TubaOrNotTuba

Who said that buying music was dead? A local band, who now boasts an international footprint, has a new CD/vinyl offering coming out in two weeks. Thanks to their marketing team, two singles are out on YouTube, and I am convinced enough to have ordered my copy already. I may only unwrap the CD long enough to rip and transfer to more user friendly devices around here, but the band gets the cash just the same. I’ve also gone to see them in concert, a couple of times; guess that means I am one of the fans the press likes to wax on about. And for the record, when I was out and about (seems like a lifetime ago), I rarely bought merch. Too much work to wait at a table in the back of the hall. With websites and instant money transfers, it’s all so much easier. Why, we could have kept the Beatles going, if we’d had consumer friendly tools like this.

My thumbs will requires some recovery time, after the project building this afternoon. Lacking a proper saw, I held the hacksaw blade (firmly) while I took my aluminum bar and turned it into two shorter pieces. Then, lacking a proper drill press, I used a small power drill to pierce the four holes required for my “idea”. After supper, I bent the first bar into a rough circle, using my thumbs for pressure, and finally I fastened the bolt assembly into place, using thumbs and pliers. Did I succeed? Yes. Is it as “pretty” as the commercial version? It’s all in the eye of the beholder, right? With experience, the 2.0 version will be a little less angular. And in the end, the design doesn’t discuss cosmetics: this is a coupling loop for an antenna, and RF goes wherever it pleases. I don’t have the ability to model the project, as would any university-trained engineer. I’m just making something for the fun of it.

My long box came. I now have a piece of aluminum stock, well over a meter in length. My intention, perhaps as early as tomorrow, is to cut it into two sections, drill the appropriate holes, bend each one into a circle and then dedicate the two fancy hoops into antennas. I am not a skilled metalsmith, so this should be interesting.

Today, we had clear skies, with a slight overflight of drone. Or visitors had two buzzy camera-carriers in their luggage, and so without hesitation I gave the go-ahead for an unobstructed overview of the place. The last time we had access to similar technology was back in 2015, and there have been a few improvements in the interim. A lawn, a real driveway, a fire pit. It all adds up.

Think about the premise for a movie that involves “the heist”. One of the principle plot devices involves breaking into a vault of some sort. Come on, we’ve all seen at least one, along the way. Well, what about the real safe crackers. They exist, and some even do the job legally.

I received the emergency call late in the evening. From the next room: “the television isn’t working”. We don’t have much else in the way of standard entertainment, so I took this as a serious thing. Checked the usual details, and went so far as to learn the sequence for a factory reset. Nothing. Our world had gone to black.

Today, we received a second opinion. On our renovation plans; nothing more.  By chance, a friend of a friend is also an electrician, and he stopped by to see our project. Along the way, he also provided some ideas, which is actually a good thing. We can get swallowed up in the client-contractor model, and having someone else add some salt to the soup can be a good thing.

Another day with visible progress on our “road to a better home”. The HVAC team arrived, before lunch. More PVC and copper and knowledge; combine the three and our chiller is now connected, in the water sense. When we get our visit from the electrician, everything will start to hum, and I can join the ranks of the artificially cooled.

Filled with the intention to do a little antenna construction this weekend, I printed out my shopping list and headed to my hardware store. Nothing. No PVC, no wire, nothing. Buying locally is a great idea, but only when the stocks in the shop align with the needs of the client. Guess I’ll be going to the city at the next opportunity.

The klaxon of a large truck reversing into the lane served as my call to attention, this morning. We knew that the hardware store would begin their delivery runs today; but, so early? The load wasn’t large, and served more as a proof of concept than anything else.