How enthusiastic are you about your hobbies?

[SteCenturion]

Hmmmm ....

I often feel & probably am a bit of a fraud when it comes to cycling.

I love it, but I really don't understand how anyone with children & FT jobs fits it in.
My little girl is 5 & her indoors is not very *see absolutely not* understanding of my hobbies.

I will do the odd sportive & some solo rides & get excited by the idea of a group ride, even joined a Club (but have never 'yet' been out with them), I start with big/full intentions that just don't take off, mainly due to work/family/no free time inbalance.
The bike can be locked away for 6 months at a time while I just watch cycle racing on TV.

Guitars & guitar heavy music are my constant big thing, though again I really struggle to find free time, I mean, when you work 6 days a week & Jr goes to bed at 7.30 & the Mrs wants to watch soaps, how do you plug into a Marshall or Boogie & crank it ?

Just sold my golf bag, the irons went months ago, again due to almost zero free time but also because of a glass back that can't take the punishment anymore.

The one thing I almost always force free time for is Rugby League, I have a season ticket for my beloved Leigh Centurions & go to selected (big) away games too. I don't watch every game on TV, it's not fair so again, selected big games usually.

This is the year though to get out & mingle, so I will be venturing out on some forum rides for a change.

 

[ColinJ]

Guitars & guitar heavy music are my constant big thing, though again I really struggle to find free time, I mean, when you work 6 days a week & Jr goes to bed at 7.30 & the Mrs wants to watch soaps, how do you plug into a Marshall or Boogie & crank it ?

Run your guitar through a good effects unit to give you that valve sound, and listen on headphones! (Take a look HERE for ideas.)

 

[KnackeredBike]

I love it, but I really don't understand how anyone with children & FT jobs fits it in.

I think it is easier to fit in cycling with a FT job as long as you can commute. Certainly I have weekends where I want to do sod all but I'll get up at 5.30am on a Monday morning and get on the bike as that is *the* way I get to work.

I'm lucky in that because of parking restrictions driving is seldom more convenient anyway. When I was out of work I cycled less because I had to find time for it, as opposed to having time made for it.

 

[DanZac]

Cycling, running, gardening including a large allotment that keeps us pretty much in veg all year, diy, model engineering, cooking and generaly tinkering with anything else that holds my interest keep me pretty busy.
Although I'm pretty pasionate about all my hobbies I tend to keep them to myself unless pushed, I find more interest in listening to others than talking about mine.

 

[jonny jeez]

I have never been keen to commit to a hobby, for fear of becoming a bore.

I worked with a chap who was keen on Karate, his house was like a shrine to all things Japanese, he had katanas on every mantelpiece.

He clearly found the culture and activity very engaging but he would talk about nothing else.

It was probably him that drove me to be concerned.

As a result I keep my hobbies to myself
As a result I don't do them very much
As a result they stop becoming hobbies

Five years ago I committed to cycling, telling myself and my mates that I was prepared to be a bore as I enjoyed it so much, fortunately most of my mates also took up cycling and those that dont ride seem to accommodate my habit.

I am sure I am.a cyclebore but kind of (kind of) dont care.

 

[Drago]

Your mate stuffed his house full of large capacity Suzukis?

 

[jonny jeez]

Your mate stuffed his house full of large capacity Suzukis?

He got through a lot of mantlepeices.

 

[raleighnut]

Run your guitar through a good effects unit to give you that valve sound, and listen on headphones! (Take a look HERE for ideas.)

It's not the same though, I'd sooner fire up my 'Cheesy Little Amp'

 

[iateyoubutler]

For me:

Cycling, this has taken over my house/garage/life
I used to be interested in electronics, but since doing it for a living I now despise it
Vintage electricals are an interest I`ve always had
Had a model railway as a kid, and would love to do it again, but have nowhere to do it
I love walking
Just getting into hifi....doing the research!
Got a mild interest in local history, such as the disused railways/industrial workings etc

 

[raleighnut]

For me:

Cycling, this has taken over my house/garage/life
I used to be interested in electronics, but since doing it for a living I now despise it
Vintage electricals are an interest I`ve always had
Had a model railway as a kid, and would love to do it again, but have nowhere to do it
I love walking
Just getting into hifi....doing the research!
Got a mild interest in local history, such as the disused railways/industrial workings etc

If you want Hifi Amps that can be repaired I'd recommend early QUAD gear, my 1967 303 poweramps still hold their own against modern gear,

You only really need one (they're a stereo amp) but my speakers are capable of being Bi-amped so why not use a pair, the Pre-amp (control unit) is a later model (44 as opposed to the original 33) but I came into some dosh and the 44 was for sale at the right price (the 33 now acts as a Phono stage for the surround sound set-up in the front room as that Amplifier does not have one fitted)
If you get the original handbooks with them they even have the full circuit diagrams included (or you can download them from t'internet)

 

[iateyoubutler]

If you want Hifi Amps that can be repaired I'd recommend early QUAD gear, my 1967 303 poweramps still hold their own against modern gear,

View attachment 341361

You only really need one (they're a stereo amp) but my speakers are capable of being Bi-amped so why not use a pair, the Pre-amp (control unit) is a later model (44 as opposed to the original 33) but I came into some dosh and the 44 was for sale at the right price (the 33 now acts as a Phono stage for the surround sound set-up in the front room as that Amplifier does not have one fitted)
If you get the original handbooks with them they even have the full circuit diagrams included (or you can download them from t'internet)

Very nice! Such a shame things aren`t made like that nowadays. I`ve seen quite a few vintage bits of kit where you get the circuits/service info etc. Now they just expect you to throw it out and buy new which I hate, I am dead against the throw away society.

Keep those amps going

 

[potsy]

My hobbies tend to take over my life, I get into them in a big way then eventually move on to something else.

In my teens/20's it was football..
30's golf..
Late 30's/40's cycling..
Now it is bird watching/feeding..

[QUOTE 4710344, member: 21629"]I'm completely losing my interest to cycling. And that's the only one hobby I have.[/QUOTE]

My cycle interest has all but gone too, I have not given up completely but cannot see it ever being the same as it was a few years ago.

 

[raleighnut]

Very nice! Such a shame things aren`t made like that nowadays. I`ve seen quite a few vintage bits of kit where you get the circuits/service info etc. Now they just expect you to throw it out and buy new which I hate, I am dead against the throw away society.

Keep those amps going

I expect to own them for the rest of my life, luckily the QUAD service department is still in Huntingdon (although production was moved to China once IAG bought them out) and everything except the transformer is still available. The service department handle all warranty repairs on the new stuff as well as repairing anything that QUAD ever made so hopefully will continue indefinitely.

 

[accountantpete]

If you want Hifi Amps that can be repaired I'd recommend early QUAD gear, my 1967 303 poweramps still hold their own against modern gear

Nice! I'm afraid the amp puts mine to shame sizewise - the little silver bit (with silver/red capacitors) top right

 

[raleighnut]

Nice! I'm afraid the amp puts mine to shame sizewise - the little silver bit (with silver/red capacitors) top right

View attachment 341374

These internal pics show the 2 amp boards are actually quite small, the rest of the case is full of the transformer,power and output capacitors and heatsink for the transistors. they're only 45W per channel (into an 8 Ohm load)



The 2 amp boards are the square ones.

one advantage of this award winning design is the fact they are unconditionally stable under any load and are able to even stand a direct short or open circuit (no load) without damage. They don't even have output fuses