Time to plan the next Austin meet (September 2002) (1 Viewer)

[Greg Risley]

Dang it! I just found out I have to go to training and can't make the 14th Sep. I was just about to chime in like Jonathan and say maybe I could host on the 28th. Oh well.

Greg

 

[Frederick_Falk]

I can come the 14th or the 21st, but not the 28th.

Jonathan, what about Colin's offer for the 21st? How many can come on the 21st?

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

21st will work well for me as I'll be in San Francisco on the 14th and would not have been able to attend.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

PS: Colin, are you RSVPing for this Friday night's movie night?

 

[Rajiv Arora]

21st sounds good to me too.

-Rajiv

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

What about we start off at Frank's house with a little DIY project and then go to Colin's place for the shootout?

Who is this Frank guy that I keep hearing about? He must be one slippery covert ops dude, because I have yet to meet, much less, see him.

I have little to no interest in a computer as a front end peice of HT gear, so I might attend to serve in my official capacity as Cultural Ambassador of The Banana Republic.
I assume I'll be free on the 14th, and if so, if anyone wants to build something, you are welcome to come over and break a sweat in my garage. This time, buy your own materials and pre-cut them beforehand. Have a plan in mind. If you have an identified acoustic problem to attack with an absorber panel or corner bass trap, I suggest you consult with Jonathan on design and get it down on paper - make a drawing so you don't miss anything. It'll be fun only if you end up with a finished "unit" that you can take home and enjoy the benefit. If you don't have table saw access, bring the boards/plywood/MDF over to my garage along with your cutting list a few days in advance of the 14th and I'll pre-cut the wood for you. Does that sound like a deal? No Colin, the possessed staple gun will NOT be there. Tequila and beer fund donations are greatfully accepted.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

What's going on here? I replied to Frederick's post and to Jonathan's decision for 9/14 after no one spoke up and now people are coming out of the wood work saying they can't make it. Is this the same group that's too chicken to do the Lake Travis Jaws on the water event?
Okay the 21st

 

[Jonathan DA]

Yeah, replies!

Okay we'll have the meet on the 21st. I guess an extra week won't hurt since I'll get to check out Jackie Brown this Friday. The meet will most likely be at Colin's or my place from the sound of it, either is fine by me.

Colin, if it's too much work for you to get ready, I can host as long as people don't mind an evening meet.

 

[Scott Oliver]

Afternoon of the 21st sounds good to me.

I like how Austin has the top four most active local meet threads going. Jonathan you need to get that webpage going before they kick us off for monopolizing this board.

 

[Greg Risley]

I can make the 21st. I could bring over my lt-150 projector if needed. I suggest that Mark bring along his new toy from Sharp we've been hearing about, I would really like to see this bad boy. Hint, Hint, Mark.

Greg

 

[Chris Keen]

I am good with the 14th or the 21st. 28th would not work for me. I don't have much to offer accept labor, and some $$ to throw in the beer / food funds. I have a small movie collection of only around 40-45 DVDs (it's growing).

Maybe I can have some small projects to bring along or sumpthing?

 

[Frederick_Falk]

Hank, You should know by now how I am with names! We did have a Frank though who lived in Pflugerville (I think that was where he lived) who brought over his SVS sub to the first meet that I had at my house. I believe you were there too.
Anyway, it sounds like everyone that has posted so far is good with the 21st and several will be unavailable for the 14th.
I just suggested the DIY project at your house (Hank) since we have had a lot of DIY discussion on the forum lately. I didn't have anything in particular in mind other than watching the Masters do their magic and trying to pick up a few pointers along the way so I would be half-way prepared when I started on my new HT room. I would still like to delve a little deeper in room accoustics and maybe bass traps. Would bass traps make a good, short DIY project that we could do at your place? If so, what items would we need to purchase and bring with us to the DIY project? Those that did not want to do the DIY project (or watch possessed tools ) could wait until the start of the HTPC vs DVD player comparison and just meet us where ever that will be held.
Speaking of which, will it be at Colin's or Jonathan's place? What time did you want to start that part of the meet?

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Scott: Yes, pretty amazing we have all this activity, especially given our small "membership". Small Texas group outdoes even southern California! You know the old saying: "One riot, one Texas Ranger".
Frederick and all: Bass traps would be a good project. Most designs I've seen on the 'net are columnar designs with MDF top and bottom end caps, wire fence stapled around their circumfrence, fibergals wrapped around, then covered with cloth/burlap. They supposedly work great, and are almost free compared to the major commercial brand. As a twist, I'm intrigued by the sketch Jonathan did for a triangular shaped trap.
Jonathan: If some guys want to build bass traps, what dimensions do you recommend (I think your impromptu sketch is in my garage)? What type/density fiberglas? Whoever wants to build, bring me enough MDF (buy 2' x 4' sheets if you can't transport 4' x 8') so that I can precut before the meet and I won't have to worry about anyone slicing off a finger (hate it when people bleed on my table saw ).
I think 1/2" MDF is thick enough, but it's hard to find. The Home Depot in Pflugerville is one source.
What do you guys want to build?
-Hank "I love the smell of MDF in the morning" Frankenberg

 

[Jonathan DA]

There are two types of bass traps that easy to build, one is the brodband absorber type Hank refers to above, and the other is a tuned trap meant to suck out resonances at specific frequencies. The cylindrical ones are the easiest to build, becuase the triangular ones have to be pretty big in order to get the low freqs. Hank, that drawing in your garage will only work down to about 150Hz. For the broadband bass traps, a cylinder 15" in diameter about 5' tall works great. For a tuned or triangular version I'd need to know the specific frequency that needs trapped.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

I'm taking my wife and son to SF for a week to get out of the Texas oven for a spell. I just checked our flight schedule, and I just realized our return flight wont get us back to Austin until 8pm on the 21st. I went ahead and rebooked on the 6am flight out of SF, but we still wont get back into Austin until after 2pm. Add another couple hours or so getting the family back to the abode, settled in, and check to be sure the managerie is all OK.

So at best I'll be free sometime after 4pm. Don't hold off the meet on my account, instead, I'll call the host that day to make sure the meet is still going on and try and meet up with you all at that time.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Jonathan, in agreement with your post, I've tried to encourage the guys to have specific targeted projects for their listening environments and to contact you for designs tailored to their needs.

I have a suggestion. If no one has an identified need, let's skip the DIY construction this time and instead, let's have a DIY room measurement session at the host's home. We could use appropriate signals and take room measurements. We could measure with someone's high-end mic and electronics and parallel that with Radio Shack meter measurements (I have a handy fill-in-th-blank chart for that). Then maybe Jonathan could show us what specific absorbers and traps would work to tame the grimlins. As a matter of fact, the more I think about it, the more I prefer that. We did a generic absorber DIY session, so before we do specific disigns for a specific room, let's learn to do the next logical step: correct room measurement.

What do you guys think?

 

[Jonathan DA]

I'm cool with the room measurement stuff. From what I understand, Colin's room is a big box with no strange openings or vaulted ceilings, etc. This is a good kind of room to do the basic measurements in and make simple improvements.

 

[Rajiv Arora]

Love the room measurement idea! This is an area in which I have not dabbled. In fact, the B&K has the ability to dial in a notch filter to tame the worst room mode, but I haven't figured out how to go about setting it.

Maybe room measurements in the afternoon, and then kick back and have a movie evening?

-Rajiv

 

[Colin Dunn]

Nils - I will be there Friday evening, probably around 7 again...

Everyone - I will step up to the plate and host this meet on September 21. I should have enough time to get ready by then...

As for my HT room ... I've got a BIG standing wave around 55Hz that needs to be tamed somehow...

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Gentlemen, I think we have a plan!
See you on the 21st.