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  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 31,964

    My late uncle had one of these (the pic is not his, but the color is right). I remember my Father (a Lincoln-Mercury man) making fun of him for having a Chrysler. Looking back, pretty darned cool car...

    https://images.app.goo.gl/QGMhYZGQghhL1aSb7

    Not the most reliable cars at the time, but they sure did look nice.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,256
    Those 300 letter cars were sporty for their time.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • jmonroe1jmonroe1 Member Posts: 7,466
    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    I guess this means that Ford will be producing police interceptors with foam bumpers pretty soon for crowd control. :o

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,562
    driver100 said:

    I saw one of these yesterday and thought that is kind of a strange design. Little tailights, big overhang in the front....nothing really glamorous or outstanding about it. Took awhile to find one, checked Desotos, Dodges, Plymouths, Chryslers............anyone want to take a guess.

    Looks like an early 60s Plymouth Fury.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,562
    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    I wonder who they call when their car gets stolen?

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    That's it, not to get political but in November I'm voting for the giant meteor impact.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,327
    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    Mass insanity, a very apt description !

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,327

    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    I wonder who they call when their car gets stolen?
    Ghost Busters?

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    jmonroe1 said:

    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    I guess this means that Ford will be producing police interceptors with foam bumpers pretty soon for crowd control. :o

    jmonroe

    Just looked at Ford’s numbers for ALL police vehicle sales. In 2019, units sold dropped by nearly ½ of what they were in 2018. I would imagine 2020 will be much worse.

    So, could be a good move by Ford to say “no thanks” to police vehicle sales and gaining a PR brownie point in the process.
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,097
    edited July 2020
    Their effort would be better used to support actual reforms, which in many areas are actually needed, and now.

    I wonder what the profit margin is on PPVs.

    Funny thing, my overly affluent suburb still has some Crown Vic patrol cars in active service. No Taurus that I know of though, I think SUVs are taking over.
    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290

    jmonroe1 said:

    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    I guess this means that Ford will be producing police interceptors with foam bumpers pretty soon for crowd control. :o

    jmonroe

    Just looked at Ford’s numbers for ALL police vehicle sales. In 2019, units sold dropped by nearly ½ of what they were in 2018. I would imagine 2020 will be much worse.

    So, could be a good move by Ford to say “no thanks” to police vehicle sales and gaining a PR brownie point in the process.
    Actually I think that it would backfire in the PR department as a majority of people are not on the defund the police movement.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,856
    @graphicguy Great post! I too have hooked up many people’s systems and enjoy doing so. It was almost a side job in the early 90s when I was in high school. It’s actually easier today with HDMI and receivers that have auto setups with microphones. I used to use a sound level meter to balance the channels after I set them by ear.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    tjc78 said:

    @graphicguy Great post! I too have hooked up many people’s systems and enjoy doing so. It was almost a side job in the early 90s when I was in high school. It’s actually easier today with HDMI and receivers that have auto setups with microphones. I used to use a sound level meter to balance the channels after I set them by ear.

    Same here. I still have a Radio Shack analog sound meter- although as you noted with the advent of Audyssey MultEQ you let the system calibrate itself.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    edited July 2020
    fezo said:

    Man, you go away for 73,000 posts and...

    Not actually that much to report. I think I still have the same cars.

    Who'd have figured that in my late 60s I'd be in as good health as I've ever been?

    We had one adult daughter move back in due to Covid and added to the animal population here.

    On the car-related front, my mechanic is trying to put me in a Mazdaspeed 3. I'm game for that. The problem is that he doesn't own it. A woman maybe in her 80s has it and hates it. He keeps on trying to convince her to sell it and get something she likes but she won't do it. Stay tuned. If I got it it'd be replacing the Miata. Since one of the issues from the transplant is developing skin cancers (3 so far) some of the convertible magic wears off. Stay tuned.

    Were it to come through we'd have 3 Mazdas all in the same color - Soul Red. The Miata is green.

    Fezo!!! is it really you? Both of us went away and now both of us are back? Probably to the dismay of some!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342

    Everytime I'm prepping for my colonoscopy or others mention they are, I think of Mackabee and what he went through. That makes the whole thing more important to do.

    Yeah, I think of Mackabee from time to time. He was such a good guy and there was some jerk at the time who actually would tease him about his condition to the point he would strike back in spades. After several warnings he got banned. He serves as a lesson to all of us. Gee, for me, it's been nine years...gulp!
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    tjc78 said:

    @graphicguy Great post! I too have hooked up many people’s systems and enjoy doing so. It was almost a side job in the early 90s when I was in high school. It’s actually easier today with HDMI and receivers that have auto setups with microphones. I used to use a sound level meter to balance the channels after I set them by ear.

    Still have my RADIO SHACK SPL meter. I use it to double check the AVR's settings.

    I remember a guy who paid a lot for an AVR to hook up to his Bose HT system (the ones with the cubes and little bass module). Told him it was kinda like putting a square peg in a round hole. But, he insisted. Trying to remember, I think it was a higher end Onkyo AVR (when Onkyo made decent equipment, which they don't any more).

    Hooked it up just like a 5.1 set of speakers, although the little cubes were supposed to be connected through the Bose bass module. Instead, I hooked them into the Onkyo and the Bose bass module into the "pre-out".

    Sounded horrible. Obviously, hooking the Bose Cubes to the AVR vs hooking it to the Bose bass module bypassed whatever signal manipulation Bose employs. Plus, the Bose bass module, getting a full 20Hz-80Hz signal from the AVR distorted terribly. Again, Bose was only trying to reproduce the mid-bass frequencies. The cubes weren't much better when it came to distortion. Obviously, without the digital signal processing Bose employs, their speakers are terrible.

    I recall when your Yamaha, the Pioneer Elite SC 09, the Denon 5805, etc were at the top of the AVR heap....powerful amps, technologically advanced, and as good as any high end equipment on the market. Now, with the mergers (Denon and Marantz merged, Pioneer and Onkyo merged), the equipment becomes a product of the economies of scale.
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    jmonroe1 said:

    Disc brakes pads are easy to change; it’s done at HPDEs all the time. On a car with fixed calipers it takes 10 minutes a corner. If you don’t feel competent to do it you shouldn’t attempt it- but it’s certainly not a complex or difficult repair.

    People who have never changed brake pads have no idea how simple it is to do compared to the old days when cars had drum brakes. In a way I almost miss the pinging sound of return springs bouncing off the garage walls when I do a brake job now. B)

    jmonroe
    When I was a kid in high school and broke as usual, I did a brake job on my 1955 Chevy using vise grips to remove the springs! Talk about taking off! I "rebuilt" the wheel cylinders by taking them apart and sandpapering the bores and installing rebuild kits. The brake shoes were bought USED at a junkyard! Funny how I actually had brakes that worked afterwards! Turning the drums? What's that?
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 31,964
    edited July 2020

    driver100 said:

    I saw one of these yesterday and thought that is kind of a strange design. Little tailights, big overhang in the front....nothing really glamorous or outstanding about it. Took awhile to find one, checked Desotos, Dodges, Plymouths, Chryslers............anyone want to take a guess.

    Looks like an early 60s Plymouth Fury.
    63 Chrysler Newport (I think same design from about 61 to 64)
    See how much nicer a 59 looked!

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    tjc78 said:

    @graphicguy Great post! I too have hooked up many people’s systems and enjoy doing so. It was almost a side job in the early 90s when I was in high school. It’s actually easier today with HDMI and receivers that have auto setups with microphones. I used to use a sound level meter to balance the channels after I set them by ear.

    Same here. I still have a Radio Shack analog sound meter- although as you noted with the advent of Audyssey MultEQ you let the system calibrate itself.

    http://diyaudioprojects.com/Testeq/RadioShack_33-2050/33-2050.htm
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    When I was young I fancied myself as a television repair guy. When I was about 14, I got pretty good about pulling out tubes, putting them in a sack and taking them to the nearby supermarket where they had a tube testing machine...I know...SOME of you must remember these! I would quickly learn which tube had failed and much to the joy of the rest of the family, the old black and white Magnavox would live again!

    I knew what tubes were but I didn't know what a capacatior was nor did I know that they could store electricity even when the set had been unplugged for over an hour. Well. one day I found out....BIG TIME and that ended my career in electronics. that is until I got my Ham radio.
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729

    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    I wonder who they call when their car gets stolen?
    Having dealt with the Police on a stolen vehicle before, they put in about 1/100th of the effort and work that they do on a speeding ticket, apparently a speeding ticket is 100 times more important than Grand Theft Auto.

    Ditto for Hit & Runs :disappointed: DEFUND!
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244

    jmonroe1 said:

    Disc brakes pads are easy to change; it’s done at HPDEs all the time. On a car with fixed calipers it takes 10 minutes a corner. If you don’t feel competent to do it you shouldn’t attempt it- but it’s certainly not a complex or difficult repair.

    People who have never changed brake pads have no idea how simple it is to do compared to the old days when cars had drum brakes. In a way I almost miss the pinging sound of return springs bouncing off the garage walls when I do a brake job now. B)

    jmonroe
    When I was a kid in high school and broke as usual, I did a brake job on my 1955 Chevy using vise grips to remove the springs! Talk about taking off! I "rebuilt" the wheel cylinders by taking them apart and sandpapering the bores and installing rebuild kits. The brake shoes were bought USED at a junkyard! Funny how I actually had brakes that worked afterwards! Turning the drums? What's that?
    I have rear drums on my 2008 Mercury Mariner. Fronts are disc. Thought about a disc pad conversion kit for better stopping power, but I guess it wouldn't make that much of a difference since the front brakes do the majority of the braking?
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,440
    Correct. The rears aren’t doing much more than keeping the trunk behind the hood. I’ve never heard of a conversion kit on something like a Mariner, and if you did want to do it, would be cost prohibitive most likely.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    andres3 said:

    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    I wonder who they call when their car gets stolen?
    Having dealt with the Police on a stolen vehicle before, they put in about 1/100th of the effort and work that they do on a speeding ticket, apparently a speeding ticket is 100 times more important than Grand Theft Auto.

    Ditto for Hit & Runs :disappointed: DEFUND!
    Back in the 80s my Mustang was stolen, it took the police a little less than 4 hours to find it. And this was the Cook County Sheriff's police so that's saying something.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 31,964
    andres3 said:

    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    I wonder who they call when their car gets stolen?
    Having dealt with the Police on a stolen vehicle before, they put in about 1/100th of the effort and work that they do on a speeding ticket, apparently a speeding ticket is 100 times more important than Grand Theft Auto.

    Ditto for Hit & Runs :disappointed: DEFUND!
    Harder to find a stolen car and usually insurance covers the cost. Speeding tickets different kettle of fish.....income generating and much easier to catch someone speeding. :D

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    driver100 said:

    andres3 said:

    ab348 said:

    The mass insanity has now spread to a group of workers at Ford, who want the company to stop making police vehicles:

    https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-employees-police-cars

    I wonder who they call when their car gets stolen?
    Having dealt with the Police on a stolen vehicle before, they put in about 1/100th of the effort and work that they do on a speeding ticket, apparently a speeding ticket is 100 times more important than Grand Theft Auto.

    Ditto for Hit & Runs :disappointed: DEFUND!
    Harder to find a stolen car and usually insurance covers the cost. Speeding tickets different kettle of fish.....income generating and much easier to catch someone speeding. :D
    If it was easy anyone would do it, and for minimum wage too.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    When I was young I fancied myself as a television repair guy. When I was about 14, I got pretty good about pulling out tubes, putting them in a sack and taking them to the nearby supermarket where they had a tube testing machine...I know...SOME of you must remember these! I would quickly learn which tube had failed and much to the joy of the rest of the family, the old black and white Magnavox would live again!

    I knew what tubes were but I didn't know what a capacatior was nor did I know that they could store electricity even when the set had been unplugged for over an hour. Well. one day I found out....BIG TIME and that ended my career in electronics. that is until I got my Ham radio.

    I was at the tail end of TVs with tubes. I do recall my parents getting a Motorola TV because (allegedly) you could fix it without a technician. The theory, it had a drawer you could pull out and change circuit boards that went bad. Again, in theory. The issue, not knowing which circuit board was bad unless you had a very expensive tester (like testing tubes). Those circuit boards were not cheap, either. I recall my Father laying down some very tangy words going from one circuit board to the next, trying to fix ours. He'd pull a board out, put a new one in, only to realize that didn't fix the TV. Mail the board back to Motorola and wait for the new one to show up, wash, rinse, repeat.

    He went from that TV to one called Curtis Mathes (which to this day, I don't think I've ever seen another one outside of the one we had). Allegedly, the best TV money could buy. I don't remember the picture being all that special, but it was a self contained TV and stereo in a big wooden cabinet. The TV wasn't memorable, but the stereo was my intro in listening to my first STEREO albums, and it got loud.

    I saved the pittance I made doing jobs around the neighborhood (mowing, gutter cleaning, raking, etc) and bough my own personal TV for my bedroom...a 13" Sony Trinitron. He thought Sony TVs were crap (based on where they were made), even though they were some of the best TVs on the market at the time (also most expensive). Kept that TV through middle school, high school and it followed me to college. Still played well, with the best looking picture of any TV I had seen up until that point. I gave it to my baby sister for her to put in her bedroom, and it probably played another 4-5 years. I think it finally gave up the ghost after 15 year of heavy use, and probably could have been fixed if my sister cared just a tad bit.

    And yes, I found out about the electricity stored in capacitors the same way as you. Not a pleasant experience. ;)
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    edited July 2020

    ab348 said:

    I saw an article on CNET about a newly-introduced Marantz A/V receiver that can handle 8K video. Seeing the pic of the back panel of the thing in the article made me glad I an no longer an audio/videophile. I had a headache just looking at it, and now better understand @graphicguy 's frustration at hooking up his new device.

    image

    Yeah...as @roadburner mentioned, a lot of that is redundant. That Marantz has copper shielding throughout. 8K content simply doesn’t exist in any mainstream form. Like 3D, I kind of question the demand for the format.

    I know of NO ONE who’s ever used an RS232 port on an AVR. The speaker connections assume 7 main/surround channels and 4 “height” channels for Dolby Atmos and DTS X. My speakers offer very wide dispersion so I don’t feel the need for height channels. I do have 2 subwoofers (RB, your HSU is nice). One for the mid bass and one for lower Hz. Both are made by one of the original members of a well respected internet audio company (SVS). Mine are PSA.

    Why anyone is using an AVR for AM or FM radio is also a curiously. Both formats are limited in both frequency and are very compressed (except for the HD channels). Most radio stations can be heard via HD, which is a digital format that you can get via the internet. This particularly AVR that I just installed has WiFi capability. So, I can stream stations from that. No need for an antenna.

    The analog connections (white/red) are for outputting to a separate amp. I did that for a while on one of my older installations. But, the amps in the top end AVRs these days are really good. Mine has a large power supply and individual amp modules that are isolated from each other (another reason why it’s so big and heavy). So, I don’t use a separate amp anymore. The Denon I just installed has no problem effortlessly driving my entire system to reference levels and beyond.

    IF you have ANY component so old that you have to connect it via RGB, co-axial, component or Any analog cables, this probably isn’t the AVR for you. It would be WAY overkill for an installation that would utilize those connections. That said, I do know people who are still married to their VHS/Beta tapes (which look terrible even when compared to DVD disks).

    HDMI is THE way you want to connect whatever you can. Most current AVRs have more than enough HDMI connections. HDMI (current) cables can carry Ultra HD (4K) video and multiple channels of lossless audio. So, the optical cable connection is redundant, too...and that’s just for audio.

    At the end of the day, I know how to hook up the most complex Home Theater systems. I’ve done it many, many times for myself and many, many times for others. If you are easily confused, don’t care how to utilize one of these AVRs, don’t care how to maximize performance, yeah...I guess hire someone to do the installation for you. Be prepared to pay dearly for the privilege. Me? I do it for a 6 pack of local brew.

    The issue isn’t just making the connections, it’s wrestling with a 50+ pound AVR (which is what mine weighs). I don’t just twist speaker wires in a terminal, it’s terminating them with high quality spade or banana plugs. Believe it or not, it used to be worse. It used to be every component to be connected to an AVR had 4 separate connections you needed to make...3 RGB and one optical, co-axial or component cables. Now, it’s just one HDMI.

    This is my first Denon AVR. It’s built extremely well. It is powerful. It has great decoders and DACs. It’s firmware can be updated via WiFi. My hope is that I get as many years from it as I got from my Pioneer Elite (10+). My only beef, at this price point, you’d think they could include a universal remote that lights up. That was not to be, though. I do use my Firestick remote for ON/OFF and Volume control. But, when I have to switch component ports on the AVR, I have to use the Denon remote. Minor inconvenience. But, still.......

    I’m sure that’s more than ANYONE wanted to know. But, that is how I get the picture and sound that I get (big hat tip to LG OLED TV technology, too). Watching Saving Private Ryan again with this current setup (LG OLED and Denon AVR) was simply stunning.
    Not all of Onkyo is complete junk yet. The RZ line is still good quality and carries a longer 3 year warranty. Why anyone would want to buy the cheap stuff with a paltry "1 year or 2 year" warranty is beyond me. Stick to the RZ line. Nothing spells "poor quality" like reduced warranty times on electronics; particularly the "90 day" products out there.

    https://www.onkyousa.com/product/tx-rz3100/

    https://www.onkyousa.com/product/tx-rz840/

    I think I have the 820 which is 2 years older than the 840 linked above. It's a bit better in that it dedicates all of its power to 7.2 rather than splitting it 9.2 ways (same weight). As I said, a 3 year warranty pretty much ensures a bit more quality, but rumor is a lot of these modern receivers have a lot of issues from all brands...keeping the few repair places still open busy.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    tjc78 said:

    driver100 said:

    jmonroe1 said:

    There are some things with cars that any decent mechanic worth anything can figure out and do on their own - oil changes, brakes, suspension, etc.

    However, my opinion (which along with $3.99 will get you an egg mcmuffin), is that once you get out of that and into more serious diagnostics/repair requires an expert who actually knows and understands your car whether that be a dealer or an Indy. For instance, the Saab went to a shop that specialized only in Saabs - the BMW does the same. That way, you're at least speaking to someone who understands the various moving parts and you're more likely to get some critical thinking vs. plugging into the computer and then randomly throwing parts at a problem which adds up fast.

    Lately I've had an urge to try and fix things at home and on the car myself, mostly just to prove to myself that I can. I'd say my success rate is around 85%, which isn't terrible. More impressive to my wife is that those fixes are still holding and haven't blown up... :D

    And I’m sure that you have found out by now that skills learned for the first time on one job can be used when you do other jobs. Even learning which end of the wrench to use when you drive nails.

    jmonroe

    That said, I'd like to learn to do brakes and a brake fluid flush, but I'm a ways off from any of our cars needing it.
    Even if I knew how to change brakes and do a brake fluid flush (I imagine you could learn to do it fairly easily - it isn't rocket science) I would not do it. Brakes should be left to experts who have insurance and have all the proper qualifications. If your brakes fail because you didn't do it right....you could be very sorry....that is one that lives could depend on.

    As mentioned if you are just doing pads it’s pretty easy.

    ab348 said:

    I saw an article on CNET about a newly-introduced Marantz A/V receiver that can handle 8K video. Seeing the pic of the back panel of the thing in the article made me glad I an no longer an audio/videophile. I had a headache just looking at it, and now better understand @graphicguy 's frustration at hooking up his new device.

    image

    If you look closer it’s actually pretty simple; the lower jacks are for speakers while the RCA jacks are redundant inputs for the HDMI inputs. Lots of inputs=lots of jacks/sockets.
    This perceived complexity is why so many HTS installers get away with charging very high prices to set up mediocre systems.
    When we go to Homearama in Louisville and check out the systems in some very expensive new construction I’m amazed at what is passed off as high end home theater. I recall in one home there was a HTS installed in a huge family room and the one subwoofer was hardly bigger than the one in my cheap and dirty basement 5.1 gaming system- yet the “professional installer” charged more for that puny SW than I paid for the HSU VTF 2 I have in my primary 7.1 HTS.

    Yep! In reality very few of those RCA jacks will ever be used. I’m impressed by the turntable input. Many receivers have omitted that for the last two decades.
    Turntables have made a comeback! They are "in" right now. However, don't be too impressed. I think my Denon didn't have a turntable input, but my Onkyo does. Since I owned the Denon first, I had bought a Pro-Ject pre-amp for about $70 from Crutchfield to bridge the gap. The Onkyo comes with a "Phono" input, but they'd have been better off omitting it like Denon. It works, but it works so poorly it is a joke. The $70-$80 pre-amp works 10X better! Junk! Better not to include something rather than throw junk in a receiver.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    andres3 said:

    ab348 said:

    I saw an article on CNET about a newly-introduced Marantz A/V receiver that can handle 8K video. Seeing the pic of the back panel of the thing in the article made me glad I an no longer an audio/videophile. I had a headache just looking at it, and now better understand @graphicguy 's frustration at hooking up his new device.

    image

    Yeah...as @roadburner mentioned, a lot of that is redundant. That Marantz has copper shielding throughout. 8K content simply doesn’t exist in any mainstream form. Like 3D, I kind of question the demand for the format.

    I know of NO ONE who’s ever used an RS232 port on an AVR. The speaker connections assume 7 main/surround channels and 4 “height” channels for Dolby Atmos and DTS X. My speakers offer very wide dispersion so I don’t feel the need for height channels. I do have 2 subwoofers (RB, your HSU is nice). One for the mid bass and one for lower Hz. Both are made by one of the original members of a well respected internet audio company (SVS). Mine are PSA.

    Why anyone is using an AVR for AM or FM radio is also a curiously. Both formats are limited in both frequency and are very compressed (except for the HD channels). Most radio stations can be heard via HD, which is a digital format that you can get via the internet. This particularly AVR that I just installed has WiFi capability. So, I can stream stations from that. No need for an antenna.

    The analog connections (white/red) are for outputting to a separate amp. I did that for a while on one of my older installations. But, the amps in the top end AVRs these days are really good. Mine has a large power supply and individual amp modules that are isolated from each other (another reason why it’s so big and heavy). So, I don’t use a separate amp anymore. The Denon I just installed has no problem effortlessly driving my entire system to reference levels and beyond.

    IF you have ANY component so old that you have to connect it via RGB, co-axial, component or Any analog cables, this probably isn’t the AVR for you. It would be WAY overkill for an installation that would utilize those connections. That said, I do know people who are still married to their VHS/Beta tapes (which look terrible even when compared to DVD disks).

    HDMI is THE way you want to connect whatever you can. Most current AVRs have more than enough HDMI connections. HDMI (current) cables can carry Ultra HD (4K) video and multiple channels of lossless audio. So, the optical cable connection is redundant, too...and that’s just for audio.

    At the end of the day, I know how to hook up the most complex Home Theater systems. I’ve done it many, many times for myself and many, many times for others. If you are easily confused, don’t care how to utilize one of these AVRs, don’t care how to maximize performance, yeah...I guess hire someone to do the installation for you. Be prepared to pay dearly for the privilege. Me? I do it for a 6 pack of local brew.

    The issue isn’t just making the connections, it’s wrestling with a 50+ pound AVR (which is what mine weighs). I don’t just twist speaker wires in a terminal, it’s terminating them with high quality spade or banana plugs. Believe it or not, it used to be worse. It used to be every component to be connected to an AVR had 4 separate connections you needed to make...3 RGB and one optical, co-axial or component cables. Now, it’s just one HDMI.

    This is my first Denon AVR. It’s built extremely well. It is powerful. It has great decoders and DACs. It’s firmware can be updated via WiFi. My hope is that I get as many years from it as I got from my Pioneer Elite (10+). My only beef, at this price point, you’d think they could include a universal remote that lights up. That was not to be, though. I do use my Firestick remote for ON/OFF and Volume control. But, when I have to switch component ports on the AVR, I have to use the Denon remote. Minor inconvenience. But, still.......

    I’m sure that’s more than ANYONE wanted to know. But, that is how I get the picture and sound that I get (big hat tip to LG OLED TV technology, too). Watching Saving Private Ryan again with this current setup (LG OLED and Denon AVR) was simply stunning.
    Not all of Onkyo is complete junk yet. The RZ line is still good quality and carries a longer 3 year warranty. Why anyone would want to buy the cheap stuff with a paltry "1 year or 2 year" warranty is beyond me. Stick to the RZ line. Nothing spells "poor quality" like reduced warranty times on electronics; particularly the "90 day" products out there.

    https://www.onkyousa.com/product/tx-rz3100/

    https://www.onkyousa.com/product/tx-rz840/

    I think I have the 820 which is 2 years older than the 840 linked above. It's a bit better in that it dedicates all of its power to 7.2 rather than splitting it 9.2 ways (same weight). As I said, a 3 year warranty pretty much ensures a bit more quality, but rumor is a lot of these modern receivers have a lot of issues from all brands...keeping the few repair places still open busy.
    That being said, I think Onkyo,, like everyone else, is headed in the wrong direction regarding sound quality, just saw the 840 is significantly 'lighter' duty than my 820.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    I have an AR XA turntable that I “bought” from my uncle. He was going to donate it to the children’s ministry of his church- in that environment I suspected it would have a life expectancy of around 15 minutes, so I told him to name a price and I’d donate that amount to his church. And that’s how I wound up owning it for the princely sum of $75.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    I have a Thorens turntable from the late ‘70s. It needs some work. That’s next on my agenda.
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • sdasda Member Posts: 6,936
    edited July 2020
    I have a mid 80s Technics SL direct drive, quartz lock, with straight arm turntable that still gets played several times a year. Not the best compared to other models at the time, but much better than most models today unless you spend $$$$. It’s connected to an early 90s Sony receiver, and my Advent speakers I bought while I was in college. It’s no longer the primary system but is still enjoyable to listen to.

    2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,562
    jipster said:

    jmonroe1 said:

    Disc brakes pads are easy to change; it’s done at HPDEs all the time. On a car with fixed calipers it takes 10 minutes a corner. If you don’t feel competent to do it you shouldn’t attempt it- but it’s certainly not a complex or difficult repair.

    People who have never changed brake pads have no idea how simple it is to do compared to the old days when cars had drum brakes. In a way I almost miss the pinging sound of return springs bouncing off the garage walls when I do a brake job now. B)

    jmonroe
    When I was a kid in high school and broke as usual, I did a brake job on my 1955 Chevy using vise grips to remove the springs! Talk about taking off! I "rebuilt" the wheel cylinders by taking them apart and sandpapering the bores and installing rebuild kits. The brake shoes were bought USED at a junkyard! Funny how I actually had brakes that worked afterwards! Turning the drums? What's that?
    I have rear drums on my 2008 Mercury Mariner. Fronts are disc. Thought about a disc pad conversion kit for better stopping power, but I guess it wouldn't make that much of a difference since the front brakes do the majority of the braking?
    I think rear discs became a status symbol around 2010 when even run of the mill cars got them. My 95’ Lincoln and my top trim 2000 convertible had them, the kid’s 2005 Sable didn’t nor did the 2009 Chrysler.

    Any recent car probably wouldn’t sell without them.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,562
    stickguy said:

    Correct. The rears aren’t doing much more than keeping the trunk behind the hood. I’ve never heard of a conversion kit on something like a Mariner, and if you did want to do it, would be cost prohibitive most likely.

    Rear discs on a PT Cruiser were a $250 option. I see them doing drum-disk conversions on old muscle cars all the time but I don’t know what it costs.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • abacomikeabacomike Member Posts: 12,255
    On my way home this afternoon I saw a BMW M850 Xdrive COUPE in black on black next to me at a traffic light. Gorgeous car! My guess is that it costs $125,000+.

    2021 Genesis G90

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312


    I think rear discs became a status symbol around 2010 when even run of the mill cars got them. My 95’ Lincoln and my top trim 2000 convertible had them, the kid’s 2005 Sable didn’t nor did the 2009 Chrysler.

    Any recent car probably wouldn’t sell without them.

    Since 1980 I’ve purchased just two cars with rear drums- my Wrangler and my 2002. My 1973 Bavaria and 1979 Arrow GT both had rear discs- and OHC motors. The Bavaria also had IRS.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,562
    abacomike said:

    On my way home this afternoon I saw a BMW M850 Xdrive COUPE in black on black next to me at a traffic light. Gorgeous car! My guess is that it costs $125,000+.

    Sweet. I would have thought closer to $150k but I looked it up and they start around $111k. A bargain.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,562
    edited July 2020


    I think rear discs became a status symbol around 2010 when even run of the mill cars got them. My 95’ Lincoln and my top trim 2000 convertible had them, the kid’s 2005 Sable didn’t nor did the 2009 Chrysler.

    Any recent car probably wouldn’t sell without them.

    Since 1980 I’ve purchased just two cars with rear drums- my Wrangler and my 2002. My 1973 Bavaria and 1979 Arrow GT both had rear discs- and OHC motors. The Bavaria also had IRS.

    I think saying status symbol was imprecise. I should have said rear discs became expected in non sports cars. My 84’ Corvette had them but most cars I drove did not until quite recently. Heck, my Kia has them now.

    As to OHC, most of my cars were from General Motors so pushrod all the way baby!😄

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,440
    sda said:

    I have a mid 80s Technics SL direct drive, quartz lock, with straight arm turntable that still gets played several times a year. Not the best compared to other models at the time, but much better than most models today unless you spend $$$$. It’s connected to an early 90s Sony receiver, and my Advent speakers I bought while I was in college. It’s no longer the primary system but is still enjoyable to listen to.

    I have the same TT downstairs. In the box, has not been out in decades at this point.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • jmonroe1jmonroe1 Member Posts: 7,466

    When I was young I fancied myself as a television repair guy. When I was about 14, I got pretty good about pulling out tubes, putting them in a sack and taking them to the nearby supermarket where they had a tube testing machine...I know...SOME of you must remember these! I would quickly learn which tube had failed and much to the joy of the rest of the family, the old black and white Magnavox would live again!

    I knew what tubes were but I didn't know what a capacatior was nor did I know that they could store electricity even when the set had been unplugged for over an hour. Well. one day I found out....BIG TIME and that ended my career in electronics. that is until I got my Ham radio.

    And heaven help you if you didn’t discharge the connection to the picture tube (CRT) before you tried to remove the high voltage wire from it. Same thing when you wanted to remove the horizontal output tube that was in the vented high voltage cage usually located at the bottom right corner of the chassis. An old time TV repair man showed me a black mark burned though one of his fingers under the nail as proof that you better not forget to discharge these circuits before working on them or removing the tube. That finger looked pretty bad even after years since he forgot, ONCE. :'(

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    Fun at work; trying to keep up with dockets in two different counties...

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    On a more entertaining note, I'm now displaying about 5% of my model car collection at the office:

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • ronsteveronsteve Member Posts: 1,190


    I think rear discs became a status symbol around 2010 when even run of the mill cars got them. My 95’ Lincoln and my top trim 2000 convertible had them, the kid’s 2005 Sable didn’t nor did the 2009 Chrysler.

    Any recent car probably wouldn’t sell without them.

    Since 1980 I’ve purchased just two cars with rear drums- my Wrangler and my 2002. My 1973 Bavaria and 1979 Arrow GT both had rear discs- and OHC motors. The Bavaria also had IRS.

    I think saying status symbol was imprecise. I should have said rear discs became expected in non sports cars. My 84’ Corvette had them but most cars I drove did not until quite recently. Heck, my Kia has them now.

    As to OHC, most of my cars were from General Motors so pushrod all the way baby!😄
    My first car was an '82 Pontiac Grand Prix, bought in 1991. My next 2 were also GM, but both OHC (a 1993 Sunbird and a 1994 Saturn), tho I didn't go 4-wheel disc until my Accord in 2002.
    2015 Acura RDX AWD / 2013 VW Jetta 2.5SE
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    I have an AR XA turntable that I “bought” from my uncle. He was going to donate it to the children’s ministry of his church- in that environment I suspected it would have a life expectancy of around 15 minutes, so I told him to name a price and I’d donate that amount to his church. And that’s how I wound up owning it for the princely sum of $75.

    Nice turntable!
    sda said:

    I have a mid 80s Technics SL direct drive, quartz lock, with straight arm turntable that still gets played several times a year. Not the best compared to other models at the time, but much better than most models today unless you spend $$$$. It’s connected to an early 90s Sony receiver, and my Advent speakers I bought while I was in college. It’s no longer the primary system but is still enjoyable to listen to.

    That Technics turntable was part of the very first “real” stereo I had back in college. It wasn’t audiophile, but it was built like a tank. Wish I still had it. Advent speakers....the gold standard of ‘80s stereos. I bet it is enjoyable.
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    My Tacoma has rear drum brakes!

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    nyccarguy said:

    My Tacoma has rear drum brakes!

    I'm surprised; but after all it's a truck. Kind of why drums on the back of the the TJ don't bother me.
    Much.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • abacomikeabacomike Member Posts: 12,255
    edited July 2020
    dino001 said:

    Florida just reported 120 Covid deaths yesterday,. To give context to that number, that's about 3-4 times the moving average from last weeks. So the theory of "it's just young people so not to worry" just collapsed. I wonder what new excuse I'll hear from my enlightened governor today.

    My thoughts on this continuing saga of the spread of the COVID-19 virus and the resulting deaths it causes is simple - "...you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't...!"

    There is no simple answer to this horror we are all facing. To stop the virus dead in its tracks, everyone must stay at home and businesses must close down. Isn't that simple? Of course it is, BUT how do you eat and how do you have your AC repaired and how do you have your plumbing fixed and hundreds of other problems result from that one simple decision.

    There are going to be more deaths and hospitalizations until the public is vaccinated against this awful virus and humans develop an immunity. And then we wait for the next virus to spread! It's a dilemma because no matter what we or the government does, until an effective vaccine is developed and given to everyone, we are in this mess for the duration.

    Sure you can reduce deaths and hospitalizations by wearing masks and going out only when needed, but you cannot eliminate it 100%, or even 75%, or even 60%. 50% maybe, but there is a limit to how effective putting these restrictions on the populous will be in stopping the spread of this virus.

    2021 Genesis G90

  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    Whatever else you can say about this virus it’s pretty clear that many other countries have managed it way better than us. They are reopening without surges like we are seeing. It’s quite frightening to be honest.
    On another and happier note, I just got my auto insurance renewal and was pleasantly surprised to see that my premiums have actually decreased! I switched to AAA last year and dropped my premiums $40/month after State Farm hit me with a whopping renewal charge. Pleased to see they are staying low. Hopefully some day we will get a chance to actually drive out of our county.
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
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