I guess a lot of people have never had contact with a record player. At our poker game last week I found it amazing to watch one of the players attempt to change the record and not have a clue how to use John's turntable. I feel so old!

Tee hee... an astrophysicist mate of mine once said to me "I know how CD players work: that's obvious. But how on earth do record players work?"

He was very close to completely disbelieving that they worked in stereo, and his expression when another friend rigged up an unamplified stereo record player using a stick, a sewing-needle, and two cones of paper mounted at 90 degrees, can only be described as "gobsmacked".

Peter

his expression when another friend rigged up an unamplified stereo record player using a stick, a sewing-needle, and two cones of paper mounted at 90 degrees, can only be described as "gobsmacked".



This is truly one of the better party tricks I learnt at Uni - likewise, I have had the same experience. Something that will remain imprinted on my memory long after other memories of that time have faded

I have to admit to a feeling of great distress when I see 18 year olds unable to deal with a record deck and a piece of vynyl, yet able to change a cassette tape, a car wheel, or operate a dish washer.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

This is truly one of the better party tricks I learnt at Uni - likewise, I have had the same experience. Something that will remain imprinted on my memory long after other memories of that time have faded

I remember doing this with a pin and a single cone, but didn't know the 'cones at 90 degrees' trick... I'd try it, only I'm not prepared to risk my vinyl!!

I have to admit to a feeling of great distress when I see 18 year olds unable to deal with a record deck and a piece of vynyl, yet able to change a cassette tape, a car wheel, or operate a dish washer.

I also have to admit to a feeling of great distress when I see 18 year olds.... but usually because I realise I was sitting O levels when they were being born!!

Geoff
---- -------
Got one of the first Mark 2 empegs...

I absoluetly HATE to ask you guys for help on this, seeing as it is so off-topic, but I don't belong to a board inhabited with as many knowledgeable people as you folk, and instead of starting a new topic, I decided this would be the place:

I recently (2 days ago) bought a used Playstation, but have now found that they have problems with Zenith TV's. I finally found this FAQ entry:

"3.6 - My Playstation picture bounces!
We usually get a flood of these messages every Christmas. The reason is that
your TV is either a Zenith or uses Zenith components. The Playstation,
perhaps to save money or processing power, skips even-numbered scanlines on
the TV screen when it is in lo w-resolution (around 320x240) mode. Zenith
TVs don't know how to cope with this properly and go whacko, either causing
the image to bounce up and down, lopping off the top or bottom of the
picture, displaying it in a shrunken-down image, or just plain not showing
anything on the screen. Fortunately, you can take your Playstation to Sony
and they'll install a chip for free that will fix this problem. The
turnaround time is anywhere from three days to a week. I've never heard of
anyone not getting their Playstation back after more than five days.
If you really don't want to send out your PSX, Doug Dingus mailed me with a
workaround if you have a newer Zenith:

The truth is that very old Zeniths work great. These are the old Chroma
Color series. The newer ones are of two types. Those with an on screen
menu and those without. If you have a Zenith without the on-screen menu,
then you are SOL. Better get one of the chips, and or a new television.
If you have the onscreen televisions (system 2, 3, or better), then there
is a good chance that a solution lies right in your television. Here is
what I learned about mine from the TV Repair manual.
(This works for System 3 NTSC televisions sold in USA for sure. Your
mileage may vary...)
To access the service menu, press the menu, volume up, and channel up
buttons at exactly the same time. Most things in here need to be left
alone. What the Playstation needs turned on is the 'VFORCED' option. This
allows the television to sync up to the interlaced playstation signal."

I do not have those newer models

Does anyone know any other way to solve this? I don't quite understand why, when I connect the console throught the VCR, the TV still has the problem. I know it is not the console, either, because it even worked on the video-in to my AIW Radeon. Can anyone help me? I'd really appreciate it.


Again, I appologize imensely for the off-topic question. So sorry. And Tony, you can severely chastize me for this tangent subject, I deserve it

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.

i think you are reading too deep into the problem, it is most likely that his amp gains need to be set correctly.

I appologize imensely for the off-topic question.

No, no, no! Don't apologize. Some of the very best and most entertaining threads on this bbs have been completely off topic. That's what I love about this place -- it is filled with the smartest, most articulate and diversely educated people I have ever known, and they're willing to discuss anything.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Unfortunately, I don't think you have an answer yet. I was checking out some video equipment to try and stabalize the signal, but they are all probably more expensive than what you payed for the used Playstation. Even then, they don't seem to do what you would need. I wonder if it is a matter of the fact that it is trying to display the skipped scan lines, or if there is a change in signal that is giving it problems... If they have a replacement chip that solves the problem, and it still runs in low res mode, I think that might be your best bet.

Unless you have a way to convert the signal, or can get / make a filter that would take the input scan line, and output it twice, so that you are not skipping anything...


Paul G.
SN# 090000587 (40GB Smoke)