The Pod Bay

1:08 AM

heh cool this ... forget spin stabilisation, here comes solar pressure stabilisation, helping Kepler to continue its exoplanet hunting: nasa.gov/kepler/a-sunny-outlook-for-nasa-keplers-second-light

PearsonArtPhoto

1:30 AM

@TildalWave Yuck, on Thanksgiving, at a time where I can't possible watch it. Sigh.

TildalWave

@PearsonArtPhoto Yup I know, it's not the best date. It's not yet confirmed tho

PearsonArtPhoto

Well, it depends on what the problem is, so...

TildalWave

That's true, and I don't expect them to confirm it until they solve the problem either, but it didn't look like anything major. I'm not even entirely sure it was last called off due to 1st stage valve #2 or something like that, b'cos I think I heard something about wind gusts in the background, just barely on my headphones... We'll see what they say

PearsonArtPhoto

Well, time to replace my monitor

TildalWave

@PearsonArtPhoto God, what did you do? This cold turkey launch didn't upset you too much, did it?

PearsonArtPhoto

1:36 AM

My secondary monitor smoked a bit this morning, haven't had a chance to replace it yet...

TildalWave

That's odd ... I've never seen a LCD smoke ... or it's a CRT?

PearsonArtPhoto

LCD. The smoke came out of the top of it, just a little, but enough...

TildalWave

Could it be just some dust or perhaps some of the glue they use to prevent capacitors from moving? Or it died?

PearsonArtPhoto

It died, for sure.

TildalWave

Oh that's different then LOL

PearsonArtPhoto

1:40 AM

The monitor was acting up, not turning on despite being on.

TildalWave

My condolences :)

PearsonArtPhoto

I turned it on/off a few times, it started whining, followed by streaks, and a small pop. Then came the smoke.

LOL.

TildalWave

aha sounds like the hybrid chip sizzled

I never saw that on an LCD tho... often on older or crappier CRTs

I thought only high power panels are at risk of that, so maybe LCD telly sets

PearsonArtPhoto

It was probably a pretty old panel, so...

I suspect it was as old as 7 years.

Maybe even a bit older, but no more than 8.

TildalWave

I only replaced my LCDs because they'd get those dead lines ... never even checked what that means or if it's salvageable, I always wanted a new panel :)

PearsonArtPhoto

1:45 AM

I have a theory on what happened the previous F-9 launch.

TildalWave

@PearsonArtPhoto You mean with the second burn on the upper stage? There's some news out on that one, in case you didn't yet check.

PearsonArtPhoto

Hadn't heard.

TildalWave

fuel line froze

PearsonArtPhoto

Oh, the multiple objects, not fuel line froze.

I think the evac line froze too.

TildalWave

@PearsonArtPhoto ah, so what you think they were?

PearsonArtPhoto

1:47 AM

And the end result was a blowout/ "Energetic Event"

A Falcon don't explode, it experience "Energetic Events".

TildalWave

hehe nice

PearsonArtPhoto

Back up to 2 monitors. Whew!

I had a backup, slightly better one.

TildalWave

I'm also not laughing, I'm just exercising my jocular :)

PearsonArtPhoto

forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29130.455;wap2

TildalWave

@PearsonArtPhoto nice

PearsonArtPhoto

1:50 AM

Well, I don't have a backup, so the next time a monitor blows, it's going to mean I can't have a second one at my main computer...

Also, I don't have a monitor for my server PC that I haven't used in a while...

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a suitable replacement, however.

TildalWave

@PearsonArtPhoto now you have the excuse to convince the missus... should be some good deals on black friday too

PearsonArtPhoto

Yeah. And I'm not picky either about my secondary monitor, so...

TildalWave

I am because I pivot it a lot 90°, I can't have some cheap TFT or alike

PearsonArtPhoto

My replacement can pivot 90, my old one couldn't.

Otherwise they are the same, pretty much.

I care more about picture quality than a feature like pivot, and I actually don't want it to be too big.

TildalWave

well same here but pivot is useful and it looks crap on monitors with poor viewing angles

tho good viewing angle and good picture quality usually go hand in hand

PearsonArtPhoto

1:59 AM

Yeah, I should learn to learn to use pivot more...

Stack Exchange

3:15 PM

NASA Image of the Day: Lighting the Paths Across the U.S.

posted on November 26, 2013

Thanksgiving is a time for family, for feasting, and for gratitude in the United States. It is also a time when the nation’s transportation network is clogged with travelers. According to the American Automobile Association, an estimated 43.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more during Thanksgiving week, with the average round trip being 600 miles (1,000 kilometers). M…

TildalWave

3:36 PM

Although really, the damage was done when the party planners took the hole punch to the elevator ribbon to hang up the sign.

hahaha made my day :)

Stack Exchange

4:44 PM

astrobites: Something cataclysmic in the Kepler field

posted on November 26, 2013 by Korey Haynes

Cataclysmic variables are binary star systems where one of the stars—a white dwarf—devours its main sequence partner over time. Kepler proves yet again that it can find a lot more than just exoplanets by identifying a cataclysmic variable with a period of less than an hour.

David Freitag

@Undo So, did you figure your G4 problem out?

Undo

@DavidFreitag Oh, yes! I'm planning to put it in the closet and use it as a development server - hopefully it doesn't catch fire or something.

David Freitag

@Undo Thweet. Also, thermal shutdown sensors are usually good at preventing fires :p

Undo

It's a G4. Anything can happen :P

David Freitag

It's not a G4 if you take a dremel to it :]

Hash

5:10 PM

Hash returns

@Undo Congrats !! :-):-):-)

Undo

@Hash Um... what did I do?

Oh 5k Thanks!

lol

Everyone

5:32 PM

@TildalWave LOL

How many Gee does an unmanned space-craft typically pull at launch?

TildalWave

BTW I think I just saw Progress passing over my stretch of the woods in one of its orbits, the inclination and orbital period were about right (but didn't have anything to really measure it on me)

Everyone

Are you possessed of a tele-scope then?

TildalWave

@Everyone I do have one 4" refractor that I used with h-alpha filter but the filter is a goner now, it's useless and it costs more than the telescope itself ... and a 10" newtonian that I rarely take out for a spin too... it's way too cold now, I'm not that desperate LOL I mostly just use binoculars now, or google for way better images :)

Everyone

What power?

For that matter, why is it binoculars are represented by resolution & telescopes by focal-length?

glares at nobody in particular

TildalWave

You want me to take it out of the box? IIRC it's 1 meter focal length, but that's not really the best measure at least not for most things ... it's not the best quality out there, I can tell you that much :)

@Everyone because they sell to different people?

Everyone

5:43 PM

isn't that 4' the focal length then?

TildalWave

Why are monitors measured in diagonal in inches? That tells you pretty much nothing, does it? It took me half an hour to find vertical size for viewing area of that Philips ultra wide monitor ... all it said was it's 27" and its resolution. How useful LOL

Everyone

doesn't like ultra-wides

TildalWave

@Everyone For refractor? No, that's just the dia of the glass elements

Everyone

Ah. I think

TildalWave

doesn't say anything about it either

Everyone

5:46 PM

Ultra-wides are far more trouble writing code than square-ones

TildalWave

unless you're looking for a case for it :)

Everyone

Why doesn't anyone seem to manufacture simple 29" square monitors anymore nowadays anyway?

TildalWave

@Everyone I wouldn't buy it for work... perhaps for a secondary one for movies and such

games should be fun on it too

Everyone

Ultra-wides are for movies, and such.
Squares are for work/code

More LoC visible on a square monitor. Less scrolling.
Ultra-wides make me unreasonably frustrated

p.s. You didn't answer me question (+:

TildalWave

I have dual monitor setup for that, and I pivot the side one often to portrait. I could add more monitors, but I'd need a new desk 1st LOL

Everyone

5:51 PM

Then you don't run the monitor off the computer SMPS?

TildalWave

@Everyone No, and BTW those are just split sockets, PSU has little to do with it except that it might sometimes act as a switch for it. Makes for no difference IMO, monitors go into standby with no signal anyway. Plus, I keep my rigs on 24/7 anyway, they have always something to do :)

One monitor is powered via UPS, secondary is direct to the wall socket

Everyone

Right... I knew that; and forgot all about it

You could always use one of these new-fangled monitor arm thingamajig

TildalWave

Yeah I was contemplating buying it once, then I realized I pull more adjustable stands off the old monitors (they used to come with better stands) and just change the panel. So I have one Dell and one BenQ now both on 10 year old Samsung stands LOL

Everyone

Yeh. I still use the monitor I purchased back in 1996 q+: (Which is why I am probably the last programmer alive running a 15" CRT)

TildalWave

they might look a bit funny from the back but since I have my desk next to the wall, nobody would complain :D

Everyone

6:05 PM

(+: As long as it's functional ... Funny is overrated

TildalWave

@Everyone I miss CRTs actually. You don't get such contrasts any more

Everyone

Aye. Plus a CRT is repairable

These new screens are ... for want of a better word, flimsy