Hi everyone,
my girlfriend and me are about to have our first child. Our stereo employs transmission tubes running on stacked kilovolt supplies. Of course there is the occasional clip lead. Sources are turntables.
How did those of you that mixed diy tube amps and children save the kids from getting electrocuted and save the phono cartridges from the kids?
Best,
Daniel
my girlfriend and me are about to have our first child. Our stereo employs transmission tubes running on stacked kilovolt supplies. Of course there is the occasional clip lead. Sources are turntables.
How did those of you that mixed diy tube amps and children save the kids from getting electrocuted and save the phono cartridges from the kids?
Best,
Daniel
When you have kids you will understand the meaning of the phrase "this is why we can't have nice things"
Pretty much as soon as he could walk my #1 loved reaching behind the TV and snapping off the antenna cable, (I got really good at repairing them) and pulling the socket off the end of HDMI cables (I put the PS3 in a cupboard)
set up all your stuff in a room, put a lock on the door. you won't have much time to go in there, but when you do there won't be toys all over the floor.
Pretty much as soon as he could walk my #1 loved reaching behind the TV and snapping off the antenna cable, (I got really good at repairing them) and pulling the socket off the end of HDMI cables (I put the PS3 in a cupboard)
set up all your stuff in a room, put a lock on the door. you won't have much time to go in there, but when you do there won't be toys all over the floor.
I switched from DIY tube amps with flying wires (and the occasional fireworks effects) to nicely finished class D amps. Speakers didn't change much, and I found it surprisingly easy to make the kids keep their fingers away from the dustcaps etc. So no grilles and stuff, even with expensive drivers. Friends' kids visiting at our place were more of an issue, as they lacked my "training". Now, ten years later, I have a stock of nice tubes that have never been used and are worth much more than before.
Of course amps must be cased up properly. Tall equipment shelf and a baby gate to block off the room. As another member said I have no problems now with the kids getting into my stuff. I have often heard them tell friends "That's my dads stereo stuff...don't touch it.".
I got into DIY after our second was born. It is a hobby that is in the house, can be picked up in the evening and put back down when I want.
I sometimes miss being able to spend weekends away Racing my motorcycle/car... sold both after years of not taking them out.
Enjoy,
Evan
I got into DIY after our second was born. It is a hobby that is in the house, can be picked up in the evening and put back down when I want.
I sometimes miss being able to spend weekends away Racing my motorcycle/car... sold both after years of not taking them out.
Enjoy,
Evan
I had my lab, darkroom, listening room, guitars and amps, and workshop all stuffed into a 10 X 10 foot spare bedroom. The random explosions, stink of blown caps and darkroom chemicals, and assorted other loud noises, all pretty much self trained the wife and kids not to go near that room. I didn't even need to lock the door, but kept it closed when not inside.
The cats however took some training and some "cat repellent". I kept a squirt gun filled with water nearby. When a cat got curious, zap, one squirt in the face, poof, the cat would be back in the living room hiding under the console TV.
The cats however took some training and some "cat repellent". I kept a squirt gun filled with water nearby. When a cat got curious, zap, one squirt in the face, poof, the cat would be back in the living room hiding under the console TV.
Bill,
You will never get that turntable you lust after.
To be fair, I've had the turntable I wanted for over 20 years. All the others are fun hobby lustings. As SWMBO has pointed out, where will 3 other turntables fit in the living room!
Lets just hope she doesn't stop at 7
Ah, but as my 5th is her 1st (long story). She'd have to get busy.
As you can see (and this is not a Photoshopped picture), not even the f*ck*ng Berlin Wall stopped kids from at least trying:
click on it twice to see it in its full grimness.
That said, I bought my current house planning , even before marrying, how to mate small Factory, including very dangerous stuff (even for adults) such as table saws, grinders, table router, paint spraying stuff, pneumatic nail guns (plus associated compressors), bench drills, metal lathe, sheet metal guillotine, punchers, folder (make own chassis) , tanks with nasty acids (PCB etching, Parkerizing, metal treatment) , high voltage magnetizer (make own speakers) , transformer winder , etc.
The answer? : bought a derelict old 2 story 19 room house in the Buenos Aires old port district (some 60 meters from the river ) ,
dedicated floor level to the mini Factory (also including a Photo Lab, used for plain Photo and Silkscreening) and upper level to Family.
Each level has its own street door and they don't communicate internally, plus not even "honey" is welcome downstairs.
Think of it as the Mother (or should it be the Father?) of Mancaves.
click on it twice to see it in its full grimness.
That said, I bought my current house planning , even before marrying, how to mate small Factory, including very dangerous stuff (even for adults) such as table saws, grinders, table router, paint spraying stuff, pneumatic nail guns (plus associated compressors), bench drills, metal lathe, sheet metal guillotine, punchers, folder (make own chassis) , tanks with nasty acids (PCB etching, Parkerizing, metal treatment) , high voltage magnetizer (make own speakers) , transformer winder , etc.
The answer? : bought a derelict old 2 story 19 room house in the Buenos Aires old port district (some 60 meters from the river ) ,
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dedicated floor level to the mini Factory (also including a Photo Lab, used for plain Photo and Silkscreening) and upper level to Family.
Each level has its own street door and they don't communicate internally, plus not even "honey" is welcome downstairs.
Think of it as the Mother (or should it be the Father?) of Mancaves.
After 36 years in the house in Florida, we packed up and moved 1200 miles north. The new house has a 1600 square foot basement where my new lab / listening room / recording studio / ....... is being built. I have an 850 square foot mobile home on the property for the dangerous stuff like the table saw, band saw, router table, chemicals for PV board making.......
The grand kids are not allowed in either place. The doors ARE kept locked since the oldest (10) can't keep his hands off stuff.
As a kid a locked door had me work as hard as needed to open that door and enter to figure out why it was locked. Maybe the locked door is good policy when the offspring is a toddler. When they get more capable maybe just showing them what's going on and where dangers lurk is more efficient. Also a "I don't mess with your crap, you don't messw ith my crap. You can check out everything you are interested in but let me have a part in that fun." might work. Maybe not and this is just a romantic idea of mine.
So was I. The big difference is that these are my grandkids. They don't live here, and at least one of us is home when they visit.
The 10 year old boy is a "slacker." He doesn't want to do anything except play video games. He has no desire to learn anything except for what is required of him. I have told him that there are things that could seriously hurt or kill him in both places, and when he wants to learn how to respect these things and learn to use them properly, I will gladly teach him. There has been zero interest. I got him one of those "learn electronics" kits for Christmas, he hasn't opened it.
The 8 year old girl is curious, and wants to learn, but her interests lie in chasing the wild animals, bird watching, and playing outside. The other two are toddlers and curious, but can't reach the door knobs.....yet.
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