CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

digitalayon · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 921

Anyone seen it? Razz

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 1:09 am Post subject:

Not in operation since 2010. Smile

No, you really don't want to see it, or the rest of the house. It's a disaster, and the HT has never been to my satisfaction either.

However... I did just finish said large swimming pool job, and have a bunch of Barco 909s, G90s and one Runco DTV 1200 coming in, so house renos are in order. Heck, I bought towels and a couple of mats today, so I'm well on my way. LOL!

I have zero time to watch an HT. Once I pull down the ageing 8500 and throw up a G90, I may get interested again at some point in time. Talk to me in 2 years. THen the house renos should be done, and I could actually have an open house, but no, my own HT is not anything you should judge any HT by!

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

i've seen it in the heyday and it was nice. he had a stack of 9" (floor and ceiling) and we watched some of the Italian Job. turning on/off the floor model gave a great idea of what a stack did for the image.

oh don't worry - it was still full of gear all over the place, a couple of racks of mostly used stuff and a pair of ML speakers on one wall Smile

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 3:09 am Post subject:

Actually that's true, the stack was fun. Completely inspired by the visit to Cliff's the first time. Maybe I'll get inspired again this visit, in fact I know I will, but installing sound systems, keeping other projectors going, and skirt chasing is taking priority over my own HT. Smile

overclkr · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227

digitalayon · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 921

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 1:48 pm Post subject:

Nah, once you've conquered 1000s of projectors (literally), I need a challenge! Razz

Tinman · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:03 pm Post subject:

Funny.... I know how that goes. I have had so little time for my own HT that I (as you know) sold my lovely Runco990 and put up a digital. Point is, it took me 6 years to rack up 200 hours on the Runco......

My Digital will probably hit 200 hours in 2020 at this rate.

Sad.

Though I've been doing some skirt chasing myself. Priorities change.

Marc

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

This is terrible... Skirt chasing, 200 hrs in 6 years, and now digital installations? Its cut you down in the prime of your life!!

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:48 pm Post subject:

For me, believe it or not, the thrill of a projector ended many years ago. That is, from a viewing point of view. Sure, I'd still watch one over a digital, but at 60-80 hour work weeks, it leaves little downtime. With the sh*t on TV, I watch maybe a couple of reality shows for pure amusement, but I'm not into sports at all, and finding time for a movie...well that just doesn't happen.

Back in 1986 or so, yes, it was all about learning about projectors, and tweaking Barco 400s and 600s and Sony 10XX series. Then when I found eBay in 1999, and started buying sets cautiously, it was all about learning how each one worked. With the exception of Tim's blend that crashed the moment I walked in the door 2 years ago, and Cliff's supreme setup, I've seen almost every type of single projector setup there is, good and bad, and for me to turn the HT room into something I'd be proud of, it would take $5-10K to do it right.

I don't have the time or money for that, and the house needs things like.. oh, paint and carpets and appliances and flooring and..... Smile

For me, CRT has been and always will be about the gamble whether I can make money off a set bought sight unseen, and as importantly, the joy of repairing them. I bailed on sound systems 9 years ago because I was bored, and dove into CRT. Now that CRT is dying slowly (still!), I'm back into sound, and am challenged with learning programming and digital signal processing. THere really isn't much challenge in repairing a power supply that I've done 200 of at this point. But, I have a good customer base, and this year has been record setting for projector sales for some reason. I haven't even sent out a projector mailer in months, but I sold another 3 yesterday, and haven't advertised the Runco DTV1200 or the 4 Barco 909s and 5 Sony G90s that I have coming in. Chances are they'll be sold before they even hit a mailing list.

Yeah, I'm weird that way. But.. to tell me that I've gone to hell in a handbasket because I'm chasing skirts? Yeah.. right! I'm glad that I have a libido at 48.. Mr. Green

overclkr · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227

Thats freaking awesome that your getting record sales. Congrats!

You truly are the only retail outlet left for us who do not have tons of money to spend. Not to mention all of the free help you have given over the years. Just goes to show how much of a class act you really are.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:36 am Post subject:

Thanks Cliff! Frankly, most of the sales now are to industrial customers. All my split packs went to one facility, that was the epic bonus sale this summer. But... G90s are flying out the door in record numbers to those upgrading from 9" machines. Mind you, at the price, they're a steal. The next decent one goes on my ceiling.. never to be used.

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 2:55 am Post subject:

Curt, I work my ass off... I do probably the same work weeks you do. Typically around 70 hours - 60+ during the week, and a couple of half-days on the weekend. That's on top of having two young kids and a wife.

Still, I make time for a movie whenever possible - because I love watching movies. I aim for twice a week, and probably only average once - usually on Saturday night. Kids in bed asleep, 10pm rolls around, I'm watching a movie, dammit. It's my escape - how I keep from going postal.

I guess what I'm getting at is that if you can't find two hours to watch one movie every couple of weeks, it's probably more that it's just not a priority, right? Not so much that you don't have the time, but that you'd rather spend the time doing other things, yes?

SC

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

But curt uses that free time for Naps!!!

Where is that pic of curt zonked out at Cliffs?

Very Happy

Nashou

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:08 am Post subject:

Dude, I have to take naps, too!!! That's what 9:30 - 10:00 is for!!! Wink

Seriously, it's like groundhog day here most days... At the desk at 9, work until 2, take a short break to eat a little snack, work until 7 or so, break for dinner w/fam, homework with kids, baths, get them in bed, then hit the couch for a 30-40-minute nap, then back to work until 1a or 2a or 3a depending on what's going on, sleep until 8 or 8:30 then start all over again. Rinse and repeat. "It's grrrrooooouuuundhog day!!!"

Try (in vain) to recharge batteries on weekend, and get one movie in. Refuse to work 7 nights a week. I WILL at least watch a damn movie once a week (or at least try)!

SC

overclkr · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 6:09 am Post subject:

Hah! I've NEVER worked 40 hours/week! I was in college last time I worked 40 hours/week. I know what you mean though, Cliffy... We're about the same age I think, and I can tell you I'm getting tired. I definitely won't be able to do this for years on end - that's for sure. Not sure how much longer I have left, but I can feel the gas tank getting emptier.

The only way I can make this work is that my wife is part-time, so she takes up a lot of slack for me. I'm always there for dinner, and I'm always there for homework and bed time. Beyond that, it's work, work, and more work.

We're trying to get a couple people hired to spread the work out a little more, but that's proving easier said than done, and hiring in and of itself comes along with more work - at least in the short term.

Cheers,
SC

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:09 pm Post subject:

SC- yes, you're right, I do other stuff. My huge advantage over others is that I truly love what I do. I don't work when I build racks or fix a circuit board, I play. I only work when I'm stuck in traffic, or I get stuck on something, or am in a programming course that overwhelms me. That's pretty rare. Smile

I have no 'family' per se, so other than my dogs, cats, pigs and other assorted wildlife, I'm pretty much free to do as I please.. which I do often. Razz

Kudos to those that have a 40 hour work week and can live on that. No question that it has massive advantages as well, but being self employed usually means that you have to hustle. Besides, I can take 2 weeks off to drive to Cliff's rather than fly, and see all sorts of sights on the way. What other 'job' allows you to do that?

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia