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jedidia

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So...
What are you working on?

Well, a procedural story/history generator, though admittedly that doesn't say much. I had accumulated a lot of concepts in my head how I thought it might work in a way that can produce much more interesting results much more closely connected to the world it is running in than just fixed templates with randomly generated objects and two or three branching options (the usual implementation of this kind of thing), but doesn't require a comprehensive background simulation (aka dwarf fortress), in order to enable reasonable random access times within a loosely constrained system, or potentially even in an unconstrained one.
Now I'm seeing if I can get those concepts to work, with the hope that it turns out robust enough to put a game on top of it and maybe keep myself in business beyond 50... It's not the soundest kind of career planning, admittedly, but definitely the most fun.
Plus, going on past experiences, I actually do have a game concept ready that I *think* should work nicely on top of such a system, but first I have to prove to myself that the system can actually work. I have a text-only MVP on the roadmap some 3 years down the line, though I have no idea yet if that'll work out.
 

jedidia

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My living room amp took its last breadth, so now I'm looking for a replacement on something like craigslist, but switzerland.

There are people selling standalone amps, but all the information they give is useless, like "volume knob turns with remote control" or "power cord is 2 meters long". How many Ohms, dammit? How can I buy an amp without speakers if I don't know how many Ohms it has? It's like selling tires without specifying the diameter! :rolleyes:
 

Notebook

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Indeed they can, but not for very long!

Anecdote:...
Aged 15? I was building a power-supply. Got past simple stuff, so time for more Watts!

Transformer, Bridge-Rectifier, Smoothing Capacitor, 78012 Regulator.
What could possibly go wrong?

Veroboard construction, clever enough to not put 240 volts on it. Not clever enough to realise I had put the smoothing capacitor on upside down.

Luckily my soldering was quite good and both ends of the capacitor stayed attached to the copper tracks. The internals of the electrolytic were spread across the room, Was a bit dazed and deafened. Parents not impressed.

Did learn a lesson, electricity is dangerous at any level.
 

jedidia

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The internals of the electrolytic were spread across the room, Was a bit dazed and deafened. Parents not impressed.

I guess my father was lucky I was only messing around with computers at that age. He's a bit paranoid about fire hazards, I think me being interested in electricity might have given him a stroke... :lol:

(Not that he was particularly happy when the computer stopped working every once in a while because I "reconfigured some things", but it was manageble...)
 

Notebook

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Can't say I blame him!

I was much more careful after that, especially with mains stuff.

Never had another episode till I was repairing a picture monitor with a switched-mode power-supply. Took the PS board out, and was looking at it on the bench.
Bit careless and caught my fingers on the back of the board. Got 500 volts DC on one hand. The 10MOhm bleed resistor had not been fitted at the factory.
Caused me to spasm and throw the board in the air.
Once my deeply concerned colleague had stopped laughing, he went to pick it up.
Guess what happened next.

Barco CM33 if you ever come across one, best check!
 

Artlav

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Yeah, "Reverse the polarity of electron flow!" sounds fancy, but tend to end with a sudden loud BANG.

Had an episode like that last year, with a little cap soldered in backwards -
Un4wk6Z.jpg

The thing hit me straight in the palm of my hand, so co wide-reaching confetti.
 
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Notebook

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I would say capacitors are the most dangerous component on circuit boards, except for the ones that catch fire of course.

Tantalum capacitors had a nasty habit of going short-circuit to save the nearest fuse...
 

Notebook

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I've got a 40 year old analogue synthesiser(90% complete kit, never put the spring-line reverb unit in). Hasn't been switched on for over twenty years.

I'm wondering about putting it in the spare bedroom with a very long extension lead(s) and switching it on from the kitchen. That's where the extinguisher and fire blanket are...
 

Urwumpe

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I've got a 40 year old analogue synthesiser(90% complete kit, never put the spring-line reverb unit in). Hasn't been switched on for over twenty years.

I'm wondering about putting it in the spare bedroom with a very long extension lead(s) and switching it on from the kitchen. That's where the extinguisher and fire blanket are...

Tell me when you do it, I would like to watch it. :lol:

Playing Depeche Mode on a 40 year old analog synth would be epic.
 

Notebook

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I wouldn't really...

Its a modular-ish kit. Big plus the power supply has bus-bars, I could get that going then check each of the units in turn.
Would be a lot of work though, wouldn't risk the electrolytics or the tantalums so they would all have to be replaced.

This is the kit:
https://encyclotronic.com/synthesizers/maplin/eti-4600-r1429/

You can see the power-supply in the first picture, fourth row down.
 
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Urwumpe

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I wouldn't really...

Its a modular-ish kit. Big plus the power supply has bus-bars, I could get that going then check each of the units in turn.
Would be a lot of work though, wouldn't risk the electrolytics or the tantalums so they would all have to be replaced.

That's sad, its like steam trains, having those sit silently in a museum does not give you an impression how those are like alive.

And a music instrument has to be played.
Its a law.
I am sure there is one.
Letting a music instrument sit silently hidden on an attic must be a capital offense.
 

Notebook

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Its tragic! Wasn't hidden, sat in the bedroom when I had a flat. Its only moved upstairs recently.
I'll admit I'm no keyboard player but I did have some fun with it when it was working.
I'm busy with other kits at the moment, probably get round to it eventually...

Trouble is I've been following this kit:
https://www.soundtronics.co.uk/midi-ultimate-synth/
 

Notebook

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Got the magazines, it finished in the Summer. Looks a nice project, but time...
 
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