Thank you for sharing that info about yourself. As an college-educated EE that never had the opportunity to work as one, I watch your show imagining what life could have been had times been different. Keep doing what you love. You're a better engineer than most.
Thank you for talking about AutoCAD's licensing/ownership. Great to hear from someone else who understands the reality of Autodesk's customer-unfriendly licensing arrangement. I too have many "offline" machines running previous versions so that I may use and maintain the software as I wish. Kudos!
Relative of my kid had his stuff blocked because they worked on sensitive project in custom aviation repair and part fab. They were given instructions after they got a contract that was a very specific set of vehicles that have special passenger(s).
RetroCAD I worked for a non MSS Motorola 2 way radio shop and it is the same thing with their EULA. It is not just the restrictive nature of the software licensing agreement, but non software related barriers they throw up to inhibit repair. Stuff like no service manuals, or poring glue all over components to make removal difficult to impossible.
Yeah, that's why I never hopped on the Fusion bandwagon. I'm like Fran, keep an older operating system offline and use an older version of my CAM system.
"Why is my head so big? Well, of course it's because of the enormous brain inside of it, we all know that." I love you Fran, I almost spit out my tea! LOL
Dam FRAN I truly enjoyed 5:00 I never thought about how you described right yo repair…I’m no advocate of it….but I really respect and appreciate your thoughts on the subject…that just blew my mind honestly
I know exactly what you mean on the living space / work space. I am lucky enough to have a very large house but most of it has so much junk it's actually hard to get work done. I wish I had a mansion that I could dedicate 1/2 the space to work spaces. Ideally each room would have its own purpose. I.e. a room for 3d printing, a room for wood working, a room for repair, a room for computers, a room for soldering and oscilloscope etc. In the room a table and chair for each project as I build and move to the next work station. And of course the other half for living space. Currently I have 1/2 of the house each but there is little room to work, I have to go get the tool setup a table in a living space to work on a project and bring the tools back because there is no room where the tools are. I think I have collected too many tools but I would hate to get rid of them. I love being able to build or repair everything. When I have guests they are pretty much limited to the dining room area because that is the only living space I keep free of junk lol
Fran, I explain to people that I do not have a house, I have a shop with a stove and a bed. It is an economic thing. My dream retirement is a tiny house on 5 acres with a really big shop! For the moment, being able to build, repair, create has a higher priority than having friends over for dinner. Besides, when they want me for dinner, it means they have to cook!
Was a little saddened when you talked about your life. I live in an environment not unlike yours. I am a software engineer working from home (still code assembler for IBM zOS systems). Have a pretty big house, but I basically live in my bedroom. My 2 laptops are 6 feet from my bed. I have a large screen TV 4 feet from my work space. I too am busy all the time. I'm a bit ADHD and have used that to my advantage in life. But my constant multi-tasking extends to things outside these 4 walls. I enjoy rocket launches at Wallops, restore vintage motorcycles, I love sailing, I travel a LOT. For example, was in Death Valley when it read 130. Planning a trip to German in the fall. Although I understand your work is fun and it drives your TH-cam channel, there are things outside the lab I hope you have a chance to enjoy. Love your channel. Keep smiling!
Re: Right to repair - you nailed it. Ownership is the crux. My dad (b. 1926) had an oft repeated mantra, a philosophy of working, saving up the purchase price and buying the best version of a thing (house, car, appliance, tractor, radio, reel to reel, table saw, whatever) and owning it. That meant understanding it, maintaining it, and caring for it. His philosophy offered self-reliance. It offered the opportunity to make the best use of one's own strengths and abilities. Today's subscription model undercuts individual value, withholding key technological advances to benefit corporate interests. It is designed to allow the individual only the role of consumer, with the corporation unilaterally setting the terms. Maker and Open-Source culture hold out against these subscription models. It seems like intellectual property law has become outdated. It offered legitimate incentive for innovation, but at a time when product cycles lasted decades rather than weeks. IP now is gamed against society's best interest and has devolved to "Right to Repair" issues at best and trolls at worst. Sorry. Got carried away there. End rant.
#25:50 - Your comment about frames is how we feel about a lot of things these days. The constant re-engineering & re-designing of products means that if you find a fabricated product you like, you better buy 10 of them because when the 1st wears out or breaks, you won't be able to find it again or you'll pay a lot more for it IF you can find it. I REALLY hate this about consumer products market these days. When you make a great product (like your favorite glasses), don't change it just for the SAKE of changing it so it's "new and improved"!
Yeah, I agree. But Jeremiah is right. Companies would be more than happy to keep producing the same stuff for decades if people would keep buying it. Most consumers like trying new stuff. I had this discussion with an executive fairly high up the pole at GM a decade ago and he rattled off a few examples of manufacturers that tried to keep producing the more or less the same initially fairly successful model and before long people stopped buying them despite the quality of the vehicle produced going up as ever more problems got discovered and addressed. He said that if people would keep buying it, given a decade car manufacturers could dial in a design to the point of being able to offer better warrantees and prices because they had time to iron out all the details of production. But alas by the time that the got the production of a certain body style running smoothly it's time to change it.
@@siggyincr7447 I can understand why car designs and features constantly change. They are complex machines and will always evolve based on the current technology. I'm talking more about simple things like toothbrushes, shoes (for me, especially shoes), etc. Ecco shoes for example - they make great shoes, but have redesigned my favorite line into an inferior product. Very frustrating. Hence the idea of buying 10 pairs of the same shoe. :)
@@wavenami : I agree entirely. Well, the investors and accountants get their noses in and decide to make more ‘profit’ , often by redesigning to force the costs down at the cost of quality. The trouble is that those investors and accountants can only do sums, and don’t understand consumer behaviour, or the value of consumer loyalty. It happens, possibly most egregiously, in manufactured food - it’s easy to cut cost if you don’t mind sacrificing food quality, and it is on the face of it attractive to consumers, but the price in poor nutrition takes years to materialise.
Thank you for reaffirming the true point behind RTR. For most people, they see it as getting the manu's to loosen their grip on the draconian measures they've taken to keep control over the stuff they make. Thing is, when you actually buy something, the ownership transfers to the purchaser. If it stays with the seller, then you are not purchasing anything, rather, you are renting it for a one time fee. And at that point, the terminology is the problem. You either buy and own everything in the purchase, or you are one time bulk renting the product. And if that is the case, then the manu would need to be responsible for everything, not just a small portion of the product that is under a very limited time warranty. Thanks Fran. C in Phoenixville
*Speakers* - Forty-some years ago our band built our PA system. We purchased some nice 15" Goodmans woofers and built some decent folded horn cabs for them. We bought some decent Philips tweeters and installed 4 in each of a pair of "home plate" shaped cabs, with two on each angled front-facing side. The whole thing was bi-amped. When we first tested them out, we sat the tweeter cabs on top of the folded horn cabs and stood about 15ft back. The system sounded like pretty much any Electrovoice PA bank: full but shrill. Then we moved the tweeter cabs about a foot or so above the woofer cabs and all of a sudden it transformed into hi-fi, of the sort that one could listen to for hours on end with no fatigue. It was a stunning difference. Many of us have had the misfortune to be near some bozo with subwoofers in their back seat and 200W of juice to power them. The throb is beyond annoying. The crazy thing is that the driver/owner can't actually hear that bass because the wavelength of those frequencies is much longer than the distance between the speakers and the driver's seat. Indeed, the people who "get" to hear all that throbbing bass are easily 30-50 feet or more away. That's also why residents who live near a festival complain about the noise levels while those in front of the stage say "I don't understand what the problem is". Like you said, where the listener stands is a crucial part of how speaker systems sound.
I saw so many interesting things in the Lab, it would be wonderful to get a video tour of FranLab, especially if it were live and we could ask questions about what was in the field of view.
Believe me my dear in Asia this is a way of life for everyone, we simply learn to live in small and limited apartments, with tools, games and everything cramped a tiny corner, so I can understand what you are going through.
Hi fran, I agree about your comments on ownership vs leasing. That's why I don't have office 360 or a modern version of adobe photoshop or any subscriptions beyond anti virus (and even for the anti virus it will continue to work after the subscription has expired you just don't get updates to the virus signatures). When my backup software (acronis) moved to pay per year only I changed to macrium and told acronis why I moved..... For me right to repair is slightly different to right to own. You can own something but still not have the information needed to be able to repair it. I agree that if you don't own it it can be switched off at any time. Yes in theory we all have the right to repair, but if there is no spares parts (for custom parts), no setup/calibration information, no schematics, part numbers removed from transistors and chips, no downloads for the firmware, or special measure are taken to stop the device working if its not repaired by an official repair centre c.f. apple etc then even a single simple fault prohibitively expensive to repair.
For me we need BOTH the right to own AND the information needed to repair which ultimately leads to the right to use indefinitely.
@ 3:50 - I can relate. No steady job since 2016, family stressors, CV19, some health issues too, all forced me into my left brain to cope. I've resorted to YT meditations to get back into my creative right brain. Ack! What do you do?
I have found that speaker placement, as an example speakers 8 ft apart, the 'sweet spot' is 16 ft away from center, and all drivers need to be on the same plane, best at ear level. Sometimes you have to deaden the wall reflections, heavy drapes where there are no windows. even furniture placement created dead zones at certain bandwidths. Keep speakers at least a foot from a wall or it will start to cancel out the bass frequencies
HI Fran, my first passion was Electronics Engineering. Still love to tinker with circuits and retro stereo equipment. I am also a guitar player, where can we find your pedals these days?
@Neon Thought: Nice. Yeah, I'd definitely buy a FranLab "CRAPHENGE" T-shirt, with multiple towers of classic audio components, obscure digital displays, guitar pedals, oscilloscopes, etc.
Thanks for interesting episode. I note that your little digital Franlab display behind your left shoulder has the two vertical segments always on. Is there a fault? I dont think it used to be that way. Just saw the end video and it appears those center segments are not on after all! Guess it's just a reflection of a window that makes it appear so!
I guess the ownership issue is why I prefer books and calculators (prefer the physical form over keys) - they both can be used off line. Thank you for this wonderful channel, Fran!
Q7 is the best question ever. And I really am greatfull for your answer fran. I never thaught of looking at it that way. Ty. Now it really makes more sense lol.
Interesting note about your eyes. I have a similar issue with wonky eyes, and although I don't have an issue with the size of the frames, I also have difficulties finding frames that suit my face. I usually end up having to spend hundreds of dollars on a brand name just because the cheaper brands are slightly too square/round or too large/small.
Great answer by Fran for Right To Repair. We should be concerned with the growing trend of companies putting in software locks into their products. Sometimes it is justifiable such as anti-counterfeiting measures which are built into printers and scanners which prevent them from printing currency. Speaking of printers, they are one product today that is completely controlled by software. Virtually every printer on the market has sensors which detect third party ink cartridges and rejects them. Consumers are forced to buy cartridges from the printer manufacturer at almost criminal markups. The markup is so high, that printer ink is one of the most precious resources on the planet. Almost every consumer level printer also has a self destruct mechanism that will completely stop them from working after a certain number of pages are printed. When they reach end of life, they cannot be repaired and in essence, the printer is designed to be disposable. Printers are a prime example of this problem. Not only does a consumer need to keep replacing products they own every few years, but it also contributes to increased pollution, and even to global warming.
Lots of people asking some great questions and you answered then so well Fran. I can never think of anything interesting to ask when compared to others. You're such a fascinating person. 😀
Fran; appreciate your answer to Q12, I guess about compromise and choice. You didn’t mention cooking and food - the other need our spaces are chosen to ( /not) support.
Always wondered what happened to the cat's eye frames - they really suited you. Been a contact lense wearer myself for quite a few decades . Q10 was spot on by the way !
18:10 my place is the same, Fran. Oddly, it is FAR more comfy than my time working on submarines. At least now I don't live 100 feet away from a nuclear reactor and hug a Mark 48 torpedo as I sleep.
I'm with you regarding ownership. I have "owned" many pieced of software over the years where the real owner or terms have changed, and never to my benefit. I started (in the 1900s?) with OrCAD schematic/PCB software when it was really made in Oregon. Then the annual maintenance updates became more and more expensive, pricing it out of the casual range. Then it was sold to a large CAD company (Cadence?) that basically used it as a mechanism to move users to their main CAD system for $$$$$$$. More recently, I bought into Altium Circuit Studio when it was on sale. Then, one time I started it up, I was informed that I had to pay more to continue using it!!! What!! I was under the clear impression that I had purchased a perpetual license, not a subscription. Forget Altium! So, I have moved all of my projects to KiCad. Several years ago, I tried KiCad, but it lacked good libraries, and I was not going to make entries for the parts I use that were missing. Now, there are a lot of good libraries (thanks Digikey), and KiCad is usable for my projects. On mechanical CAD, it's clear AutoCAD is just for business. I tried AutoCAD LT, but it had all the steep learning curve of AutoCAD without all the features. Then I went to TurboCAD. It's not terrible, but they love to milk users with updates. The good news is that, since I don't need the updates, I can continue to use an old version. To get an easy-to-use 3D design program to go with my FDM printers, I used Fusion360. It is quite easy to use but Autodesk's recent crippling of the program really put me off. The cloud storage model is just a means for a company to put a ring through your nose. Looking for a non-cloud 3D program lead me to Blender (for organic shapes) and FreeCAD. Both are open source, free, and non-cloud programs. Blender is very powerful and has a rather steep learning curve (as is true with most CAD). FreeCAD is the most like Fusion360, but is very clearly not as mature. It has bugs, including one that's really awful for people migrating from Fusion360. However, the bug is well known, and there are work-arounds. For my use, I have found programs that are unlikely to become unavailable to me. Not as polished as commercial programs, and, if I was in a business environment, possibly not good choices, but fine for personal projects.
7: The right to own things is a very important thing nowadays, it's also closely connected with the idea and praxis of free and open-source software. The real question here is: "how do we, as a manufacturer, make sure that the thing can't be repaired by someone other than authorized service - and how do we force the customer to buy a new one when the unsupported old thing breaks down?" It's also related to the psychology and social constructs surrounding things. A few decades ago things were a lot more expensive related to average income, so buying them was an investment. You bought them with a few decades of use in mind, cared for them, repaired them when they broke down (whether yourself or at a local repair shop)... and as years passed, you got emotionally attached to them, they had their own history, gained the "beausage" (beauty from usage). Take an antique radio, bike, motorcycle, guitar, amp, tools, clothing etc. for example. And now it's hardly there. Stuff comes at a low price and goes with no regret. There's almost no incentive to repair and maintain it, you just throw it away and buy a new one, and the landfills grow. 11: Basically, ozone is bad for any fetish clothing other than leather :) 12: I didn't think you lived in (an a bit separate room of) your lab, but this is kinda practical tbh, I also practice that and have a few friends who do, but it's kinda necessary if you can't afford a large space. Of course I'm dreaming of having a small factory built in 19th century (hell, even a floor in one) for all my stuff that I could possibly hoard, maybe finally a CNC mill or something, but c'mon. There's one word that kills dreams unless you're stinking rich. Capitalism. 13: Indeed you have a huge brain :) Soooo... looking forward to seeing the second part and let's get philosophical! Lots of love
Regarding the acetate glasses frames: if water absorption is the issue, might it be possible to extend the lifespan of them by storing them at night in some kind of desiccation box? E.g., a sealable plastic bin lined with "crystal" kitty litter (silica gel)?
I would agree. When setting up mics and equipment to get the "perfect sound" I find that when it is all set up I no longer have anything to play. It's a classic battle between the right brain and the left brain. It's not like you can just throw a switch and get back to the other side. Once tech I pretty much just stay there. :-( That's why i wish I had a roadie to set up all my stuff at a concert - so I could just walk on stage and play! Even tracing down a bad cord puts me in tech mode...
OMG I just saw a Technics RS-15XX reel to reel in your audio setup!? I've always wanted one, how well does it work? All I have is a Pioneer RT-909 with bad heads and a TEAC X-3 with a bad belt... ie nothing works. Very envious!
I can’t tell you how much we appreciate what you do. Your content is amazing, you are amazing. Of course that is the environment, you LOVE what you do, and that is the dream. I admire your calling and we are all benefit from your insights, dedication and enthusiasm for furthering our human knowledge, thank you Fran!
Regarding speaker positioning getting them from a specific distance from the walls is crucial. This way you can control de constructive interference of the "eco".
Regarding the situation of owning software/hardware: What you said is pure gold. The situation is getting critical. I started to accumulate stuff from the past that is capable of running offline, that doesn´t phone home, that does the job like it has done for the last 20 years. Today´s stuff is not only leased, but it´s also running extemely shitty. It has been converted to Java, it´s changing the GUI every month, and you are actually hanging on the drip. The greatest open software has been bought by some greedy asses and dismantled, then sold piece by piece for a monthly fee. I h4te ist soo much. The plan is: Make virtual machines for all your stuff and keep it running, because the situation won´t get better. Same with hardware. Buy top-end test gear from 20 years ago, and it will run forever. Buy some modern stuff for same price, and it can do the same, but two years later it will be toast. Unfortunately, nothing really serious happened in the last 20 years. I mean it was not like the change from 60ies to 80ies. It got faster, but it got less reliable.
I have 2X pairs, double stacked Quad electro static speakers and they sound great. Not point source and they move air into the whole room. Lovely. How about a design of large ESLs we can make?
Ha ha, or an old holographic display technology that's actually superior in many ways to the latest model Starfleet's now putting into all the new ships.
About product ownership, whether or not you own a product depends on the (license) agreement that goes with it, not whether you can technically use it.
I'd love to hear you doing a NASA/Space Race podcast. I know there's loads out there but your delivery and enthusiasm would certainly make it one of the best. Much love from here in the UK. Keep doing what you do best, and that's educate and illuminate. :)
Love your sense of humour Fran, we need more down to earth youtubers like you! I totally agree with your "Right to own" argument, I feel the same way! As a kid who grew up playing with computers and games from secondhand stores, if they were all tied to a cloud service, I'd have had a very poor childhood in contrast. That's why I'm very against the idea of Stadia-like gaming platforms; it's a rolling subscription for something you will never own or can share. (Also: I would totally like to live in a workspace like yours personally; but then, I live a very solitary introverted life in general so not much would change! Haha)
If a speaker is sitting on the floor, there will most likely be a reflection from the floor, leading to comb filtering. Because there is a direct path to your ears plus a reflected path which is slightly longer. Comb filtering is more destructive to high frequencies. If your floor is perfectly absorbtive, may not be a problem, but that's unlikely. Ideally the wave front from the speaker reaches your ears before any reflection.
The right to repair goes beyond the right to own. It's proper documentation, source code, and the available of parts at a reasonable price, making the housing so that it can be opened with out breaking, no part encased in epoxy, or other material.. etcetera. If you read the licensing agreement on both your win XP and AutoCAD 2000 you'll see you are only have the right to use it. You can't modify or reverse engineer the code, and in many cases you can't resell it or even move it to a different machine.( unlike the old Borland agreement where the software was treated like a book). Any type of copy protection or limitations on current or future use, should be Illegal, if it may prevents you from the possible use of the item. I'll get off my soap box now as I did not pay my RMR and it's a SBAAS ( Soap box as a service)
my little sister had a flat eyeball, but somehow was able to wear contacts she has passed away some time ago, I thought I would mention it. I wear glasses but would like to get plano fx ones
As a tech travelling in the artic and subarctic communities. My home look a lot like your place and yes I have almost no social life there. When in communities I live in hotels with commons area, living room, kitchen, so we socialise. Quite weird feeling so alone when at home compared to north
I love flying! GA is such a great opportunity that many from Gen X on are missing out on! BTW, what's your favorite plane? I have a pipe dream of getting an old C-336 and restoring it like we did with a nice 1960 C-182! Also, did you know that Cessna had an adventure trying out rotor-craft design/manufacturing! Thanks for all that you share!
Fran I LOVE your channel. We are close in age and took close enough tech paths that I recognize a scary amount of the tools and gadgets you have in your lab as I also have them :-) As for glasses my head is also ridiculously large and I can recommencement zenni online as a source for a decent selection of acetate frames for large noggins. I have a semi-crazy prescription and was able to find frames and lenses at a reasonable price. They even appear to have a good selection of large frame cat eyes. Although shop with your prescription entered as some frames were unable to accommodate my prescription. Then it is a simple "add lenses" click to see if you have a valid choice.
You remind me of myself in many ways. I wish I had been able to keep the 3 buildings of things that I had to get rid of. Oh Well. I like your honset answers. Do keep up the good work ! RB
The thing about the spectacles frames (as described by Fran above, needing to stock up bigtime when they ARE available) is also the same with clothes especially bras and undies. You manage to buy some that are great, nice fit, fair value price and then when you go to get more, they're unavailable. Discontinued, never to be seen again ! And it's always the way. And yes Fran we are happy you are hard to get glasses for, because of your big head, because it does contain your Spock-ular sized brain !
Appreciate your down to earth honest conversations. Thanks for the content
Thank you for sharing that info about yourself. As an college-educated EE that never had the opportunity to work as one, I watch your show imagining what life could have been had times been different. Keep doing what you love. You're a better engineer than most.
Qs for Fran -- such a great idea. Star Trek -- YES! Let's start a letter writing campaign!
I love your unbridled enthusiasm!!!!!!
Thank you for talking about AutoCAD's licensing/ownership. Great to hear from someone else who understands the reality of Autodesk's customer-unfriendly licensing arrangement. I too have many "offline" machines running previous versions so that I may use and maintain the software as I wish. Kudos!
I agree with you completely, !!!
Relative of my kid had his stuff blocked because they worked on sensitive project in custom aviation repair and part fab. They were given instructions after they got a contract that was a very specific set of vehicles that have special passenger(s).
RetroCAD I worked for a non MSS Motorola 2 way radio shop and it is the same thing with their EULA. It is not just the restrictive nature of the software licensing agreement, but non software related barriers they throw up to inhibit repair. Stuff like no service manuals, or poring glue all over components to make removal difficult to impossible.
Yeah, that's why I never hopped on the Fusion bandwagon. I'm like Fran, keep an older operating system offline and use an older version of my CAM system.
"Why is my head so big? Well, of course it's because of the enormous brain inside of it, we all know that." I love you Fran, I almost spit out my tea! LOL
Yep, as Dutchman from the region of Limburger Cheese, I can confirm: my head is big too... But not due to my brain, as well from from thick skull ;o)
There is something about Fran… you just want to listen to her. Even if it’s about pencils.
@@frankklinkers4209 he fellow Limburger! Groetjes oet Gelaen!
Just like the head of Dr. Matt from Space Time. 😂😂
@@frankklinkers4209 Limburg is geen Nederland. hahahah.
Dam FRAN I truly enjoyed 5:00 I never thought about how you described right yo repair…I’m no advocate of it….but I really respect and appreciate your thoughts on the subject…that just blew my mind honestly
I know exactly what you mean on the living space / work space. I am lucky enough to have a very large house but most of it has so much junk it's actually hard to get work done. I wish I had a mansion that I could dedicate 1/2 the space to work spaces. Ideally each room would have its own purpose. I.e. a room for 3d printing, a room for wood working, a room for repair, a room for computers, a room for soldering and oscilloscope etc. In the room a table and chair for each project as I build and move to the next work station. And of course the other half for living space. Currently I have 1/2 of the house each but there is little room to work, I have to go get the tool setup a table in a living space to work on a project and bring the tools back because there is no room where the tools are. I think I have collected too many tools but I would hate to get rid of them. I love being able to build or repair everything. When I have guests they are pretty much limited to the dining room area because that is the only living space I keep free of junk lol
Fran, I explain to people that I do not have a house, I have a shop with a stove and a bed. It is an economic thing. My dream retirement is a tiny house on 5 acres with a really big shop! For the moment, being able to build, repair, create has a higher priority than having friends over for dinner. Besides, when they want me for dinner, it means they have to cook!
I am living the same life (until I get MY pedals on the market). I have the same idea of a retirement home too! :-)
Was a little saddened when you talked about your life. I live in an environment not unlike yours. I am a software engineer working from home (still code assembler for IBM zOS systems). Have a pretty big house, but I basically live in my bedroom. My 2 laptops are 6 feet from my bed. I have a large screen TV 4 feet from my work space. I too am busy all the time. I'm a bit ADHD and have used that to my advantage in life. But my constant multi-tasking extends to things outside these 4 walls. I enjoy rocket launches at Wallops, restore vintage motorcycles, I love sailing, I travel a LOT. For example, was in Death Valley when it read 130. Planning a trip to German in the fall. Although I understand your work is fun and it drives your TH-cam channel, there are things outside the lab I hope you have a chance to enjoy. Love your channel. Keep smiling!
Some of those interests should launch your own TH-cam channel! 🙂
The natural follow up question for me when she started talking about her life would have been, does it get lonely? Great video. Bill
Sounds like you’re living your Life your way. Best wishes.
Bob - You are not living in an environment like Fran. You get to do all these things you mentioned. Fran does not have this luxury!
Germany is awesome!
I believe the reason TH-cam is your best social media choice is because we can see your stuff,it’s like being in the lab with you.
Re: Right to repair - you nailed it. Ownership is the crux. My dad (b. 1926) had an oft repeated mantra, a philosophy of working, saving up the purchase price and buying the best version of a thing (house, car, appliance, tractor, radio, reel to reel, table saw, whatever) and owning it. That meant understanding it, maintaining it, and caring for it. His philosophy offered self-reliance. It offered the opportunity to make the best use of one's own strengths and abilities. Today's subscription model undercuts individual value, withholding key technological advances to benefit corporate interests. It is designed to allow the individual only the role of consumer, with the corporation unilaterally setting the terms.
Maker and Open-Source culture hold out against these subscription models. It seems like intellectual property law has become outdated. It offered legitimate incentive for innovation, but at a time when product cycles lasted decades rather than weeks. IP now is gamed against society's best interest and has devolved to "Right to Repair" issues at best and trolls at worst.
Sorry. Got carried away there. End rant.
19:26 I do live in that! Well, the same amount of stuff minus the arcade cabinet, in 240 square feet, plus a big doggo
#25:50 - Your comment about frames is how we feel about a lot of things these days. The constant re-engineering & re-designing of products means that if you find a fabricated product you like, you better buy 10 of them because when the 1st wears out or breaks, you won't be able to find it again or you'll pay a lot more for it IF you can find it. I REALLY hate this about consumer products market these days. When you make a great product (like your favorite glasses), don't change it just for the SAKE of changing it so it's "new and improved"!
Yeah, I agree. But Jeremiah is right. Companies would be more than happy to keep producing the same stuff for decades if people would keep buying it. Most consumers like trying new stuff. I had this discussion with an executive fairly high up the pole at GM a decade ago and he rattled off a few examples of manufacturers that tried to keep producing the more or less the same initially fairly successful model and before long people stopped buying them despite the quality of the vehicle produced going up as ever more problems got discovered and addressed. He said that if people would keep buying it, given a decade car manufacturers could dial in a design to the point of being able to offer better warrantees and prices because they had time to iron out all the details of production. But alas by the time that the got the production of a certain body style running smoothly it's time to change it.
@@siggyincr7447 I can understand why car designs and features constantly change. They are complex machines and will always evolve based on the current technology. I'm talking more about simple things like toothbrushes, shoes (for me, especially shoes), etc. Ecco shoes for example - they make great shoes, but have redesigned my favorite line into an inferior product. Very frustrating. Hence the idea of buying 10 pairs of the same shoe. :)
@@wavenami : I agree entirely.
Well, the investors and accountants get their noses in and decide to make more ‘profit’ , often by redesigning to force the costs down at the cost of quality. The trouble is that those investors and accountants can only do sums, and don’t understand consumer behaviour, or the value of consumer loyalty.
It happens, possibly most egregiously, in manufactured food - it’s easy to cut cost if you don’t mind sacrificing food quality, and it is on the face of it attractive to consumers, but the price in poor nutrition takes years to materialise.
Thank you for reaffirming the true point behind RTR. For most people, they see it as getting the manu's to loosen their grip on the draconian measures they've taken to keep control over the stuff they make. Thing is, when you actually buy something, the ownership transfers to the purchaser. If it stays with the seller, then you are not purchasing anything, rather, you are renting it for a one time fee. And at that point, the terminology is the problem. You either buy and own everything in the purchase, or you are one time bulk renting the product. And if that is the case, then the manu would need to be responsible for everything, not just a small portion of the product that is under a very limited time warranty.
Thanks Fran.
C in Phoenixville
*Speakers* - Forty-some years ago our band built our PA system. We purchased some nice 15" Goodmans woofers and built some decent folded horn cabs for them. We bought some decent Philips tweeters and installed 4 in each of a pair of "home plate" shaped cabs, with two on each angled front-facing side. The whole thing was bi-amped.
When we first tested them out, we sat the tweeter cabs on top of the folded horn cabs and stood about 15ft back. The system sounded like pretty much any Electrovoice PA bank: full but shrill. Then we moved the tweeter cabs about a foot or so above the woofer cabs and all of a sudden it transformed into hi-fi, of the sort that one could listen to for hours on end with no fatigue. It was a stunning difference.
Many of us have had the misfortune to be near some bozo with subwoofers in their back seat and 200W of juice to power them. The throb is beyond annoying. The crazy thing is that the driver/owner can't actually hear that bass because the wavelength of those frequencies is much longer than the distance between the speakers and the driver's seat. Indeed, the people who "get" to hear all that throbbing bass are easily 30-50 feet or more away. That's also why residents who live near a festival complain about the noise levels while those in front of the stage say "I don't understand what the problem is". Like you said, where the listener stands is a crucial part of how speaker systems sound.
I saw so many interesting things in the Lab, it would be wonderful to get a video tour of FranLab, especially if it were live and we could ask questions about what was in the field of view.
Best day ever to have Fran read my question 😊😊♥️
19:25 We had a Zaxxon cabinet in my high school's electronics lab!
Believe me my dear in Asia this is a way of life for everyone, we simply learn to live in small and limited apartments, with tools, games and everything cramped a tiny corner, so I can understand what you are going through.
"I have a great inability to regurgitate, even when it is necessary." 😂
Hi fran, I agree about your comments on ownership vs leasing. That's why I don't have office 360 or a modern version of adobe photoshop or any subscriptions beyond anti virus (and even for the anti virus it will continue to work after the subscription has expired you just don't get updates to the virus signatures). When my backup software (acronis) moved to pay per year only I changed to macrium and told acronis why I moved.....
For me right to repair is slightly different to right to own. You can own something but still not have the information needed to be able to repair it. I agree that if you don't own it it can be switched off at any time. Yes in theory we all have the right to repair, but if there is no spares parts (for custom parts), no setup/calibration information, no schematics, part numbers removed from transistors and chips, no downloads for the firmware, or special measure are taken to stop the device working if its not repaired by an official repair centre c.f. apple etc then even a single simple fault prohibitively expensive to repair.
For me we need BOTH the right to own AND the information needed to repair which ultimately leads to the right to use indefinitely.
I love your channel Fran!
So pleased you're doing as well as you deserve. And thanks for the insights.
@ 3:50 - I can relate. No steady job since 2016, family stressors, CV19, some health issues too, all forced me into my left brain to cope. I've resorted to YT meditations to get back into my creative right brain. Ack! What do you do?
I have found that speaker placement, as an example speakers 8 ft apart, the 'sweet spot' is 16 ft away from center, and all drivers need to be on the same plane, best at ear level. Sometimes you have to deaden the wall reflections, heavy drapes where there are no windows. even furniture placement created dead zones at certain bandwidths. Keep speakers at least a foot from a wall or it will start to cancel out the bass frequencies
Thank you so very much for using my question 🙂
You're fantastic! I'm a fan for life!
HI Fran, my first passion was Electronics Engineering. Still love to tinker with circuits and retro stereo equipment. I am also a guitar player, where can we find your pedals these days?
$$$ebay$$$ :(
Can we get "I'm in craphenge!" as a t-shirt? XD
I heard "crafthenge," but perhaps I was being too generous?
@Neon Thought: Nice. Yeah, I'd definitely buy a FranLab "CRAPHENGE" T-shirt, with multiple towers of classic audio components, obscure digital displays, guitar pedals, oscilloscopes, etc.
Loved the “Tick” reference! One of my favorite funny comic characters/series….
that was rad......Fran...you are an inspiration.
its difficult for most to understand the life of a creator.....bad ass
Thanks for interesting episode. I note that your little digital Franlab display behind your left shoulder has the two vertical segments always on. Is there a fault? I dont think it used to be that way.
Just saw the end video and it appears those center segments are not on after all! Guess it's just a reflection of a window that makes it appear so!
Some great insights, thanks Fran.
I guess the ownership issue is why I prefer books and calculators (prefer the physical form over keys) - they both can be used off line. Thank you for this wonderful channel, Fran!
Q7 is the best question ever. And I really am greatfull for your answer fran. I never thaught of looking at it that way. Ty. Now it really makes more sense lol.
thanks for sharing your experience with all of us 👍😀
Interesting note about your eyes. I have a similar issue with wonky eyes, and although I don't have an issue with the size of the frames, I also have difficulties finding frames that suit my face. I usually end up having to spend hundreds of dollars on a brand name just because the cheaper brands are slightly too square/round or too large/small.
Feel you...finding a new frame is such a pain and expensive too :[ I use the same pair of glasses until they literally can't be fixed anymore...
I had an ozone generator until recently, used for binding tiny particles of dust to sheets of paper.
Great answer by Fran for Right To Repair. We should be concerned with the growing trend of companies putting in software locks into their products. Sometimes it is justifiable such as anti-counterfeiting measures which are built into printers and scanners which prevent them from printing currency. Speaking of printers, they are one product today that is completely controlled by software. Virtually every printer on the market has sensors which detect third party ink cartridges and rejects them. Consumers are forced to buy cartridges from the printer manufacturer at almost criminal markups. The markup is so high, that printer ink is one of the most precious resources on the planet. Almost every consumer level printer also has a self destruct mechanism that will completely stop them from working after a certain number of pages are printed. When they reach end of life, they cannot be repaired and in essence, the printer is designed to be disposable. Printers are a prime example of this problem. Not only does a consumer need to keep replacing products they own every few years, but it also contributes to increased pollution, and even to global warming.
Lots of people asking some great questions and you answered then so well Fran. I can never think of anything interesting to ask when compared to others. You're such a fascinating person. 😀
I agree with you %100 about the ozone generators. I was pretty shocked that bigclive would buy into that.
Fran; appreciate your answer to Q12, I guess about compromise and choice. You didn’t mention cooking and food - the other need our spaces are chosen to ( /not) support.
I didn't know about the right to repair thing, gonna look more into it
Love that inner ear gimbal lock analogy 😂
Always wondered what happened to the cat's eye frames - they really suited you. Been a contact lense wearer myself for quite a few decades . Q10 was spot on by the way !
18:10 my place is the same, Fran. Oddly, it is FAR more comfy than my time working on submarines. At least now I don't live 100 feet away from a nuclear reactor and hug a Mark 48 torpedo as I sleep.
I wouldn't mind a nuclear reactor under my bed, my 8x30' roof is filled with solar panels and it's not enough to run the GPUs 24/7
You worked for EB?
I'm with you regarding ownership. I have "owned" many pieced of software over the years where the real owner or terms have changed, and never to my benefit. I started (in the 1900s?) with OrCAD schematic/PCB software when it was really made in Oregon. Then the annual maintenance updates became more and more expensive, pricing it out of the casual range. Then it was sold to a large CAD company (Cadence?) that basically used it as a mechanism to move users to their main CAD system for $$$$$$$.
More recently, I bought into Altium Circuit Studio when it was on sale. Then, one time I started it up, I was informed that I had to pay more to continue using it!!! What!! I was under the clear impression that I had purchased a perpetual license, not a subscription. Forget Altium!
So, I have moved all of my projects to KiCad. Several years ago, I tried KiCad, but it lacked good libraries, and I was not going to make entries for the parts I use that were missing. Now, there are a lot of good libraries (thanks Digikey), and KiCad is usable for my projects.
On mechanical CAD, it's clear AutoCAD is just for business. I tried AutoCAD LT, but it had all the steep learning curve of AutoCAD without all the features. Then I went to TurboCAD. It's not terrible, but they love to milk users with updates. The good news is that, since I don't need the updates, I can continue to use an old version.
To get an easy-to-use 3D design program to go with my FDM printers, I used Fusion360. It is quite easy to use but Autodesk's recent crippling of the program really put me off. The cloud storage model is just a means for a company to put a ring through your nose.
Looking for a non-cloud 3D program lead me to Blender (for organic shapes) and FreeCAD. Both are open source, free, and non-cloud programs. Blender is very powerful and has a rather steep learning curve (as is true with most CAD). FreeCAD is the most like Fusion360, but is very clearly not as mature. It has bugs, including one that's really awful for people migrating from Fusion360. However, the bug is well known, and there are work-arounds.
For my use, I have found programs that are unlikely to become unavailable to me. Not as polished as commercial programs, and, if I was in a business environment, possibly not good choices, but fine for personal projects.
7: The right to own things is a very important thing nowadays, it's also closely connected with the idea and praxis of free and open-source software. The real question here is: "how do we, as a manufacturer, make sure that the thing can't be repaired by someone other than authorized service - and how do we force the customer to buy a new one when the unsupported old thing breaks down?"
It's also related to the psychology and social constructs surrounding things. A few decades ago things were a lot more expensive related to average income, so buying them was an investment. You bought them with a few decades of use in mind, cared for them, repaired them when they broke down (whether yourself or at a local repair shop)... and as years passed, you got emotionally attached to them, they had their own history, gained the "beausage" (beauty from usage). Take an antique radio, bike, motorcycle, guitar, amp, tools, clothing etc. for example. And now it's hardly there. Stuff comes at a low price and goes with no regret. There's almost no incentive to repair and maintain it, you just throw it away and buy a new one, and the landfills grow.
11: Basically, ozone is bad for any fetish clothing other than leather :)
12: I didn't think you lived in (an a bit separate room of) your lab, but this is kinda practical tbh, I also practice that and have a few friends who do, but it's kinda necessary if you can't afford a large space. Of course I'm dreaming of having a small factory built in 19th century (hell, even a floor in one) for all my stuff that I could possibly hoard, maybe finally a CNC mill or something, but c'mon. There's one word that kills dreams unless you're stinking rich. Capitalism.
13: Indeed you have a huge brain :)
Soooo... looking forward to seeing the second part and let's get philosophical!
Lots of love
Regarding the acetate glasses frames: if water absorption is the issue, might it be possible to extend the lifespan of them by storing them at night in some kind of desiccation box? E.g., a sealable plastic bin lined with "crystal" kitty litter (silica gel)?
You are incredible.
As for artistic urges…when l do guitar repair it takes away from my “playing”…
when you do a lot of tech it takes away from your muse
Maybe tech IS Fran's muse.
I would agree. When setting up mics and equipment to get the "perfect sound" I find that when it is all set up I no longer have anything to play. It's a classic battle between the right brain and the left brain. It's not like you can just throw a switch and get back to the other side. Once tech I pretty much just stay there. :-( That's why i wish I had a roadie to set up all my stuff at a concert - so I could just walk on stage and play! Even tracing down a bad cord puts me in tech mode...
I think most people ( guitarist or not ) don’t get that-
I totally relate to the work/living space convergence.
15:26 Louisville Ladder Company! I know exactly where that ladder was made!
OMG I just saw a Technics RS-15XX reel to reel in your audio setup!? I've always wanted one, how well does it work? All I have is a Pioneer RT-909 with bad heads and a TEAC X-3 with a bad belt... ie nothing works. Very envious!
I sorta want "I am freakishly constructed" merch now.....
Dat awesome quantum joke timing tho; I laughed outloud in waves. And a few particles.
Great sense of humor, great channel
thanks for answering the questions i look forward to seeing your next video have a great rest of the week
I can’t tell you how much we appreciate what you do. Your content is amazing, you are amazing. Of course that is the environment, you LOVE what you do, and that is the dream. I admire your calling and we are all benefit from your insights, dedication and enthusiasm for furthering our human knowledge, thank you Fran!
Regarding speaker positioning getting them from a specific distance from the walls is crucial.
This way you can control de constructive interference of the "eco".
4:20 "painter's block" 🤣
Regarding the situation of owning software/hardware: What you said is pure gold. The situation is getting critical. I started to accumulate stuff from the past that is capable of running offline, that doesn´t phone home, that does the job like it has done for the last 20 years. Today´s stuff is not only leased, but it´s also running extemely shitty. It has been converted to Java, it´s changing the GUI every month, and you are actually hanging on the drip. The greatest open software has been bought by some greedy asses and dismantled, then sold piece by piece for a monthly fee. I h4te ist soo much. The plan is: Make virtual machines for all your stuff and keep it running, because the situation won´t get better. Same with hardware. Buy top-end test gear from 20 years ago, and it will run forever. Buy some modern stuff for same price, and it can do the same, but two years later it will be toast. Unfortunately, nothing really serious happened in the last 20 years. I mean it was not like the change from 60ies to 80ies. It got faster, but it got less reliable.
what is top end test gear from 20 years ago? I've been wanting an xp machine again.
Hey Fran! Could you rest your glasses on a silica gel pad while you sleep to prevent the frames from absorbing moisture?
I have 2X pairs, double stacked Quad electro static speakers and they sound great. Not point source and they move air into the whole room. Lovely. How about a design of large ESLs we can make?
I’d love to see you as an engineer nerding out about a shiny new starship’s engine
Ha ha, or an old holographic display technology that's actually superior in many ways to the latest model Starfleet's now putting into all the new ships.
I have painters block also
About product ownership, whether or not you own a product depends on the (license) agreement that goes with it, not whether you can technically use it.
I'd love to hear you doing a NASA/Space Race podcast. I know there's loads out there but your delivery and enthusiasm would certainly make it one of the best. Much love from here in the UK. Keep doing what you do best, and that's educate and illuminate. :)
Thanks for sharing ☮️
Have you ever considered putting your glasses frames in one of those plastic driers? Would it work?
Good job.
At 11:10, referencing to Warren Zevon: He also said in an interview, on the Letterman show I think it was, "enjoy every sandwich!"
I understood that "right to repair" was the notion that manufacturers should make things that are repairable rather than 'throw away' when broken.
Love your sense of humour Fran, we need more down to earth youtubers like you! I totally agree with your "Right to own" argument, I feel the same way! As a kid who grew up playing with computers and games from secondhand stores, if they were all tied to a cloud service, I'd have had a very poor childhood in contrast. That's why I'm very against the idea of Stadia-like gaming platforms; it's a rolling subscription for something you will never own or can share.
(Also: I would totally like to live in a workspace like yours personally; but then, I live a very solitary introverted life in general so not much would change! Haha)
Fran’s show is great
I always rate
Each video a thumbs up
I always click
As soon as I
See a notice come up
Thanks for video
I have Aspergers and you are just like me. If more people were like us we would have a better world
GREAT answer on the quantum question .. I may have snorted out loud
Fran, can you post the link to your Podcast, thanks
If a speaker is sitting on the floor, there will most likely be a reflection from the floor, leading to comb filtering. Because there is a direct path to your ears plus a reflected path which is slightly longer. Comb filtering is more destructive to high frequencies. If your floor is perfectly absorbtive, may not be a problem, but that's unlikely. Ideally the wave front from the speaker reaches your ears before any reflection.
^well before I should have said.
The right to repair goes beyond the right to own. It's proper documentation, source code, and the available of parts at a reasonable price, making the housing so that it can be opened with out breaking, no part encased in epoxy, or other material.. etcetera.
If you read the licensing agreement on both your win XP and AutoCAD 2000 you'll see you are only have the right to use it. You can't modify or reverse engineer the code, and in many cases you can't resell it or even move it to a different machine.( unlike the old Borland agreement where the software was treated like a book). Any type of copy protection or limitations on current or future use, should be Illegal, if it may prevents you from the possible use of the item.
I'll get off my soap box now as I did not pay my RMR and it's a SBAAS ( Soap box as a service)
Question, The Meter in the background is a Senior ohms model WV-98C VTVM ??
my little sister had a flat eyeball, but somehow was able to wear contacts she has passed away some time ago, I thought I would mention it. I wear glasses but would like to get plano fx ones
Glasses
Love your glasses I too like acetate and have been wearing Shurons made in the USA since forever and love them
As a tech travelling in the artic and subarctic communities. My home look a lot like your place and yes I have almost no social life there. When in communities I live in hotels with commons area, living room, kitchen, so we socialise. Quite weird feeling so alone when at home compared to north
+1 for new Francast episodes! It being quite unlike your TH-cam channel makes it even more interesting.
I love flying! GA is such a great opportunity that many from Gen X on are missing out on! BTW, what's your favorite plane? I have a pipe dream of getting an old C-336 and restoring it like we did with a nice 1960 C-182! Also, did you know that Cessna had an adventure trying out rotor-craft design/manufacturing!
Thanks for all that you share!
Great answers to some interesting questions. Looking forward to Q14 onwards tomorrow.
Question 7 is such a frustrating topic for me too.
I use 3ds max 8, and Premiere CS5 for the same reasons
Good job! Keep 'm coming!.
Your presentation is a breath of fresh air in this world full of self-absorbed people!!
Fran puts in a clip of The Tick.
Legendary status achieved
Thanks Fran, from a fellow Warren Zevon fan.
Fran I LOVE your channel. We are close in age and took close enough tech paths that I recognize a scary amount of the tools and gadgets you have in your lab as I also have them :-) As for glasses my head is also ridiculously large and I can recommencement zenni online as a source for a decent selection of acetate frames for large noggins. I have a semi-crazy prescription and was able to find frames and lenses at a reasonable price. They even appear to have a good selection of large frame cat eyes. Although shop with your prescription entered as some frames were unable to accommodate my prescription. Then it is a simple "add lenses" click to see if you have a valid choice.
I love you Fran! Great video like always.
You remind me of myself in many ways. I wish I had been able to keep the 3 buildings of things that I had to get rid of. Oh Well.
I like your honset answers. Do keep up the good work !
RB
Thanks ........................
29:29 HAHAHA, I have the exact same reaction whenever I randomly can't say/pronounce something that I normally have no problem with. :D
Thanks Fran! That's good to hear that you won't toss your cookies!
The thing about the spectacles frames (as described by Fran above, needing to stock up bigtime when they ARE available) is also the same with clothes especially bras and undies. You manage to buy some that are great, nice fit, fair value price and then when you go to get more, they're unavailable. Discontinued, never to be seen again ! And it's always the way. And yes Fran we are happy you are hard to get glasses for, because of your big head, because it does contain your Spock-ular sized brain !