KF interests? Show us your gadgets, collectibles, and toys!

[Emma]

To help pass TDOS in less boring fashion, I present to you a thread for showing / telling us what it is you're passionate about! Perhaps you can spark some enthusiasm in some other forum member while you're at it.

Post pics, geek out on specs, tell us what it's worth, whatever. It's fun to see what fellow Kings fans are passionate about / interested in, including your sports gear! Remember to keep it tasteful, some hobbies are definitely NOT in good taste (if you have to ask before you tell us about it, the answer is most likely a big "don't").

Here, I will start:

Since I have adopted environmental science as a second field of study I have really been getting into knives, flashlights, multi-tools, and bug collecting. I was looking for flashlight that could double as a headlight, produce a floodbeam, and simulate daylight for a reasonable distance. That's ALOT to ask for, but I wanted more: it had to be powered by one AA alkaline battery and last forever when outputting 10-20 lumens. After three days of 3 hour searches on the net I found and ordered one!

a zebralight h501w
http://www.zebralight.com/H501w-Neutral-White-w-new-UI_p_13.html

Great for hiking at 15 lumens, an excellent booklight at 2.7 lumens, and can strobe at over 80 lumens as well. Awesomeness.

Anyone else? I will probably post some bugs and knives as well.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I'll try and get some pictures of my toys... for now I'll just list my main hobbies: bicycles, photography, music, video games, home theater, sports (I'm currently on two kickball teams and a bowling league), the less and less frequent car and bike shows ()

 

[rexb_kings]

i'm in to photography and home theater (HTPC) as a hobby.

Nikon D90 with 28mm 1.4 Nikon exotic lens

My basic HD Home Theater, Samsung 52", HTPC with blu-ray, PS3, Onkyo 606 receiver.

My interests in sports are basketball and table tennis.

 

[stevetaebo]

i'm in to photography and home theater (HTPC) as a hobby.

That Nikon 1.4 youhave lens is beautiful. I have the 1.4 50mm for Canon and I love it.

I've never touched 1.4 28mm. It'd seems like a challenge to me since it's so wide for something that is so narrow for 1.4 focus. But I'd imagine it'd be easier for indoor group pics even though the lens may play focus favorites depending on who you want to focus on. Very cool lens!

 

[stevetaebo]

I just got this Charbroil Quantum Infrared grill and it's so far been very good. It's a pain to clean because the grates are so narrow and deep, but it doesn't flare! Which is excellent if you don't want burnt Ribeye.

 

[Emma]

I have amended the OP because I think it would be cool to see people's collections of Kings (or other team's) stuff as well. I'm also particularly interested in PDX's theater gear, I keep reading about how awesome it is

While I was out in the field I noticed that two of the biologists I was with had Nikon D90's. I think I will eventually have to pick up a beast of a camera, but I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC FH20 (point and shoot) that works pretty well. What makes a D90 so special? Also, how does infrared light help you grill?

 

[Emma]

You all know I read, so I figure I'll post my most visually impressive (and expensive, read 500 bucks) bookshelf. Also, autographed rookie / jersey cards of Kevin Martin, Reke, Omri, Joakim Noah, and Robin Lopez. The other thing is a magnetic bobblehead display of Webber, Divac, Bibby, and Peja.

Sorry about the glare, I am not a photo professional by any means.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I have amended the OP because I think it would be cool to see people's collections of Kings (or other team's) stuff as well. I'm also particularly interested in PDX's theater gear, I keep reading about how awesome it is

I'm planning a major upgrade for next year but I'll get some pics up hopefully in a few days, my pops is coming to visit and supposedly bringing a bunch of junk with him so I need to clean the second guest room up for him and I can touch up the theater as well. Its been doubling as a playroom this year.

 

[GoGoGadget]

I suffer from an addiction to the usual nerdly accouterments: movies, video games, comic books, et al. I haven't yet had the disposable funds available to get high tech with my home theater setup, but have a couple huge bookcases that are overflowing with DVDs, BluRays, and various comics/trades.

In addition, I spend a lot of time with photography -- all film, mostly black and white -- and have a particular interest in playing with the least sophisticated processes I can get my hands on. I have a nice camera, a Canon Eos Rebel G, and several lenses, but have recently had more fun playing with 4x5 studio cameras, homemade pinhole cameras, cheap plastic cameras, and lomographic cameras (Holga, Fisheye 2, Oktomat, Supersampler, etc.).

Collectibles... I don't know how much of what I collect actually counts as a collectible. I tend to collect oddball thrift store finds. Like furniture, creepy toys and dolls, vintage purses, old advertising images, tacky art, bowling balls, and all manner of kitsch/camp.

 

[stevetaebo]

You all know I read, so I figure I'll post my most visually impressive (and expensive, read 500 bucks) bookshelf. Also, autographed rookie / jersey cards of Kevin Martin, Reke, Omri, Joakim Noah, and Robin Lopez. The other thing is a magnetic bobblehead display of Webber, Divac, Bibby, and Peja.

Sorry about the glare, I am not a photo professional by any means.

Wow. 500 bucks is high roller for a bookshelf. That's gonna be an heirloom. Is that mahogany wood? You have a full size image of this?

 

[Emma]

Collectibles... I don't know how much of what I collect actually counts as a collectible. I tend to collect oddball thrift store finds. Like furniture, creepy toys and dolls, vintage purses, old advertising images, tacky art, bowling balls, and all manner of kitsch/camp.

If you collect it, it is collectible At least, that's what I learned from my foray onto eBay.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

A few older pics of my theater space from a Rock Band night a few years ago - maybe I should add Rock Band to my hobbies as I'm starting to compile quite the collection of plastic instruments which will get worse when the next game comes out:

Screen is a 120" Da-Lite High Contrast CinemaVision with the Cinema Contour frame. The projector that you can see in back on the shelf in the last picture is an Optoma HC78DC3, it will be replaced next year with a 1080p projector, preferably an LED so I can stop worrying about lamp life.

Front speakers are Dynaudio audience line (I think 72s on the LR and a 122c), surrounds are Axiom QS4s. They match pretty decently but I will look to get Dynaudios for the rear surrounds when I upgrade.

I'll snap some pics of the gear driving everything later.

And here's 3 of my bikes. My daily rider is not among them though the cruiser served that purpose for the 3 years I lived in LA. I live and work on steep hills in Portland so that just isn't happening here.

 

[Emma]

That's some pretty awesome stuff right there.

 

[Emma]

Okay, who's into rechargeable batteries? (maybe like, 5 of you, but I'ma post this anyway).

Okay, you know how nimh batteries get all junky after you recharge them three times? Then consider these:

These Duracell batteries, as long as they have white bands around the + battery "head" and say Made In Japan (They MUST appear this way!) are re-badged Sanyo eneloop NiMh 2000Mah rechargeables. Sanyo Eneloop 2000's are the absolute best performing, most reliable rechargeable batteries on the world market in high tech devices, having survived the most strenuous four year testing regimens conceived by a forum filled with dudes who collect and mod flashlights as a hobby (candlepowerforums, my other kick it spot). Sanyo, as a battery name brand, is sadly not widely available in the U.S. But if you look hard enough you can find these bad boys tucked behind some made in china impostors at Staples and Target.

Some specs:
1000 + charges on a slow recharger that has individual channels (charges 1 to whatever batteries). I use a Sony BC-C2SA, or La Crosse 700 Charger.
Average 1970 mAh (near full capacity) on about 500 of those charges.
After sitting for three years unused, they retain 75% of their charge!
10 year shelf life.

I feel like a salesman

 

[Emma]

@ stevetaebo: Nah, I mean the books on the shelf are worth 500 bucks. My bad, I'm two weeks late. I'm such a dork