Hobbies

Picked up a new lens on the weekend after much reading and researching. I had wanted a portrait type lens that I could use in low light conditions.

I have the 100mm macro lens, which is awesome for macro shots and also works a treat for portraits but you need a fair bit of distance for it so it’s not that effective in confined locations.

Everything I read about the 50mm lens said it was pretty much a “must have” considering it’s extremely cheap and also produces exceptionally good results.

I’ve taken a few quick snaps with it and they come up great. I’ll post some at a later stage.

Put some new veges in the vege garden a few weeks ago now and the plants are really starting to take off.

Eaten 3 beans, and a few bits of lettuce so far. Can’t wait for the strawberries and tomatoes to come good.

I’ve had the 450D for a few months now and I’m still really happy with it. I’ve always liked the macro type shots, so figured I needed a lens for it.

Everything I read on the web said that both the 60mm and 100mm Canon macro lenses are incredible. Most people recommended buying both, but I wasn’t that keen. The big difference between the 60mm and 100mm is the distance you can be from the subject. In the case of macro shots of bugs and insects, the 100mm is more suitable because you can be further away. Something else I learnt was that the macro lenses take great portrait shots. Another feature of the Canon macros is they are internal focusing, so the length of them doesn’t change. I thought that was pretty neat as well.

I took a look at a few of the macro lenses at a local shop including a few cheaper Tamron lenses. I really didn’t like the feel of them at all, and the sounds they made when focusing didn’t make me feel very confidant. In comparison the Canon lenses where much quieter and the focusing was a lot smoother. I guess it’s a case of ‘you get what you pay for’ so I decided to bite the bullet and go with the Canon 100mm. I’m really happy with the quality of the shots.

The second lens that was in my twin lens kits also arrived after a shortage of stock. So I now have a 55-250mm IS lens. The image stabilizer (IS) makes a huge difference. Zoomed in shots that usually blur without a tripod come out crystal clear. I will probably have a bit more of a play with it on the weekend.

Overall so far I have found that I get maybe 1 or 2 “great” shots from a group of photos. My ratio of “great” vs “ok / bad” is pretty bad at the moment, so that’s something I need to work on.

I’ve also been using Aperture for cataloging and editing my photos. It’s a great piece of software. I also found the video tutorials on the Apple site really helpful as well.

After getting the shock shaft replaced I finally got around to giving my truck a run. Was surprised how easily it fired up after being sitting for so long. Idled a bit rough, but replacing the glow plug fixed it.

So I took it for a slow drive around the front yard area without the top on, thinking it would be ok since I wasn’t going that fast. Unfortunately the plastic aerial cover came off and the aerial got wrapped around the front right wheel shaft and broke. Luckily it broke outside the receiver, so I should be able to solder / tape another aerial lead on to it.

Surprised me how difficult it is to replace the aerial lead. I guess people don’t really break them that often

So the good news is the truck still runs, but the receiver coverage is short so I haven’t tried my luck.

I’ve been interested in photography for a long time. I’ve never really taken any kind of classes in it or researched it that much but I’ve always liked taking photos, usually of random stuff.

With the recent release of the Canon 450D, I decided to bite the bullet and buy myself a “proper” digital SLR camera. I’ve read a bit about canon cameras, and a few people I know recommend them so I’m pretty happy with the decision.

A workmate pointed me to the Teds website and I got in contact with a great salesperson there. He was extremely patient with my numerous emails, many of which I am sure where beginner questions by his standards. He gave me some great advice and I ended up ordering the following:

• Canon 450D Twin Lens Kit
• 2 x UV Filter (1 for each lens, mainly for protection)
• 4 gig SD memory card

$1700 all up, including postage from Brisbane to Rockhampton.

I was told when ordering that it would be around 2 weeks, but it seems there is a bit more of a delay. The cameras seem to be selling like hot cakes and there is very limited stock in Australia, with most camera shops having no stock at all.

According to forums, the main delay seems to be with the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lens, which is bundled in the twin lens kit.

UPDATE: Well it arrived today and it’s awesome. The 55-250 lens is still on backorder but I got the rest of the order. Will be good to go out tomorrow and take some snaps.

The shock shaft on the front right side of my LST2 got broken over xmas (yeah, 5 months ago ) and I finally got around to fixing it this weekend.

It took around 30mins to pull the shock apart, replace the shaft, replace the oil, put it back together and re-install it on the truck. Since it was the first time I had done it, I am guessing that the whole process could be done a lot faster if not referring to the instructions

I gave the truck a good de-grease, blew it out with the air compressor and charged the batteries. I didn’t actually get a chance to try to drive it though, so that will have to happen sometime this week.

Took me a while to get it fixed, but it’s good that it is done now. I will have to go and see if the housing estate area is still vacant or whether it’s been built over.

My New Scientist subscription is out of control!

I am currently up to the July 7th issue from last year and making slow progress. I am still reading them regularly, but I find myself wanting to really understand ALL the articles which means I tend to read some articles more then once, which slows down progress somewhat.

So that means I have 25 issues to read (not counting the issue that will show up next monday/tuesday) which works out to be half a years worth of reading.

I think I have to start taking proper lunches, and go outside or away from my desk and read them.

Anyway, I’ll check in again in a few months. Hopefully I can get them a bit more under control by then

Well the truck is going well. So far I’ve run about 6 liters of fuel through it with only minor problems. The heat related issues I was talking about in the previous post was related too the fuel mix being too lean, which of course causes the engine to run a lot hotter. So after getting that tuned properly, the truck has been running well.

Only major problem has been one of the bearings inside the clutch bell breaking, causes pieces of it to get scattered through the gear spurs. Cost me around $20 for 2 new bearings (only needed 1 in the end) and new hi and low spurs. I spent a few hours on the weekend pulling it apart and getting it fixed.

While I had it pulled apart, I decided to install a rear spoiler / wing as well. A lot of stuff I have read say it’s a good idea to have one, not only for stability while jumping but also to protect the back of the body and also the engine / fuel tank when it rolls over.

The truck is a lot dirtier now and looks pretty well worn in. Even blowing it down with an air compressor after running it, it still gathers a lot of dust and gunk. I imagine sooner or later I’m going to have to strip it down and give it a good clean.

[](http://www.geeklane.com/blog/images/LST2/bearings/DSC02045.jpg)
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I recently bought a [LOSI LST2](http://www.teamlosi.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=LOSB0015 “Losi: LST2 Monster Truck RTR w/XS3″) radio controlled nitro monster truck. It’s a beast of a truck and is a heck of a lot of fun to drive. It’s interesting learning about all the components and going through the process of breaking the new engine in. I’ve learnt a lot in a very short amount of time.

So far it has taken a few days to break the engine in and I’m still slowly working on tuning it for optimum performance. I think I am having overheating problems as the truck seems to run for a while then just stall, and I won’t be able to start it again for some time even though it is pretty clear that the engine isn’t flooded. The other thing that points to a heat problem is that I can drive the truck around with no problems at all when the top is off. Of course, I’m not driving it as hard or fast as I would with the top on for fear of rolling it and breaking something, but still, I have a feeling the issues are heat related.

The documentation that came with it suggested cutting a hole in the front windscreen to allow for better air flow and pretty much every forum I’ve read have said it is almost mandatory for trucks so I guess that is the next thing to try.

There is a new housing estate close by to here that has a lot of open area and even a few dirt mounds so it has been the perfect spot to race around on, at least until they finish building the houses and people move in

It’s pretty amazing to see the technology used in these little trucks. They have full nitro / petrol based engines, disc brakes, independent suspension and pretty much every single part can be taken off / replaced / upgraded.

On the topic of upgrades, its amazing to see what is available. If a person wants to concentrate on racing, you get get graphite parts that provide the strength but also the lightness needed for racing. If bashing around is more your thing, you can get titanium components to add a lot more strength. Then there is also the added option of aluminum shocks, suspension arms, suspension towers, etc, etc, etc.

The LST2 comes with a few aluminum parts as standard including diff cover, shocks, clutch shoes, etc. The actual specs sum it up pretty well:

Type: 4WD Nitro Monster truck
Scale: 1/8 Monster Truck
Length: 22 in (559mm)
Width: 18.5 in (470mm)
Wheelbase: 14.2 in (361mm)
Weight: 13 lbs. (5897g)
Chassis: Dual-deck aluminum with composite ladder braces
Suspension: 4-wheel independent H-arm
Drive Train: Center Hi/Lo trans, 2-speed w/slipper and 2 differentials
Tire Type: ATX low-profile racing tires
Motor or Engine: Mach 427 (.427cc) with tuned exhaust system
Radio: JR XS3 Synthesized FM system
Servos: Z590 (steering x 2), Z270 for throttle/brake & shift
Batteries: 1100MAH NiMH receiver pack
Charger: 110v, 100MAH overnight charger
Speed: 40+MPH
Wheel Size: 40-series using 20mm drive hex
Kit/RTR: RTR
Shock Type: Oversized threaded coil-over mega shock
Body: LST2 Racer type, prefinished
Ball Bearings: Complete
Fuel Tank Capacity: 220 c.c.

[](http://www.geeklane.com/blog/images/LST2/losilst2-01.jpg)
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