View allAll Photos Tagged arrays!!!
Deb's newly restored Herse mixte joined forces with Sam's two Herse's to greet those of us who arrived on Friday for FFD.
Shown here is the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), located high on the Chajnantor Plateau in the Chilean Andes, 5000 metres above sea level.
The rocky edge visible in the foreground of the image is a mountain that looms above ALMA. It is here that the 1-metre pathfinder telescope, called MiniTAO, is situated. MiniTAO is part of the University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) project which will later see the construction of a larger 6.5-metre infrared optimised telescope on the site.
NAOJ, ESO and the other partners involved in ALMA selected this site because it is one of the highest and driest astronomical observatory sites on Earth.
ALMA is comprised of 66 high-precision antennas spread over a distance of up to 16 kilometres. The antennas use a technique known as interferometry to combine their signals, enabling them to act as a single giant antenna.
Signals from each of the antennas need to be combined with perfect synchronicity — a precision of one millionth of a millionth of a second. They are collected at the ALMA correlator (just out of view in the image), ALMA’s central computer, where the accuracy of the path followed from each antenna must be known to within the diameter of a human hair.
In 2013, ALMA was inaugurated at an official ceremony, which marked the completion of all the major systems of the array and the formal transition from a construction project to a fully-fledged observatory. The array explores the enigmatic cold Universe at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths, a largely unmapped part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
More information: www.eso.org/public/images/potw1520a/
Credit:
S. Komugi (NAOJ)/ESO
Microscopy images taken during my fall quarter rotation in Stephen Smith's lab at Stanford. The technique is array tomography, which produces for these crisp, 3D, high resolution, large scale, many-channel fluorescence images.
smithlab.stanford.edu
Legend:
White: DAPI (cell nuclei)
Green: YFP (Subpopulation of layer V pyramidal neurons)
Purple: Tubulin
Blue/Red: Neurofilament
Orange: Myelin Basic Protein
Spent the day learning about night photography then decided to test the theories tonight.
I knew there was a chance i'd still pick up the Perseids Meteor Shower, but i kept missing the shot. Somehow, sheer luck I guess, i managed to capture one! Right next to the passing aircraft, in the centre of the image.
Happy days! Surprised at how many more stars my camera picked up than my eyes!
Damn nature, you crazy.
PictionID:46536479 - Catalog:Array - Title:Array - Filename:AL-248C_099.tif - Robert Reedy was a native of Amarillo Texas. He attended college in Wichita Kansas, studying aeronautical engineering. On graduation he was quickly snapped up by Stearman Aircraft. During his subsequent career he made stops at Lockheed, Thorp and back to Lockheed where he retired as a vice president of sales. Reedy was involved in the design of several Stearman, Vega and Thorp types, the Lockheed P2V, Little Dipper, Big Dipper, and L-1011.--Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Elaborate iron gate on a Laburnum Street entrance to Hoxton Docks, featuring cuboctahedral linkages between the bars, with roughly decorated panels in between
Graphic Arrays
media: paper, aluminum dibond,
dimensions: 54 x 72 cm, 90 x 56 cm,
Aram Bartholl 2013
240x320, 240x400, 320x480, 480x640, 480x800, 540x960, 600x960, 600x1024, 640x960, 768x1024, 720x1280, 1366x768, 800x1280, 1080x1920, 1536x2048
640x480, 768x576, 800x600, 1024x600, 1024x768, 1152x720, 1280x720, 1280x768, 1280x800, 1152x864, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1360x768, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1600x900, 1400x1050, 1680x1050, 1600x1200, 1920x1080, 2048x1152, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 2560x1600
Luke 12:22-40
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
An Infrared black and white of the very large array to make up for the previous crappy camphone pic.
This is a shot of the enemy; The London Array, which, in time, will steal our title of biggest offshore wind farm in the world. They are building their depot next door, and each day we lose a bit more of our view of the harbour.
I guess this will be their warehouse, they have been building this for a few months, but now the piles are done and the metal frame up, it will soon be finished.
These are the LED arrays we put together this weekend...designed on Tuesday, got parts and PCBs on Thursday, assembled them Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
This photo shows the buildings of the ALMA Array Operations Site in the Chilean Atacama Desert surrounded by snow. Wait a minute — there’s snow in the desert?
The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places in the world — more specifically, the driest place on Earth outside the polar regions in terms of average rainfall. The very low levels of water vapour in the atmosphere and the almost constantly clear skies make it an ideal location for astronomical observations. However, as this photo from August 2023 — wintertime in Chile — shows, snow can occasionally visit the desert.
The Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner, is one of the largest astronomical projects in the world. The telescope’s 66 radio antennas are located at the Array Operations Site (AOS) on Llano de Chajnantor, an impressive 5000 metres above sea level and about 40 km east of San Pedro de Atacama. The large yellow truck in this picture is one of the two transporters used to periodically rearrange the antennas into different configurations.
The telescope’s signals are processed in a supercomputer in the nearby AOS Technical Building, pictured above — one of the highest-altitude buildings in the world! The digitised signals are then transmitted to the data storage facilities housed at the Operations Support Facility (OSF) site, at a more benign altitude of 2900 metres.
Credit: S. Otarola/ESO
The Solar array will be used to trickle charge the lithium battery bank in the Kimberly Kamper trailer while in storage. www.kimberleykampers.com/
A future project will be to add a battery and separate MPPT charger to power a 12 v garden fountain pump and outdoor LED lighting.
Components
2 x Uni-Solar Amorphous 62 W ES-62T $420 (sourced on ebay $210 each)
1 x Heavy Duty Universal Solar Panel Pole Mount kit from affordablesolarmounts.com/ $150
2.7 m (0.7 m in the ground) galvanised pole (MGPE 32NB) (42.4 MM) from EDCON Steel www.edconsteel.com.au/ $30
2 x MC3 Solar Panel Cable Branch Connectors sourced on ebay $19
2 x MC3 Solar Panel 6' Cable 1 End Male/Stripped 12 AWG sourced on ebay $40
10m 15A auto cable and Anderson plug from Jaycar $40
3 x 20 Kg ready mix cement from Bunnings $19.5
Total $719
See an overview video @
The Solar array will be used to trickle charge the lithium battery bank in the Kimberly Kamper trailer while in storage. www.kimberleykampers.com/
A future project will be to add a battery and separate MPPT charger to power a 12 v garden fountain pump and outdoor LED lighting.
Components
2 x Uni-Solar Amorphous 62 W ES-62T $420 (sourced on ebay $210 each)
1 x Heavy Duty Universal Solar Panel Pole Mount kit from affordablesolarmounts.com/ $150
2.7 m (0.7 m in the ground) galvanised pole (MGPE 32NB) (42.4 MM) from EDCON Steel www.edconsteel.com.au/ $30
2 x MC3 Solar Panel Cable Branch Connectors sourced on ebay $19
2 x MC3 Solar Panel 6' Cable 1 End Male/Stripped 12 AWG sourced on ebay $40
10m 15A auto cable and Anderson plug from Jaycar $40
3 x 20 Kg ready mix cement from Bunnings $19.5
Total $719
See an overview video @
De Steenbok 08/02/2018 13h26
A good place for a burger and a bite is De Steenbok in Anderrijk in between Fata Morgana and Bob. I love just the details of this sign.
De Efteling
The Efteling is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel in the Netherlands. The attractions are based on elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore.
The park was opened in 1952. It has since evolved from a nature park with a playground and a Fairytale Forest into a full-sized theme park. It now caters to both children and adults with its cultural, romantic, and nostalgic themes, in addition to its wide array of amusement rides.
It is the largest theme park in the Netherlands and one of the oldest theme parks in the world. It is twice as large as the original Disneyland park in California and antedates it by three years. Annually, the park has nearly 5 million visitors. In 2016, it was the third most visited theme park in Europe, behind Disneyland Paris and Europa-Park. Over the years, it has received over 125 million visitors.
Location: Kaatsheuvel, North Brabant, Netherlands
Opened: 1952
Operating season: Year-round
Visitors per annum: 4.76 million in 2016
Area: 72 ha the park; 276 ha the resort
Rides: Total 35
Roller coasters 6
Water rides 4
[ Source and much more Info: Wikipedia - De Efteling [2017]
These sailors must get ALL the channels!
In reality these are the radar illuminators used for terminal homing of many of the ship's surface to air missiles.
The Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) was an astronomical instrument comprising 23 radio telescopes. These telescopes formed an astronomical interferometer where all the signals are combined in a purpose-built computer (a correlator) to produce high-resolution astronomical images. The telescopes ceased operation in April 2015 and were relocated to the Owens Valley Radio Observatory for storage.
View of the rear amplifier module with injected aluminium heatsinks and protected connectror panels.
The Solar array will be used to trickle charge the lithium battery bank in the Kimberly Kamper trailer while in storage. www.kimberleykampers.com/
A future project will be to add a battery and separate MPPT charger to power a 12 v garden fountain pump and outdoor LED lighting.
Components
2 x Uni-Solar Amorphous 62 W ES-62T $420 (sourced on ebay $210 each)
1 x Heavy Duty Universal Solar Panel Pole Mount kit from affordablesolarmounts.com/ $150
2.7 m (0.7 m in the ground) galvanised pole (MGPE 32NB) (42.4 MM) from EDCON Steel www.edconsteel.com.au/ $30
2 x MC3 Solar Panel Cable Branch Connectors sourced on ebay $19
2 x MC3 Solar Panel 6' Cable 1 End Male/Stripped 12 AWG sourced on ebay $40
10m 15A auto cable and Anderson plug from Jaycar $40
3 x 20 Kg ready mix cement from Bunnings $19.5
Total $719
See an overview video @
Ziegelstein is German for building blocks or bricks. I use the nickname Brick Stone in many of my multiplayer online gaming titles that I enjoy.... With that, I am essentially calling myself Ziegelstein. This has proven to be the perfect name for my new array of Hi Fidelity Audiophile PC speakers.
What's the deal here?
The design goals of this system was to allow for extremely clear, yet warm and robust, 3D positional audio in either 5.1 or 7.1 titles in a near field delivery scheme, as well as serve as a part of our multimedia experience in the family/game room area of our home. I use this worksation for video and audio editing and creation, 2D and 3D graphics development for web and video games, media and entertainment such as movies, and TV via Slingbox, Netflix, Hulu and many other sources. And, yes, I also use it for state-of-the-art hardcore video gaming as this PC currently features hardware that is at the "top-of-the-line" enthusiast level for all of the installed components. This system is custom-built by myself and is designed for maximum performance on the bleeding edge of tomorrow's tech.
Delivering the Goods...
As for audio sources, The Ziegelstein-Array is powered currently by a single Harmon Kardon AVR1600 Receiver which has, at its heart, a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series 24 Bit Soundcard. This device has modes of operation that accomodate specific areas of use such as Entertainment Mode, Audio Creation Mode, and the highly controversial Gaming Mode. While there are sound cards specifically designed for audio playback of 5.1 source media in a home theater environment, this X-fi has been crafted around a set of core components and features designed to augment the experience for the hardcore PC gamer.
Realistic EAX® 5.0 sound effects Hear crackling gunfire and earth-shattering explosions. EAX® 5.0 delivers realistic sound effects that will engage you in long hours of gameplay
EAX® and 3D audio restoration for Windows Vista® Using Windows Vista®? Creative ALchemy restores the surround sound effect for the same great gaming experience.
Accurate 3D positional audio Listen to 3D positional audio so accurate, you can locate your enemies through mere sound alone! Plus, the X-Fi CMSS®-3D gives you amazing surround sound even with normal stereo headphones.
Hardware accelerated performance
Get unbeatable performance with hardware accelerated audio that blows motherboard audio away.
Boost your performance even further in games like Quake 4, Battlefield 2, Prey, Unreal Tournament 3 and others that take advantage of X-RAM.
Clearer voice chats
Plug in your headset or microphone and hear the difference immediately. With high-quality input and hardware audio processing, your teammates will definitely hear you loud and clear.
We also take advantage of a host of features that cross the genre and benefit not just the PC gamer but the music and movie enthusiast as well.
24 Bit Crystalizer Restore the details and vibrance your music and movies lost during compression. X-Fi technology intelligently enhances the highs and lows so you'll hear it all-crisp cymbal crashes, wailing guitar solos, screeching tires and booming explosions.
CMSS-3D - Surround sound from your stereo music and movies? Yes! Expand your stereo music and movies into surround sound. Voices are centered in front of you. Ambient sound appears all around you... just like a live performance. Listen on a pair of desktop speakers or a full 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system.
Experience cinematic surround sound from Blu-Ray & DVD movies Watch your Media in cinematic surround sound with PowerDVD software featuring DTS™ and Dolby Digital® -EX decoding.
X-Fi Powers The Ziegelstein-Array!
Utilizing the AVR1600's 8-channel direct in and its digital inputs in its current state, The Ziegelstein-Array is able to shine as a true hi-fidelity "Studio Monitor" set of speakers capable of 4000 watts output in any traditional home theater/game room layout chosen - a system capable of handling anything thrown at it and able to deliver it cleanly in any setting, meeting any demand.
The Ziegelstein-Array is made from 70% Recycled Materials!
Aside from using recycled wire from dismantled electronics, recycled pressboard for crossover mounting, recycled sofa polyester filling and recycled self adhesive sound dampening materials, we are also using vintage gear at the heart of every unit built. Utilizing the principle of the 5 R's (which we'll cover later in this segment), we can effectively recycle vintage audio gear from the 1970's and 80's for use in our current lineup. This prototype Z-Array is featuring recycled Optimus Pro LX5 Bookshelf speakers with original refurbished Linaeum DiPole Tweeters, Peerless SDS shielded drivers, specialized 2-way crossovers and original cast aluminum cabinets. We are also using recycled Minimus 7 bookself speakers with original cast aluminum cabinets, original cloth dome tweeters, custom aluminum cone drivers and specialized 2-way crossovers.
The Ziegelstein-Array featured here builds a 5.1/7.1 system with 24 speakers across the 6 side channels. A Center Channel (currently 1 Unit with upgradeability to 4) and Subwoofer array (1 or 2 Units).
The channel array utilizes wiring in a series/parallel hybrid configuration to allow four 8 Ohm speakers to be wired together to maintain an 8 Ohm load on the Harmon Kardon.
Alterative methods. We are experimenting with using solid state chip amps on each channel and driving them separately.
The Ziegelstein-Array featured in this article is a prototype array used for additional testing of design concepts that will lead to the future development of a retail offering that will feature custom cabinets and crossover designs that will position us within reach of the proverbial Golden Ring!
The Ziegelstein-Array prototype will pave the way for our future products and will position us to firmly grasp a reasonable market share of the High End Audio Component niche. "High End Audio without the High Cost" - the Credo that will propel us into the 22nd Century and beyond!
Interrogative
I've spent 30 years building and testing speakers. Over that very same set of years, I have slowly built this array with components and parts that I've acquired when others have tossed them away. Really fantastic finds in my opinion for someone that can actually utilize all their hidden abilities, secrets and cost effectiveness. This is not everyone's cup of tea though. DIY Audio is a serious hobby not for the fainthearted or impatient and, though The Ziegelstein-Array protoype is a cost effective alternative to systems costing tens of thousands of dollars, it takes some time to get everything together and then you have to learn how to do it right. That can take considerable time for some. Time that, in most cases, many of us working class folk do not even posess enough of to simply sit and enjoy a meal with each other or pray together much less take on an extremely self-engrossing hobby such as DIY Audio. This oftentimes unfair trade-off is time spent initiating one particular ritual. One that I refer to as the 5 R's. This is comprised of the time and energy it takes to Recon, Recycle, Refurb, Retrofit and Refinish the units. This is where the patience and determination play a major role in the outcome of the final product. Trust me when I say that it will all pay off in the end. Recycling these discarded ebay treasures and utilizing some science, I was easily able to create a personalized system that can be manipulated in scope and size to fit any budget or space limitations. The 24-unit array featured in our shown system, excluding the front channel and subs has a DIY build cost average of approximately $75 per bookshelf unit. With the additional DIY build cost averaging to $150 for each MTM TL 3 foot tower.
Unrivaled Versatility
Another unique feature set of The Z-Array, with its multiple amplifiers driving each channel, is the ability to break up these channels sets into completely separate bookshelf systems for nearly every room in my home. By separating the channels into smaller complete bookshelf units, 6 such individual units in fact then become available for usage in a complete multi-zone audio distribution scenario. The Ziegelstein-Array becomes a complete audio experience for the entire home by allowing every room to have sublime audio in a smaller form factor with no additional cost to the owner and without sacrificing the original clarity and power of the main unit.
Ziegelstein FTW!
The most exciting news is that, our recycled Z-Array is easily showing a professional-grade "Studio Quality" output from each unit that is easily toppling the performance levels of some well-known high-end audiophile systems with units that have an ownership cost usually in the $250 to $800 range for each bookshelf unit and $1000 to multiples of that can amount into unheard-of figures for larger more exotic tower units.
It gets worse. The market is driven by snobs! - What's a poor boy to do?
Believe it or not.... Some " Extreme" audiophiles would even snub a $50K system, let alone even look at a $15K system. Labeling even the big name entry-level Home Theater offerings as cheap knockoffs or downright worthless.
Keeping it Real...
Fortunately for anyone who can appreciate the recent global financial debacles and subsequent ripples that are affecting everyone, we all can surely appreciate the cost savings delivered when one considers tackling a DIY Audio project. When you are then fortunate enough to add recycling to the mix, your cost savings can increase to 300% more overall and those old under-appreciated speaker cabinets are also not ending up in land-fills.
My overall total cost for all of the units in The Z-Array was in the sensible range of $800 to $1000 total for the entire set of 30 speakers. This set was also accumulated over a 6-year time frame. One must know: I did not drop $1000 all at once. It is interesting to note, though, that if I were to have bought comparable units for this array from a "High End", high cost well-known provisioner of "Professional" studio-grade speakers...
I would have easily had a unit cost of approximately $400 each for a small bookshelf units and $750 each for the medium sized satellite units. The cost comes to an approximate $15,000 Just for speakers! and I haven't included MY 2 $150 towers which would have cost about $900 each if I had purchased them from the same provisioner.
In Closing...
I'm very proud of my $1700 (Custom speaker array, Sony sub and HK AVR1600 AV Receiver) 7.1 PC Audiophile System. It takes any home theater system that could have easily cost me $16,000 to the cleaners for a fraction of the cost. The Z-Array wins - hands down! I am so very glad I decided to go forward with my DIY aspirations. I have learned so much while traveling this path and have made some great new friends. I am thankful that I have had the patience, determination and the know-how to build The Ziegelstein-Array!
Thanks for reading!
Zeigelsteine is German for building blocks or bricks. I use the nickname Brick Stone in many of my multiplayer online gaming titles that I enjoy.... With that, I am essentially calling myself Zeigelsteine. This has proven to be the perfect name for my new array of Hi Fidelity Audiophile PC speakers.
What's the deal here?
The design goals of this system was to allow for extremely clear, yet warm and robust, 3D positional audio in either 5.1 or 7.1 titles in a near field delivery scheme, as well as serve as a part of our multimedia experience in the family/game room area of our home. I use this worksation for video and audio editing and creation, 2D and 3D graphics development for web and video games, media and entertainment such as movies, and TV via Slingbox, Netflix, Hulu and many other sources. And, yes, I also use it for state-of-the-art hardcore video gaming as this PC currently features hardware that is at the "top-of-the-line" enthusiast level for all of the installed components. This system is custom-built by myself and is designed for maximum performance on the bleeding edge of tomorrow's tech.
Delivering the Goods...
As for audio sources, The Zeigelsteine-Array is powered currently by a single Harmon Kardon AVR1600 Receiver which has, at its heart, a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series 24 Bit Soundcard. This device has modes of operation that accomodate specific areas of use such as Entertainment Mode, Audio Creation Mode, and the highly controversial Gaming Mode. While there are sound cards specifically designed for audio playback of 5.1 source media in a home theater environment, this X-fi has been crafted around a set of core components and features designed to augment the experience for the hardcore PC gamer.
Realistic EAX® 5.0 sound effects Hear crackling gunfire and earth-shattering explosions. EAX® 5.0 delivers realistic sound effects that will engage you in long hours of gameplay
EAX® and 3D audio restoration for Windows Vista® Using Windows Vista®? Creative ALchemy restores the surround sound effect for the same great gaming experience.
Accurate 3D positional audio Listen to 3D positional audio so accurate, you can locate your enemies through mere sound alone! Plus, the X-Fi CMSS®-3D gives you amazing surround sound even with normal stereo headphones.
Hardware accelerated performance
Get unbeatable performance with hardware accelerated audio that blows motherboard audio away.
Boost your performance even further in games like Quake 4, Battlefield 2, Prey, Unreal Tournament 3 and others that take advantage of X-RAM.
Clearer voice chats
Plug in your headset or microphone and hear the difference immediately. With high-quality input and hardware audio processing, your teammates will definitely hear you loud and clear.
We also take advantage of a host of features that cross the genre and benefit not just the PC gamer but the music and movie enthusiast as well.
24 Bit Crystalizer Restore the details and vibrance your music and movies lost during compression. X-Fi technology intelligently enhances the highs and lows so you'll hear it all-crisp cymbal crashes, wailing guitar solos, screeching tires and booming explosions.
CMSS-3D - Surround sound from your stereo music and movies? Yes! Expand your stereo music and movies into surround sound. Voices are centered in front of you. Ambient sound appears all around you... just like a live performance. Listen on a pair of desktop speakers or a full 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system.
Experience cinematic surround sound from Blu-Ray & DVD movies Watch your Media in cinematic surround sound with PowerDVD software featuring DTS™ and Dolby Digital® -EX decoding.
X-Fi Powers The Zeigelsteine-Array!
Utilizing the AVR1600's 8-channel direct in and its digital inputs in its current state, The Zeigelsteine-Array is able to shine as a true hi-fidelity "Studio Monitor" set of speakers capable of 4000 watts output in any traditional home theater/game room layout chosen - a system capable of handling anything thrown at it and able to deliver it cleanly in any setting, meeting any demand.
The Zeigelsteine-Array is made from 70% Recycled Materials!
Aside from using recycled wire from dismantled electronics, recycled pressboard for crossover mounting, recycled sofa polyester filling and recycled self adhesive sound dampening materials, we are also using vintage gear at the heart of every unit built. Utilizing the principle of the 5 R's (which we'll cover later in this segment), we can effectively recycle vintage audio gear from the 1970's and 80's for use in our current lineup. This prototype Z-Array is featuring recycled Optimus Pro LX5 Bookshelf speakers with original refurbished Linaeum DiPole Tweeters, Peerless SDS shielded drivers, specialized 2-way crossovers and original cast aluminum cabinets. We are also using recycled Minimus 7 bookself speakers with original cast aluminum cabinets, original cloth dome tweeters, custom aluminum cone drivers and specialized 2-way crossovers.
The Zeigelsteine-Array featured here builds a 5.1/7.1 system with 24 speakers across the 6 side channels. A Center Channel (currently 1 Unit with upgradeability to 4) and Subwoofer array (1 or 2 Units).
The channel array utilizes wiring in a series/parallel hybrid configuration to allow four 8 Ohm speakers to be wired together to maintain an 8 Ohm load on the Harmon Kardon.
Alterative methods. We are experimenting with using solid state chip amps on each channel and driving them separately.
The Zeigelsteine-Array featured in this article is a prototype array used for additional testing of design concepts that will lead to the future development of a retail offering that will feature custom cabinets and crossover designs that will position us within reach of the proverbial Golden Ring!
The Zeigelsteine-Array prototype will pave the way for our future products and will position us to firmly grasp a reasonable market share of the High End Audio Component niche. "High End Audio without the High Cost" - the Credo that will propel us into the 22nd Century and beyond!
Interrogative
I've spent 30 years building and testing speakers. Over that very same set of years, I have slowly built this array with components and parts that I've acquired when others have tossed them away. Really fantastic finds in my opinion for someone that can actually utilize all their hidden abilities, secrets and cost effectiveness. This is not everyone's cup of tea though. DIY Audio is a serious hobby not for the fainthearted or impatient and, though The Zeigelsteine-Array protoype is a cost effective alternative to systems costing tens of thousands of dollars, it takes some time to get everything together and then you have to learn how to do it right. That can take considerable time for some. Time that, in most cases, many of us working class folk do not even posess enough of to simply sit and enjoy a meal with each other or pray together much less take on an extremely self-engrossing hobby such as DIY Audio. This oftentimes unfair trade-off is time spent initiating one particular ritual. One that I refer to as the 5 R's. This is comprised of the time and energy it takes to Recon, Recycle, Refurb, Retrofit and Refinish the units. This is where the patience and determination play a major role in the outcome of the final product. Trust me when I say that it will all pay off in the end. Recycling these discarded ebay treasures and utilizing some science, I was easily able to create a personalized system that can be manipulated in scope and size to fit any budget or space limitations. The 24-unit array featured in our shown system, excluding the front channel and subs has a DIY build cost average of approximately $75 per bookshelf unit. With the additional DIY build cost averaging to $150 for each MTM TL 3 foot tower.
Unrivaled Versatility
Another unique feature set of The Z-Array, with its multiple amplifiers driving each channel, is the ability to break up these channels sets into completely separate bookshelf systems for nearly every room in my home. By separating the channels into smaller complete bookshelf units, 6 such individual units in fact then become available for usage in a complete multi-zone audio distribution scenario. The Zeigelsteine-Array becomes a complete audio experience for the entire home by allowing every room to have sublime audio in a smaller form factor with no additional cost to the owner and without sacrificing the original clarity and power of the main unit.
Zeigelsteine FTW!
The most exciting news is that, our recycled Z-Array is easily showing a professional-grade "Studio Quality" output from each unit that is easily toppling the performance levels of some well-known high-end audiophile systems with units that have an ownership cost usually in the $250 to $800 range for each bookshelf unit and $1000 to multiples of that can amount into unheard-of figures for larger more exotic tower units.
It gets worse. The market is driven by snobs! - What's a poor boy to do?
Believe it or not.... Some " Extreme" audiophiles would even snub a $50K system, let alone even look at a $15K system. Labeling even the big name entry-level Home Theater offerings as cheap knockoffs or downright worthless.
Keeping it Real...
Fortunately for anyone who can appreciate the recent global financial debacles and subsequent ripples that are affecting everyone, we all can surely appreciate the cost savings delivered when one considers tackling a DIY Audio project. When you are then fortunate enough to add recycling to the mix, your cost savings can increase to 300% more overall and those old under-appreciated speaker cabinets are also not ending up in land-fills.
My overall total cost for all of the units in The Z-Array was in the sensible range of $800 to $1000 total for the entire set of 30 speakers. This set was also accumulated over a 6-year time frame. One must know: I did not drop $1000 all at once. It is interesting to note, though, that if I were to have bought comparable units for this array from a "High End", high cost well-known provisioner of "Professional" studio-grade speakers...
I would have easily had a unit cost of approximately $400 each for a small bookshelf units and $750 each for the medium sized satellite units. The cost comes to an approximate $15,000 Just for speakers! and I haven't included MY 2 $150 towers which would have cost about $900 each if I had purchased them from the same provisioner.
In Closing...
I'm very proud of my $1700 (Custom speaker array, Sony sub and HK AVR1600 AV Receiver) 7.1 PC Audiophile System. It takes any home theater system that could have easily cost me $16,000 to the cleaners for a fraction of the cost. The Z-Array wins - hands down! I am so very glad I decided to go forward with my DIY aspirations. I have learned so much while traveling this path and have made some great new friends. I am thankful that I have had the patience, determination and the know-how to build The Zeigelsteine-Array!
Thanks for reading!
The Black Bag's line-up includes improvements such as new camouflage clothing, a larger patrol pack and upgraded body armour
IT WAS during the start of Op Telic in 2003 that British soldiers were first labelled “Borrowers”.
Deployed to Iraq, a country whose climate and terrain requires specialist equipment to overcome, personnel arrived in theatre before the supply chain could crank into gear, leaving them attired in a mixture of green and desert camouflage.
Concerned over the quality and appearance of other items of clothing, including all-important footwear, the troops began to look enviously at their international colleagues and it was not long before they were earning their cruel nickname by trading bits of kit.
But fast forward to today and the boots are most definitely on the other foot. Seven years of front-line experience have helped the Armed Forces learn valuable lessons about what soldiers do – and do not – need on operations and it is now other countries casting jealous glances at Britain.
Such a turnaround has only been possible thanks to Defence Equipment and Support’s Defence Clothing and Personal Combat Equipment Teams.
The joint-military and civilian set-up is on a non-stop mission to update and refine the clothing and gear that soldiers are given ahead of deployments.
The fruit of their labour – the Black Bag – speaks for itself.
The giant holdall, which is issued to all theatre-bound troops, contains a wardrobe’s-worth of clothing covering everything from underpants to combat shirts as well as useful everyday items including a multitool and a head torch.
And such is the quality of the kit, Defence Clothing Team Chief of Staff Lt Col Matthew Tresidder (RE) hopes it will put an end to soldiers parting with their own cash to kit themselves out for ops.
“The Black Bag came into being in 2003 when it was identified that troops going to Iraq needed additional items added to their standard kit,” he explained during an interview with Soldier at the team’s Bath headquarters.
“It has continued to evolve and is now very comprehensive. Of course soldiers will always want to personalise their kit and might think there is something better out there, but my advice is that before you spend your very-hard-earned money, have a look at what you actually get in the bag because you have much better things to spend your cash on.
“Soldiers simply shouldn’t need to buy their own kit and the day they feel that they don’t need to buy anything else is the day we will have achieved what we set out to do. I think we are 98 per cent there.”
The contents of the Black Bag – laid bare for you over the following pages – are worth a staggering £3,000. By comparison, new recruits receive £800 of kit when they join the Army.
Starting with essentials such as anti-microbial underwear and socks, the holdall’s innards contain complete sets of shorts, trousers, t-shirts and combat shirts as well as camouflage gear in the new multi-terrain pattern design.
The latest generation of Osprey body armour and combat helmet are also included, while the footwear options provide a perfect example of just how far the Army’s clothing has come.
Instead of the unpopular boots from Op Telic 1, soldiers now get to choose their preference of winter and summer boots from market-leading manufacturers Lowa and Meindl. Smaller footwear made specifically for women’s feet has been included and there are even sandals for use around camp.
And although the Defence Clothing and Personal Combat Equipment Teams are the ones who source the new gear, everything that finds its way into the bag only does so after being given the go-ahead by the soldiers who will be using it in battle.
Lt Col Tresidder explained that his team deploys to theatre every four-to-six months to talk to troops at forward operating bases about what kit works, what does not and what they would like to see added.
Further feedback from post-operational reports is also taken on board by those responsiblefor filling the Black Bag.
“You can guarantee a soldier will give you the benefit of their wisdom and we always doour best to listen,” the officer added. “It is them that have to fight with the kit and thankfully soldiers are very rarely shy in telling you what they think.
“We find that the views are almost always positive, but I don’t think that’s surprising when you consider where we have come from since 2003 – it’s phenomenal.
“Everything in that Black Bag has been trialled and approved by the Infantry Trials and Development Unit which is staffed by personnel just back from operations. They give us their opinion on whether kit is good and fit for purpose.
“All of this comes at a cost but there isn’t a budget – if something is needed then the money is there.
“The greatest compliment I have received was from a hardened corporal who described the bag as ‘a big warm hug from the Army’.”
The constantly-refreshed kit list for the Black Bag is devised with as much attention to form as function.
Many of the items – Lowa boots, Karrimor SF day sacks, Silva head torches and Blackhawk knee pads, for example – are designed and made by the commercial industry’s leading lights and have been included because they are the very best examples currently on offer.
Other gear, such as the Gerber multitool, is so advanced that it is not yet available commercially in this country.
It may not quite be haute couture, but the Black Bag’s contents represent the best of their type and Lt Col Tresidder hopes that will further reinforce the message that soldiers do not need to buy their own personal kit.
“I’m personally really pleased that we are giving guys top-of-the-range equipment – things like Lowa boots, you just don’t get any better than that,” he said. “The teams seek constant feedback from the front line to see what people need and what is working. That brought about the change in knee pads and the extra pouches for the body armour.
“We’re very conscious that soldiers need to look professional – they are there presenting an image to themselves, to the people they are working with and to the enemies they are up against.
“When you see a soldier on the front line in the new camouflage, the boots and the other kit they definitely do look the part.”
From being the butt of a lot of jokes on their arrival in Iraq in 2003, British soldiers can now stand tall knowing that their kit is just as good – and in most cases better – than their international counterparts.
Their skills and bravery may speak for themselves, but personnel can be assured
that they now have the wardrobe to match.
“This training replicates what it is like to work within centres of population and have civilians in the battlespace. It shows what conditions are like in theatre and is more complex and relevant to operations.”
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards battlegroup was the first to experience the revamped training package and the soldiers faced a stern test of their capabilities in what proved to
be an intense exercise.
With the live firing completed, the troops tackled an array of serials that included IED drills, working with an indigenous police force, occupying forward operating bases, river crossings, patrolling in urban areas with local populations and neutralising insurgent forces.
Batus provided a convincing backdrop for these scenarios courtesy of its impressive infrastructure that features villages with facilities such as markets, mosques and police stations, all of which are manned by Afghan civilians to provide extra realism.
The change in approach was obvious to Lt Col Jonathan Biggart, CO of the Scots DG.
“The last time I was here was in 2002 as a Challenger 2 squadron leader,” he said.
“The initial part of this exercise was quite similar, certainly with the live firing, but the hybrid training in the TESEX phase has been completely different.
“It has been valuable training in testing and challenging terrain and I think my officers and soldiers will have learned a huge amount. I have no doubt that it will prepare them very well for the Afghan-specific training.”
With the expansive prairie creating infinite opportunities, the exercise allowed all elements of the visiting 7th Armoured Brigade to test their mettle.
A small handful of soldiers from 111 Provost Company took part in the training and were pleased to see their unique skills called into action.
“As Royal Military Police we came into play in the counter-insurgency phase with a mix of search, arrest and detention tasks, all of which went quite smoothly,” explained Lt Edward Ford.
“We have also done evidence handling. Some of the evidence we recovered stimulated another serial so we made a real impact, which was really good from our point of view.
“I have learned quite a lot. It could have been better but there were always going to be some teething problems at the start.
“I have been working with a small team which includes two new guys. They have performed well and it has been great to see them come out of their shells.”
The exercise also saw elements of the Royal Marines training on the prairie for the first time as part of their preparations for future operational deployments.
Cpl Graeme Murphy, of X-Ray Company, 45 Commando, said Canada had provided a valuable training opportunity and was pleased to see personnel responding well to the challenge.
“We have had lots of new guys joining and this was their first major exercise together,”
he added.
“I don’t think the Scots DG lads knew what to expect but we hit it off well from the start, the banter has flowed and everyone has got on well.
“There are a lot of young lads in the company and they have had the opportunity to mix with a civilian population.
“They have not seen anything like that before so it is a good stepping stone to our pre-deployment training.”
With the new-look Batus experience set to welcome thousands of troops in another busy season, early indications suggest that Exercise Prairie Thunder is meeting the demands of the Army in 2010.
“Batus has changed,” Lt Col Biggart said. “It now covers the whole spectrum of operations within a 24-day period.”