More on the Airsoft pistols

Gentle reader,

Some time ago, I did a posting on the two airsoft pistols I'd bought via eBay. One was a replica of the iconic Colt Model 1911. 

The real pistol came out in 1911 and was issued to the US Military. They needed a pistol with more "knock down" power than the 38 caliber revolvers they were using. It seems that drug-crazed Filipino rebels could take numerous hits from 38s and keep on coming.

The 1911 is a 45 caliber semiautomatic pistol. Colt invented the rounds as well. Commonly referred to as "ACP". i.e., 45 ACP rounds.

Back to the airsoft pistols. They shoot 6mm plastic balls either through a spring-loaded ram or with gas pressure like a real gun. The difference is the gas is not ignited. Compressed CO2 was first used and still is. Airsoft often uses "Green Gas" which is propane with a little silicone oil mixed in. A far cheaper way is using propane alone and oiling the gun parts from time to time.

Now, the really fun ones are fully metal and have working "slides" the piece on top around the barrel that one "slides" back to chamber a round and cock the gun. The design is called "blow back" often combined to one word: Blowback.

Since writing about the two versions of the 1911s I'd bought, I'd found two airsoft copies of the pistol that replaced the Colt Model 1911: The Beretta M9 or M92. There was much teeth gnashing over buying a "foreign" gun for the US Military. However, they tested numerous pistols from many makers and the Beretta was the best.

The first one I won was made by Western Arms in Japan. One of the premier airsoft makers. In fact it is the only fully licensed replica of the real Beretta M9. The second one was made by Kuan Ju of Taiwan. Made mostly of metal with some polymer parts, it weighs nearly what the WA models does. 

Below, the first photo shows, left top, standard M1911. Left bottom, the customized "tactical" 1911. Top right is the  Kuan Ju (KJ) M92, and bottom right the Western Arms (WA) M92.

 Another angle of the same arrangement is below:

 Below is the pair of Beretta M9 or M92s. The KJ on top, the WA on the bottom.

Below is the KJ on the left, WA on the right:

  And finally below, another view, KJ on the left, WA on the right.

Below is the KJ with the slide open and the magazine removed showing the left side of each:

Note the styized "KJ" on the grips. Same model from the right side is below:

Below is a detail shot showing the stamped makers name and location:

Below is several detail shots of the Western Arms (WA) model. The KJ, as stated has some polymer parts. The WA is all metal except for the grips.

 Take a look below at the stamping on the WA model:

 Below, the Beretta symbol on the grip. Compare it to the KJ grip above:

 Here's another stamping detail shot. Note that the previous owner for some unknown, and stupid, reason tried to obliterate the markings. WTH?

 Below is the plain M1911 with the required orange/red tip installed as well as the magazine removed and the manual:

 Below is both sides with the slide locked back:

 Below is the "tactical" or customized model 1911. A real one like this could cost more than $1,000:

 Below is the top with the slide open, and below that the view up through the hand grip with the magazine removed. Note the front piece of the slide is fixed and has a fiber optic site:

 Below, is the same pistol and the ambidextrous holster that I found for it. Middle and second below show it holstered and with a spare magazine:

 Below is with the slide locked back and the manual and magazine out:

 Left side view. The magazine and gun are called "Hi-Capa" because the 6mm rounds can be stacked in such a way as to hold many more than a straight column, 26 total:

 Below, the view as if siting down the barrel. The rear site is adjustable and the fiber optic front site is clearly seen:

Lastly, the customized model from below with the magazine out. You can see a mark from the laser site I had mounted to it:

So, why the update? All four are for sale on eBay. Nancy's drive to get me interested in real guns has at last worked. 

Thanks for looking!

Scott

Modernization of a vintage corner-horn speaker

Gentle reader,

Some time ago, I found an ancient University brand corner-horn loudspeaker at BThrifty. The first time I looked at it, I passed it by. They only wanted $9.99 for it, but I could see light where the speaker's surround was supposed to be, indicating it was falling apart. Below is what it looked like, but I've already removed the speaker. You can just detect the second piece of wood behind the original panel.

They are called "corner horn" speakers because they are designed to be placed in a room's corner to further enhance the bass. Klipsch is best known for their corner-horn speakers, dating to the 1950's. Below, you can see that the rear of the cabinet is designed to fit in a corner. Also note the cut-out at the bottom rear for the rear waves to exit the cabinet:

Still, a few weeks later it was still there and being 30% off Thursday, I took a chance. Turns out, originally it had a 12" full-range or perhaps coaxial driver in it. Someone in the past had replaced that 12" driver by roughly cutting a piece of plywood and mounting a 10" Wharfedale woofer in it's place over the 12" hole from the rear. Here is the removable front panel after I've installed the tweeter and moved the woofer to a lower location:

Well, as I said, the surround, oddly flat, not convex or concave was mostly gone. No one at Wharfedale USA was any help, far too old. So, the closest replacement foam surround I could find was $15.00 and was too large after all. I had to cut it, and overlap the ends to make it fit the odd-sized UK cone.

To truly make it a full-range speaker, I needed a tweeter. My friend, Cy Bean on Washington state, had a 16 ohm metal tweeter for a good price. I adapted the crossover parts for a Genesis speaker to the two drivers. It had a nominal reading of 13 ohms or so. Too much resistance for all but vintage tube equipment. Thus, my putting my creation on eBay. No takers. (See photo above for what I just typed.)

I'd also found a car speaker at Salvation Army. It had a 10" Alpine metal cone woofer in a cheap carpet-covered cabinet. $15.00. Put it on eBay also, no takers. Upon taking it apart, I found why it sounded so crappy: Too small a cabinet, sealed cabinet, no crossover nor filler. So, the poor thing was trying to compress the air in this tiny box and play notes higher than it was designed for!

So, I tried it in the University cabinet. WOW, now that was some bass! The Alpine could breathe at last! So, next step was a replacement baffle board. That's the wooden panel that the speakers are attached to at the front of a speaker cabinet. Here is is below prior to the new wood:

I bought a 2' by 2' piece of birch 3/4" plywood that was perfect for the job. Carefully centered the driver's hole and added a nice Dayton 4-ohm dual-voice-coil crossover, plus proper filling for the cabinet. Here is the crossover. The coils separate the high frequencies so the woofer does it's work of reproducing the low music only. The black capacitors (four of them) block the low frequencies from reaching the tweeters. This crossover is designed to have outputs for smaller front speakers. This allows the dual-voice-coil subwoofer to handle only the bass which small speakers cannot reproduce. 'Cause they're too small.

Then to keep the sound waves coming from the rear of the driver from simply being absorbed into the carpet the cabinet would be sitting on, I added a bottom piece of 1/4" Lexan sheet. Lexan is nearly unbreakable polycarbonite plastic. I added some closed-cell 1/8" foam tape to the top of the Lexan to further damp the sound wave. Here is the filling below. I placed loose weave fabric in front of the filler to keep it out of the rear of the driver:

Below is a series of photos of the empty cabinet. That stuff on the walls is sound absorbent, but not the usual fiberglass used later on.

 Note the port in the photo below which is designed to bring the sound waves from the rearward movement of the driver out to the front and hopefully to reinforce the sound by having the waves meet. 

 And finally, below is two photos of the finished product. Not shown, (because I forgot to take a photo of it) is the nice dual input panel I installed. This allows both right and left channel's bass is reproduced by the unit.

I tested it with a Telarc CD of Beethoven's Wellington's March with cannons and muskets. Well, Nancy and Gretchen (our fierce miniature Dachshund) were downstairs and based on her barking every time a cannon fired, I'd say it worked. The air being moved front AND rear (via the reflex port at the bottom of the cabinet) was quite impressive.

 

Now, to convince someone on eBay to buy it because I have no room, nor need for it!

Thanks for looking!

Scott

Racing/Driving Simulation Station

Gentle reader,

In my last post, I indicated that I'd be constructing a framework to hold the Sumsung 32" that we replaced with a new LG 42" unit. 

Frankly, room is not an excess that the den has. Hard to believe it was intended to be the master bedroom!

The plus in that factor is an alcove in the right-rear corner that has a sink/vanity and a door into the main bathroom.

Well, I did construct a framework, much measuring, cutting, grinding and bolting together. Fortunately, I'd saved the wall-mount bracket we'd originally used with the TV.

I bolted the assembly to the steering wheel framework. 

(See: The Robb Collections: Massive Changes )

Then set the TV, which seems to be quite a bit heavier than the new larger one, onto the upright structure and found my choice of corner braces was too weak. So, I disassembled the whole contraption and realized all I really needed was a table for the TV.

Found an unused steel one in the shed, but I was no closer to the TV than before. Today, being Thursday, I set off toe BThrifty on Route 1 in Woodbridge. A search of their stock of wooden furniture yielded a wood table which fit my measurement parameters. It has a granite inlaid top, so is very heavy. $24.99 less 30%. 

What I wanted to do was have the framework fit under the table so that the TV would more appropriate a windshield. Actually, since TVs aren't meant to be viewed so closely, it doesn't look that great, but it feels better. Frankly, I can't image what a 32" computer monitor would cost!

This way, I can substitute Daniel's XBox 360 and it's steering wheel assembly for the PS2. The XBox fits nicely behind the TV on the table, and is already hooked up.

Below is the view from behind. This room is the one that we've done the most finishing to. If someone had told us we'd be painting a room brown, we would have laughed. But it looks good with white crown molding and chair rail with the rest of the trim white. The alcove is more of a light beige.

Below is the view from the right-rear. You can see the XBox 360 steering wheel assembly next to the TV. It's the first framework I built and is stronger, easier to get under and still collapsible.

Below is looking down into the "cockpit". The steering wheels have "force feedback" which adds to the realism. The gaming chair, Nancy bought me a couple years ago. It swivels and rocks and has built-in audio amplifier and stereo speakers as well as a small woofer in the bottom of the seat. 

 Oh, how I'd love to have a real Lexus IS 300 Sportcross. I test drove one, VERY RED before buying the Capri XR2. It had a cream leather interior (try keeping THAT clean!). Sadly, aside from not being able to afford it, or any, they ONLY came with automatic transmissions! At least my digital one has a proper manual six speed trans. 

Lastly, even in ready-to-race mode as in these photos, the seat only sticks out to the edge of the Asian rug. I had to move the right-rear surround speaker out of the way, but so what. 

Mission accomplished. 

Thanks for looking!

Scott 

New TV and electrician's nightmare removed.

Gentle reader,

A few weeks ago, Nancy and I had looked at new TVs. We talked ourselves out of it because we couldn't think what to do with the old one that didn't cost more money, i.e., having to add a new HD cable box to the Verizon bill.

Where we'd looked was the local HH Gregg. They'd taken over the old Circuit City store location.

Turns out the two 43" ones we had looked at ($399 each) were both Plasma which, I've been told, are more expensive to operate.

Well, last weekend, grandson Anthony (age 3) suddenly has his own new 19" HDTV. WTF? Then I had an "Ah hah!" moment. 

I could get say a 26" flat screen and build a framework on the racing simulator platform I made and therefore not have to drag it and the racing seat into the living room every time I wanted to "drive".

Well, Best Buy had a cheap one for $149, but then we decided to buy a bigger, 42" LCD set for the living room and "retire" the 32" Samsung to the den for my racing project. See:

The Robb Collections: Massive Changes  

So, at HH Gregg, we chose a 42" LG LCD unit on sale for $449 and a couple of HDMI cables to hook the Blu Ray and HD Verizon box to it.

Future son-in-law, Jonathan, was here when we brought it home. He helped me disassemble the old kit and install the new. Below is what it once looked like. In your mind, remove the HD radio tuner and center speaker, replace with an OPPO DVD player, move the Yamaha receiver to the bottom shelf with the silver Verizon box on top of it. Add a Blu Ray player to the middle shelf with a component switching box on top of it with a Sony PS2 on top of that on the left side and a HD TV digital tuner (off-the-air) box on top on the right and a whole LOT of RCA cables and we had a crowded, electrician's nightmare.

You can just see the switching box and PS2 sitting atop the Verizon box on the bottom shelf, above.

Now, below is what we have now:

Below are all the Liberty and other cables we removed. Just look at all of them! SO last millennium!

 Just look at all those connectors!

Gone are all the devices I told you to imagine. Why have a separate DVD player when the Panasonic Blu Ray plays DVDs and CDs too? The new LG TV has a built-in digital tuner, so no need for the off-the-air separate tuner. The Sony PS2 (and Daniel's XBox 360 are going into the den along with the Samsung TV) so no need for the switching box.

The two HDMI cables replace all the analog video cables (the red ones) below as well as the analog sound cables. I have an optical cable supplying sound from the Blu Ray to the Yamaha receiver and will be adding a second for the Verizon HDTV box. Then, aside from the subwoofer cable, all connections will be strictly digital.

So, how's the new TV? In a word, FANTASTIC! The Samsumg while nice, is only 720p and since the HDMI input stopped working (out of warranty, of course) it was limited to analog HD via the red Liberty cables. 

The built-in digital tuner picks up 63 local TV channels. 63! AMAZING HD on those that are. Simple input button on the remote pops up a graphic showing the choices so it's a breeze switching instantly. The Samsung has a few seconds delay between each change. Still aside from it's one failure, that Samsung has served us well.

However, 1080p and HDMI digital cables make a HUGE difference in viewing pleasure. This is what HD TV is ALL ABOUT.

Soon, once I've built my contraption, I will report on the new racing rig. Where I'll fit it in the den is another story. Thanks for looking!

Scott

Visual, LP storage and Audio Improvements

Gentle reader,

If you saw my last couple posts, you may have cringed at the way I set up the Center channel speaker. It was a temporary thing. Above is how it looked prior to my changes today.

We visited a new "super" thrift store, there's two new ones in our area, one called "Bee Thrifty" which is kind of low budget in operation and we're not even sure if it supports any charity as thrift stores traditionally do. A lot of the prices, for big stuff especially, are outrageous, and almost all the prices are written with a grease pencil. How LAST millennium! It's hard to get off, especially on wood.

The one we went to yesterday for the first time is very nice, nicer than "The Village" and at least as large if not larger. It's called SAVERS THRIFT SUPERSTORE. Very well organized with great prices, everything computer-printed prices with bar codes. We bought a LOT of stuff. Me far more than Nancy. I found a set of Zane Grey books, 19 matching and two from another publisher, all hardback and $1.99 each. I'd never read any of his books, and had found The U. P. Trail in paperback a few weeks ago and am now into him. Bought a bunch of other books including David Baldacci's latest (2012) The Innocent for $2.99(!), LPs and CDs and various nick-knacks. Their website is: www.savers.com and they support the Viet Nam Veterans of America.

Thursday, which is 30% off at Bee Thrifty, I went back and bought a homemade, & very well made, shelf that must have been built to house LP records. It is 13" deep, perfect for them, 35" wide and 75" tall, same as me. They wanted $89.99 for it but with 30% off, it was a more reasonable $63.

Got it home and had a dickens of a time getting the price off, hesitated to use WD-40 on wood, but that's what it took and PURPLE POWER cleaner removed the WD-40 residue as well as accumulated dirt. Hand rubbed in Old English lemon oil and it looks great.

Below, you can see it filled and the radios. The gap on the middle shelf is between regular Tschaikowsky and all the 1812 Overtures, freed from the little cabinet beneath the CD tower. The gap on the next shelf is between Mono compilations and composer-specific LPS. There is now room to buy more boxed sets as well!

I was able to move all the Classical LPs from their various places onto it, so finally they are all in one place. I moved the old cobbled together shelf out and was able to still have six of the radios on display. The other two, the "tombstone" replica and the Aria tube radio will be going on eBay. I found use for the extra set of speaker stands as you can see. The left radio, the GE is plugged in as it is the one I listen to, especially on Sunday nights Old Time radio shows. The one on the right is the one I upgraded with a larger co-axial car speaker. I use that when I'm working in the work room or outside. It sounds great as does the GE replica. Below is the Rock/Pop and Soundtracks/Scores now residing where most of the Classical LPs were. I now have room to buy more Jazz LPs.

One of the cool things I found at SAVERS was a new-in-the-box TV wall stand. Different brand than the ones that hold the BOSE 301s, but same width. Because the wall stud was about 6 inches to the right of the wall's center, I had to create a wooden bracket that I screwed to the stud and the bracket to the left side of it so that the speaker would be centered on the wall and in between the BOSE'. Here it is below:

This, of course, allowed me to remove that cobbled together center channel speaker stand and all the pieces of Lexan and foam tape that I'd placed under the Kenwood power amp and Sony receiver. Plus it looks a heck of a lot better as the two photos below attest to.

Below, is a close-up of the Sony receiver with the new-to-me OPPO DV-970HD universal player that replaces the Sony unit. It is OPPO's first universal player. Sounds great and has multichannel outputs for SACD playback. I'd bought a Sony SCD CE-595 five disc SACD/CD changer via eBay, but it will not detect SACDs so it was useless to me. Fortunately, the seller promptly refunded all the money and told me to trash it, which I can't do.

 

Below is a vintage UNIVERSITY corner horn speaker that I'd found at Bee Thrifty. It originally had a 12" full-range speaker, but someone had replaced it with a Wharfedale 10" woofer. They did a lousy job of it. I'd done a proper job and added the 4" by 10" horn tweeter to it. I don't have an amp that can handle a 16 ohm load, and had put it on eBay, but no takers. I'd also bought one of those carpet covered woofer cabinets that had the Alpine 10" woofer you can see below in it. eBay'd it and no buyers. So, I took the Wharfedale out, disconnected the tweeter, and installed the Alpine. Sounds AMAZING! On top is a Sherborne 75 watts-per-channel power amp that I'm going to use to power it. The crossover and double input terminals have arrived so that is my next project.

Below is the vintage Sony speakers I'd bought. I figured since the rest of the speakers all have wood or wood-looking veneers, I'd keep these and had sold the Wharfedale Diamond 7.1s that I'd been using for surround speakers.

These projects and the shopping has occupied most of the weekend. Saturday morning before it got too hot, I was able to figure out which of the two cooling fans on the Capri was blowing the fuse. I'd bought both, used, via eBay and it turns out to have been the far easier to replace main fan motor. Now, I can get back into the car, not worry about overheating and enjoy air conditioned comfort. Much as I love our old Ranger pickup, it's not exactly sporty which the Capri is. 

So, now you are up-to-date with what I've been up to. Been a lot of fun. Plus, Nancy had Saturday AND Sunday off this weekend, so we both got lots of quality time together.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scott