Casio F105W and why I do wear it
While I described the W93H as a bit of a dud for me in my last article, the F105W is a total winner in my book.
For those not in the know, the F105W is like the F-91W, but with one rather important improvement. The nightlight is a million times better. This is why ILLUMINATOR is so prominent on the watch face.
I don't know exactly when this watch was introduced to market, but it definitely came shortly after Timex released watches with the the Indiglo nightlight technology in 1992. My guess is that at earliest, the F105W is probably a design from the mid-1990s.
Is the F105W exactly the same as the F-91W?
No, and there are several noticeable differences.
The F105W has a panel display that's actually slightly smaller than the F-91W. The digital characters on the F105W are also slightly smaller but thicker. Lastly, on the panel itself the weekday and date are spaced closer together on the F105W compared to the F-91W.
Functionally, the two watches are identical. No differences there.
Although I've not tested this, the F105W is supposedly 27g in weight while the F-91W is 20g. I don't feel the 7g difference if there is one, and I don't think anyone else would.
On my 6.75" wrist, the F105W lays more flat than the F-91W, which is something I very much appreciate so the watch stays put.
Does a nightlight really matter that much?
Yes.
People all over the world love the F-91W because it just works. The only complaint anyone ever has about the F-91W is that the nightlight is terrible. Solution? Buy an F105W. Problem solved.
The only problem with the F105W? Not an easy watch to find in stores for some odd reason.
In Walmart for example, you'll easily find the F-91W there as well as the F108 and the recently introduced W217 (very similar styling to the F-91W but larger with notably better nightlight). But both of those models have an amber nightlight that while it does work very well, it's not the cool blue one.
One model that Walmart carries that does have it is the A168. If you like a small digital with a steel bracelet, that's your watch. But if it's not, the resin version is the F105W...
...and neither Walmart nor Target carry it as far as I know. Personally, I had to buy mine online just to get one.
The real question is this: Is the nightlight of the F105W really that good?
In fact, yes it is.
Where nightlights are concerned, Casio really got it right with this one. It has that just-right luminance that makes it a joy to use. The aqua color and contrast of the nightlight is also perfect. You couldn't ask for better.
I'm very glad Casio still makes the F105W and hope they continue to do so for a long time.
Casio W93H and why I don't wear it
This is a good watch but has a few things about it that make it a no-go for me.
I made a video on the Casio W93H. This is a watch I originally bought in August 2016, so I've had it a while. In the video I did on my Casio watch collection before that, I showed the W93H. From that, I received a few requests to do a video solely based on just that model, so I did. From what I understand, before my video there really was nothing on the internet showing what the W93H could actually do.
The W93H is a good model. It's small but has a display that's well thought out. But I don't wear it because it doesn't agree with me.
This is why I don't care for it:
The strap, while certainly better than the F-91W strap, has these little curves near the case where it connects that grip my wrist in a way I don't care for.
The menu system is "nonstandard Casio". I own a bunch of Casio watches, and the majority of them all operate similarly. The W93H sorta/kinda follows this but has enough changes to the point where it irks me whenever I use it.
However...
Some people really like this watch because it's a good alternative for those that want function in a small size with an uncluttered interface. While certainly not a G-SHOCK, the main advantage of the W93H is that it's small enough to offer everything needed while staying out of the way.
Another thing that's true is that there's really nothing else Casio makes that packs so many features into such a small package for such a small price. There's nothing else I can recommend that compares to it, so I understand why owners of this watch value it so much.
The W93H isn't good for me, but that doesn't mean it's a bad timepiece. It is a good watch and totally works for what it is.
The first thing you should know when using Audacity
This is a great free software multitrack recorder, but there's a rather important thing you must do in order to get along with the software properly.
I use a ZOOM R8 for multitrack recording. A huge reason why I use it instead of recording direct-to-PC is because it has zero audio latency, commonly known as lag.
Some people would rather just record direct to the computer via USB, and that's fine, but then you have to compensate for the lag. Why? Because audio over USB isn't latency-free, never has been, and never will be. It doesn't matter if you have USB 2.0 or 3.0 because the lag will always be there.
What happens when there's lag
Your recording will be out-of-time from one track to the next. If for example you set up a click track in Audacity and record without compensating for the lag first, what you play along with the click track won't match up.
How to compensate for lag in Audacity
- Edit
- Preferences (an additional window launches when you do this)
- Recording (on left side menu)
- Adjust latency.
What correction figure will work for you? You have to figure it out.
The easy way to determine latency correction for guitar players
Create a click track first:
- Generate
- Click Track
Use a tempo of 120 beats per minute, with the number of bars as 16. This will create a click track for you to follow.
After that, record a track with your guitar following the click track as best you can, then stop recording, listen to the playback and see if what you played matches up with the click track. If it doesn't, you'll need to adjust for the USB lag described above.
Again, it will take a few minutes for you to determine what the best setting is for your computer concerning latency correction. You will have to make a few test recordings to figure it out.
Once you've found the proper latency correction value to use, you should only have to set this one time. The only time you should ever have to change that value is if you physically switch over to another computer (meaning a different PC, laptop, etc.)
Living with the Casio CTK-6200
This is good, and I'm glad it's not expensive.
So I've owned my Casio CTK-6200 for a short period of time and I'm learning my way around it. In some ways it's stupidly easily while in others stupidly difficult. I'm not going to get into the details of that because it would take too long to explain. But what I will say is that this particular synth rides the fine line between "portable keyboard" and "synthesizer workstation". It's almost as if I can't decide what it wanted to be, so it decided to be both.
As a performance synth, the CTK-6200 is good. As a songwriting tool, also good. Its weak point however is the sequencer. It works but there are annoyances about it (such as not being able to preview the quantize of notes before actually executing the command.)
My favorite thing about the CTK-6200 is that this was a good reintroduction to the keys for me. I had been without a full-size keyboard for a while, and this one reminds me of what makes synths so cool to begin with.
Now that I've lived with the thing for a small while, would I recommend it? Yes, but only for one reason. It is the most synth you can get for the money. It's not the easiest nor the most straightforward. There is a bit of a learning curve with this thing. But again, you can't beat what you get for the price.
I'll put it another way. If all you want is something that makes cool noises, has no sequencing ability and is as cheap as it gets for something with full-size keys, get the Yamaha PSR-E362 bundle. However, if you want something with more synth stuff in it that's a better value for just 50 bucks more, then the CTK-6200 is the best thing going right now.
Older Garmin nuvi models worth getting
(Note: This was written in 2018, and an updated version is here.)
I'll be getting back to the guitar stuff soon, but just wanted to say a few things about older Garmin nuvi models. I know a bunch about them, and these are my picks for older models worth getting.
The Garmin nuvi model line of products had a 10-year run from 2005 to 2015; certain models are better than others.
These are the ones I consider okay to get:
4.3-inch
- 1300LM
- 2300LM
- 2455LM
- 40LM
- 42LM
- 44LM
5-inch
- 1450LM
- 2555LM
- 50LM
- 52LM
- 54LM
Why such a short list?
I have reasons which are as follows:
Traffic reporting is so-so at best
I don't list any models with LMT (meaning Lifetime Maps + Traffic) in the name for two reasons.
First, most older nuvi models with the traffic feature requires a special power cord that has a built-in traffic antenna, the GTM 25. That thing costs between $25 to $50 just for the cord depending on where you get it from.
Second, even if you have traffic reporting 100% working properly, the performance of it isn't that great, never has been and never will be.
The truth about traffic reporting is that whether you get it from a dedicated Garmin GPS or Google Maps on a smartphone, accuracy varies wildly. This means that the traffic reporting is, at best, only sometimes correct.
A matte screen with bright backlight is the best kind
No matter how fancy a GPS or smartphone is, if the screen can't be read in the daylight while driving, it's worthless as a navigation device.
The two types of screens available are matte and glass. Those who have used GPSes a while know that when you've got a good matte screen unit, that's a gem worth keeping.
Examples from the above list that are known to have really good screens are the 40LM, 1450LM and 50LM. No harsh reflections, bright backlight, sunglasses-friendly. They just work.
How to make an older nuvi last as long as possible
Three things break Garmin GPSes more than anything else. Getting cooked, fingernails and dash dive.
When leaving the car, place a hand towel over the GPS so the sun doesn't cook it or the power cord. Or just take the unit and put in the glove box until needed again.
Never use fingernails on the touchscreen because that can and will scratch it all up. Use your knuckle instead. If that doesn't work, buy a touchscreen stylus (the one with the soft tip) and use that instead.
When dash dive happens (and it will) because the suction mount keeps falling off the windshield, switch to a friction mount a.k.a. bean bag mount instead. No more dash dive.
What about repurposing an old smartphone instead of getting an older Garmin nuvi?
This is a bad idea.
Doing the old-phone-as-GPS thing is tedious to set up as it requires rooting and a lot of programming, performs terribly as the GPS antenna on phones is very weak compared to dedicated GPS, is unreliable, and the glare from the glass screen makes it useless for day driving.
An older Garmin nuvi model with matte screen can be bought in very good condition for under 50 bucks, such as the 42LM and 52LM models.
Worth it? Yes. Get one.