Shop Life 2.0
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the 13"s look like you mean business, in a track car way.
Dan
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Shop life is tking a different turn this year...
I bought this thing off ebay back in the early 2000s to replace my 1980s Magnavox CD player. The backlight was burnt out, so I got a killer deal on it. I think I payed something like 20-30 dollars for it + shipping. I wasn't expecting much of a difference, because digital is digital. A CD player is a CD player right? Wrong. This thing made way more of a difference than any other component I've ever added to my audio system.
Fast forward to now. The loading mechanism on this thing crapped out about 5 years ago and I've been getting by just fine without it. The NAD has been relegated to collecting dust in my storage unit.
Recently I've been working on building an audio amp to get myself back in the swing of things since my career trajectory has me pointed towards electrical engineering. I haven't finished that project yet, but when I do get it it done I want to make sure I have a good source to drive it from to make sure it sounds good. So...naturally, I've dug the NAD out of storage. Turns out it just needs some cleaning and a fresh coat of grease and possibly a new belt to fix the loading mechanism. However...
What I wasn't expecting, again, somehow, Is just how damn good this thing sounds. I hate to start spouting adjectives, because as an engineering-minded person I feel like the audiophile world is full of subjectivism and pseudoscience, but damn. Compared to playing CDs on a PS3, this thing is next level, despite being 25 years old.
The separation between the different voices and instruments is the biggest difference to me. Everything seems to be presented in front of a inky curtain of blackness. I attribute this to a lack of noise and low distortion, but currently, I don't have the tools to measure this. Another thing I'm working on...
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What I wasn't expecting, again, somehow, Is just how damn good this thing sounds. I hate to start spouting adjectives, because as an engineering-minded person I feel like the audiophile world is full of subjectivism and pseudoscience, but damn. Compared to playing CDs on a PS3, this thing is next level, despite being 25 years old.
I didn’t think vintage CD players would be a thing when I donated my ‘90s Sony ES years ago. I could see how analogue audio output would change things. Granted CD quality is also higher bit rate than any streaming service these days.
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I didn’t think vintage CD players would be a thing when I donated my ‘90s Sony ES years ago. I could see how analogue audio output would change things. Granted CD quality is also higher bit rate than any streaming service these days.
I don't think vintage CD players will ever really be a thing given that CD is still the mainstream physical medium for music distribution. Besides that they're all made of plastic which has a tendency to get brittle as it ages, so they're difficult to keep running after 20 or 30 years.
Analog output is required in my case because my amp doesn't have digital in. Digital interconnects are nice, but the signal degradation that happens on a 3ft interconnect cable is pretty negligible.
Unless the NAD starts behaving nicely, I'll probably be getting a new CD player.
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Went on adventure today. Took a bus up to Appleton to collect the car. I didn't really have a plan B if anything went wrong with the car, other than calling a tow truck. Battery was flat when I got there. Luckily Sam was at the shop and gave me a jump. Good news is I got the car back to Sun Prairie without it blowing up or falling apart. Bad news is I think the bus driver had the 'rona, so I'll be self-isolating for a few days... no bueno.
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Looks like the I'll be using this my daily for a minute until I find a replacement for the compact. Took it out for some tuning runs today to make sure everything is copacetic. Found a couple issues that I got corrected, but nothing too serious.
TODO list:
Catch can/resurc for crankcase ventilation: I smell like a quik-e-lube after driving 20 miles
Do something about scraping: The way I built the bash bar/oil pan protector is terrible and scrapes way too often. Entering steep driveways at 45 degrees with stiff suspension results in one rear tire just about going airborne and no traction. Not ideal.
Tune closed loop idle control: Did some work on this and it's getting better, but still oscillates/stalls when coming to a stop. Software accepts values from 1-3000 for PID parameters, but I have no idea what values are sane here.
Put summer tires on: Boost pressure and engine RPM have a strong correlation regardless of vehicle speed. Need to procure a low-profile jack.
Grind welds/fill/paint rear flares: Underground parking is humid AF, need to do this before the rust sets in.
Find wiring gremlin: Engine sometimes continues to run after key is turned off. I have a couple ideas where to look for this one, but it could be anywhere...
All of the other things: There are many.
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^ We had to do this on the Miata for the EBC in tuner studio when setting up closed loop boost control. Also when finding the min/max for the IAC for closed loop idle.
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Find wiring gremlin: Engine sometimes continues to run after key is turned off. I have a couple ideas where to look for this one, but it could be anywhere...
Make sure your headlights are off
I'll never forget when that started happening on my swapped E30Glad to hear it's going smoothly!
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Gettin' those groceries.
Now that I've got real tires on I'm no longer breaking traction every time I hit boost, which makes for a slightly less nerve-wracking commute. I'm also learning when and how much to lift when I hear the turbo spooling so that I'm not rocketing off like a boy-racer every time I leave an intersection. I was initially concerned this thing would be undrivable at autocross, but I think it will be fine once I get used to the power delivery from the turbo and adjust my throttle control accordingly. Fun times.
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Can also used closed loop boost control to make the spool less of a an instant tire destroyer. Looks good Mike
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Tossed the battery back in this. Fired up and idled like I'd just driven it yesterday, even though it's been sitting in underground parking since October. Then, as one does, I decided to take it out for a beat run around the neighborhood on old gas and expired plates.
Someday I will learn to act right and behave like an adult. Today was not that day.
Other than that, no progress. Maybe bumping this thread will help get me motivated to do something with this. Unfortunately, there are other things higher on my priority list at the moment. Notably, fixing the compact and possibly moving, but in the meantime my work-life is about to become an unholy shitstorm as our 6-person engineering team has a half-million dollar project that the customer thinks should be done in two months. Goddam first-world problems.
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Not saying I'm going to work on my car this winter, but if I did, I would try to get the crankcase ventilation figured out.
Currently, it's still languishing down in my underground parking stall. There are some mold issues developing, but otherwise it seems to be doing okay down there. I had to move it a couple times for various reasons over the summer, but haven't actually driven it anywhere since April. It still functions, but it's a hot mess otherwise. It would be nice to start getting some of the issues sorted well enough that I could actually put it to use...
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Funny that basement is the same design as what my parents lived in last in Waunakee and had mold issues too. It’s really hard to find the motivation when you don’t have a useable garage space for your project either. We both know the pain commuting to shop spaces was too. Glad to see this as an update though! Can’t wait to see this car back in action as well.
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It's a small contract manufacturer for electronics called pro-active engineering. We are already subbing out some work to some of our customers who we do manufacturing for. I also learned recently that we've subbed design work out overseas as well.
I would be starting at an entry level position. The other position they need to fill is the "manager" position. It probably sounds ridiculously cocky, but I'm fairly sure that I'll be running the department in a couple years. I've seen what goes on over there, and the bar has been set pretty low...
Had to resurrect this post for my own sake. "Oh, the naivete!"
I've learned way more than I ever wanted to about engineering in these past two and a half years. Thankfully, due to my lack of the necessary credentials, my title never rose above technician. Could I run circles around the previous, or current manager? Easily. Do I want to be exposed to any of the liability for the crap work on risky jobs that we've been turning out? Absolutely not. Engineering is 90% risk management and no one in the department has a clue... Yikes. Total shit show. Would not recommend.
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And this is why I work for myself, sorry to hear
sounds like it’s time for a road trip You have no idea. I've been itching to get out there again since 2019 at least... Stupid pandemic.
Don't want to write checks I can't cash, but given everything that's happened and my improved mental health, 2022 could be the year for me. On the other hand, as Mr. Roger's said "Look for the helpers." I'm definitely in a place that needs my help, so I might stay here and do what I can until they can do without me.
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Engineering is 90% risk management
its gotta be at least 50% design/ 50% dont kill anyone
Dan
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its gotta be at least 50% design/ 50% dont kill anyone
Not killing people or setting things on fire are the big ones, but there's also "Not loosing an ass-load of money". We've had several "forever jobs" where the scope or acceptance criteria is so ill-defined that we can never seem to get them to completion. I've also seen some heinously bad contracts; something like "If the customer can't find funding then they don't have to pay".
We have an awesome administrator lady who has finally had enough and is lighting some fires under people's asses, so things are improving, but I don't know how long it will last.
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New company, same problems...
Still sitting on this. Practically a barn-find at this point. It's underground parking power-washing time again, so I had to move it. The old battery was beyond junk, so I bought a new one. Started right up. Parked right outside my door, so now I'm forced to sit and look at it for a couple days...
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