RMWeb Gamer's Lounge.

[big jim]

35 minutes ago, Reorte said:

My first Dirt Rally attempt - spectacularly bad!

 

if nothing else, it’s the right way up with 4 wheels which is better than I managed! 

[Reorte]

I've mostly been doing the same stage in the Mini (first Wales one). A bit worrying that I've just set by best time after a bottle of wine.

 

[big jim]

Just bought V rally 4 for the switch, on offer for £13, not tried it yet though, 10’mins after buying it an email from Microsoft, this months games with gold, yep, V rally 4!

 

got a possession sit on tonight so I might take the switch with me, not something I normally do as I have the iPad with readly and RMWeb etc but I really should get some more use out of the switch 

[Reorte]

I've braved trying the stage in VR and surprisingly enough finished it without feeling ill. That's encouraging, but is tempting me ever more towards forking out on a wheel. The next attempt I hit a tree at 70, which was rather less fun.

 

[big jim]

I really need to get Doms VR set up in the mancave at some point, I’ve got to get the woodwork finished on the layout so I can clear all the off cuts of wood out of the floor space 

 

I’ve got a copy of pilot wings VR still sat sealed up that I’ve not had a chance to play on it 

[Classsix T]

Been having some success in GTSport lately, a string of podium finishes, just can't seem to get the top step.

C6T.

[Big James]

I recently got bought Resident evil 2 remake. It’s honestly one the best games I’ve played in a long time. It’s atmospheric, scary and makes the game genuine suspenseful. Mr X is one of the best additions to a game in a long time.

 

Has anybody play Resident Evil Nemesis remake? it is worth getting full price or should I wait for it to come up in a sale?

 

Big James

[Classsix T]

The tidying continues (resurrection of my youth more like, still, a knackered Game Gear is cheaper than arm candy and a sports car).

 

An irksome pain was how much space even a moderate sized collection of "micro" floppy disks takes up. (770Kb formatted capacity on each one - ooof!) Simplest solution therefore was to knock-up a guzunder stand, check out the craftsmanship!

 

That's freed up room for one of the 1210s to come out of hibernation, now we're talking!

 

C6T. 

[big jim]

1210s now we’re talking! 
 

Are those autofon stylus? 

Edited May 3, 2020 by big jim

[Classsix T]

Nearly Jim, they're Ortofon . 

 

C6T. 

[big jim]

Close enough!

 

(I knew I’d spelt it wrong when I posted it)

 

ive got to set my numark USB deck back up so I can convert a stack of Vinyl I’ve got sat here to MP3 

 

[Classsix T]

I could do with some advice on power supply to all this kit I'm accumulating and as it's mainly tech, and Lounge residents are a knowledgeable bunch, let's have a go.

 

The corner of the room has nominally two mains sockets, however the two incumbent 6-gang trailing sockets are rapidly filling up, plus I need to future proof for what's to come. The full list of current and foreseeable devices looks something like this:

PS2 

PS3 

PS4 

PS5 

Seagate HDD

Amiga

iMac

Turntable

Amplifier

Tape deck

VCR

1080p TV (for the VCR/PS2/Amiga) 

4K TV

Phone charger

(phew!)

 

Naturally it is highly unlikely all of that will be powered up at the same time! I know from experience that unless you're using high power consumption goods such as a vacuum cleaner, bar fire etc at the same time, a trailing socket rated around 3000 watts will cope with all of the kit in that list, there's nothing on there requiring more than 20watts (if that?). I'm not entirely sure of the power draw for TV's.

 

Thing is I do have a three bar heater often required in the chilly months and for perceived safety reasons I'd prefer to plug that straight into one of the mains sockets. So, will I be OK daisy chaining two 8 gang trailers from the other main giving me 15 sockets for the list?

These look just the job, including USB outs for chargers etc.:

Extension Lead 8 Way NTONPOWER Wall Mountable Multi Plug Extension with Superior Surge Protection and 5 USB Slots Switched 13amp Extension Lead Power Strip- Black (Wall Mounting for New Version Only) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DQ4Y72P/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_aC9REbDRN92CE

 

Thoughts and advice welcome, C6T. 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Classsix T
Amps to watts wrt power draw

[SHMD]

I can help but just not yet - I'm busy writing technical documents whilst "home working".

(My "trusting employer" requires daily updates on work done proving I'm working and not gaming!)

 

This is a lot of gear though!

Basically base-load should not be a problem but surge currents could be. Some "balancing" may be required and confirmation of correct fuse sizes will need to be done.

It would be worth adding the power ratings (Watts) at the side of each item in your list. (Sometimes, the standby rating is also given.)

 

Incidentally, I read "Lounge residents" as "Lounge rodents" first time!  

 

 

Kev.

[Classsix T]

I await your input Kev. And apologies for stating amps not watts, I was bound to get something wrong.

As a starter though, would I be on the right road by grouping the consoles and computers together on one trailing socket, the top seven items for example? 

Leaving the perhaps more heavy duty TVs etc on t'other?

 

As an aside, if it matters, ever since my teens when I got in to hi-fi/DJ gear I've erred on the side of caution with electrical kit and fitted 5amp at most and sometimes 3amp fuses.

 

C6T. 

[SHMD]

A good starting point but without the ratings...

I don't think you will use more than 1 console at a time but I be you have both TVs on sometimes and the computer too.

 

A 3 Amp fuse can allow 3x230 = 690 Watts to be safely passed down the wire to that piece of equipment (which usually uses less).

A 5 Amp fuse, 1150 Watts.

 

A 3 bar electric heater (Assuming 1 kW / element) requires 3000/230 = 13.04 Amps !! But this really does depend on what the ratings plate says and also on the age of the equipment.

TVs also take a chunk of power, and depending upon technology, a big surge at switch on.

 

 

Kev.

[Classsix T]

Using my limited Googlefu, I'm not going hunting for manuals for that lot, the scores on the doors I could find are;

 

PS2 50w 

PS3 140w tops

PS4 165w max

Amiga 22.2w

iMac (2006 20") 70w

Standby rates seem to be universally sub 2w.

 

Turntable (SL1210MK2) 16w

 

So if I'm reading you correctly, I'm right to have the bar fire in its own mains socket (as I suspected) and I really should have each trailing socket in its own as well? 

C6T. 

[SHMD]

16 minutes ago, Classsix T said:

Using my limited Googlefu, I'm not going hunting for manuals for that lot, the scores on the doors I could find are;

 

PS2 50w 

PS3 140w tops

PS4 165w max

Amiga 22.2w

iMac (2006 20") 70w

Standby rates seem to be universally sub 2w.

 

Turntable (SL1210MK2) 16w

 

So if I'm reading you correctly, I'm right to have the bar fire in its own mains socket (as I suspected) and I really should have each trailing socket in its own as well? 

C6T. 

 

Yes the electric fire will use up all the capacity of one 8way extension strip so it only makes sense to plug the fire in direct.

 

All those power consumption figures are so low so put them all on the second daisy chained 8way extension strip.

(Really! The Amiga only requires 22.2 Watts?)

 

 

Kev.

[Classsix T]

Thanks Kev, appreciate your help.

 

Yeh the Amiga isn't power hungry according to the specs: http://www.ianstedman.co.uk/Amiga/amiga_hacks/Amiga_Power_supplies/amiga_power_supplies.html

 

It was only the working draw of the more modern consoles that surprised me frankly, I knew home hi-fi gear was usually sub 20w so didn't expect much more for gaming tech. The difference between solid state audio and processing chips doing vastly different jobs I guess.

 

C6T. 

[Guest]

46 minutes ago, SHMD said:

(Really! The Amiga only requires 22.2 Watts?)

 

Remember when computers didn't have cooling fans?

[Reorte]

I've indulged and got myself a wheel (Logitech G29). Back to being dreadful at first but weirdly a run in VR put me almost back to where I was with the controller (I'd started getting used to it) on gravel in Dirt Rally 2.0 and on tarmac I was much smoother. But weirdly the wheel gave me a bit of nausea where the controller didn't. Also weirdly it wasn't from tight corners, or even bouncing off walls but from stepping on the brake hard.

 

Might see about digging out a joystick for a handbrake.

[Reorte]

On 04/05/2020 at 15:03, 30801 said:

 

Remember when computers didn't have cooling fans?

 

Years ago I had an overclocked CPU that came with a fan. The standard version didn't and I found the noise annoying enough to remove the fan and clock it back to normal. The performance difference wasn't all that noticeable anyway.

[Reorte]

Followup to the above - joystick works as a handbrake. Now I need a gear shifter. And a chair. And a multi-monitor setup. And a conversion of the cellar to set it up in (it's planned to be my railway room!) And a second mortgage!

 

[Ian J.]

11 hours ago, Reorte said:

Followup to the above - joystick works as a handbrake. Now I need a gear shifter. And a chair. And a multi-monitor setup. And a conversion of the cellar to set it up in (it's planned to be my railway room!) And a second mortgage!

 

 

That's how I felt when I got my Logitech wheel. And, probably why it ended up in a box and unused now for years.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Ian J.

[Classsix T]

Thought I'd have a go at Homefront: The Revolution demo, full game being on sale in the PS Store, try before you buy. Just as well I did...

 

The premise of the plot is that in a alternate near future N. Korea somehow manages to corner the market in all tech firmware and by literally switching off the US military manages to turn America into an occupied state? Sigh.

I question my own statement because I'm still unsure how on earth any of the writers thought this could possibly happen in the real world. If had been a shady Megaglobalcorporation, sure, you might go along with a complicit Govt. and the population being oppressed by stealth, but here we are.

The writing doesn't get any better by the way, dialogue is cliché ridden nonsense with cutscene action worthy of many a straight to video movie. Rather tellingly, "you" have no dialogue in-game, as if your character is embarrassed to be part of any of it. 

 

So the gameplay. You know those shooter games where you recognise instantly that the level design is all geared towards multi player? Roger that. Not that it necessarily makes an FPS bad, but it personally sets alarms ringing that a quality single player experience might not be of uppermost importance to the Devs or Publisher.

I've voiced my dislike for the first person perspective in the past but appreciate a well designed one. This isn't. Whilst in cover, it's nigh on impossible to know what's going on on the battlefield and worse, on the very first weapon you're equipped with, the gunsight is so fat you can barely see the target! Even upgrading to an assault rifle does not seem to improve things considerably. 

 

Oh and yes, you can purchase better kit. With cash. So despite occupation by a foreign power, US dollars are still in circulation and a requirement to facilitate their downfall. BTW, why is it even called Revolution. It's insurgency isn't it?

Ammo, health and other loot (motorbikes!) litter each level and coupled with the ability to scavenge dead bodies further reinforces the fact that the real world has been left far away.

 

It's not an awful game, in fact online co-op might actually be a lot of fun and it does look nice, but as far as single player stories go, it's pretty lame - 6/10 max.

Thief/Deus Ex/Metro Exodus/Bioshock et al deserve your time before you even think about this one.

 

C6T. 

[scottystitch]

I'm assuming this is a follow-on (sequel?) to Homefront that was out at the start of the decade? Or is it more a remake?

 

Best

Scott.

Edited May 8, 2020 by scottystitch