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Copyright ©1999-2026 by Hayne Davis, DaviSound
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NEWS UPDATE ... from Hayne Davis ...
February 28, 2026 ... March 31, 2026 ...
eMail- DaviSound at DaviSound dot com ... Text- 803 - 944 - 7972
PAGE INDEX:
January 26, 2026 - DaviShivering ! I February 28, 2026 - DaviSteady DaviSoldering ! I
March 31, 2026 - DaviStumped ! I
TO DAVISOUND MAIN INDEX TO DAVISOUND NEWS ARCHIVES
March 31, 2026
'' DaviStumped ... ''
Yes ... it seems that, no matter what, I just cannot figure out a way to force ten pounds of stuff into a one pound container!
The above is a pretty accurate analogy of what I keep trying to do as our relocation to a much smaller residence and work/storage facility continues. My life this month has mostly consisted of moving ''this'' to make room for ''that'', then moving them both to make room for ''something else'', and then trying to move them all back again in a way that will make room for the next identical operation ... all of which never seems to expire and which keeps getting more impossible with each new attempt. We're making progress on that attic and last storage shed up at our old location so our new target for fully vacating (and putting this damned, exhausting, never-ending chore behind us!) is early summer.
But ... I continue to go in circles at our new location trying to find a way to store all the ''treasures'' (junk) that I am tryijng to keep. And, I assure you, all this moving and lifting is exhausting in many ways for a 78 year old with bad knees and 40% heart function!😉
Of course the ''Davises'' have a well-known history of missing self-imposed deadlines but, I think with a little help recently offered by the grandkids, we might just make this one (IF that help follows through!).
Since what little audio news is about the same as last month's post (yes the ''DaviSoldering'' does continue whenever I can ''DaviSqueeze'' it in!), I see no need to go over much of that again this go 'round so this WILL be a ''DaviShort'' edition of DaviSound News Updates. I do continue to uncover a few interesting artifacts and objects as I struggle through the sorting and organization attempts, however. I have taken photos of some of them that I think you might like to see but, since the 31st caught up with me before I had a chance to edit and prep the photos for publication, I will have to save that until next time.
As I have mentioned many times prior, I will be offering some of my ''old stash'' , usually for not much more than the cost of shipping, for any of you who might like to give it a new home. I should have some of it listed by next month's edition. For one example, I don't know how popular old relic tube preamplifiers may be these days, but I have a couple of gems pulled from an old Gates Radio console. These are vacuum tube preamp modules with two transformers on board each. I will try to show them next edition. Anyone still interested in audio cassettes? I found a container of some old, (New Old Stock) blank, chromium cassettes in retail packages of three. Anyone still into cassettes (and I hear they are making a comeback in some circles) might like a few of these. Then, there are a few old test gear items and assorted circuit boards that may be of interest to any audio tech into DIY.
Sorry this edition caught up with me too quickly to get a list, or photos, together but I will TRY to do better before the end of April. All that being the case, I will just close this one out quickly here and save further comment until next edition. Meanwhile, I hope you all will have as good a spring as possible in these troubled times and, until next month, try to stay positive and stay away from ''April Fools'' ...especially those in Washington!
Best efforts,
Hayne
February 28, 2026
'' DaviSteady DaviSoldering ... ''
Well, the shortest of the short months has now caught me sooner than anticipated so this will be a bit of a last minute rush-job!
It may have been ''DaviShort'' but it certainly has been ''DaviSteady'' busy, and eventful, since it included about a half dozen additional ''Murphy's Law'' household break-downs with things needing fixing or replacing (including an unexpectedly needed new set of tires for our car .. after taking it in for a ''slow leak'' repair on one of the old set, it was discovered the entire set was badly worn or wearing prematurely). It has been one thing after the other since the start of '26.
My daughter and I both became ''another year older'' this month with my 78th birthday on the 20th and her 47th on the 21st. We had dinner out together on Friday the 20th (coincidentally I was born on a Friday in 1948- ''Friday's Child'') and she, my wife and Penni, our 16 year old Maltese, and I had a nice little road trip on Sunday to finalize our annual celebration.
Since we have been experiencing near record cold weather almost consistently, and since the heat is turned off at the old Newberry house, we have taken a bit of a break from the chore of finishing our vacating clean-out of that house. We'll be getting back to that chore in the next few weeks probably spending two to three days per week up there until we can FINALLY put the last wrappings on that annoying, long on-going, package...hopefully before summer gets here!
Meanwhile, I have actually been getting in about twenty, badly needed, hours per week, on average, in the work-room this month. While that doesn't sound like much, believe me, with all the other distractions going on it has really been an improvement. It has been somewhat of a traditional winter of ''seasonal electronics projects'' which has typically found me working at the soldering table from early afternoon until the middle of the evening on the workdays I could squeeze in. I have been putting the old DaviSoldering iron to DaviSteady use for sure!
I've been working on circuitry/wiring connections for the long-awaited, commemorative ''TB-50'', trying to get it ready for its new home in Michigan. Then the work on the wiring harnesses and connections for the giant monster on the work table, the retro ''MIxer O'Tube'' has gotten some of my attention on many of these winter nights so far. I have also had to squeeze in a few video amp builds to keep a little badly needed cash flow going. Along with that, I have been experimenting and prototyping new ''mini-circuitry'' for a different, more stable layout to be mounted in the head of the DaviSnake microphones. I am in the process of repairing a pair that was badly damaged by Customs during a shipment to Brazil awhile back and, while they were apparently badly mishandled, I still concluded that the latest design of element/support circutry within the shell of the XLR connector needs some more attention to stability since the current design seemed to be quite susceptible to even slight mishandlings. I also had to rebuild one of my work bench test power supplies that had died so the old soldering iron has CERTAINLY had quite a work out so far this year with a LOT more ahead of it!
And speaking of ''The Old soldering Iron'' ...
I am sure that many of you will find it surprising that I use, and always have used, the SIMPLEST of the simple when it comes to soldering irons. Now, back when I had assistants and the various work areas at our old facility (some of which can be seen in the
DaviScenes - Photo Tour Of Old DaviSound Facility ), we had more elaborate soldering equipment available. But, for me, I have always kept it as basic as possible. Many of you who utilize elaborate solder stations with temperature control, deluxe holders and sponge pads etc. etc., will find it surprising that an ''old pro'' like myself would prefer to use a cheap, 25 watt iron, home-made tips and a glass ashtray for a holder. The only tip cleaner I use is the occasional wipe with a paper towel!
I have always made my own tips using solid copper wire ( number 6 gauge is perfect to slide into the iron barrel) which are cut to size and then hand-filed down to the correct, tapered point and then tinned with multiple solder layers until cured and ready for use. I seldom have to re-file a tip until after use on several projects or probably around a hundred hours use. My ''poor man's soldering setup'' has served me quite well for many many years and I guess I would be lost trying to use anything else!
So, that about wraps up the ''news'' from ''downhome at DaviSound'' for another month. I hope to be ''marching into March'' with even more soldering accomplished at next report as well as other progress to announce in other directions as well. Work time will continue to be tight for awhile as we continue finalizing our move/transition from our old Newberry house to our little lake cottage at Lake Murray 17 miles away. But, I am determined to get many things, many ''long-runnig-behind-things'', accomplished here during 2026 and as early as is possible.
As always, thank you for keeping up with me here and please join me again next month to see if I have FINALLY escaped old ''Murphy'' and ''his laws'' during the month of March!
Best efforts,
Hayne
January 26, 2026
'' DaviShivering ... ''
Yes ... I.m afraid we're ''ICED UP'' with an ''ICE PROBLEM'' in more ways than one in our country right now ... and I am not enjoying either situation!
There is the unnecessary authoritarian regime caused ''ICE storm'' in Minneapolis and the Mother Nature caused ICE storm we're now enduring here in the southeast. Both can be crippling and demoralizing but I would ALWAYS prefer the Mother Nature version any day so I definitely HURT for our fellow citizens in Minnesota right now much more than I am hurting from our cold! As we go into another year, I continue to be amazed and appalled at the worst situation with American government that I have ever witnessed in my lifetime ... and, I don't see it getting better any time soon ... expecting it to get even worse as the year unfolds. But, enough of that! I promise to try to confine my ''rants'' to my alternate ''editorial site'' that I started last year, DaviSoapBox ... (you can check that out if you are so inclined to keep up with my ''DaviSoundOffs'') and I will keep the focus on DAVISOUND here!
As always, at the first of a new year, I am beginning a new ''DaviSlate'' ( a new monthly web page for the year) with this first edition and last year's posts are now relegated to the NEWS ARCHIVES site area. I invite newcomers to check that one out if you are interested in any of my past updates, perhaps especially my last post of last year relating to the music/entertainment heritage of Newberry, S.C. I mention that since that one has drawn, probably, more email and text comments than any in a long, long time.
As for ''DaviStarting'' the New Year, it looks like it will be more of the ''same old same old'' for awhile anyway. Unfortunately old ''Murphy'' of ''Murphy's Laws'' fame has gotten after me again with multiple issues to deal with on the domestic front ... broken aplliances ... house repairs ... pickup truck that will need to be towed to the shop next week ..etc. etc. Then, as soon as my old bones and the cold weather can reconcile, we still have ''tons'' of junk in that attic at our old residence to go through as our permanent vacating process of that property continues on beyond our, hoped, end of year (2025) ''deadline''. I should also mention that it seems my ''pre-cancer'' skin diagnosis of last summer is no longer ''pre''. It appears that one spot on my forehead has now ''blossomed'' into full-blown squamous cell carcinoma that I will have to have dealt with the first week of February. BUT ... all you patiently waiting clients take heart! I can now get to my recently cleared workbench and the table behind it and I will be putting in as much time as available on the ongoing projects resting there from this point forward, along with the sorting of the storage items that continues simultaneously.
I mentioned a large number of emails and texts above in relation to the content of last month's ''historical'' post. But, the numerous emails didn't stop there. It was one of the most active email periods I have seen here in QUITE some time. I want to thank alll of you who sent positive comments and new inquiries but I also have to address another email ''phenomenon'' that occurred which wound up taking up an enormous amount of my time the past month with assorted replies and research for it. As hard as it was for me to fathom, I had FOUR different inquirors, almost all at one time, contacting me about pieces of our old gear that they had recently purchased on the used markets! I usually get maybe one or two of these a year but four in one month is definitely a new record.
While I am always willing, and glad, to answer a few general questions about any of my old custom pieces that turn up, in each of these cases I had to point out that this IS a ''business'' after all and that, as such, I am a ''professional consultant'' as well. I cannot afford to spend a huge amount of time answering detailed questions, and offering repair or modification suggestions, for free. This isn't fair to me OR my other paying clients! I think I may have offended a couple of these inquirors by simply reminding them that I do offer these services for what is, I feel, a VERY small standard fee ($100.00) which allows me to answer specific questions in detail and even provide written schematics where applicable, WITHIN REASON. I see this as almost a ''token'' charge based on all that is required in such cases but, for some, they seem to think that just because they bought an old DaviSound ''relic from the past'' (ALL of these four happened to be old custom pieces made back in the late seventies and early eighties) from some used gear dealer, I am, somehow, obligated to offer them free support on restoration! I am ALWAYS glad to hear about my old gear turning up and, as I say, I will answer a few general questions about the history of any old piece as I know it. But, as far as detailed correspondence regarding what should be done with it to get it back in operation, or any modifications and updates, that will need to be handled on a standard rate, paid consulting basis with additional fees to be negotiated as required depending on how far the consultation process goes.
I have also had to, regrettably, turn down (actually place on hold if they can wait long enough) a couple of clients this past year who wished to take advantage of the standard refurbish process for our Tool Boxes that is offered and described on our PRICES/TERMS/POLICIES page.
I have had to put this service on hold just as I have had to place a ''freeze'' on any new Tool Box orders until my wife and I can FINALLY get our new location all settled and the old one out of our hands (and out of our ''hair''!) . You just don't know how much I look forward to having all of that dishevelment out of the way when all I will have to focus on are my DaviSound projects!
I guess that about ''DaviSums'' up most of the ''new business'' and the ''kick start'' here for 2026 at this point. I do look forward to hearing from any and all of you, personally, throughout the new year if you care to drop me an email or/and text. As always, I remind you that it may take a day or few to get back to you but I ALWAYS reply to ALL messages (so long as they are not anonymous!). So, if you do not get a reply after awhile, it means I simply did not get the message for some reason (which DOES happen occasionally). In that case, PLEASE reach out again and resend the message ... I ALWAYS welcome and reply to all signed email and texts!
Thank you again for joining me here for another year, which will be DaviSound's 56th year of operation in June! I hope you will ''tune in'' again here next month, ''same station'' for another ''exciting adventure''😉 from the world of DaviSound!
My Best For The New Year,
Hayne
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