Here is a sneak peak at my 3 x 3 matrix. The blog rules say this was (by far) the most significant development in my life today. Maybe this century, for I have outdone myself on this one. Matrix construction is top-level electronics, something in which I have no background. You can imagine two things here. First, a container of small, valuable parts that should must be kept clean, dry, and separated kept somewhere in the house while I was growing up. Last, how long something like that would have lasted in that house.
This view is the reverse side of my matrix, showing the tiny (30 AWG) wires connecting all the anodes to a column of resistors. It is challenging working with such components and you may notice how I intentionally spread things out. My soldering still isn’t up to par, but I’m ex-phone company and I can wire-wrap like only a pro.
Back in the picture is the Red Devil drum box (from August 2009). In the end, I never did meet anyone in the entire state of Florida that could pursue this project, but on-line the outfit that sold me my Arduino may be a good place to start again. If nothing else, they are quite aware that I tend to follow up on my plans.
With my regular drum box, the Zoom, I programmed another seven tunes. All this did was remind me how unsuitable these existing products are for live performing. An hour later I’m still pushing buttons instead of rehearsing. The programming itself becomes so tedious that a lot of the beats I’ve put in there are compromises. Again, there are settings for drum maniacs to let them customize some damn snare drum, but not one setting that says “sounds like Jimmy Buffet’s drummer”. I do not know what planet those designers are living on.
I’m going to sell my wagon trailer. It takes up too much room and I’m not using it often enough to justify keeping it. You watch, right after I sell it, guess what. I’m still working on the interior of my new shed and I need the extra space. Summer will be here before I finish insulating if I can’t pick up the pace, and that wagon trailer is in the way.
Meanwhile, things are moving efficiently again. So efficient I don’t have anything to do these days. True, I have my new electronics hobby, but it is an intellectual hobby (the way I do it) and one cannot putter away all day long for there is an upper limit to how much one can think. Those who can know what I mean. I’ve also got one of those analog to HDTV converters so much in the news a year ago. The one the government supplies to people with old TVs. But I’m not a TV person and thus it is not logical to me how the thing operates. Do you hook it to cable? I’ll try that first.
Dave-O now has one of those subsidized cell phones, something like “Safe-Link”. Where you cough up your $5 per month and you get a recycled unit that is supposedly to keep you in touch with people during an emergency. They don’t say which people want to hear about your troubles, but assume there are some. The ambulance maybe?
With time to spare, I also took another look at Twitter and Facebook. No, I didn’t miss anything yet I still can’t fathom what all the kerfuffle is about. The sites are just not that academically appealing. I am really not a fan of what people are doing right now in 140 characters or less. But fads are the real thing in America. I think if I could watch somebody else work their Facebook for a while I might catch on to what they are doing that is so addicting. As I already said, I am one of the 63% of people who just have no use for whatever it is these sites are supposed to do.
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