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Jim Thompson Jim Thompson is offline
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Default How have you customized your life -- electronically?

On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:38:54 -0700, John Larkin
wrote:

On Fri, 20 Apr 2007 04:05:24 GMT, DaveC wrote:

One regular poster here has designed a microcontroller-based, networked (
(remotely accessible), whole-home climate control monitoring system
(heating-AC/hot h2o/heat exchangers/the whole works). Others have modified
their digital toaster (I'm not mentioning names... (c: )

How has your profession (or hobby) leaked into your everyday life? What
customizations or applications have you put electronics to that makes your
life easier and/or more fun?


Working with electronics all day, I want nothing to do with it in my
time off. I want all my household appliances to be as simple, dumb,
reliable, and analog as possible. I'm comfortable with simple, old-gen
PC applications because they work and are predictable.

We push technology only in those places where it really pays off. If
there's no big benefit, stick the the stuff that's known to work.

John


I used to design and build (from components, not kits) my own audio
amplifiers, but I don't have time for it anymore.

The only thing I've done lately is add a "signal combiner" to my
whole-house video system.

This allows me to insert a different source of Channel 4 (from what
comes off the cable) into my distribution amplifier.

But it took TWO of the Tru-Spec SC-4's in series to get good signal
without cross-mod....

_____
| |----- TO DIGITAL CABLE BOX
CABLE ---| |
| |
|_____|----+
SPLITTER |
| _____
+-|IN | _____ _______
| |-----|IN | | |----
| | | |-----| |----
GND-TERM-|4____| | | | |----
SC-4 +-|4____| | |----
| SC-4 | |----
| | |----
| | |----
CH4 FROM DIGITAL CABLE BOX ---+ |_______|----
DISTRIBUTION
AMPLIFIER


...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave