As most readers will remember, I have been writing a new book (non-fiction) that while terribly interesting, also seems to tie together a world of diverse woo-woo phenomena.
We tie, for example, a 1970 reported “flight through a time warp” with things like the Philadelphia Experiment, odd disappearances and happenings along certain crustal over-thrust areas (like the Plain of Nazca in Peru) along with solving – perhaps – previously unexplained phenomena that has had the CIA scratching its head about since the Robertson Panel investigation of “foo fighters” (the phenom, not the band) since the 1950’s.
The price of our research, however, was surprising when we got into the lab.
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To over-simplify the book, it seems that dating all the way back to the seven priests who rode around Jericho for six days, and then on the seventh rode around blowing their shofars (now misnamed “trumpets” but really long ram’s horns) to bring down the walls, sound has had some properties that don’t “get enough respect.”
While the science will remain in the book, the mess in the lab is interesting.
For example, here’s one of the Bose Interaudio SA-200’s that at very modest sound levels (+93db) decided to walk across the test bench and leap to the floor. We don’t know how to figure it, but here’s what the speaker looked like after:
As you can see, the pressures encountered seem to have ripped the mid-range right out of its mounting, stripping screws and tearing up the MDF along the way.
When did this happen, you’re wondering? Oh, about here:
By the way, once I got the language set-up issues right, the KKmoon 40MHz Function Signal Generator Dual-channel DDS Arbitrary Waveform Pulse Signal Generator 1Hz-100MHz Frequency Meter($140, Amazon) had proven to be a very suitably friendly piece of equipment, giving us (for the most part) the same kind of waveform flexibility as in our BGK Precision 4040A and HP 8082A pulse generator combo.
This part of the experiment got us to about noon, or so. Zeus the Cat didn’t care for the noise, which was in the range as an obscure Swedish source wrote of Tibetan lifting horns (ragdons, similar to dengchens): It was sounding “kind of farty.”
We now have a growing pile of “lab casualties” from the project. We’re down one Bose/Interaudio SA-200, the Alesis RA 100 reference amplifier took a like. The right channel went out to lunch on both a JVC A-K22 integrated amp along with a Pioneer SA-730.
Whether these failures (3 amps and a speaker jumping off the (level) test table when I wasn’t looking) is connected with my experimenting is an area ripe for speculation. On the one hand, I could make a correctly reasoned deduction that “It’s old gear, so of course, it’s bound to fail sometime…”
But there’s another part of me that not quite so sure.
That’s because last week, before our house guest showed up, we had major malfunctions with a 55″ Roku Television that is less than one year old. We also had a DSL modem go tango-uniform.
It has been said around the net that some of the problem of CERN may relate – when looking for the Higgs-Boson (the so-called God Particle) that the project was beset with failures because God doesn’t really want to be contacted.
Whether our trivial experiments (so far) have constituted what would be a kind of “cosmic telemarketing call” from Ure is not clear. But if this is what the Almighty does in lieu of “hanging up on People” then that’s fine with us.
The rest of Sunday was spent getting ready for another rasher of tests. Just thin slices until we start to get some quantifiable data. And that means getting past the growing pile of dead equipment.
Not all the gear is toast… I’m pretty sure that I can revive most of it, although most of it is not worth the time or effort. The Roku (TCL) TV was kind of surprising.
But the good news about that failure is I found a nifty place to get replacement TV circuit boards. Turned out our Roku TCL 55 has three boards in it and we got the replacements coming from www.shopjimmy.com which has all kinds of neat TV replacement parts.
Put in your brand, see what’s available and go watch videos on what it will take to fix what ails your set.
In the event that you lack confidence, or you need another TV anyway, we picked up a replacement UHD TV from Walmart: Sceptre 55″ Class 4K (2160P) LED TV (U550CV-U) $309.99. I was looking at the higher resolution 3800 displays, but that and 65″ was up around $700. Me? Cheaper to move the chair closer if we need a bigger view than 55…
Side note on monitors (my, aren’t we drifting around this morning?) don’t forget you can now get streaming video to drive large monitors as “false windows around your home… Eventually this will likely bump up to UHD from mostly 1080, but as that happens, windows driven by Windows will be a reality as humans keep crawling deeper down the rabbit hole.
“We’re down three amplifiers, a UHD TV, a DSL modem, a perfectly good speaker, and you’re getting power interruptions on the power leg that feeds your equipment in the shop. How much experimenting do you think we can afford?” Elaine’s question was a good one.
I decided to wait on the next sacrificial amplifier until this morning. In the meantime, my buddy The Major recommended berming-up around the speakers with Museum Putty. “Can’t hurt..” Roger that.
I decided to spend Sunday afternoon reading what I could find in the way of foo fighter reports and working on cruising RPMs and prop speeds of WW II aircraft instead.
I figured that wouldn’t break any more stuff around the house…
But then I got thinking about an old Sony home entertainment system. Yeah, sure, dat’s it! I could use the 50 watt amp in that to drive my test speakers….
As I was getting up to go do exactly that? A filling fell out of a tooth.
Yeah…maybe we will back off for now…
Write when you get rich,
George@ure.net
George
It would be a good idea for you to put an isolation transformer between your project mains power and your power source. You might also want to run your project off of a separate generator to isolate your project further.
Isolation transformers do seem to help, and a buck/boost can keep VFD’s a little tamer, that’s my next addition.
I would be looking at what government satellite beams are pointing at your house. Over the years I discovered no matter how much you pray, God does not assist in helping you make stock market profits or winning the lottery. God is more interested in us repenting & and acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah & joining Him in Heaven.
So He didn’t get our Everything is a Business Model note? Think how many more believers there would be withg a modest (say a few millions) bequeathed to each “believer.” Then, who would not “believe?”
The saying goes ‘You get the behavior you reward’. Speaks a lot for the intent of the ‘God’ or the self-appointed ‘advocates’ of same, if one looks at humanity today.
Robert
George
Morgan
Mysterious Phase crossover issues, occur with current sensitive Amps. My big mill with a 15hp spindle and a 22 year old Fanuc Spindle Amp. seems to cause frequency cross over problems causing massive problems for my whole neighbor hood. When i run it for any length of time, it attracts ATT trucks. Anybody with more than 30hp phase converter in your area? It’s taken out my gear too, and I’m working on it.
I have about the same set up running a cnc mill with Fanuc spindle & servo drives 25 hp rotoy phase converter, Only problem I have is my dog will not go any where around it it trips he’s shock collar same with electrical storms
Considering today’s Lab Notes (and some of the previous blog’s comments), I note a connection – knowledge is most often gained by or consists of information plus experience.
In years gone by, inventors could, and often did, come up with fantastic new ideas relatively in isolation. Presently however, the sheer volume of published documentation is often mind numbing, and the requirements to be recognized professionally daunting. (While computers can help immensely – this only works after some documentation is published and most importantly, having a search engine that recognizes the request.)
Personally, I believe (like ‘babes in the woods’) that information should be universally shared, but I also know that the only way currently that one can get proper funding is to ‘hook up’ with people with resources. After you have gotten some verifiable results – and some documentation – shop your concepts to people for funding . . .
This is what experience has taught me – while it is marvelous to be intellectually ‘pure’ – it doesn’t pay for expensive research.
I don’t want to be a Negative Nelly but I was told the reason sound had different properties way back when was due to the environment. The pre-flood environment was much different than post-flood.
Re: tooth I buy dental insurance, but even with it, a crown still costs $600 – $700, and, living on Social Security, not easily affordable.
A big filling fell out of a molar around Thanksgiving last year. My credit card still had a balance from a crown earlier in the year. I noticed no pain or sensitivity from blowing on it, so I decided to “patch” it myself.
I did online research and checked Amazon and Ebay, my go to sources for just about everything. Ebay had two types of patch material, a rubbery type that is typically used for temp patches or as a seal/cushion under big fillings or crowns, and the UV light curing plastic compound dentists use for fillings.
Having carefully paid attention to my dentist’s use of the UV type on me, I decided that, since I had to do this by “feel”, the rubbery type would be safer to try. Plus, customer reviews on Amazon praised for temporary fixes.
I keep nano particle ionic silver solution on hand for all sorts of infections and such (use it on the cats too). I brushed the tooth clean, let it soak in the silver solution for about ten minutes, then dried the tooth with a tissue. Then, I mixed the product, put a finger cot on, and applied a good sized portion to the tooth and smooshed it in place. Whereupon, I went to sleep for the night to let it cure.
That was back in December and the temp patch is just now starting to give way, so time to repeat the process. Meanwhile, $600 is still in my savings account.
I legally cannot recommend this to anyone, but it is ok to tell my story.
Bass frequencies suck up power (LOTS) and you are working at the limit or below of human hearing. 50 watts is low for that frequency so the little amp is a toaster. The speaker can also turn into a projectile launcher which could be fun if you knew what direction the driver will go.
Be warned that people have cracked their walls and floors by incorporating Helmholz low frequency resonators into their music systems. I once came across an arena venue size bass speaker with a folded horn that came with a warning of kidney damage by standing within 8 feet.
Have you thought about doing something safer, like rail guns?
In April 2017 I got four crowns installed for $250 each in Tijuana, Mexico. That price included x-rays, exam and a full mouth cleaning at a place there called Washington Dental Clinic. It is open 6 days a week from 9am to 6pm and you don’t even need an appointment. They have about 12 dentists working there. The place is spotless, has marble floors and they even pay the $5 Taxi fee from the Border. I would say 99% of the patients were from the US. They provide a translator so you don’t need to speak a word of Spanish. My wife had 6 crowns installed. We arrived on Tuesday and had all the crowns installed by Friday morning. The dental clinic only charges US dollars and uses a Texas account if you charge it so you don’t even have an international money changing or service fee. My local dentist here in Washington State wants about $1400 for each crown and takes 3 weeks to finish the job and he’s not even open on Fridays. My hotel for 3 nights in Tijuana was under $100. Talk about a favorable business model.
All told even with airfare, hotel and meals I figured I saved about 70% and I am completely satisfied and probably won’t ever go back to a US dentist again.
Uh, George, I have yet to find a single natural source of square waves. I seriously doubt the Tibetans or the priests you mention had access to an electronic sig gen. That may be the source of your problem: waveform.
Regards,
Robert
George
Morgan
Excellent call, Bob. The reason I was using square waves was because they have the highest harmonic content – so I will make another pass with alt. wave shapes including sine, triangle, etc.
But we have had a breakthrough – but we’;; save that for the last chapter of the book…