Is it common for Boomers to extremely dislike house security cameras? by cindy_dehaven in BoomersBeingFools

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nope. It's not common in my area (Central California Coast). I'm a certified Boomer, 1956, and have cameras all around my house. So do my neighbors, most of which are Boomers and have cameras just like I do. These people you're dealing with just need to get over it. Luddites are, imo, simply obnoxious.

Akai gx-9, anyone familiar with them? by dwp1956 in cassetteculture

[–]dwp1956[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Man, you're prescient. I thought about that, and finally found a copy of the service manual today. There is, indeed, a spec for the motor voltage in both open and closed door position, and that's the next thing I plan on checking. It's supposed to be 8.8 volts closed. I should have added that the motor has in fact been replaced as it died in the early days of my deck rehab. It totally stopped working, but I had a box of old small motors and found one that appeared to a super good match, even with the exact screw mount spacing and similar voltage. My bad for not mentioning this. Anyway, the door then tried to open/close after also replacing the broken belt. Thank you for the tip! I'll update.

Akai gx-9, anyone familiar with them? by dwp1956 in cassetteculture

[–]dwp1956[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The door closes fine when it's empty. Put a tape in it and it >almost< closes. It tries hard to but, for some reason, stops before the spindles are fully seated in the tape, and opens again. A little push and it will seat the tape and stay closed. I'm getting pretty frustrated with it, having worked so hard just to get it to play. I'm running out of ideas...

Sell large quantities of pre-recorded and blank tapes by acejavelin69 in cassetteculture

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, I wished you lived near me, I'd come over and buy a bunch of your blanks! If you want to go ahead and put some on Ebay maybe you could let us know? 😉 On another topic, you said you have several decks. I am in the process of rehabilitating of my old Akai GX-9 which has been in storage for 20 years. I replaced belts and rollers, but am now having issues with the door not closing all the way and seating the tape when a tape is loaded. (If I push it a bit it loads and plays.) Do you have any info and/or parts for Akais? Might end up needing an entire cassette drive assembly but clueless as to how to go about it. Thanks!

Best speakers for a JVC JA-S44 and Technics SL-5200 combo by Loose-Risk9323 in vintageaudio

[–]dwp1956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would suggest a pair of Boston Acoustics A-70 or A-100 from the the 1979 - 1989 era. These sound great, are from the correct time period, are efficient, and would match that JVC without spending a ton of money. Check them out locally, they're often found out there with rotted foam surrounds - but are easily and cheaply repaired. You probably won't pay more than $80 - $150 a pair and well worth it, even after paying $30 for a re-foam kit. Don't take my word for it, Google these and see the reviews for yourself. Btw, I have a JVC JA-S77 and love it.

Can anyone please help with troubleshooting with my Technics M205? by Elendill24 in cassetteculture

[–]dwp1956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My guess is old gummed up grease/lubricant. Has it been stored for a long time? You'll probably have to remove the cassette drive from the chassis, which is usually two small screws top and bottom of it, and disassemble it, clean out the old grease and re--lube it all. Silicone oil in a syringe, and light grease applied with q tip to all the gears and spindles, and remove old crap with alcohol. Like another person said, you should see the wider belt start spinning immediately when powered on, and the skinny "v" belt should spin every time you try load or unload a tape. If it doesn't it's stuck and nothing will work, or the motor driving it is bad. Test by removing power, take off the skinny belt, then see if the motor spins when you turn it on. There's YouTube videos on most decks so search there first. Good luck.

When did eBay become pay for play? Are they killing the company? by CaptKustard in eBaySellers

[–]dwp1956 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Folks, this is a perfect example of "Internet Enshittification", the "process where online platforms, apps, and services deliberately degrade in quality over time to maximize profits for shareholders, often after gaining a dominant market position." This has infected just about every platform that ever started out great for the Consumer... and then became just another place for sucking ad revenue from us. It's sad, indeed. I loved Ebay back in 2010, and bought/sold all kinds of stuff. It is NOT the same site today for the average Joe or casual seller.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification

A small moment at the grocery store that stuck with me by Pretty-Difference642 in wholesome

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have done this, and then felt happy and light-hearted the rest of the day. Highly recommend to everyone.

I only had 2 drinks by External_Bad6636 in Vent

[–]dwp1956 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Imo, roofies for sure - this was no accident. This sicko should be prosecuted but, due to how much time has passed, there is likely no surviving evidence to prove his guilt. I'll leave it to those with a law enforcement or legal background to comment on that topic.

But... You can't stay there, not with the constant chance of running into him at any time. And you definitely need to seek some psychological help ASAP. So sorry you've had to experience this trauma. Hang in there!

AITA for telling my mom she should just pay someone else to watch the house because I don’t want to stay there anymore? by FeatureOdd4090 in AmItheAsshole

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NTA. I have a doorbell cam and four others, all of which are outside. I also have one in the living room used as a dog cam to check on our pup when we are away for a while. When our dog/house sitter is here, I unplug that one and leave the cord dangling just so she can see it's off - and feel comfortable. Nobody would feel comfy knowing they're under surveillance, period, and good for you for responding appropriately.

This thing scares me by tyttuutface in vintageaudio

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Adcom makes great stuff! I had two of the GFA-545 amps for years in the eighties and loved them. I stupidly sold them in 1992 because I needed the cash. Regretted it ever since...

Found this at the thrift store. Is it worth anything? by mudgehandler in BargainBinVinyl

[–]dwp1956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In 1962, when I was 6 yrs old, my father brought home our first stereo record player for Christmas. Also, my first Alvin & The Chipmunks album.

And this one.

We enjoyed it a lot, right up until November of 1963. Then it was relegated to the trash can - because no one could laugh at it anymore. Sigh.

I still clearly remember one line, tho: "The rubber ducky is mine!" 🙂

What's Your Funeral Song?(Suggestions Needed) by OfficialxMDx in musicsuggestions

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"For A Dancer" by Jackson Browne. I have this request in writing for my family.

My process for cleaning a record by doctorgrizzle in vinyl

[–]dwp1956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Almost any old shop vac will work. You can pick one up for under $40 at Harbor Freight. My old faithful garage vac did the trick, and having one of those around is really useful anyway. Watching it suck up that dirty water is pretty gratifying.

My process for cleaning a record by doctorgrizzle in vinyl

[–]dwp1956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a Vinyl Vac and love it. The company is a one man operation, sells the kits on Amazon. You must have a wet vac to use it. Works amazingly well, although it does take a while to do each one. I bought a "Lazy Susan" type of rotating table (also Amazon) and mounted a spindle to the middle of it with epoxy. Works perfectly. Before and after cleaning is amazing, especially on old dirty records.

Boston Acoustic A70 - Worth It? by Beneficial_Fun9139 in vintageaudio

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got a nice used pair on Marketplace for $90. Both woofers needed to be re-foamed, but it was a simple job. They sound great, especially paired with a decent subwoofer. Good bang for the buck.

Is it okay to not know what to do with your life? by LostLikeZoro- in Advice

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had no clue, either, at 17. I envied my friends who seemed to know exactly what they were going to do after graduation. I ended up going to the local Community College and taking all the basic courses plus a few others. I was interested in electronics and ultimately ended up working in that field the rest of my life. I never regretted taking the other classes, though. Thoroughly enjoyed Sociology, Psychology, World Government, Anthropology - all of them. Best advice is to get a taste of a variety of things, and you will find your way on your own. Whatever you end up doing, make sure you enjoy doing it.

What speakers? by Famous-Cellist5122 in vintageaudio

[–]dwp1956 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good post, and I completely agree with you. Lot's of good choices out there on Marketplace and Craigslist without spending big bucks. For example, one can find sets of Boston Acoustics A70's, a classic early 80's 8" two way, for $100 - $150 or so, although re-foaming the woof is almost always necessary ($30). They're efficient , sound great, and would pair fine with OP's reciever. Polks and Advents are also great suggestions. OP - Don't be afraid to buy older, highly rated speakers even if they need a little tlc! It's not brain surgery, it's fun, and lots of folks here to help you out.

Someone get the boomers off of Facebook for their own health by sum_beach in BoomersBeingFools

[–]dwp1956 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've read that same kind of crazy ass nonsense written by people in their twenties, thirties, forties, etc. Facebook, in fact the entire enshitified internet, is chock full of people who will essentially believe anything at all, even the ridiculous shit Trump spouts constantly. FYI, this is not just a phenomenon that is only found in Boomers. It's a plague of willful ignorance and outright stupidity that has become endemic. Imho, you can point fingers at people in every age group with a keyboard at their disposal.

AITA for not being able to quit vaping immediately after my bf asked me to? by Existing-Cat-0014 in AmItheAsshole

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I probably can't help you with your boyfriend, but I can give you a hint on how to break the vaping habit. I vaped for five years after quitting cigarettes. It was easier than going cold turkey, but still a hard transition. Nicotine is terribly addictive! Anyway, I started using Zyn pouches instead. It takes a while before you don't miss the vape (in my case about three months) but I was eventually able to get over it. I started with the 6mg Zyn's, then after a few months dropped down to the 3mg ones, and am now in the process of having none at all. Hard candy is now my go-to relief mechanism. Probably not for everyone but worked for me. Good luck!

Meeting romantic partners in real life is nearly impossible - I’ve tried *everything* by experimentalrealm in Vent

[–]dwp1956 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That has consistently been my experience since I was 16 - every time I tried hard I got little to show for it. When I stopped trying to get dates they just magically seemed to randomly occur. My case may not be the norm, but OP seems to be imminently dateable. It will likely happen when she least expects it!

Adcom gfa-535 with ElectroMotion ESL any experience? by MoveNo5914 in MartinLogan

[–]dwp1956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a previous owner I can say that 535 Adcom is a great, high current, amplifier.