 years old, not exactly brand new, but hardly old. The most recent software I've installed is Dead Island off of Steam. Hardware wise, I've taken out my RAM and put it back in. (Long story.)

Nothing there strikes me as especially likely to be the cause. The thing with removing / reinserting your RAM could be an issue if something got damaged in the process, but even if the problem is with bad RAM it could just as easily be a problem that developed independently. You might try running a program like [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memtest86"]memtest86[/ame], for which bootable CD images are available.

As for a virus scan, I'll tell you that when I manage to get through a 12+ hour virus scan without bluescreening. :dry:

Even an interrupted scan could be useful if it turns up positive (of course, you'd have to monitor it closely, otherwise it could turn up something while you were away and bluescreen before you returned, leaving you none the wiser). It wouldn't be able to give you a definitive negative, but it could give you a positive if malware is your problem. (Of course, a virus scan never gives you a definitive negative anyways, it just tells you that you don't have anything it's seen before).

If your virus scanner allows you to do things a folder at a time you might be able to get a reasonably complete scan by running a series of limited-scope scans between bluescreens.

By the way, what approximate interval are you getting between bluescreens? Is there anything you tend to be doing when they happen? (If you aren't sure, try writing down what you were doing immediately before a bluescreen right after it hits).

 

[Artlav]

Also, for a big blimp, the surface area can get huge, which makes me think... solar-powered blimps, anyone? That could potentially be the most cost-efficient cargo-beast ever built...

Now that is an expensive idea, light solar cells are still kind of not cheap.
Then, there is weather, there is night (batteries are heavy).

Need to do the math to determine whether it would reduce cost/improve performance or not.

 

[Wishbone]

We've got nuclear subs, now for nuclear blimps...

 

[Evil_Onyx]

Pyromaniac605 what is your power supply rated at? if it is providing low voltages it can easily cause a BSD, all so try reinstalling DirectX, from some where other than the ones Steam insists on downloading with Dead Island.

 

[Pyromaniac605]

I figured as much, but you never know. And 9x was bad enough that it's the first thing I think of when I hear the words "repeated bluescreening".



I've heard of screensavers that pretend to, complete with startup splash screen. I'm not seriously suggesting it's your problem, but, believe it or not, such things do exist.



Nothing there strikes me as especially likely to be the cause. The thing with removing / reinserting your RAM could be an issue if something got damaged in the process, but even if the problem is with bad RAM it could just as easily be a problem that developed independently. You might try running a program like memtest86, for which bootable CD images are available.



Even an interrupted scan could be useful if it turns up positive (of course, you'd have to monitor it closely, otherwise it could turn up something while you were away and bluescreen before you returned, leaving you none the wiser). It wouldn't be able to give you a definitive negative, but it could give you a positive if malware is your problem. (Of course, a virus scan never gives you a definitive negative anyways, it just tells you that you don't have anything it's seen before).

If your virus scanner allows you to do things a folder at a time you might be able to get a reasonably complete scan by running a series of limited-scope scans between bluescreens.

By the way, what approximate interval are you getting between bluescreens? Is there anything you tend to be doing when they happen? (If you aren't sure, try writing down what you were doing immediately before a bluescreen right after it hits).

I'd say they seem to hit after 20 minutes to half an hour, it doesn't seem to matter what I'm doing, it's happened while I was playing Minecraft, while I've been browsing the web, while I've been doing nothing, while I've been listening to music etc.

I'll give memtest a go, as for scanning a few folders at a time, apart from the fact it's time consuming, I'd say it would be very ineffective, as the virus (If it is a virus), could easily transfer in between scans.

Edit: Will memtest86 work correctly? I am running a 64-bit system after all.

---------- Post added at 08:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 PM ----------

Pyromaniac605 what is your power supply rated at? if it is providing low voltages it can easily cause a BSD, all so try reinstalling DirectX, from some where other than the ones Steam insists on downloading with Dead Island.

My PSU is rated for 350W DC output, which I believe is more than enough for my system. I fail to see how DirectX could be the problem, as many times when I get a bluescreen, I'm not using any DirectX applications, I'll try updating, but I don't see how that will help.

Edit: I can't install DirectX End User Runtimes, because I already have the latest versions, so I'm almost certain that this isn't the issue.

 

[jedidia]

350 W is a bit on the meager end, depending on what brand. You can have a 350 PSU for 20 bucks, there the 350 W are more like "can manage in a peak, but will break down if burdened constantly". Or you can have really good stuff from Enermax or similiar, that costs about 4 times as much, that will give you the advertised output constantly and reliably.

However, if the PSU were the problem, the bluescreen should occur only when CPU and GPU were taxed to the limits, otherwise they won't overburden even a cheap PSU.

Three possible reasons for the bluescreens come to mind:

1. undervolted CPU. Can be due to undervolting in BIOS, or a FAULTY PSU that randomly fails to deliver even low voltages.

2. Screwed RAM.

3. Screwed system.

for possibility one, check your voltage settings in BIOS against the recomendations of your CPU specs. If that's ok, you can come back to the possibly faulty PSU when you excluded possibilities 2 and 3.

for possibility 2, do a ram check.

for possibility 3, load a system restore point from when the system was still working. If you don't have one, make a new install (or a parallel install on another disk at least). Maybe this would be a good idea in any case if the ram checks out, just to go sure. DISABLE updates, let the machine run until you are certain that it's stable, install updates and see if it's still stable. Windows can still screw itself up during updates every once in a while.

 

[Evil_Onyx]

Edit: I can't install DirectX End User Runtimes, because I already have the latest versions, so I'm almost certain that this isn't the issue.

Its was a suggestion based on a problem i encountered with steam installing DirectX, it solved it for me.

My PSU is rated for 350W DC output, which I believe is more than enough for my system. I fail to see how DirectX could be the problem, as many times when I get a bluescreen, I'm not using any DirectX applications, I'll try updating, but I don't see how that will help.

Your running Win7 when isn't it using something graphical.


As jedidia says 350W is a bit on the low side.

 

[Pyromaniac605]

I really don't want to be buying a more powerful PSU, I've got enough heat issues with my PC as it is, I really don't want to make it any worse.

Anyway, I think it's okay now, I've had it on for a good few hours now. :thumbup:

 

[jedidia]

Your running Win7 when isn't it using something graphical.

The WinAPI doesn't use DirectX, though. At least it didn't until XP, no Idea if the new aero and stuff are using directX...

As jedidia says 350W is a bit on the low side.

Not if it's Enermax or some other heavy duty PSU. Anything that can reliably and constantly provide the full 350 W is easily more than enough to supply this kind of GPU. Hell, I rode a high end GPU on a 10 year old Enermax with 380 W, without any troubles. Until it died in a blue flash two months ago, that is, but it perfomed exceptionally well for its age up to that point, never destabilizing my system. And when it went it had the decency to go down alone, shielding my motherboard from getting fried as its breaker performed its last duty admirably. Seriously, you don't necessarily want a strong PSU, yout want a good one. It saves you money in the long run!

I really don't want to be buying a more powerful PSU, I've got enough heat issues with my PC as it is, I really don't want to make it any worse.

Actually, a good PSU will produce less heat than a cheap one. But exchanging the PSU to fix bluescreens is pretty much an "if all else failed"-option.

 

[Pyromaniac605]

Actually, a good PSU will produce less heat than a cheap one. But exchanging the PSU for bluescreens is pretty much an "if all else failed"-option.

No matter how good the PSU, I still fail to see how generating more power can equal less heat. :dry:

Edit: I'm probably going to be replacing my RAM soon anyway, so if the problems clear up after that, I'll know what the problem was.

 

[Izack]

No matter how good the PSU, I still fail to see how generating more power can equal less heat. :dry:

I think the idea here is that a higher-quality PSU will be more efficient, and thus produce less waste heat.