In my efforts to learn all things “man”, I am trying to learn soldering/electronics as well as all the other stuff I should have learnt by now (like toilet seats down, and not telling the boss exactly what I think of her ignorant decision making and Napoleon complex and hideously bad choice of plastic surgeon to her now sagging, drippy, old crone face, ho hum).
Here’s the thing…
I got about 8 of those 1980’s speakers kicking around… BIG, and by far infinitely superior to the crappy little plastic 10w things that came with my computer…
Now I bought a few of those headphone cable sockets to solder to the ends of the two wires from the speaker (the red and black one’s, old SKOOL! but here’s the question for all you net trolls, know it alls and the people I want to hear from who actually know what they’re talking about.
The computer speakers are powered from an independent socket… does that mean that if I put the plugs on the end of the wires and plug e into my computer, those unpowered 80’s boxes won’t work, as they have no indpendent power supply?
Answers please before I waste my time soldering lumps opf burning metal onto my desk, my hands and anything else where metal wouldn’t be any use and would be a huge fire risk!
No, it won’t work. Practise your google-fu, and search for words like “impedance” and “current”. If you really want to learn electronics and soldering, I’d suggest you try building a simple power amplifier to drive your speakers. Build it from a kit - for example this one from Maplins:
(would need to look at your speakers and choose an appropriate kit). I’m usually happy to help with debugging the circuit if you run into trouble - I live not far from the Ace.
Of course, you could forget about electronics and soldering and just buy an amp for the speakers
You’ll need to buy an amp. Headphone output sockets aren’t even at line level.
There are tonnes of cheap good quality amps on Ebay. I recently sold my Yamaha for £80. New that was probably over £400. I bought it used for £70 used it for 6 years and sold it on for £80.
SOunds like there’s a lot o useful advice goin round here…
How would that connect up to the computer then…? Same headphone socket… remember I’m old and the amp is almost as vintage… no wait, its more vintage than the speakers… but its perfectly adequate…
I love learning stuff I used to know…
people say things like, you do the usual to connect that to that… and it all sounds familiar, but the hands are rusty…
its coming back now… I remember riding a bike once too…
Why is the “attach files” thingy so SH!T
THey’re not worth the effort of learning how to understand C++ code to get them up on here, why is it so damm annoyingly geek driven that the “Attach” thing just doesn’t work… I get UNEXPECTED ERROR OCCURRED, EVERY TIME…
every time I try and upload or attach I get a completely different set of instructions on how to get round the problem from a different “expert” every time…
JUST FECKING FIX IT SO EVERYONE CAN USE IT WITHOUT AN INSTRUCTIONAL MANUAL FOR GOD’S SAKE!!!
(Although to be fair Harbours is getting married, MacP is still on the run in Ireland somewhere posing as Gerry O’Rafferty, used website salesman, smiled is just a Mod, but like’s to think he’s the brains of the operation and even I have “Editorial Staff” next to my name which is a privilige and an honour, but I have about as much clout round here as a soggy wafer biscuit! )
Just connect this across the tracks on the PCB. On standard mobiles, if you press the green key twice it dials the last number dialled.
So what you do is put the number of your mobile in and call it (by shaking the phone). In your mobile you create a contact called “Bike Alarm” and enter the number of the alarm phone.
I recommend getting a new PAYG SIM for the alarm phone.
To use the alarm, turn it on and hide it on the bike. If anybody messes with it, the alarm will phone you up, so you get a phone call from “Bike Alarm”. At that point you can either grab your Machete and run, or answer the call and have a listen, or do whatever you feel.
It’s best to answer the call and hang up immediately, because you have to pay for whatever the alarm phone does, so if it calls your mobile and you don’t answer it’ll go to voicemail for 2 or 3 minutes before your phone hangs up.
If you want to test if the alarm phone is in network and working you can call it up. If you here the ringing tone your set. Of course you need to set the ring tone on the alarm phone to silent.
Might be some good endings to peeps getting their bikes nicked
I haven’t mastered soldering… someone reminded me about amps and plugs and stuff, so the solder is still cold hard, unusued and coiled up safely.
My bike isn’t worth the cost of the mobile phone you suggest I attach.
I don’t run any more that’s why I bought a bike (quick without the sweat, heavy breathing (which has got me in trouble in the past when coupled with phones incidientally) and also doens’t inculde horrible aches and pains that come with being a saddo jogger…
The police said I couldn’t use my Machete any more… kiljoys!
but here’s the question for all you net trolls, know it alls and the people I want to hear from who actually know what they’re talking about.
