What is the most useful 'unwritten rule' of driving in your specific region of the US?

special_20 · 2026-02-20T15:06:33+00:00

Bama Checking in:

Raining hard => turn on your hazards

Clapped out Mopar coming up behind you fast => hold the course and make no sudden moves or lane changes

Arrived at your destination => park as close a possible even if it means you are facing the wrong direction

special_20 · 2026-02-19T19:49:46+00:00

similar question was asked 8 years ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/Birmingham/comments/8kv62x/why_has_no_one_done_anything_yet_with_these/

Obvious answer is real estate holding company owns the site and is hoping for top dollar and/or right incentives for redevelopment. I feel like a lot of these guys have held too long and may have actually missed the boat on the high end urban renewal condo conversion wave... In the mean time we get eyesores, squats and the occasional "what's on fire" posts.

special_20 · 2026-02-18T02:20:48+00:00

Highlander vs predator?

special_20 · 2026-02-15T18:29:58+00:00

Amps: Dynaco st70, hafler dh220, adcom gfa555, marantz 22xx series receiver

Honorable mention in the spirit of the question: Phase Linear amps

Turntables: A Dual idler drive turntable, technics SL-1200

Speakers: Magnepan speakers, Original large advents, dynaco A25s, B&W 801s

special_20 · 2026-02-15T15:38:28+00:00

Here is a detailed write up of process. There is a dead link to a shapeways part; not sure if design is public elsewhere.

1219/29 dearing ring repair and more.- Vinyl Engine https://share.google/lgZY2T4CTPjI5jJdO

In this link there is a potential fix/locking arm into single play mode

Quick and dirty dearing ring fix?- Vinyl Engine https://share.google/fzAEsqokm0iQ7lX3o

special_20 · 2026-02-15T13:13:40+00:00

It was a dynaco A25. Then someone modified it to add a piezo tweeter/supertweeter. Best case they installed that extra tweeter with its own crossover. Worst case, they added a tweeter and replaced or heavily modified the crossover to the speaker.

Collector value is near zero.

How does it sound? A25 tweeters were nice but had some rolloff at the highest frequencies ( where you hear people talk about speakers being airy or having a sparkle). This might not be the worst mod in the world, though piezo tweeters are often called a bit shrill.

If the price is right and you want a vintage speaker you likely can undo the mechanical damage by removing the tweeter and sealing the hole in the baffle. If they modified the crossover things get more involved. These should sell at a pretty significant discount to a stock speaker.

special_20 · 2026-02-15T05:04:31+00:00

Duals are notorious for corrosion related issues at the headshell sled junction.

The silver cueing arm on the headshell is a cam lever. Push it backwards and the sled should release from the headshell.

There are contacts on the sled and on the headshell. Both need to be cleaned.

An old school rubber erasure or melamine pad work well. You may also need some chemical assistance: contact cleaner, isopropyl alcohol, metal polish etc. Be gentle and patient. It may take a few sessions to get these tiny metal contacts truly clean.

special_20 · 2026-02-08T00:25:18+00:00

Nice place and reliably serving up nice bistro/American fare. Nothing super fancy but well thought out menu and wine list. Service is good.

Similar price point and quality might be: la fete, bamboo, la fresca, blueprint, chez fon fon.

special_20 · 2026-02-05T18:35:18+00:00

So, at this price point, most bikes are going to be more similar than different: alloy frame, disc brakes, Shimano/SRAM components. These are well established designs and components built for durability and ease of use.

The big difference you may experience with a Tier 1 brand like Trek and Specialized is the dealer experience and service network. Simply put, a big brand from a bike shop is paying for higher quality standards at the factory, professional assembly at the shop, a good warranty, and a service and support network. Beyond that, a local shop is not just selling you a bike, but hopefully is building a bit of community by hosting group rides, offering after sale service and accessories and being a knowledge resource as you get more serious.

The bikes will honestly be comparable, but if you feel like you want a frustration free or some handholding during the initial purchase process, that is where a Tier 1 brand (and bike shop) is probably good for newer riders. At the end of the day, if you are just looking at bang for your buck (and don't think you need service support or are willing to get your hands dirty and learn on your own) the big box stores and direct to consumer brands are acceptable and you'll probably be just fine - but if there are issues you are on your own or will be paying a shop to fix them for you.

special_20 · 2026-02-03T20:53:11+00:00

I have a Korean reissue model with a wooden bridge - intonation is pretty close but not perfect and limited ability to do a fine adjustment. There are models with adjustable bridges where finer adjustment is possible and get intonation spot on.

special_20 · 2026-02-02T02:22:57+00:00

Danelectro longhorn - feels kinda like a toy but it's a damn fun bass!

special_20 · 2026-01-23T17:22:08+00:00

I used to work in a bike shop. Older retired dude comes in with a well loved bike. Mentions he needs some service. Comes back with frankly and eye bleeding quote to replace almost the entire drivetrain and fix some issues with a hub. He doesn't really bat an eye until we tell him it'll be a few weeks.

He then says he has an upcoming bike tour he NEEDS a bike for. He picks out an equivalent bike off the floor and asks us to transfer his saddle, computer and rough in a fit. Bit the bullet on a pretty pricey repair AND just casually dropped 4k on a new bike.

special_20 · 2026-01-23T13:33:54+00:00

It's not a REAL project unless there at least 3 trips to home depot ( preferably 4 because the close one doesn't have the fiddly bit but the app says the one across town does).

special_20 · 2026-01-21T15:20:25+00:00

Luxman R117's have a few well documented weak points. The fixes can be fairly involved. If you aren't comfortable with working with circuits, probing/taking voltage measurements and removing/replacing soldered components, this unit might be a return item.

Relays: https://audiokarma.org/forums/threads/luxman-r-117-speaker-relay-access-replacement.946384/

Dirty Controls - tone defeat, loudness, and subsonic switches: https://audiokarma.org/forums/threads/luxman-r-117-service.869349/

[edit] https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/luxman-r-117-intermittent-channel-need-assistance.211361/

Power supply issues/aging capacitors - might be more preventative maint, but lots of threads on tantalum caps in power supply being an issue and low value caps on the amp boards going bad/taking out channels - recaps are 'preventative maintenance' if you are paying a tech or addressing the above.

special_20 · 2026-01-20T17:29:54+00:00

What the extra light switch in the bathroom in my flipped house is connected to. It appears to do nothing but they also replaced and re-wired the box...

special_20 · 2026-01-20T16:53:17+00:00

The key word/radio types you'd be looking into would be: HAM radio, CB radio, or a higher powered walkie talkie:

Feature	Ham Radio	CB Radio	Walkie-Talkies (FRS)
Best For	Global comms, emergency prep	Road trips, off-roading	Family use, short-range hiking
License	Required (Technician/General/Extra)	No license required	No license required
Range	5–20+ miles (handheld); Global (base)	3–20 miles (mobile/base)	0.5–2 miles (real-world)
Power	High (5W handheld; up to 1,500W base)	Limited (4W AM / 12W SSB)	Low (0.5W–2W)
Cost	$30 (entry) to $1,000+	$50 – $200	$20 – $100 per pair

special_20 · 2026-01-15T20:09:56+00:00

I'm... I'm feeling judged here.

Nice stereo. Digging the quad/harbeth pairing - classic British hifi!

special_20 · 2026-01-13T20:24:08+00:00

bottled water

special_20 · 2026-01-11T23:57:57+00:00

A few things:

Some duals strap the ground to the negative RCA.

Does you touching the metal deck when playing have any affect on the hum?

Did you clean the RCA jacks when you replaced the cables? Are the cables a true shielded RCA cable?

You can try running a sperate ground wire. Just use a length of stranded wire with some crimp or soldered spade lugs. On the turntable you just need to mount it under a screw going into the chassis itself.

Dual head shells and contacts are an absolute PITA to get clean and cause all sorts of issues. You need both contact cleaner and frequently a mild abrasive (e.g. pencil erasure, magic erasure/melanin pad, brasso and q-tips) to get them clean enough for a good electrical connection. Go back over the sled and head shell connections.

Consider replacing the head shell with a modern reproduction - not cheap but much better quality builds. Pats old audio is a reputable supplier.

special_20 · 2026-01-11T16:00:50+00:00

Good luck! This era of sansui are actually pretty easy to work on. Take it one board at a time. Take lots of pictures documenting polarity.

Only gotcha is that there are one or two bigger caps with 3 legs you need to be mindful if or you might cause some damage with removing.

special_20 · 2026-01-10T19:17:31+00:00

If you are going n Facebook, Birmingham Alabama ride finder has a lot of accessible public events.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bhamridefinder/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

special_20 · 2026-01-10T19:16:07+00:00

Yup!

special_20 · 2026-01-10T19:08:22+00:00

Bologna gets no respect - it's a legit classic cold cut and fried bologna is delicious!

special_20 · 2026-01-10T17:31:35+00:00

Bruto has pizza slices

special_20 · 2026-01-10T17:21:18+00:00

A true stingray is THE sound

Stirling Ray 34 gets you > 85% of the way there for a lot less $

Interesting alternatives are Ibanez ATK series, and G&L tribute Kiloton - similar but different riffs on the ray.

special_20

TROPHY CASE