Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

Stopped at a light in crosstown traffic,
what do you do to make the time pass
agreeably? Read a magazine? Sketch?
Watercolor? Throw pottery?

We've a new vigorously - enforced law which
outlaws 'texting' even when stopped at
a light, so I'm looking for suggestions to
make the waits easier. Your thoughts?

Thanks!

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

"Winston" wrote in message
...
Stopped at a light in crosstown traffic,
what do you do to make the time pass
agreeably? Read a magazine? Sketch?
Watercolor? Throw pottery?

We've a new vigorously - enforced law which
outlaws 'texting' even when stopped at
a light, so I'm looking for suggestions to
make the waits easier. Your thoughts?

What? You don't have a Rosetta Stone CD for Spanich in your car??
--
EA



Thanks!

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On 13 Sep 2012 05:22:54 GMT, Winston wrote:

Stopped at a light in crosstown traffic,
what do you do to make the time pass
agreeably? Read a magazine? Sketch?
Watercolor? Throw pottery?

Congratulations, Sir Win. You are now an officially sanctioned
"Instant Gratification Takes Too Long" club member!


And then, I have a thing called a CD player. I check out the strange
people next to me while listening to it at lights. Occasionally, I
hand out business cards when someone sees the sign on my truck and
asks. It works out pretty well.


We've a new vigorously - enforced law which
outlaws 'texting' even when stopped at
a light, so I'm looking for suggestions to
make the waits easier. Your thoughts?

Let's hope they continue to enforce it vigorously.
http://tinyurl.com/2fp5fp Muckin' faroons.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/...g-parents-sue/

--
Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act,
the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.
-- George Lois

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 03:18:13 -0400, Existential Angst wrote:

(...)

What? You don't have a Rosetta Stone CD for Spanich in your car??

Well, Mandarin anyway.
I know all the important Spanish words already. Heh.

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:07:59 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

On 13 Sep 2012 05:22:54 GMT, Winston wrote:

Stopped at a light in crosstown traffic, what do you do to make the time
pass
agreeably? Read a magazine? Sketch? Watercolor? Throw pottery?

Congratulations, Sir Win. You are now an officially sanctioned "Instant
Gratification Takes Too Long" club member!

Ooooo!

What do I win and why isn't it here yet? :)

--Sir Win

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

Winston wrote:

On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:07:59 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

On 13 Sep 2012 05:22:54 GMT, Winston wrote:

Stopped at a light in crosstown traffic, what do you do to make the time
pass
agreeably? Read a magazine? Sketch? Watercolor? Throw pottery?

Congratulations, Sir Win. You are now an officially sanctioned "Instant
Gratification Takes Too Long" club member!

Ooooo!

What do I win and why isn't it here yet? :)


You didn't answer the door in time, and the drive couldn't leave it,
so you're out of luck! It was a brand new terahertz oven that cooked
1000 times faster than a microwave oven. ;-)

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message


You didn't answer the door in time, and the drive couldn't leave
it,
so you're out of luck! It was a brand new terahertz oven that
cooked
1000 times faster than a microwave oven. ;-)

I can't wait for them to become cheap enough to rebuild into an X-Ray
Vision camera.

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message


You didn't answer the door in time, and the drive couldn't leave
it,
so you're out of luck! It was a brand new terahertz oven that
cooked
1000 times faster than a microwave oven. ;-)

I can't wait for them to become cheap enough to rebuild into an X-Ray
Vision camera.


It will be an interesting field, when it becomes more common. :)

The fastest thing I have here is a Polarad SA, that will let you see
40 GHz, with an external mixer. The highest I've worked with was Ku
band. I used to repair 4 GHz LNAs, LNBs & BDCs on my bench at home.

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:25:06 -0400, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message


You didn't answer the door in time, and the drive couldn't leave
it,
so you're out of luck! It was a brand new terahertz oven that cooked
1000 times faster than a microwave oven. ;-)

DoH!

I can't wait for them to become cheap enough to rebuild into an X-Ray
Vision camera.

But I'm getting my rocket pack before that, right?

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
m...

Jim Wilkins wrote:

I can't wait for them to become cheap enough to rebuild into an
X-Ray
Vision camera.
It will be an interesting field, when it becomes more common. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter_wave_scanner

The fastest thing I have here is a Polarad SA, that will let you
see
40 GHz, with an external mixer. The highest I've worked with was Ku
band. I used to repair 4 GHz LNAs, LNBs & BDCs on my bench at home.

I have an 18 GHz spectrum analyzer and a 1 GSa digital storage scope,
both obsolete but functional. The fastest scope I ever had, as in
signed for from the USAF and provided lab bench space, used liquid
Helium cooled Josephson junctions for a 70 GHz bandwidth. I've tested
my designs for cavity resonance at up to 6 GHz but normally stayed
below 2 GHz for custom GPS receivers and the like.

Typically the engineer gave me a scribble of the signal path and
critical components that I filled out into the full schematic, then I
designed the multilayer controlled impedance circuit board and the
RF-tight aluminum housing, gave it a quick functionality check, set up
the test equipment and called him/her in to play with their new toy.

In the 1970's I built a 10 GHz Doppler radar using a GE PIN diode
oscillator module, but my own design input was all in the audio band
detector.

jsw

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On 13 Sep 2012 14:25:27 GMT, Winston wrote:

On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:07:59 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

On 13 Sep 2012 05:22:54 GMT, Winston wrote:

Stopped at a light in crosstown traffic, what do you do to make the time
pass
agreeably? Read a magazine? Sketch? Watercolor? Throw pottery?

Congratulations, Sir Win. You are now an officially sanctioned "Instant
Gratification Takes Too Long" club member!

Ooooo!

What do I win and why isn't it here yet? :)

_You_ just won a free _pause_, which you have already experienced!

Please sign here ________________ to acknowledge receipt.

--
Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act,
the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.
-- George Lois

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:56:14 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

(...)

Please sign here ____here_____ to acknowledge receipt.

Oh Boy! I finally won something!

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
m...

Jim Wilkins wrote:

I can't wait for them to become cheap enough to rebuild into an
X-Ray
Vision camera.
It will be an interesting field, when it becomes more common. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter_wave_scanner

The fastest thing I have here is a Polarad SA, that will let you
see
40 GHz, with an external mixer. The highest I've worked with was Ku
band. I used to repair 4 GHz LNAs, LNBs & BDCs on my bench at home.

I have an 18 GHz spectrum analyzer and a 1 GSa digital storage scope,
both obsolete but functional. The fastest scope I ever had, as in
signed for from the USAF and provided lab bench space, used liquid
Helium cooled Josephson junctions for a 70 GHz bandwidth. I've tested
my designs for cavity resonance at up to 6 GHz but normally stayed
below 2 GHz for custom GPS receivers and the like.

Typically the engineer gave me a scribble of the signal path and
critical components that I filled out into the full schematic, then I
designed the multilayer controlled impedance circuit board and the
RF-tight aluminum housing, gave it a quick functionality check, set up
the test equipment and called him/her in to play with their new toy.


I had a Tek 2245 four channel scope, along with a SA at Microdyne.
It was funny, because engineering couldn't figure out a couple functions
and had to come to the test floor and ask the RF guys. :)


In the 1970's I built a 10 GHz Doppler radar using a GE PIN diode
oscillator module, but my own design input was all in the audio band
detector.


Now you can buy it from China for $7.99 and add a few parts for the
detector. I am going to try a couple to replace the PIR sensors in my
motion detectors. PIR doesn't work well at 100 F


http://www.ebay.com/itm/130512020245

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

Winston wrote:

On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:25:06 -0400, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message


You didn't answer the door in time, and the drive couldn't leave
it,
so you're out of luck! It was a brand new terahertz oven that cooked
1000 times faster than a microwave oven. ;-)

DoH!

I can't wait for them to become cheap enough to rebuild into an X-Ray
Vision camera.

But I'm getting my rocket pack before that, right?


Did you pre-pay when you pre-ordered?

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On 14 Sep 2012 08:02:16 GMT, Winston wrote:

On Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:56:14 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

(...)

Please sign here ____here_____ to acknowledge receipt.

Oh Boy! I finally won something!

It gives one pause, does it not?

--
Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act,
the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.
-- George Lois

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:43:26 -0400, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Winston wrote:

(...)

But I'm getting my rocket pack before that, right?


Did you pre-pay when you pre-ordered?

No but I pre-drilled before I post-bolted. ;)

--Winston-- Hello, Bob Villa where ever you are.

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 07:46:29 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

On 14 Sep 2012 08:02:16 GMT, Winston wrote:

(...)

Oh Boy! I finally won something!

It gives one pause, does it not?

Indeed, it do.

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On 13 Sep 2012 05:22:54 GMT, Winston wrote:

Stopped at a light in crosstown traffic,
what do you do to make the time pass
agreeably? Read a magazine? Sketch?
Watercolor? Throw pottery?

We've a new vigorously - enforced law which
outlaws 'texting' even when stopped at
a light, so I'm looking for suggestions to
make the waits easier. Your thoughts?

Thanks!

--Winston
People figured this out long before there were cell phones. The thing
to do is pick your nose. I've seen it enough times at stoplights.
ERS

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On 13 Sep 2012 05:22:54 GMT, Winston wrote:

Stopped at a light in crosstown traffic,
what do you do to make the time pass
agreeably? Read a magazine? Sketch?
Watercolor? Throw pottery?

We've a new vigorously - enforced law which
outlaws 'texting' even when stopped at
a light, so I'm looking for suggestions to
make the waits easier. Your thoughts?

Thanks!

--Winston

Voice SMS via bluetooth is legal and safe while driving

Or...listen to Rush.

Gunner

--
"Confronting Liberals with the facts of reality is very much akin to
clubbing baby seals. It gets boring after a while, but because Liberals are
so stupid it is easy work." Steven M. Barry

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

Winston wrote:

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:43:26 -0400, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Winston wrote:

(...)

But I'm getting my rocket pack before that, right?


Did you pre-pay when you pre-ordered?

No but I pre-drilled before I post-bolted. ;)


How re-bolting!

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:34:20 -0700, etpm wrote:


(...)

People figured this out long before there were cell phones. The thing to
do is pick your nose. I've seen it enough times at stoplights. ERS

Ewww.

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:53:09 -0700, Gunner wrote:


(...)

Or...listen to Rush.

Ha! Good one!

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
m...

I had a Tek 2245 four channel scope, along with a SA at Microdyne.
It was funny, because engineering couldn't figure out a couple
functions
and had to come to the test floor and ask the RF guys. :)

Sounds familiar. I had to ask the other RF lab techs how to calibrate
and use a Network Analyzer. The engineers knew how to interpret it but
a tech had to set it up for most of them.

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
m...

I had a Tek 2245 four channel scope, along with a SA at Microdyne.
It was funny, because engineering couldn't figure out a couple
functions
and had to come to the test floor and ask the RF guys. :)

Sounds familiar. I had to ask the other RF lab techs how to calibrate
and use a Network Analyzer. The engineers knew how to interpret it but
a tech had to set it up for most of them.


What was real fun was when one 'know it all' ET had to swallow his
pride and ask a production test tech how to use the IEEE-488 printer
port. He was always pushy and didn't have time for your questions, so I
made him wait.

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On 14 Sep 2012 15:44:37 GMT, Winston wrote:

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:43:26 -0400, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Winston wrote:

(...)

But I'm getting my rocket pack before that, right?


Did you pre-pay when you pre-ordered?

No but I pre-drilled before I post-bolted. ;)

But did you pre-drill before pre-finishing, interimly-assembling,
post-finishing, AND before post-bolting?


--Winston-- Hello, Bob Villa where ever you are.

Blob Villa's name is actually spelled "Bob Vila".

--
Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act,
the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.
-- George Lois

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

Larry Jaques wrote:

On 14 Sep 2012 15:44:37 GMT, Winston wrote:

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:43:26 -0400, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Winston wrote:

(...)

But I'm getting my rocket pack before that, right?


Did you pre-pay when you pre-ordered?

No but I pre-drilled before I post-bolted. ;)

But did you pre-drill before pre-finishing, interimly-assembling,
post-finishing, AND before post-bolting?

--Winston-- Hello, Bob Villa where ever you are.

Blob Villa's name is actually spelled "Bob Vila".


Some spell it 'Vile'... ;-)

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:24:01 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

(...)

Blob Villa's name is actually spelled "Bob Vila".

Consider me post-corrected.

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:42:45 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:



Now you can buy it from China for $7.99 and add a few parts for the
detector. I am going to try a couple to replace the PIR sensors in my
motion detectors. PIR doesn't work well at 100 F


Sure it does. You might not get the full 100' or so range, but if the
detector is set up with a proper fresnel lens detection grid...

You might find this of interest..its one of the better pages Ive
found.

http://www.ladyada.net/learn/sensors/pir.html


--
"Confronting Liberals with the facts of reality is very much akin to
clubbing baby seals. It gets boring after a while, but because Liberals are
so stupid it is easy work." Steven M. Barry

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On 14 Sep 2012 22:13:52 GMT, Winston wrote:

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:24:01 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

(...)

Blob Villa's name is actually spelled "Bob Vila".

Consider me post-corrected.

Pre-sumably.

--
Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act,
the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.
-- George Lois

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

Gunner wrote:

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:42:45 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:



Now you can buy it from China for $7.99 and add a few parts for the
detector. I am going to try a couple to replace the PIR sensors in my
motion detectors. PIR doesn't work well at 100 F


Sure it does. You might not get the full 100' or so range, but if the
detector is set up with a proper fresnel lens detection grid...


Kind of hard to fdo inside the house, though. Most are in the
hallways and a few rooms with no windows so I don't have to fumble for a
light switch when my good hand is already in use. The other hand is
holding my cane, which is holding me up.


You might find this of interest..its one of the better pages Ive
found.

http://www.ladyada.net/learn/sensors/pir.html


I've crawled that whole site over the last few months. :)

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:34:12 -0700, Gunner wrote:

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:42:45 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:



PIR doesn't work well at 100 F


Sure it does. You might not get the full 100' or so range, but if the
detector is set up with a proper fresnel lens detection grid...

Not necessarily, Guns.

PIRs work via differential thermal emission.
If the room emission is close enough to the body's emission, the
PIR does not see a difference between them, so it doesn't trigger.

You might find this of interest..its one of the better pages Ive found.

http://www.ladyada.net/learn/sensors/pir.html

That is stunningly good, in relation to a lot of Web info.

--Winston

Way [OT] Intersection Passtime?
 

On 14 Sep 2012 23:26:20 GMT, Winston wrote:

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:34:12 -0700, Gunner wrote:

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:42:45 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:



PIR doesn't work well at 100 F


Sure it does. You might not get the full 100' or so range, but if the
detector is set up with a proper fresnel lens detection grid...

Not necessarily, Guns.

PIRs work via differential thermal emission.
If the room emission is close enough to the body's emission, the
PIR does not see a difference between them, so it doesn't trigger.

True indeed. But closer to the unit, the smaller differences are
indeed noted. Of course the faster the zones are entered/left..the
faster the trigger.

I ran an alarm company for 17 yrs. Shrug...PIR was one of my favorite
detection schemes, but...putting a proper detector in the proper
location at times was the key..particularly here in the HOT desert.
The "slow zone" tends to be from 95F- 100F..after which the moving
target IE..humans... is cooler than the background and detection
increases again.

With PIR as well as some microwave..one has the Mouse and Elephant
Effect.

A device might detect a creeping mouse at 4 feet, but an elephant at
200 yrds.

So while PIR MAY be the best choice of all choices In General...there
are others that may work far better...in particular. PIR even works
well in some conditions Outdoors..but its not something Id ever
recommend except in very definite applications.

You might find this of interest..its one of the better pages Ive found.

http://www.ladyada.net/learn/sensors/pir.html

That is stunningly good, in relation to a lot of Web info.

--Winston

Jerwelcomen.

Gunner

--
"Confronting Liberals with the facts of reality is very much akin to
clubbing baby seals. It gets boring after a while, but because Liberals are
so stupid it is easy work." Steven M. Barry