jmchich Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I got caught by glass hammer because they sent me to the shop next door... which sold panel glass... I assumed it was some sort of tool needed for car windows. We got a work experience kid to ring up and order sky hooks... with hilarious results when the clueless phone operator at the suppliers didn't realise it was a pisstake and started searching the computer for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) [size=4]As an avionic apprentice with BEA (now British Airways...), we had a project to do; I and a colleague decided on flashing lights, cannibalised from a De Havilland Vampire. I calculated the value of extra components, and went to the stores to get them. I asked the bloke for a '14 Farad capacitor'. He looked at me strangely, and asked if I had brought a wheelbarrow to carry it. It took me a while to realise the error of scale in my numbers. After a rethink, I finally obtained the 14 µF capacitor I really needed. There's a bit more still, though. Inspection time came, and our instructors went about examining and admiring our projects. We proudly turned on our lights, which obediently flashed for a while, until the accumulated voltage in the capacitor exceeded its rated limit, and the thing blew up with a magnificent 'crack', showering us all in waxy fluff. A lucky escape; it could have been much more dangerous. The 'off' time of the circuit did not allow enough time for the capacitor to discharge all of its energy, and its voltage unable to withstand the potential applied. Oh, well, at least we all learned something. Happy days...[/size] Edited December 10, 2014 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planer Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1418231783' post='2628265'] [size=4] Inspection time came, and our instructors went about examining and admiring our projects. We proudly turned on our lights, which obediently flashed for a while, until the accumulated voltage in the capacitor exceeded its rated limit, and the thing blew up with a magnificent 'crack', showering us all in waxy fluff. A lucky escape; it could have been much more dangerous.[/quote] That sounds like a resounding success! Many a time we have sent the clueless to the stores for bags of holes of a particular size or a 'g-string', a device for measuring the loads on helicopter main rotor heads (...apparently), it's a great game, and once the storeman is in on it, it can go back and forth all day :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='BeardyBob' timestamp='1418209571' post='2627920'] I'm hardly going to stay up all night without making it scientific, chaps! Same stripped van damnit cable with neutrik connectors, same stands, position & test equip, different sheathing. The differences in a darkened room were negligible versus colour. The differences with daylight lamp @ 2m were plotted. Thinking about it I need to check the weight of sheathings & guess plot each one versus its darkened state. #nonbelievers [/quote] I must admit, I snorted when I first read the thread (not necessarily because of the topic, BeardyBob, but some of the responses were funny), but now this has got my attention. What material did you use for the sheath? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Smalls Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='jmchich' timestamp='1418231443' post='2628261'] We got a work experience kid to ring up and order sky hooks... with hilarious results when the clueless phone operator at the suppliers didn't realise it was a pisstake and started searching the computer for them [/quote] You can actually buy skyhooks - I've used them many times while rock climbing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1418233186' post='2628288'] You can actually buy skyhooks - I've used them many times while rock climbing: [/quote] ...and lilac is the best colour..? [size=4] [/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1418233621' post='2628296'] ...and lilac is the best colour..? [/quote] No, Douglas, HE FORGOT ABOUT THE FLOOR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1418226058' post='2628160'] There's so much pseudo science spouted about flooring. Gramma pads?!? Why the hell would you want to loose all that tone?[/quote] So they're not incontinence thingies for old ladies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Have the drugs worn off yet BeardyBob? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I sent my young apprentice out for skirting board ladders once, she came back saying they were on back order....that shut me up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1418236360' post='2628340'] I sent my young apprentice out for skirting board ladders once, she came back saying they were on back order....that shut me up! [/quote] Haha! Reminds of the time me and my mate dialled random numbers and did prank calls. I dialled in a number, and gave an order for a Chinese takeaway. The lady at the other end say "Yeah, what's the delivery address?". I promptly hung up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 One guy I know, who had heard all the apprentice stories, then had a stand up argument when his boss asked him to get a knot of sash cord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Funnily enough I mentioned this thread in the office earlier today (I'm a mild-mannered computer programmer by day) and a chap said that while working for IBM research in the 50s/60s, Benoit Mandelbrot (of fractal fame) did some research into this very issue. Apparently his conclusions were that orange was the best colour. In the GHz range that mainframes shunt data around, the electromagnetic absorption of different pigments is significant to electrical interference. So IBM mainframes have orange cables. Apparently. I've not managed to corroborate this online, but I doubt it would have much of an effect in the KHz audio range regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Modern data cables are purple, older ones grey and older still orange, I doubt its for anything other than identification, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The signal carrying central conductor has an outer covering which is then covered by the braided shield before we then have the outer, possibly coloured sheathing. I reckon if anything is going to contribute to cable capacitance it's the rubber/plastic between the central conductor and the braiding rather than the outer sheathing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Does it matter what colour the bass is then? The amp? T shirt you're wearing? Should I stand the Par Can pointing directly at my amp head for some multi-colour tone osmosis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diablo Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 By far the best cables are striped. The two different bass-carrying frequencies of the pigments in the stripes act in unison and allow the electromagnetic waves to amplify themselves bringing clearer tone and lower bass frequency carrying capacity. I have found that cables marked with manufacturers names interfere with this electromagnetic transformation capacity and cause depleted musical performance. If only someone would invent a rainbow coloured cable (axial stripes - not radial, they stop the karma, man) then we can all bass-happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I like the curly ones but it takes a long time for the sound to come out of the amp... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diablo Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote]I like the curly ones but it takes a long time for the sound to come out of the amp... [/quote] Only if you make the bass stuff in the wire go uphill. You need to stand on the amp so it always flows downhill, or put your amp on the floor rather than on top of the cab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='Diablo' timestamp='1418245100' post='2628480'] By far the best cables are striped. The two different bass-carrying frequencies of the pigments in the stripes act in unison and allow the electromagnetic waves to amplify themselves bringing clearer tone and lower bass frequency carrying capacity. I have found that cables marked with manufacturers names interfere with this electromagnetic transformation capacity and cause depleted musical performance. If only someone would invent a rainbow coloured cable (axial stripes - not radial, they stop the karma, man) then we can all bass-happy. [/quote] I think you are an astro-turfer for Multicolour cables inc., a subdivision of Wildbeast cables if you get my drift. The thread has made me smile after a long tiring day at the chalk face (which I thought I had escaped). From a Physics perspective the colour of the cables is highly likely to affect the frequency response. The coaxial cable - insulator combination forms a capacitor (classic first year physics degree exam question). The permittivity of tjhe insulator will be affected by the presence of colouring chemicals within it. This will affect the capacitance and hence frequency response. probably, to paraphrase a well known to this province guitar restorer - by a gnats whisker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='Diablo' timestamp='1418245844' post='2628492'] Only if you make the bass stuff in the wire go uphill. You need to stand on the amp so it always flows downhill, or put your amp on the floor rather than on top of the cab. [/quote] Would thrusting help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The definitive answer is Black! We all know OBBM supplies the best cables and he uses Black! On a side note, I was recently re-painting an area of the workshop that we use for crash investigation work, the perimeter is marked with "Hazard Paint" (you know, the Black & Yellow stripey stuff), I asked the apprentoid to go and buy some from the wholesaler next door - told him to speak to Tom who would look after him, the apprentice returned with said paint, he took the lids off and proceeded to vigorously stir said paint in anti-clockwise direction! The look of horror on his face was priceless when I said you had to stir it clockwise otherwise the stripes would be the wrong way round! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diablo Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote]Would thrusting help? [/quote] I don't believe there is a single human activity where the results of thrusting are less impressive than those where a thrust, or multiple thrusts, have been employed. So yes, go forth and thrust, the more the better. Hmm, striped & tartan paint, that old chestnut! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 [quote name='Diablo' timestamp='1418245844' post='2628492'] Only if you make the bass stuff in the wire go uphill. You need to stand on the amp so it always flows downhill, or put your amp on the floor rather than on top of the cab. [/quote] Lead guitarists have long known this which is why they put their foot on the monitor in order to achieve a higher velocity as the notes travel down the cable. The idea that it allows the audience to see the half cucumber that they had earlier shoved down the front of their leather trousers is nothing more than an urban myth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BeardyBob Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 jeez... talk about thread hijacking. if you were my apprentices you'd all be fired. enjoy your muffled bass tones, folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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