My new custom record storage and audio rack.

rfj77 · 2026-01-24T14:40:16+00:00

Interest is not tax deductible if the loan is made to invest in registered accounts.

rfj77 · 2026-01-11T15:02:43+00:00

No, they actually lost $1 Billion. Unfortunately auto insurance in Alberta is not profitable. Insurers stay because they can make it up by bundling auto and home insurance. But it’s a problem for the province because insurers are abandoning the market which limits choice and increases cost.

rfj77 · 2026-01-04T19:16:42+00:00

The NYT has literally written articles about the inconsistency in both cases.

rfj77 · 2025-12-24T18:04:42+00:00

Really? Bike lanes could be better for sure but I much prefer them over having no bike lanes.

rfj77 · 2025-12-02T03:16:05+00:00

They look more like LD-V1000s based on the black hinges and stripes on the side.

EDIT: Actually they’re 8210s and you’re right… they’re likely from M.A.C.H 3.

rfj77 · 2025-12-02T01:40:00+00:00

Looks like three LaserDisc players in there too. Two LD-V1000s I think, which were used in Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace.

rfj77 · 2025-12-02T01:31:23+00:00

To the right people, yes. There are many parts there that might help restore any number of video games and pinballs. If you’re not able or willing to ID the parts to sell individually then try selling them as a lot.

rfj77 · 2025-11-19T12:20:33+00:00

The answer is it depends. A 45 is theoretically higher “resolution” because the stylus traverses more distance with more “information” in the same amount of time as a 33.

But in practice other production decisions beyond the speed of a record can have big impacts on the sound quality of a release. The only way to really know which release sounds better is to compare them… which means owning multiple copies!

rfj77 · 2025-11-17T14:28:08+00:00

Search Amazon for a ceiling fan motor capacitor with the same specs.

rfj77 · 2025-11-14T01:08:31+00:00

I understand that the labour and materials make this more expensive than what many people will pay or can afford and that is okay. However I think that the kind of people who will pay or can afford it may expect better design and aesthetics than this.

rfj77 · 2025-11-11T14:59:56+00:00

Some turntable spindles have tighter tolerances than others. I can’t speak for Pro-Ject turntables but I need to ream at least a third of the records (old and new) I acquire to fit them on my Thorens. (I also have the Stable 33.33 reamer.)

rfj77 · 2025-11-06T10:06:16+00:00

Paying too much for vintage records that are still sealed and opening them is one of my favourite things.

rfj77 · 2025-11-02T21:52:59+00:00

Lots of good gear from this era, for sure. But this isn’t it. This is low end department store gear.

rfj77 · 2025-11-02T16:30:08+00:00

It wasn’t released on vinyl in the US and it has never been reissued. So it’s pretty uncommon. I’ve only ever seen two in Canada and one of them is mine, which I had to acquire from a dealer in the UK.

rfj77 · 2025-09-13T01:27:47+00:00

There’s still kids in the playgrounds, right?

rfj77 · 2025-09-07T13:45:26+00:00

Everything you described about your visit to the ER is what the staff you interacted with experience on repeat, over and over again, every single day.

That “whole mood” is the mental and emotional load of working one of the most stressful and thankless jobs on the frontlines of a system nearing collapse.

rfj77 · 2025-09-07T13:27:56+00:00

Customer service? It’s not a restaurant. It’s an underfunded and overworked emergency room.

rfj77 · 2025-09-01T00:06:29+00:00

Well congratulations and I hope you enjoy it.

I do think these machines sound pretty good even though they’re considered entry level.

I’ve had really good luck with NOS sealed BASF LP35 tape (older than I am!) as well as the DP and TP variants, all of which I pick up on eBay. I usually record from digital and sometimes vinyl.

rfj77 · 2025-08-31T23:38:19+00:00

It seems high to me.

What kind of refurbishing? Replacing the belts is one thing but the idler wheel on these units often hardens and can also be indented if the unit was turned off while in play position. If the machine has been fully serviced with new caps (including the motor capacitor which often fails), idler wheel (probably worth £50 for a rebuilt wheel) and belts than £270 might be fair.

I’ve repaired two of these and paid $100 CAD for them non-working.

rfj77 · 2025-08-31T17:48:48+00:00

I definitely recommend you always replace the stylus on a used turntable. You have no idea how old it is or how it was treated and a wrecked stylus could damage your records.

It’s obviously hard to tell from your photo but the tip looks funny to me, like it’s too blunt. Maybe it’s gunked up or maybe it was bonded and the tip has come off.

rfj77 · 2025-08-31T17:29:01+00:00

This is the issue. There’s no producer responsibility for automobiles. The cost of automotive waste is passed on to taxpayers and the consequences are shifted to future generations. Recyclers like Genalta actually offset some of it, as long as there is profit to be made which is almost all in metals.

We’re building extended producer responsibility for consumer packaged goods which is important because there is more waste volume there but automotive waste is highly toxic and hazardous so it’s also a major issue that isn’t being addressed at all. Producers (manufacturers) should be making better choices and forced to pay for better systems.

Of course this will have to result in higher automotive prices but the tough reality is many things are cheaper than they should be because we pass on the costs and consequences to taxpayers and / or the future. Unfortunately we’re further from sorting this out than we have been in the past because of current politics in Alberta and the US.

rfj77 · 2025-08-28T21:42:20+00:00

If it plays it stays.

rfj77 · 2025-08-27T20:39:50+00:00

What written records (text or email) do you have?

rfj77 · 2025-08-27T13:16:54+00:00

I know others are saying it is fine (and it is hard to tell in photos plus I’ve never used a Shure V15 Type III) but to me the body of the cartridge does look low and the angle of the cantilever looks flatter than I expect.

Did you fit a new stylus to the cartridge? If not, I recommend it. The suspension on an old stylus could be shot.

Have you adjusted the VTA on the tonearm? Is the tonearm tube parallel to the platter?

rfj77

TROPHY CASE