It seems that all of the ♥ clicks I have been doing on posts here since the post I did on February 14th have not been staying put. Looking today it seems from my end that they have been erased - and re-clicking the ♥'s shows them red while I have the page up but logging out and reloading shows that they are not there. Seems that Patreon have changed their scripts and I have an incompatibility. It seems that nowadays every little tiny mechanism in a web page is handled by...
2020-03-13 15:39:32 +0000 UTC
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As every new feed appears on our browsers and we all get adjusted to the new solitary routines of working at home and curtailing our social lives I want you all to know that FranLab is still going full tilt to provide you with content now and far into the future, and I do need your continued support to keep it all going. I promise you all that you will get a return on your investment in FranLab and I will be there for all of you as we go through these challenging times. I am...
2020-03-12 17:16:41 +0000 UTC
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Take a trip with me! In this video Howard Cooper of Tailwinds Flight Education shows us his Cessna 172, and we go through a thorough pre-flight check, he describes the controls and instruments in the aircraft, we perform taxiing through the airport, talk to air traffic control, and take off on a non-stop flight from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport to Wilmington Airport in Delaware for a quick touch-and-go and return to Northeast Philadelphia Airport in real time - and complete ...
2020-03-12 03:41:36 +0000 UTC
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The world of low level radioactivity is all around us - but don't be alarmed! It's all part of the natural order of our slightly radioactive universe. In this video I explore some common objects, and also show how to make your own Click Box for your own detector. The Geiger-Müller detector gives us a view - or rather, a listen - into that invisible world of high energy particles that emit from just about everything and everywhere - including ourselves. Really? &...
2020-03-08 15:58:33 +0000 UTC
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I was hoping to get another video up this week but I've been in bed for a couple days with a virus and still getting over it. It is a peculiar reality we live in today, where no one (except myself) ever stays at home when they are sick and contagious. All winter here in Philly I've been surrounded by sick people out and doing things like they were normal. I get in a Lift for a short ride across town and after a minute or so realize that the driver is terribly ill, and still ...
2020-02-28 13:12:36 +0000 UTC
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I have gotten lots of requests for other small pledge tiers between $1 and $5 and so here they are - The Deuce and π (pi) pledges! FranLab built its support base on the $1 pledge, and I have no intention of ever getting rid of it - but if you think that you'd like to put a little bit more in without feeling the hit in your pocket then upping to The Deuce or π pledge might be just right for you. And let's face it - anything with Pi in it is just fun. Win-Win! Thanks e...
2020-02-26 22:28:38 +0000 UTC
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One of my favorite little gizmos is on the fritz - time to do a little repair video and some about the interesting history of these cool film loop toys. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/l4DYpSFH_u4
2020-02-24 04:32:00 +0000 UTC
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Yea, I know - but this time it's not all about Me Me Me - there are actually some other people in this film too! Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/Lzyt5ZFNrUQ
2020-02-14 17:27:33 +0000 UTC
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Your results may vary.... but I did it my way.
https://youtu.be/LDOLyxXXHks
2020-02-07 13:48:40 +0000 UTC
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Mega Rant! But I'm being as honest as I can be. Which is why I tend to get in trouble.
https://youtu.be/5J6woVfpChk
2020-02-04 20:51:44 +0000 UTC
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Fresh from side one of the laserdisc submitted by Guy Harrison in Even More Viewer Mail, ripped from 1986 from analog video and delivered right to your door. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/tXddQ_8mMkM
2020-02-04 05:36:36 +0000 UTC
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A challenging and oversized jigsaw puzzle of the Full Moon takes some time in the late afternoon hours on an average day in The Lab. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/LM9MbsisxgY
2020-01-29 01:04:31 +0000 UTC
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I got the final info on the VR Surfer from a viewer, and another viewer send in an active antenna for the Heathkit GC-1000 Most Accurate Clock, and I take a minute to take a peek inside. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/Zb9pqhx4Unc
2020-01-27 23:35:42 +0000 UTC
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Sketch Time! Real Fast!
https://youtu.be/wg0b1kDGmtY
2020-01-24 23:49:08 +0000 UTC
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Little machines make life easier - especially when you've got to make many of the exact same thing. In this video I show a couple of assembly jigs that I made for the 2017 Frantone production runs. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/dlzz6CRE7zo
2020-01-24 00:26:35 +0000 UTC
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Taking you back to the exciting realm of the World Wide Web in this original internet resolution promo that I have upscaled for 1080p, so you can enjoy all the rich detail of every vintage pixel! I originally made this promo for viewing at trade shows and for high speed internet download, and it was one of the first times I ever used non-linear video editing. A bygone era encapsulated in 60 seconds or so. Enjoy!
2020-01-21 15:37:54 +0000 UTC
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*This had to be edited and re-uploaded due to a copyright strike, so comments on the original version have been deleted with that first edit video on YouTube.*
Get your popcorn and sit back for a packed feature length adventure into the exciting future of Virtual Reality right in your own home! It's 1996 and the VR Surfer is taking you on a voyage through the Third Dimension! Okay... let's see how far I can get in actually getting this system to run on the oldest PC I have, ...
2020-01-20 02:17:38 +0000 UTC
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Testing my new 1080p GoPro by putting you right on my Lionel train set. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/VEpYYnXaSyw
2020-01-17 22:36:11 +0000 UTC
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I'm waxing nostalgic in this episode with my CoolPix 990 - the camera that made me abandon film (though not forever) and embrace a brave new century of digital photography. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/XJ_CcT1x9j4
2020-01-16 01:52:56 +0000 UTC
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More More More!
https://youtu.be/80maYJlB6z0
2020-01-14 22:36:24 +0000 UTC
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Experimental first episode of a new installment I am calling Fran Reads where I would get to highlight books that I am reading or that I have pulled out of my library that I would like viewers to maybe check out themselves. In this episode I read a short story from the Tom Hanks book Uncommon Type. If you like this one the I'll do more in the future, so please leave a comment and tell me what you think.
2020-01-13 21:33:04 +0000 UTC
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Frantone Time! I got a vintage Lo-Tone Classic Fuzz in for repair and thought that I'd make a little video of it. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/deS13i91db0
2020-01-12 04:29:46 +0000 UTC
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Completing is such sweet sorrow... and I'm taking all of you with me! In this final episode of my build series I go for the finish and give my final take on the Heathkit GC-1006 kit.
https://youtu.be/HR1iN5Ae5UQ
2020-01-07 19:15:21 +0000 UTC
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Oh, the humility! This is taking longer than I thought it would, but I want to do it right and I'm taking you along for the ride. In Part Three I do my best to complete this board assembly in the best way I can, with a few more setbacks to overcome.
https://youtu.be/iKvJserIb_s
2020-01-05 21:02:12 +0000 UTC
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The adventure continues in this multi-part series of videos about my assembling a new Heathkit GC-1006 clock kit. In this episode I go over some of my reservations about the design and plan what I want this clock to do, I review some comments from part one, and get into populating and soldering the components into the circuit board. Much banter and lots of solder and assembly tips thrown in along the way, so stay tuned to the end!
2020-01-03 20:26:54 +0000 UTC
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A new Heathkit? Yep! And it's been in the queue for over a year! Hard to believe, but the time has come to get into this box and build myself a brand new Heathkit clock. You know the drill with these Heathkit builds - I take my time, so this will be a multi-part series. Here's part one - so Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/DUj4GPavx2Y
2020-01-01 07:05:32 +0000 UTC
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I put you in the drivers seat for a winter's day trip around Philly on my Shadow 750. Sightseeing notes added for your riding pleasure. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/9oW9rqFCfAY
2019-12-28 03:35:26 +0000 UTC
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Taking a stroll through Philly's Geek World.....
2019-12-24 00:50:21 +0000 UTC
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May the Force be with you.... Always.
https://youtu.be/dw9FhjOq_iQ
2019-12-22 07:14:59 +0000 UTC
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Time for the finale! I'm going back to the Heathkit clock sent in for Viewer Mail to get it fully functional once again. Grab some chips, popcorn, or whatever, sit back, and enjoy! ☺
https://youtu.be/CU3UaHxhnac
2019-12-19 05:39:51 +0000 UTC
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