Valves Unlimited


News and What's going on at Valves Unlimited

Latest news about the web site:-

26/04/2006

Very long time since I updated the site, lots been gong on, I bought a new bike, and have not built my new valve amps yet...I wonder if I'll get to do them this year??


28/09/2005

Long time since last update. Changed jobs, still in the same company, just a sideways transfer from Driving to CCTV engineer.

X-360 has been fully fixed and is working well, doing lots of sailing, and will be doing the instructors during next year.

Will be buying a boat soon, a 4m RIB with 40Hp engine on the back, prolly going to buy a Laser II as well, just cos I can:-)


07/05/2005

Been a while since last update, well, almost have all the bits for the new mono block KT88 valves amps, the custom made transformers have arrived (only need the output ones now) and most of the components are here too.

The Akai X-360 has a new main motor on the way, and all caps have been changed, so looking good:-)

Looking around for some RYA Instructor courses for this summer, 'bout time I got the full Instructors award for sailing.....and as I have a few grants, time to pull finger out and crack on with it:-)


28/03/2005

Working out a way to install some RSS feeds on this site, and make this 'Change log' suitable for sending our own RSS Feed:-)

Got Seti up and running again.

Bought more CD's and the Internet Link seems to be running OK, need to tweak the ant a bit, but all seems well.


19/03/2005

Finally got the 70Mhz antenna sorted, so the gateway is now up and running, needs some audio tweaking, but we're 99.9% done on that.

Started buying components for a new valve amp, going to build a KT88 50w per channel jobby, should be fun.

The sales page on the site is now getting stock added to it slowly, now that the sales on eBay are going OK.


02/03/2005

Not a lot really, almost finished adding my LP's to my music database, now have an Akai 4000DB, and Akai X-360D Reel to Reel tape decks, the X-360 needs a new main motor.

Started to sort out the mass of boxes and shite in the loft/workshop area, hopefully it will be sorted during the next week.

Just need the weather to be OK on Sat so I can get the 70Mhz Antenna fixed and get the Gateway back on air.


26/01/2005

New design should be all up and on line, hi fi pages will be updated over the next week or so.


12/01/2005

Started a new design of site



10/01/2005

Updated photo's in the hi fi section. Started to look at bringing the site design in to line with all my other sites......going to be a big job that, but as they are all using CSS it should not be too hard:-)


 

28/12/2004

Almost a month since last updated! Well got lots of CD's for Crimbo, lots of beer, lots of hang over - DOH!!

Added an MP3 Pro encoder to our radio streams, which mean if you listen to the 48Kb/s stream with the MP3 Pro Plugin for winamp, you'll get near CD Stereo music, live and direct to you r ears.

Building a new shelf for my records, got another turntable, well the Old BSR P128R Pro, so I can listen to some 78's and record then for a session on the radio. Needed some work doing to it before the old girl worked again.


3011/2004

Just finished Jury Service, waste of time that was, summoned to start on the 29 Nov, discharged today 30 Nov.....Can't complain though:-)

Tested the stream of WWMR at 64Kb/s for a while, seems to work ok.

10days until my birthday, yepeee, and I have 14days holiday from work.


25/11/2004

What a busy few months since I last updated the news page! So what have I been up to? Well I've been messing with the 70Mhz radio for the VoIP gateway, got a small problem to fix before we are able to transmit, like I'm getting a 10:1 SWR reading....hmmm, feeder I reckon!

Broke the zip on my Sidi Black Rain boots yesterday, not bad, 7 years hard use, and 50,000miles they are still water proof, warm, and comfortable, but the zip is rather important. So off I buzz to firstline Motorcycles to get some more....coo Still the same price! design changed a bit but still a very good boot:-) anyway I also needed a new lid, couldn't really justify £450 for the top of the range Shoei, so got the newer version of the one I currently have. Then saw a nice secondhand, only one owner, 52 plate VFR-800.......tempting, very tempting.........

WWMR is now up at 48Kb/s for broadband users, and 8Kb/s for dial up users. Both stream support windows media player. The broadband stream supports Winamp, iTunes, Real Player One, and Windows Media Player, while the dial up stream is Windows Media Player Only,

Valves Unlimited Enterprises is born, visit the temporary site (until I get around to getting the full Domain name) http://enterprises.valvesunlimited.co.uk Going back to what started Valves Unlimited (well the name anyway) way back in 1998, blimey 6 years already


15/08/2004

My internet radio station is now, up and streaming to the world at 48kb/s. Currently unable to run 24/7, but that should be sorted for the end of Sept '04

Got the other computer needed to run the station built in about 2hrs, and was online in about 4hrs (once all the software had been loaded, and Win update run, etc, etc)

Had a problem with the monitor I ordered from Special Reserve, like they sent me a Second hand, broken, returned once already, monitor. All got sorted though, they cocked up big time:-)


23/07/2004

Added some photo's of the Valve amp, I built all those years ago, still working well, needs a new set of o/p valves though.

Added a pic of my Record player, why?? because it is in the Hi-Fi section of the site.


16/07/2004

Added a search web site bit of code, so you can now search this web site. This can be found in the Computing section of the web site.

Going to PC World later today, Doh!! That's going to cost me some money.

Today's shopping list:

  • Motherboard (For AMD chip)
  • AMD Athlon
  • 80GB S-ATA drive
  • DVD-RAM Drive
  • Another SB Audigy sound card
  • Printer ink
  • GFX card for a mate's PC, got a bit hot his one did.....

Got to finish installing the electrics in our new garage, rather hot in there, because I can't open the door, I'm working above it, so came in here to do this for a while.


09/07/2004

Started to crack on with the new Valves Unlimited web site, now the site looks like this, and although I say so my self, I think it looks really quite good.

New stuff added, such as the forum, so ask questions and see what happens.

Got a few more weeks work to do on the new site before every thing starts to work as it should, but I hope to have it all up and running on the main servers but about the end of August 2004.


03/07/2004

New Web site now in design and build stage, just got a few last things to do to the new ESSA sailing site, but now I can get my site totally redesigned, and updated, because to be honest it looks crap now, when I look at it. It was built like that back in 1999 using Front Page.  Now I have more time to play web site.

Have new software (Dream Weaver MX2004 and Fireworks MX2004) so new site will be good:-)

Going to work on a shop as well (See how it goes with the ESSA site) and forum.

Please stay tuned as I promise the new site will be a whole world from this version of Valves Unlimited Online


20/06/2004

Little bits of site updates.

New guest book added, so please sign it here.

Been doing more work on the essa site, got Dreamweaver MX 2004, yeah!!!


17/06/2004

Site has moved servers, and became a full domain in it's own right :-)  http://www.valvesunlimited.co.uk

ISP is still Demon, but the free web space was stopping development of this site. Now I can play with PHP, MySQL, more CGI's, and I can play with Apache properly.

Now looking at finishing updating the site, with new content coming soon. I'm currently working on updating the sailing web site, and hopefully will move that site from the free server, to my server.


28/05/2004

Have 70Mhz ex-PMR radio, a PYE 490 series, sorted how to make it go in to TX, just working on interfacing it to the PC now.

Got big FO 5m in length antenna for 70Mhz, looking for a space to put it.


19/04/2004

Got home from work at 14:00, put bike away, re-booted router. Found my VoIP phone had now come back on line, and I could use it again.

Sky went black, started with a few spots of rain, then thunder, lightning, big hale-stones, and very heavy rain....good thing I decided not to go up the ladder.


18/04/2004

Ordered a VoIP phone line from http://www.gradwell.com and using a software phone from http://www.xten.com. Set up the system, works very well, I have 10 internal extension numbers now, and a virtual PABX......cool:-)

Today it is raining, dam.....was going to put another insulator on the HF wire antenna. So playing with the web site, eQSO, and Win amp streaming radio.

Added a new section to the main menu - Computers......'cos I got in to VoIP now


16/04/2004

My spare Sound Blaster Live Platinum sound card fitted to gateway PC, to allow multiple sound cards, so I can use eQSO, and now another program that needs a sound card.

HF antenna now up, nice 50m of wire in the sky, approx 12 - 13m above ground, just need to do the 2/70/23 tri-band.

Gateway PC was up & down more times than a cheap whore's draws - due to software updates being loaded on to the server.

ADSL seems to be performing correctly today, had problems streaming a 128Kbs audio stream yesterday, now working as it should.

Optically connected 1 PC to the hi-fi.....quit good sound:-)


10/04/2004

Old web site deleted off Server, new web site updated, slowing getting back up to it's former glory.

Shack Cam, now seems to be updating correctly, just have to sort an off line image, when the web cam is off line.


06/04/2004

Web site deleted, cut down old site left on servers.

New site created, started re linking and rebuilding new site on to the server.

 

 

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