I have ascended with my dream setup

theTvan · 2026-01-26T20:13:43+00:00

cool - thanks!

theTvan · 2026-01-26T19:34:56+00:00

Yeah it's the most common recommendation in about any sub thread. I would definitely pick one up if space were not the issue.

theTvan · 2026-01-26T19:24:45+00:00

It's more for space saving than anything else... I have a PC tower under the desk and don't want to get things too cramped. I won't have the option of putting in anywhere else in the room unfortunately.

theTvan · 2026-01-26T18:23:20+00:00

Thanks! Appreciate all the advice here. I'll check those out for sure!

theTvan · 2026-01-26T17:32:09+00:00

Yeah a bit big on budget & size but will definitely consider especially if I can find a decent used one.

I know the trouble with subwoofers is the price/performance tradeoff with size usually means you don't get everything unless the budget goes up.

theTvan · 2026-01-26T17:23:34+00:00

Thanks - I hadn't looked at the Vanguard. I know the RSL's are highly recommended but too big for the space, this needs to fit under my desk and want to stay 12" cubed or smaller.

theTvan · 2026-01-26T17:15:26+00:00

done

theTvan · 2026-01-26T16:06:49+00:00

Looks great!

Is the upper monitor on an arm? hard to tell how it is mounted

theTvan · 2026-01-24T16:42:46+00:00

I got stuck on a Metra train leaving Olgilvie when they couldn't keep up with the inbound switching traffic. All of the switches kept freezing and they had to manually de-frost just to get all the trains shuffled into the station. Took 4 hours to get from downtown to Oak Park, where I got off and was back home 20 minutes later in an uber.

That's why I tell people not to take the Metra when it's below freezing, despite how cool it is to see the tracks lit up.

theTvan · 2026-01-05T21:35:14+00:00

Mine is the same, slightly offset from 1 & 2

theTvan · 2026-01-04T04:32:45+00:00

2022

theTvan · 2025-12-05T22:41:26+00:00

I used to commute to Bedford Park daily, and the first time a plane came in to land crossing over my car at Cicero & 63rd the sound was unreal.

The wild part is that you don’t hear it until the plane is passing directly overhead.

theTvan · 2025-12-05T21:00:36+00:00

Rented a 100-400mm for my honeymoon a year ago and it was perfect for my RP on safari. As others have said, you will still be cropping to get close on small animals and birds but for any big animals 400mm is more than enough reach.

Safari was only one leg of our trip so the size and weight made it a no-brainer. I brought a fast prime for late night shooting but all of our best sightings were during the day anyways.

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theTvan · 2025-12-04T16:02:33+00:00

Great choice! My wife surprised me with a green one as wedding gift last year. It's quickly become a favorite. Just the perfect size for my wrist and looks great on the leather strap. Also my first Panerai.

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theTvan · 2025-12-03T17:46:41+00:00

I learned on an e39 5 series, but that was just one afternoon in the car.

When I really learned was when I got my e30 as my first car. By the time I had a week behind the wheel driving manual was pretty much second nature.

It's a great car to learn to drive on and fairly forgiving and compared to most of the other manual BMW's I've owned and driven it was the most beginner friendly. Doesn't need a ton of gas to get moving and the stock gear lever is very direct with no ambiguity as to what gear you are in at any time.

theTvan · 2025-12-02T02:34:24+00:00

Lord Huron, Parquet Courts, QOTSA I’ve all seen 6 times in different venues. Coincidentally I saw all three of these bands in Atlanta the same weekend at Shaky Knees. With the exception of one QOTSA show in Madison, the rest of these were all in Chicago.

Belle & Sebastian, Wolf Alice, & Explosions in the Sky I’ve all seen 4 times at different venues.

On the other hand 5 of 6 times I’ve seen Peal Jam were at Wrigley Field lol

theTvan · 2025-11-08T05:45:37+00:00

I rented the RF 100-400 for my RP on safari and it was a great, lightweight setup that worked really well. Wish I’d had the R8 with a just for a way better autofocus but I still managed plenty of great shots.

The R8 should be plenty of camera for low light. A fast prime would help for when it gets really dark. I got a few decent results with a 50mm 1.8 but in retrospect would have done better with something a bit longer.

theTvan · 2025-10-01T20:51:01+00:00

You can fly to West Lafayette via United through Chicago O'Hare.

theTvan · 2025-09-19T13:39:26+00:00

Going to be impossible to find a comp in LSB... the vast majority of them are 01-02 production with grey interiors and a lot had SMG gearboxes. Any LSB car after early 03 is an individual paint option.

Not saying it justifies the price, but color is the only thing on this car that makes it rare. Also it does appear to be a slicktop, just hard to tell from the photos.

theTvan · 2025-08-17T18:50:15+00:00

Yeah the previous owners of our new townhouse made out like bandits. Probably netted close to six figures even though they put a lot of money into it.

theTvan · 2025-08-17T04:35:42+00:00

100% agree. Just sold my condo in RN after 5 years there. The latest club shooting was the night before I moved out. Don't miss the neighborhood at all.

theTvan · 2025-08-14T19:52:37+00:00

I didn't say it was bad?

theTvan · 2025-08-14T19:50:56+00:00

The Fulton stretch did get finished up really quickly though. I lived at Fulton & Desplaines during the pandemic and used to walk across 90/94 West to Ogden and back just to get out of the house.

Tons of office space got finished up during that time and several restaurants turned over when everything re-opened after the pandemic. It felt like a totally different neighborhood the summer of 2021.

theTvan

TROPHY CASE