EEVblog #460 - Mailbag - Plasma Speaker

[peter.mitchell]

Dave opens the mail!

Some nice postcards, a Jamma card for Daves arcade machine, some computer stuff, dummy load kit,  a calculator and a PLASMA SPEAKER!

In the package I sent includes;
Asus Radeon HD5870 v2 with EKWB waterblock.
http://www.asus.com.au/Graphics_Cards/AMD_Series/EAH58702DIS1GD5V2/
http://www.ekwb.com/products/water-blocks/
4x Noctua NF-P12 ultra quiet, ultra high reliability fans (>150k hours MTBF, 6 year warranty) and some grills to protect fingers.
http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=12&lng=en&set=1
Swiftech MCP655 high reliability high pressure adjustable flow brushless pump (with EKWB top for different ports).
http://www.swiftech.com/mcp655.aspx
XSPC EX360 triple fan radiator
http://www.xs-pc.com/products/radiators/ex-series-radiators/ex360-triple-fan-radiator/
EK-Ekoolant Clear coolant (goes in your car too)
http://www.ekwb.com/shop/accessories/water-additives-coolants/ekoolants/ek-ekoolant-clear-premix-1000ml.html
Lots of bubble wrap too!

If ya don't use the watercooler, I bet it could dissipate some heat for a dummy load

[justanothercanuck]

I wonder what's wrong with that MVS...  I'd be interested to see if Dave is going to do any diag/repair vids on it...  I hope it's not something easy like a bad RAM chip. 

[EEVblog]

Wow, a huge thumbs down percentage for this mailbag!

[peter.mitchell]

I dunno, the Americans seem pretty whiny in the comments though 

[hammil]

I would have killed to be in Sagan's position... At his age (perhaps a year or two older), I was similarly fascinated by electronics, and I loved to take stuff apart, but I just didn't have any resources or knowledgeable adults to help me develop further. It's great to see a kid enjoy his environment so much and take such an interest in the world around him, even if he doesn't get into electronics later on (though I highly suspect he will )

Dave is best father

[BravoV]

Wow, a huge thumbs down percentage for this mailbag!

Maybe from those passionate and addicted heavy smokers ?  ... just kidding 

Probably it has to do with the huge amount of distractions made by Sagan maybe ? Just a guess. 

[brainwash]

I think there were two main reasons for so much dislike but I'll tell them all:
- misinterpretation of that god thing and the usa. Btw, you'd have a better chance of running for president there as a muslim than as an atheist, so the polls say
- Sagan though cute distracting for people coming to see electronics stuff. I was raised with a different education (might be wrong) and I would not be allowed to do such stuff
- crackdown on smokers. That thumbs down was really unneeded, people got your first message anyway. If it was something else happening to someone else, you would have said: "Grow up, don't be such a baby"
- really expensive equipment being torn down by a kid without even being tested. Yes, I know that's the motto and also that no devices were hurt, but it's hard to judge on the other side of the tubes
- crackdown on cat lovers

Just saying what I saw wrong with the video. Btw, having a lot of dislikes does (should) not affect your income and they might actually drive the viewership up. It's only sad when subscribers are lost.

[george graves]

Wow, a huge thumbs down percentage for this mailbag!

I love the mail bag segments! (well, I do skip ahead a lot - a 20 min videos takes 4 mins to watch) Would love it if you put timecodes in the description.   So people could skip to what interests them.

Almost 20% thumbs down?  Won't that hurt your over all google juice?

As a side - Segan is cute as a bell!  Good on you.  As it turns out - most people love their children!  Who knew!!!!   

[ecat]

Wow, a huge thumbs down percentage for this mailbag!

Maybe from those passionate and addicted heavy smokers ?  ... just kidding 

Probably it has to do with the huge amount of distractions made by Sagan maybe ? Just a guess. 

Or cat lovers really are psychotic lunatics?

Could be the interfering busybodies "Oh My God. Oh My God. Oh My God. He has that child in the same room as a screwdriver!!11!". Heh, do they have any idea how lethal the Austrian Australian outdoors and indoors can be?

Ah-ha, not once did Dave mention Austria.

Possibly the Apple logo t-shirt?

Most likely, and I agree with BravoV, other peoples children. Then again, as brainwash says above, some of these religious folks can be a bit touchy at times  . Some are worse than cat lovers 

[Psi]

Maybe it was all the gamers cringing at the sight of Sagan attacking a ultra highend videocard with a screwdriver

[peter.mitchell]

- crackdown on cat lovers

Yeah, cat people are crazy, this is actually what it probably is, cat people are genuinely nuts.

[EEVblog]

Maybe it was all the gamers cringing at the sight of Sagan attacking a ultra highend videocard with a screwdriver

I suspect it's the gaming fanboys, for me being stupid and not recognising the obvious "value" in those high end components, and ultimately not doing anything with them in the video.
Maybe I should clean up the crusty fans and fit them to my new PC I'm getting tomorrow? 

[EEVblog]

- misinterpretation of that god thing and the usa.

What did I misinterpret?

- crackdown on smokers. That thumbs down was really unneeded, people got your first message anyway. If it was something else happening to someone else, you would have said: "Grow up, don't be such a baby"

Nope. You send me stuff reeking of cigarette smoke and you automatically get two huge thumbs down. My lab stinks now (yes, I'm that sensitive to it).

[hammy]

Sagan is cute! A real enrichment for you mailbag videos! 

[nitro2k01]

I'm generally not a fan of kids. If I wasn't an EEVBlog fan, I'd probably find this video annoying.  To perhaps add insult to injury, I like cats. Maybe I would sympathize with their  plans to take over the world.

At around 29 mark (showing the back side of the home made plasma board) I actually thought the drawn line on the top left part of the board was a long crack. :/

The plasma speaker reminds me of a different but similar technology, the flame speaker, of 1968 vintage. Instead of using a high voltage to generate a plasma arc to be able to whack some electrons through the air, they were using a acetylene flame "seeded", as they called it, with salts. The addition of salt got the impedance down from ~1M to 2.5k. Brilliant. Someone ought to try and build one. Comes with a simple schematic. All you need is 500V DC supply, audio amplifier, 25:1 transformer, suitable electrodes and an acetylene torch.

http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/May1968/Flame_Amplification.htm

Also attached, scans from a Swedish science magazine from about the same time on the same topic.

As for the choice of audio clips to try with the device.
"Retarded product of the week" No!
"Flying pigs" Potentially, if you don't know what you're listening to.
"I smell bullshit!" Well, I hear that ozone can remove rancid odors, including the smell of cattle manure.

[Markybhoy]

Sagen should be in more Mailbag vids its fun watching him messing around.

Dave for the MVS you can get a Vogatek supergun pcb that lets you hook it up to a normal tv so you can test/play without hooking it up to the arcade machine.

[brainwash]

- misinterpretation of that god thing and the usa.

What did I misinterpret?

- crackdown on smokers. That thumbs down was really unneeded, people got your first message anyway. If it was something else happening to someone else, you would have said: "Grow up, don't be such a baby"

Nope. You send me stuff reeking of cigarette smoke and you automatically get two huge thumbs down. My lab stinks now (yes, I'm that sensitive to it).

Not your misinterpretation but 'theirs'. You said something along the lines 'nothing of that god bullshit' - I knew you were referring to all the slogans peppered everywhere with "In God We Trust". Even though I'm against ANY religion, especially when being spoon-fed to children, your remark seemed offensive to me. I believe in complete freedom, including religious one, and Australia and NZ are among the most tolerant countries in the world.
I guess from the comments the Vermont guys also got offended but that was a completely innocent joke.

Regarding smoke, I am a smoker but I don't smoke anywhere near my bed, equipment, food, in anyone's face or generally where a lot of non-smokers are present. I also hate the smell but it is a good way to socialize almost everywhere in Europe. If I happen to receive something reeking of smoke I let it sit outside for two weeks or give it a good wash.
That's me defending myself from what I interpreted as an overreaction. Remember when smoking was allowed everywhere? I would hate to live in those days, but everything now seems to be falling in the other extreme.

Sorry for bringing stuff up that has nothing to do with electronics, it's a waste of everybody's time.

[EEVblog]

Not your misinterpretation but 'theirs'. You said something along the lines 'nothing of that god bullshit' - I knew you were referring to all the slogans peppered everywhere with "In God We Trust". Even though I'm against ANY religion, especially when being spoon-fed to children, your remark seemed offensive to me. I believe in complete freedom, including religious one, and Australia and NZ are among the most tolerant countries in the world.

My comment in no way meant people should not have the right to believe that.
I will march in the street for everyones right to believe any religious fairytale they like, but that doesn't mean I have to be "respectful" to anyone for holding such silly beliefs. I'll make fun of things I find patently silly.
If you found that comment offensive, then that's your problem, not mine 

Remember when smoking was allowed everywhere? I would hate to live in those days, but everything now seems to be falling in the other extreme.

I remember those days (smoking in planes and buses and trains - ARGH!!), and I am glad they are over. Smoking is just like the religion point - do it all you want, I'll fight for your right to do that, but when it impacts me in a public space were everyone should have the right to clean air, that's when my tolerance of it stops.

[brainwash]

If you found that comment offensive, then that's your problem, not mine 

No worries mate, I have much thicker skin than that. Just doing some psychoanalysis on the thumbs down.

[Slothie]

FYI Vermont produces 5.5% of the worlds supply of maple syrup (OK so Canada produces 80%, but 5.5% is still a lot - around 4 million litres!)

Vermonters would probably be miffed at your remarks because despite their lower volume of production their syrup is generally produced to the high quality end of the maple syrup market.

(Disclaimer: I am not from Vermont I just went there once!)

[EEVblog]

FYI Vermont produces 5.5% of the worlds supply of maple syrup (OK so Canada produces 80%, but 5.5% is still a lot - around 4 million litres!)

Interesting!
That's a buttload of syrup.

[ddavidebor]

Dave i don't know if your little boy is more kid-like-superentusiastic than you.

I think no, you beat him.

Thumbs up for the video, your son is funny.

[nitro2k01]

Not your misinterpretation but 'theirs'. You said something along the lines 'nothing of that god bullshit' - I knew you were referring to all the slogans peppered everywhere with "In God We Trust". Even though I'm against ANY religion, especially when being spoon-fed to children, your remark seemed offensive to me. I believe in complete freedom, including religious one, and Australia and NZ are among the most tolerant countries in the world.

With the risk of going down a dangerous path, on the note of religious freedom:
1) Freedom to believe does not freedom from criticism, or even offence. It might be a personal virtue to not offend, but it should not be morally required.
2) Freedom to believe does not mean freedom for the state to endorse religion, and a public motto is of course (even if a soft) state endorsement of religion.

[smashedProton]

Yes dave, you should put the fans in your pc.  And if you have enough, you should put them in your annoying test gear too.  They are considerably  quieter than most.

What really ticked me off was that you pretty much laughed at the plasma speaker guy when he was the one giving you stuff....  I know that you are a public figure.. but this crossed the line.

[ChiefPFF]

Rather surprised at the amount of folk having a hernia about the video card & screwdriver - especially considering the audience! I don't know why they're so worried about the bloody fan on the card when you've clearly been sent that stuff with the expectation of taking off the stock HS & fan and water-cooling it. Those 120mm fans btw are supposed to attach to the radiator! It's a pain in the arse installing a water cooling system - but with the thermal capacity of that bad boy you should be able to push the card to the limit (depending on the silicone of course!).

Thumbs up Dave.

(and down with cats  )