Images tagged "hamilton-airshow"
Rob Faucher's Blog
Photography, Motorcycling, Travel, Tech Gadgets and Astrophotography
You stink!
Love the look of the Blue Jay with the swooshing coomb-back feather
looking hair piece atop his head…. had a teacher with that look once ……LMFAO!!!
Great Picutes, I haven’t been the Hamilton Air show in years, but did manage to get to the Camp Borden Air show this year, but its right in my back yard ,lol
Any chance the Basilica burst into flames when you entered.
Pics are awesome Rob, can’t wait to hear the stories.
See ya tomorrow.
Nope, I avoided eating Red River cereal. Thanks for viewing the photos, see you tomorrow buddy.
hello Rob & Elaine
Stumbled upon your blog as I was looking for something different to take our motorcycle riding club (SCRC 298) and found the Docville site.
Your pics are excellent as I am sold in taking the group there.
a question that I have, is there any facility’s and any place for food?
I have bookmarked your blog and will keep in touch with the different places that you visit.
Bernie charbonneau
Hi Bernie,
Thanks for your comments! It’s definitely worth a ride to Docville. There’s a Tim Horton’s and McDonald’s just down the road from there if you need a quick bite. Are you affiliated with Southern Cruisers?
Thanks again for the insight Rob. Yes, I am an Officer with the 298 Newmarket chapter and I took the group there on Sunday and we where all amazed that a little of the wild west was at our doorstep. We brought picnic lunches and spent time talking with Steve (Doc) about his vision. I agree, one must visit this little known “town”. Cheers!
Hi Bernie,
Glad to see that you took the group there and you all had a great time. I finally got my first decent ride in this year on road trip to Montreal. Photos now posted.
Do you know of any decent riding groups out in Durham?
Hi Rob Beautiful work, would love to see this done with Lily as the subject, think a few captured , and framed of her little nose, mouth, and eyes would be amazing with a beautiful lily flower as well. Can’t wait to see if you use my subject matter as a experiment.
Say Hi to Elaine for me. XXX
Thank you so much for those kind words. I really like your idea of taking some lensbaby shots of Lily. I mentioned your idea to Elaine and we are going to do it! Cheers!
I’ve twice driven by a sign in the past two weeks announcing “Docville” and was extremely curious and decided to look it up!
I am also a photographer (which is why I was in the area the first time) and a wild west (and coincidentally Doc Holliday) aficionado; how neat to know such a place exists within my own municipality!
Nice photos. I shall be taking a road trip/photog expedition out here next weekend for sure!
Thank you Rob for hooking me up to historic route 66 . I am now absolutely & forever addicted “Route 66 ” & you! What an memorable incredible bucket list trip of a time for me this became . The laughter , the fun , all the amazing great times ! You opened up your own personal history with me to show me a very special passionate place where your heart belongs . For that I will forever love you my sweet darling. That takes a very special, caring, loving & strong man. The beautiful friends of past ( Ray & Tammy). ( Mike & Twyla) & present we met along our incredible journey only added to my forever memories . I cannot but forever cherish & love you more each & every day but for the joy in we share time together. Thanks for keeping me laughing with your insane jokes & bringing me home safe even when that GPS had no Freak in idea where we were! Your the best my darling Rob xo
My father is looking to reach your father?
I tried his Oakville no…..disconnected.
Would appreciate news….tx
Hi Clifford,
My father is now living in London, Ontario with my brother. I will email you his coordinates.
Rob
The diminutive Pentax Q delivers an immense night time quality photo.
Thanks for the comment. The Q10 does indeed deliver decent night results for a tiny sensor. However, the images in this gallery were shot with the Olympus OMD EM-5. The night shots from the Q10 are in the second days galleries.
Thank you for sharing these lovely nature shots, Robert. Taking a walk through nature is always good therapy. <3
Thanks Niki 🙂 I think that was fall’s last gasp. Guess I’ll need to find some suitable winter locations to shoot now. Cheers!
Hello Rob, how are you? I met you in September in Kensington Market when me and my wife quickly interviewed you on the artist who painted the Big Fat Burrito, for the documentary I was making on him. Remember? In fact, I saw a picture of us in your Kensington Market gallery. Well, I have just finished the film and would like to send you a link for you to watch. Is this a good means to send it? Would you prefer to pass me your email? Cheers!
Augusto.
Hello Augusto,
Good to hear from you! It’s a small world indeed and I am glad you have connected with me through my blog. I kept your card handy and was looking at your creative projects online, I enjoyed them. I would love to see your finished documentary. I can also post a link on my website to your film if that’s ok. I will send you an email so you have my coordinates.
Cheers,
Rob
Was a wonderful day in so many ways, and since I do believe in metaphors, or signs I would say you had a very welcoming rainbow after your long trip.
Rob,
Great pictures and must have been a great trip.
glad to hear your going to be riding a classic sometime soon. I am very impressed with the blog. great work
Ray
Thanks Ray! I appreciate the positive words. Once again, I cannot thank you and Tammy enough for your gracious hospitality and friendship.
Insurance adjuster coming tomorrow. He says the Road Glide is almost certainly a write off and said good things about our local Harley dealer. I just hope the Electra Glide Classic I’m eyeballing will still be for sale when I get my insurance cheque. I’m stoked about getting a Classic 🙂
[…] Oklahoma Diner”, featuring its proprietorm Dawn Welch, in a cover photo. Similar to my previous post, for CARS on the ROUTE, there is another tie in to the Pixar movie “Cars”. The […]
Rob — I so love your intriguing landscape photos & the B&W of the waitresses behind the counter reveals a lot of their characters. Thank you for sharing your incredible journey. 🙂
Thank you so much Nicole!
Hi, Rob. I went to high school with your brother, JP. I just saw this blog pop up on my Facebook feed–great stuff! I’m a rider as well, and my wife and I did a 10-day tour of the SW last year. When I get some spare time I’ll check out the rest of your posts. Sorry to hear about your fall. Stay safe!
Hello Paul, thank you for the positive comment! What places did you and your wife visit in the SW last year? All is not a loss from the accident. All my injuries are healed and I recently purchased a Harley Electra Glide Limited, this time with ABS brakes 🙂
Congrats on the new bike! Smart move on the ABS. After owning 4 or 5 bikes, I don’t think I’d buy another that didn’t have a) ABS and b) tubeless tires.
As for the trip…my wife and did a self-guided tour on a BMW R1200GS via Eagle Rider. It was themed around national/state parks: we rode through Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, Capitol Reef and Zion. The roads were phenomenal. Not sure where you’ve been, but I think my favourites were: Kolob Terrace Road at the west end of Zion; Scenic Byway 12 (Utah) from Capitol Reef through Grand Staircase-Escalante; and Utah State Route 261 north of Mexican Hat (the Moki Dugway).
Hi Paul,
By any chance are you the same Paul Bremner who writes for Cycle Canada?
I hope to never be in a situation where I’ll need ABS, but it definitely is piece of mind knowing it’s there for less than ideal braking conditions.
How’s that BMW R1200GS? It looks like a really smart solution for all manner of roads. On another road trip, I met an American who was riding one up to Alaska. He said the roads were too gnarly for big cruisers. I have to admit, taking a big touring rig on unfinished or gravel roads is not my idea of a good time.
Your SW ride must have been an remarkable trip. I have been to half the places you’ve mentioned and way, way too many others to list. One of my favourite SW drives is 89A from Flagstaff to Sedona. Also, 89a, 98, 160 and 163, which takes one from Flagstaff to Page and then Monument Valley.
Makes riding in Southern Ontario seem dull eh?
Love your B&W photos. However the 2 photos of the menagerie of items with the old cash register are very appealing. Once again thank you for sharing your journey. 🙂
This is funny. Yesterday I did exactly the same. Same preamp, same Mullards as replacement. Only I just now found your article thanks to my best friend Google. I bought 4 matched tubes so I would have a replacement in case of any defects. After a few hours of warming up I already noticed the difference. Hard to describe. More fluent, brighter, punchier. As if everyting is covered in a warm blanket. A bit like FM radio broadcast sound but still having detail in the sound. I love it. For now I will keep this as my method of listening to vinyl but tuberolling looks fun. I am wondering what effect a pair of NOS vintage 60s tubes would have. I will keep looking on ebay for an affordable opportunity.
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for the comments. I have burned in those Mullards now after a few dozen hours of listening and they continue to improve in richness and harmonics. When I first replaced the stock tubes in the Pro-Ject, I was using an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge with the preamp gain set to 40db. There was virtually no background noise or any hum, even when the amp was cranked. Last week, I replaced the Ortofon with a Grado Statement Sonata with a low output of only 0.5mv. As such, the phono preamp needs 61 db gain now and there is some hiss from the tubes at higher volumes, but barely noticeable when records are played. I may be on the search for some other tubes which are quieter, but I am afraid it might sacrifice some dynamics that the Mullards do well.
If you come across any tubes that have the full sound and soundstage of the Mullards, but are quieter, please let me know.
Cheers,
Rob
I am now trying to reinstall cartride that came with my Technics SL1710MKII. An Audio Technica 3100XE with replaceable tip. Its also low output, 0.4 mV so I thougt to make use of a step up transformer. I scored a Sony HA T10 from Ebay… I am now wondering what settings for the Tube preamp should be used…
Hi Dennis, you may able to use the Pro-Ject without a step up transformer, provided you set the gain to 61db. I will assume your cartridge is MC, so I would go with the standard settings for a low output MC cartridge. It’s on page 3 of your manual.
I am currently using a low output Grado Statement Sonata moving iron cartridge, which outputs 0.5 mV. I had to set the gain to 61db and there is some hiss when the amp’s volume knob is cranked high. This is to be expected with tubes. That said, the hiss becomes a non-issue once I play a record as the signal ratio of the music overwhelms the phono preamp noise.
I have been doing some research and there are quieter tubes than the re-issued Mullards, but that can also mean a compromise in dynamics and gain. If your cartridge is shielded, I expect it will be more immune to noise than the unshielded Grado.
Let me know how it goes.
[…] I have been listening to a lot more music. Consequently, I upgraded my phono pre-amp to a Pro-Ject Tube Box S and purchased an audiophile quality phono cartridge, a Grado Statement Sonata 1. Normally I […]
Can I ask question regarding HDR on the EM5? Other than setting up bracketing (say 5 shots +_1 EV) and 9fps is there anything one needs to do on the camera? One site mentioned needing to set the camera so it does not compensate for the exposure changes — but i wonder why would there be bracketing int he first palce if one needs to set a mode to use it? Anyway, any info would b appreciated.
Cool looking photos!
Thanks, Danny
Hello Danny, thank you for your question and for the compliment on the photos. You are on the right path to get HDR working on the EM5, or virtually any other camera that has auto-bracketing. You need not worry about the camera compensating for exposure changes. After all, that is a moot point with auto-bracketing being fired off at 9 fps, or even 5 fps. In a natural environment, the amount of light will not change in fractions of a second.
I would recommend three more settings to ensure success with HDR.
1) Use the self-timer or remote control to minimize any chance of camera shake.
2) If the camera is on a tripod, turn off the image stabilization.
3) It is a good idea to lock the white balance to a predefined setting or set it from a white card. Sometimes exposure bracketing can shift white balance. Ideally, you want the same white balance for all images in an HDR stack. If you shoot RAW, you can set all the images in the exposure stack to the same white balance using Adobe Lightroom, etc.
Cheers,
Rob
Ah, the electric sex of glowing vacuum tubes in audio equipment at night…..
In the early 90’s when I auditioned a couple of amps, a high end Yamaha and the Luxman LV-105u hybrid with vacuum tubes. I was immediately smitten by the sound quality of the Luxman when listening with headphones. No apparent “graininess” that I heard from the Yamaha. It was an easy decision after that and I still listen to the Luxman. Although not pure tube technology, the tubes do add a certain sonic quality to the output stage that I like. This was when CDs were just beginning to become the dominate audio format. I remember those CDs having a very “brassy” sound when compared to vinyl, at least to me. The audio technology has improved things, thank God, since then and the sound is better. The uniqueness of the Luxman helped make listening to early CDs more enjoyable.
Had it re-capped and a few other dodgy components replaced by the fine people at http://www.dnaelectronics.ca. This guy and his son are fanatics about vintage audio equipment and their goal is to rebuild and replace to exceed factory specs. I hear things now on my Luxman I never heard before when listening to really familiar music. Highly recommended.
Earlier, when I replaced the tubes in the Luxman, I found this place in Hamilton online: http://www.thetubestore.com and was pleased with the service.
You’re right about different tubes of the same type having different sonic qualities. A lot of guitar players will often audition different makes to get the sound they need. Someone once said that the perfect electric guitar sound makes you feel like when you smell bacon. If you check some of the online electric guitar forums, some interesting discussions and arguments about guitar/pickup/amp/tube combinations ensue.
Another reason why the Soviets used vacuum tubes in their military communications equipment was because vacuum tubes were almost not affected by the Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) following a nuclear detonation. EMPs create havoc with ICs (integrated circuits) that are in every bit of electronic communications used by the West then. Whether the West shields this stuff from EMPs, I’m not sure about. I’ve heard that vacuum tubes were still used until fairly recently in their aircraft for this reason. (That and it makes troubleshooting and repairs in the field a lot easier. Less requirement for highly skilled personnel or sophisticated test equipment).
Apparently, vacuum tubes from former Soviet satellites (like the Czech Republic and East Germany) are of better quality than from Russia, But all seem to agree the Chinese made stuff should be avoided.
I’m looking at my Fender Blues Junior guitar amp, a replica of the original 1950’s version including the Tweed exterior finish, that I bought in the late 90’s and it has Russian made vacuum tubes. Maybe Leo Fender would spin in his grave if he ever knew something he designed during the cold war and another example of western decadence now uses former Soviet technology.
Is this a crazy ol’ world or what?
Hi Terry,
Thank you for the great comments and insights. It’s a crazy new world indeed.
I agree that hybridizing transistors and tubes can provide a better sounding amplifier than pure solid state. It is a reasonable compromise for folks who cannot afford the bank depleting cost of a pure tube based amplifier. Having valves in the pre-amp stage will bring some of sonic qualities of tubes without driving the cost into the stratosphere. That’s why I have also tube-based phono pre-amp and a tube buffer stage from my DAC to the preamp. In a perfect world, I would have a really good tube power amplifier. Then again, I don’t have $10,000 burning a hole in my pocket 🙁
It is fascinating to see that tubes are enjoying a resurgence. There is a lot more than nostalgia that accounts this. Before transistors became the norm for audio equipment, tube amps were the only way to go. However, the quality of speakers back in the ’50s to ’70s was generally far inferior to what we have today. Furthermore the average turntable back then was crap compared to what we can buy now. Even a budget CD player or iPod is a better source than just anything available to consumers before transistors. It is only recently that we have speakers and sources of such high quality that the true goodness of tubes can be heard. IMHO the best thing transistor amps have going for them is much lower cost and weight and they can deliver very good sound for a modest cost. I liken an affordable transistor amp to a nice bottle of Chilean Cab-Sauvignon, whereas a really good tube amp is akin to a vintage Chateau Lafite Rothschild.
Other than the Voskhod’s, I also buy tubes from The Tube Store in Hamilton. They are a great company to deal with and very knowledgeable. They can recommend which tubes are better suited to hi-fi vs guitar amps and help you get the sound you want.
The quality of Russian tubes has come a long way the last several years as well. A number of Russian brands are owned by the American based New Sensor corporation, who also trade under the Svetlana & Electro-Harmonix names. If I recall, they started out making stomp boxes for guitar players decades ago.
Leo Fender may well be spinning around in his grave if he new Russian valves are powering Fender Amps. Then again, if he saw the prices of New Old Stock (NOS) American or British tubes, he would spin ever faster!
Cheers,
Rob
Hi Rob,
These are really beautiful images! I’m a small time graphic designer in Melbourne, Australia and I’m setting up a new website with a friend. I was wondering whether you’d possibly let me use one your images on my new website as a background? I know people just normally steal stuff – I thought I’d ask as I’ve had things stolen from me and I hate it. Totally cool if that’s not ok. Give me a shout on williamhunt@gmail.com. Thanks in advance, Will
Hello William,
Thank for the compliments! I’ll contact you by email and you are welcome to use an image. Cheers! Rob
Hi Rob . My name is Tom Gustar. I am doing some SEO work for Doc and I was wondering if you would be so kind as to create an actual hyperlink to htt://docvillemovieset.com in the word “Docville” in the article. It would help boost his score in the searches a bit.
This is my site http://greengenieseo.com
Hello Tom, will do! Thanks for the comment and I will have that hyperlink in for you today.
Really appreciate that. Thanks from both of us.
Hi Rob, amazing experimentation! Love the results.
Similar to Will, I’m working with some friends on an art projet (Canada) and we’d love to use one of the texture on the website. Would be thrilled if you’re ok with us to use it 🙂
justinlortie@gmail.com
All the best,
Justin
Hello Justin,
Thank you for your comments! Much appreciated. Please feel free to use one of the textures, but also give credit. When your project is done, can you please send the link.
Cheers,
Rob
Rob, these are definitely art. 🙂 They should be printed large and hung on walls.
Thank You Lianne. I may well consider that! Any suggestions on a particular image?