I knew I was going to need a multimeter for installing my transmitter, but didn't want to pay much for what would probably be a one time use. So I bought the cheapest one I could on on ebay for $4.50 w/ free shipping..
Well, that was a few weeks ago and it still has not arrived (never be in a hurry when ordering from Hong Kong). A couple days ago I checked on it and delivery is expected between Feb 28 and March 14... ok, that's not going to do, so back to ebay and searching USA only, and I came across this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200567834104
for $10 new 'buy it now' and free shipping.
-- It took two days to get here, and let me tell you what, I don't know much about multimeters but this appears to be a nice little one!
It's analog, which I like. 5 x 3 x1.5 in size and fits comfortably in my hand, it seems rugged, and has a nice stylish look to it. The leads are physically attached, I don't know if that's a plus or a minus, but at least I know I won't lose them, and there are convenient clamps on the back to hold the leads.
The last thing I thought I'd ever do is to give a review on a multimeter, but I found myself pleased when I opened this package, and thought to let you all know in case anyone was needing one. I seriously doubt you could do better for $10.
RichPowers, for someone who has been running out of money for several weeks, you keep getting more stuff. Who is your financial adviser. Write a success book.
HA!... No comment.
Hey, I needed a multimeter, and believe me, I am seriously overspent - but not in the hole, at least I don't owe out.
I am a broke man.
We are always hearing that the psychologists are making up new disorders. To name a few, eating, attention deficit, gambling, fear of outdoors, scared of the other gender, trying to marry a rock star... and more.
Maybe the newest one is "Part 15 Disorder." Oh no! Any one of us might have it.
Have you called in sick at work so you could stay home and work on the antenna?
This website needs a counselor.
I can't talk any more. I need to fine-tune the audio chain.
Someone local told me the other day "Rich, you're getting a little obsessed about this radio thing, do you really think it's going to work?"
My response was something along the lines of "I don't know if it's going to work or not, but I think there's a lot of potential, it could work."
"And what if it doesn't?"
"If it doesn't, then I got a great toy to play with for years to come."
"Expensive toy"
...
But you know what - this isn't the first expensive hobby beyond my means that I've got "obsessed" with. For 6 or 7 years I became quite a 16mm film hobbiest.. and that's a lot more pricey than part15. One movie could run anywhere from $50 to $1500 (the highest I ever paid was about $650), and I had about 40 films.
I used to do a lot of outdoor showings, and one time had the movie playing "6 Days and & 7 Nights" (which was rare cause most of my films were old movies)..
There was probably about 25 people watching that night, and some girl that I didn't know said to me "This is neat, how much did you pay for that?", I told her I got a good deal on this one because it had a lot of splices, and that it cost me $400.. Her mouth dropped and she exclaimed "Why? the dvd is only 7 dollars!"
Before I could respond, a friend of mine said "Don't ask him to explain, he doesn't have a reasonable explanation."
Incidentally, 16mm films is what originally got me into part15 to start with. It was about 5 years ago, and I was looking for a method to transmit the audio of the film to the parked cars when it was raining.. Effectively my own little drive-in theater.
One thing led to another, and here I am.
But I'm really wanting to make this more of a business venture, and I do think it's plausible. It may end up taking a few transmitters to effectively cover this 2 and a half mile island legally, but I'm going to start off focusing on the south end, which is the main business district... I've decided to call it "END80 RADIO - subtitled: A TYBEE ISLAND COMMUNITY BROADCAST" (cause Hwy 80 ends about 100 feet from where the studio goes). Then, once that's established, move on to [stage 2], the north end.. and if need be [stage 3] a 3rd transmitter in the center of the island.
Or maybe my head is just floating in the clouds.
But sometimes, obsessions, disorders, whatever, ideas, dreams -- sometimes they progress in to something wonderful.
I have never been able to afford anything that I've ever done. But if you only do what you can afford, then you'll never do anything.
At least that's my philosophy on the matter. And it works for me.. when it works.
Look at the bright side, ladies - your husbands could be into BOATING!!!
Proudly boat-free since 1994 🙂
Careful SCWIS,
there's a few Part 15's that are ON Boats
LOL
... I didn't quite get it.... But speaking of boats, I do want a sailboat, hopefully this summer..
RichPowers, in my last bit I kiddingly talked about "part 15 disorder," but there's something far more positive about your approach to your hobby.
People who persist in heading for an objective are usually the ones who reach their objective. Persistence is a heroic strength.
The 16mm story is absolutely delightful.
Oh and there is a 16mm film I'm hunting for, from early 1960s, rare but very unusual.
A Chicago produced film with numerous actors who later became famous, including Jon Voight, his first film. It was titled "Fearless Frank," and often ran on late night independent TV stations who probably got it cheap. The writer and narrator is a great radio artist named Ken Nordine, who also did albums and radio called "Word Jazz," which is still running on some public stations.
Where does a person look for rare 16mm films?
I'm not familiar with Fearless Frank, but the two primary 16mm film sites would probably still be film-center.com and 16mm-films.com. There are a lot of sales and trades going on there. And of course there's always ebay. I aquired several films from the U.K. - you'll find those people on the above mentioned sites.. and there's others, name is escaping me now. -- Oh yeah, Derran 16mm film list is published monthly with a lot of films cheap and expensive... send an email to [email protected]
to get on the mailing list, but really with the forums you get better deals avoiding the overseas shipping cost. There's a few companys like Swank who occassionally sell off some decent deals... Films after around 1980 can be more difficult to get a hold of, but can be got
My favorite films I owned was 1939 King Kong, Road House with - whats her name - Something Lupino?, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Cactus Flower, Some obscure foriegn english dubbed westerns.. One was called four bullets for Joe that I kinda liked. Some science fiction, a lot of old mighty mouse cartoons. OH! A silent film called "A Song of Two Humans" from like 1923, it's a tough one to get and the only silent film I ever really cared for. I could go on.
I can not think of a single film I owned and resold later that I didn't at least get back what I paid for, and often more the amount. For example "One flew over the cukoos nest" I paid about $200 for and sold it about 3 years later for $600 Most of my films I bought in the $75 to $200 ea range, but there were a few much pricer ones = For example , Wizard of Oz........ ahhhhhhhhhh
enough on films.
Sometimes the bloggers here at part15.us get in trouble for going too far off subject. So we need to think of a way of connecting 16mm film to part15 low power radio. I know!
Someone needs to shoot a film in 16mm ABOUT part 15!
Auditions for leading male and female roles start tomorrow.
I have an older Bell & Howel 16mm sound projector circa 1960-70 maybe.
A friend took a job cleaning out a barn. He found a metal box full of 16mm films and gave them to me. We joked that maybe they were X-Rated.
Well, most of them are movies of Worlds Fair stuff from the 30's I believe based on the content. But, two of them were actually quite explicit for the time period. One is titled "Sand Witches" the other was something like "Saturday Night Girls". What a HOOT. Tame by todays standards but still not Prime Time viewing. These are all silent movies.
Another friend gave me a sound reel with sevral "shorts" on it. There is a Max Fliescher cartoon, a Gene Autry singing cowboy, a documentary about the Carlsbad Caveran (silent) and a couple others.
I copied them to DVD if you're interested.
Time to start a part 15 TV station to run the old films.
if the Dirty porn dude didn't make part 15 TV illegal, we should totally do it.
I say we bring back part 15 TV!
Analog is gone anyway, we could make the point that we serve the unserved!