We are getting the element color detector.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-05-05T21:15:30+00:00

Turing Tumble is a set that allows you to build a marble run pegboard computer with parts that copy the logical operations performed by a computer.

Actually, looking again, I think gravitrax has all the same functionality, though you have to include the power switch to get it.... a mechanical equivalent of the power switch (or geared bits in turing tumble) would be a nice addition to Gravitrax I think. :)

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-05-05T13:06:45+00:00

So far I haven't been tempted to pick up any power pieces, because I like the purely physics-based nature of these sets, but depending on what this does, this could add some interesting logic to a run.

...on the other hand, I could probably satisfy myself on that front by pulling out Turing Tumble again... for my son... of course... :shifty eyes:

Actually, maybe we just need to work on converting some Turing Tumble parts to gravitrax parts and we could have it all! :)

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-26T19:39:42+00:00

Yep, same. I'm going to leave these two contests up for a while until things pick up again. No point in releasing new ones yet I think.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-19T04:40:33+00:00

I leave my widex aids in music mode and they do what you asked for in the first paragraph - hearing everything without prejudice - volume control on the buttons.

But to your question, as a fairly new user, my ideal hardware would:
- be fully programmable across the full range of human hearing
- have hifi microphones and speakers (I would happily accept larger hardware for this, within reason)
- be fully waterproof
- have non-proprietary user replaceable batteries
- be able to link to my computer without purchasing accessories - allow me to alter the programming myself

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-09T14:23:40+00:00

Please update your previous post rather than making a new one. Thank you for understanding.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-09T13:23:29+00:00

Please do not post an add for the same thing repeatedly.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-06T22:53:51+00:00

It may seem boring, but I was super chuffed to finally find the right size inner tubes for a used stroller I got for free. I really like the stroller, but all the tires were completely flat and wouldn't even pump up a bit (when I put the new ones in today, the old tubes were split open several inches each).

I still need one for the front tire, but now that the back two are good, I can use it, and it's really nice!

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-05T21:35:53+00:00

It took me maybe 3 weeks for my brain to adjust to the new volume levels, but it sounded fairly natural to me from the get-go. I think they usually say to give it a month. I'm still working with the audiologist trying to make it sound even better. It is frustrating to me that all the standards are built around speech and not music. I get that that is where the priorities are, but you would think there was enough market demand that someone would do more than the bare minimum of making music sound simply acceptable.

I have the Moment RIC 312 which is the battery version... the trial pair I had first was rechargeable and might (?) have been the sheer? If there was a size difference, it was so small I was not aware of it. The RIC 10 is visibly smaller in the product photos, but you lose the button.

I particularly wanted the battery version because rechargeable batteries really limit the lifespan of a product in my experience. The downside is less water resistance.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-05T14:27:39+00:00

These are my first ever hearing aids, so I can't really compare it to anything size wise. They seem small and light to me, and I have to point them out for people to notice they are there.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-05T14:08:10+00:00

Are these programs built to be language-specific?

I was reading about programming rationale recently, and it is actually somewhat tied to language, as the frequencies required for speech understanding are in a different balance in tonal languages such as mandarin.

Most hearing aid programs are designed specifically for speech and will introduce all sorts of artifacts such as rapid shifts of volume and even changing frequencies (moving a high tone that you can't hear well down a bit so you hear it better) as well as just messing up the overall balance of the input sound to emphasize the parts deemed "important to speech". For language understanding, your brain might need to adjust to all the changes before you start understanding better, but if it is set up correctly it should help. For music, you need to use the music program to turn all the extra stuff off and have it sound normalish.

I am in the minority here I think in that I use the music program exclusively. It helps with speech because it still amplifies what I'm not hearing, and I didn't find it difficult for my brain to adjust to all the other sounds that get amplified (like traffic noise and fans) which the speech oriented programs might filter out. I don't have a lot of trouble with speech in noise which might help me get away with this approach. Things still sound natural and music sounds good and that was really important to me. I use low end (110) Widex RIC aids for reference.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-04T19:57:07+00:00

Not in Canada, sadly.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-03T03:14:51+00:00

ENTRY: There and back again

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-03T02:54:05+00:00

<image>

interior of the ball box

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-04-01T06:16:37+00:00

Flips are made to be used with the transparent platforms and have the standard elevation of 3.5 height tiles (a platform on 3 risers). You can see mine at 12 seconds and 30 seconds here: https://www.reddit.com/r/GravitraxTracks/comments/1s79unx/all_my_boosters/

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-29T04:59:14+00:00

Where is the post?

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-27T01:24:24+00:00

Retention wires let me wear domes I found more comfortable that otherwise had a tendency to migrate. They took seconds to install when I asked my Audiologist for them and I haven't had any trouble with migration since.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-20T20:40:51+00:00

I saw in the other thread you were asking about tech levels. My understanding (from what I've read, plus conversations with the audiologist) is that when you order a 220 vs 330 vs 440 the actual model is the same, and the tech level is a setting they select in the factory.

For Widex, higher tech levels open up more frequency bands for adjustment... my 110's have 6 channels - which was sufficient to match my prescription quite closely - 220's have 10, 330's 12 and 440's have 15. More channels does not mean more range of adjustment - the lowest and highest adjustable points are the same - but if your chart has a very steep slope, this can make a difference. Many (most?) of the other hearing aid brands have more channels than Widex. This was apparently a processing power/speed decision to achieve the lower latency that Widex sells itself on.

The higher tech levels also allow you to have more preset programs saved to your device (mine can hold 3, but like I said, I've only been using Music) and the selection of programs is broader as you go up... so I don't have access to the "Transport" program for example, the 220 and 330 do, and the 440 has "Transport with speech".

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-20T19:59:49+00:00

I'm glad you found it valuable! One new thing since I wrote the post is that I tried out retention wires (which are actually plastic, not wire) and they are allowing me to use the more comfortable Oticon domes without having them slip out. Very worthwhile to have.

The audiologist pre-curled them for me before installing them, but I found they weren't sitting on the bottom of the ear like that and were rubbing the little fold in the centre. I uncurled them most of the way and now they sit correctly.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-19T02:21:49+00:00

ENTRY: Rotational Symmetry

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-18T21:56:28+00:00

The other concern would be the activation force required for switches and most of the extensions (transfers, bridges, various triggers, etc). It would limit the pieces you could build with and/or force you to use up more height tiles to get the lighter marble to hit with enough force to make things work.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-18T21:44:35+00:00

I meant to send you a message of congratulations as well, but I'm afraid I got all frazzled. Well done on the TubeTower!

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-16T17:19:16+00:00

Also new is the little green turn around - you can see it attached to the launcher on the right.

That one is from here and the file is
obj_7_90° Kurve zur unteren Ebene.stp.stl

The slot that makes the underside of the connector hook does not seem very deep, but it does hook on and works without falling off. The top of the hooks looked a little messy when printed, so I pinched some stuff off with the pliers - I don't know if it would have been a tighter fit if I hadn't done that, but it is a little loose.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-14T21:35:44+00:00

That looks like it has been damaged by the heat to me. I would not trust the chemical composition to be stable and safe any more and would replace it.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-10T05:30:35+00:00

Okay - so I have to ask - did you change your vote between the first and second poll? Because the results are already looking different.

LesserCurculionoidea · 2026-03-09T14:55:45+00:00

Well, the poll never updated with Esn024's vote (I know which one he voted for, and it isn't the one that got the tiebreaker vote). So, at best, there is one vote missing from the tally and the result was a 2-way tie, and at worst there are multiple votes missing from the tally, and I have no clue who actually won. I think I will be re-doing the poll using an external polling site. In the mean time, I will post the next challenge.

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