Sunday, August 05, 2018
Constants and variables 102, Horriblegraph edition
I've had a week-long lull in work before the final flood of debug requirements slams into my inbox. After that's done, the whole project is done, so I'm starting to think about the next project and other side stuff. I've learned that a day without SOME kind of productive work is EXTREMELY UNHEALTHY. I don't need the money, but I definitely need the work.
Filled in this week by retrying a dumb project I had started before the year of courseware.
Goal: Build a phonograph from Tinkertoys.
SIXTY FUCKING YEARS AGO I had built not only a working phonograph but a semi-working record changer. Can I do it again?
Yes, sort of. The device works pretty well. The front shaft has a crank, and it drives the turntable through a rubber band. The rubber band does a good job of 'soft power', cushioning the pulses of the hand. The needle and cone setup works the same way as before.
What's the variable? The record. SIXTY FUCKING YEARS AGO I was using old 78s with wide grooves, and the sound was usable and clear if not hi-fi. This time I found a Soviet-era 78 on Ebay, which has the same fine grooves as modern 33s. So the sound is just barely recognizable as music.
Here's a brief horrible sample. You were warned.
With a few more years of work, this could approach the fidelity of Edison's first Mary Had A Little Lamb.
Nevertheless, I'm having FUN and I'm MAKING THINGS. Fuck everything else.
Yes, sort of. The device works pretty well. The front shaft has a crank, and it drives the turntable through a rubber band. The rubber band does a good job of 'soft power', cushioning the pulses of the hand. The needle and cone setup works the same way as before.
What's the variable? The record. SIXTY FUCKING YEARS AGO I was using old 78s with wide grooves, and the sound was usable and clear if not hi-fi. This time I found a Soviet-era 78 on Ebay, which has the same fine grooves as modern 33s. So the sound is just barely recognizable as music.
Here's a brief horrible sample. You were warned.
With a few more years of work, this could approach the fidelity of Edison's first Mary Had A Little Lamb.
Nevertheless, I'm having FUN and I'm MAKING THINGS. Fuck everything else.Labels: Constants and Variables, defensible spaces, Make or break, Patient things
¶ 9:09 AM
