casio ae1500 might be the best big watch
About six-and-a-half years ago, I said I would never buy a big watch ever again. I just bought a big watch, the Casio AE1500. I'm glad I did, because this is big done right.
I want to make something very clear up front. This watch was not bought to "look tough", because I don't care about that at all. What I do care about is legibility, comfort and features, in that order.
I'll actually talk about legibility and features in a moment. First, comfort.
Comfort
As a man with wrists that are both skinny and flat, there are many watches I can't wear, but I can wear this one.
The on-paper dimensions of the AE1500, much like what I said about the W735H, make it appear that I absolutely cannot wear this thing. AE1500 dimensions are 54.4mm lug-to-lug, 51.2mm diameter, 15.7mm thick. Yeah, it's huge.
What makes the AE1500 work? A lot of it has to do with the lug design, as both sides take a very sharp downturn where the case ends and the lug begins.
Amazingly, it's a good fit and with no long strap tail.
For those of you out there who do have big wrists of 7" or greater, Casio covered that base with the long-strap version AE1500WHX. The X in the model name literally means it features an extra long strap. The regular AE1500WH has single strap holes and the AE1500WHX has a longer strap with double-holes. But even if you come across a listing that doesn't show a photo of the double-holes, if it states it's a WHX, it has the extra long strap.
Even as big as the AE1500 is, the weight is 57g, so it doesn't weigh down the wrist at all. And because the strap is wide, the case doesn't flop around on the wrist. The design of the AE1500 is just good and feels good.
Legibility
I do believe AE1500 is king of the hill for digital watch legibility.
A problem with other large-display digital watches with an LCD panel is that while the display is big, the digits are skinny. Skinny digits can "blur" when trying to look at them, even if your eyesight is good. The AE1500 does not have this problem. All characters on the AE1500 are both large and thick.
I'll follow up on this in a moment.
Features
I think for most people, the AE1500 has the just-right feature set to it. It certainly does for me.
The home screen shows weekday, day, date, and time all at once, and I appreciate NOT having to press a button to see all that. Just look at the display and there it is.
There is a countdown timer with auto-repeat. Very nice to have. Many other Casios have the timer but not the auto-repeat, but the AE1500 does.
Having a stopwatch is obviously good, such as for timing things while cooking in the kitchen. In fact, you can use the timer to count down something cooking and use the stopwatch to time something else cooking.
I do like that the watch has 5 separate alarms, each with the ability to set as daily, monthly or annual.
Middle age man legibility concerns
I do wear glasses, but in reality I can read any watch, even for the little AQ230 I have which is a very classy little timepiece.
But I have to admit that it's so nice having those big thick digits of the AE1500. It's even big enough to where most of the time using the night light (which is good) isn't even necessary to read the time and/or date in low light situations.
However, were it the situation that my eyesight was so bad that even the AE1500 didn't cut the mustard, that's when I'd switch over to analog, but only for a very specific type...
...which is Seiko Prospex, and I'll tell you exactly why. It's three reasons.
First, It's a no-number diver. Symbols only.
Second, the hour and minute hand are different shapes, depending on model. On several models, the hour is a wider stubby arrow and the minute a longer and slightly skinnier fence post style. This makes it very easy to differentiate one from the other, and that's important.
Third, the "turtle" case shape, which for a steel diver is as comfortable as it gets. This is a shape that works on all wrists, even for skinny flat ones like mine. You may have heard of watches that "wear smaller", and the turtle shape is one of them because it hugs the wrist correctly the first time, every time. This means even if the watch is listed as something huge like 45mm or 46mm, yes I could still wear it as long as that turtle case shape is there.
And of course I get the rotating bezel dive timer, which I would use in the kitchen for timing things while cooking. True, the Prospex doesn't beep because it's mechanical, but still, at least I get a timer out of it in additional to a clock.
The reason I mention all this stuff is that if the AE1500 doesn't work for something you can read normally, you have to go diver at that point. And it has to be the right diver. I give my nod to the Prospex because it's the steel diver most likely to agree with just about anybody, including myself.
Middle age man style concerns
The AE1500 is plastic and there's no getting around that. It will never look as cool as a steel Seiko Prospex diver. But it is a multi-function digital that has that just-right combo of all the features you wear one for in the first place, with a super-legible display.
Is the AE1500 an example of function over form? I'd argue no just from the fact Casio did keep a reserved style to it. Yeah, AE1500 is big but thankfully doesn't look goofy. It works.
Lastly, I should also note that if you like the AE1500 but prefer square, Casio covered that too with the AE1600. Exact same feature set in a more angular square-ish shape.
kleenex has the fugliest tissue box
This is the only tissue box design that has made me seriously consider buying a tissue cozy to get away from its ugliness.
Kleenex Ultra Soft is my favorite tissue because my nose likes it best. I have no complaint about the tissue itself. Just the box.
Some time ago, Kleenex changed the design of the box for Ultra Soft to have a decidedly loud tropical theme to it. The previous design had a much more normal look to it and was good, but this one isn't.
Ordinarily, I would never complain about something like this, because after all, it is just a box of tissues. However, I see this LOUD design every time I go in my bathroom, and it's annoying.
I'm sure the art on the box is designed to appeal to women. Maybe Kleenex ran some designs through a focus group, the group was all women, and they said yeah, we want that loud tropical design like you'd see in a cheap gift shop. So they ran with that.
I'm a middle aged dude, and the box isn't just ugly, it's fugly. Kleenex either needs to go back to the old design or come up with something not so damned LOUD.
I suppose box designs like what Kleenex uses are what keeps the tissue cozy market alive and well.
casio strap adapters for watches that are not g-shock
This used to be something only for G-SHOCK watches, but thanks to lovely people with 3D printers, they're now available for a whole bunch of regular Casio models.
The first strap adapter kit I remember was for the G-SHOCK DW5600E. Without question, the worst part of the watch is that polyurethane resin strap as denoted by PUR on the strap interior.
Being the DW5600E as an entry level G-SHOCK is so popular, and because a lot of people wanted to use a fabric strap (as in nylon), the strap adapter kit was born...
...but only for G-SHOCK watches.
Time passed, more people started getting their hands on 3D printers, and soon enough, strap adapters for regular Casio watch models began appearing. I believe the first was the strap adapter kit for the AE1200 since that is a very popular regular Casio model.
However, a search for casio strap adapter now brings up adapter kits for a whole bunch of different models. The G-SHOCK is included, of course, but so is the F-91W, W217H, F108WH, bigger models like the WS1500, AE1500, DW291H, and so on.
What I'm personally really happy about is that adapters now exist for the WS1600H. This watch is the same size as the AE1200 but way more legible. Big digits for time, date and day and great night light, all in a not-huge size. And since it's basically an AE1200 with a different module, strap adapters exist for it.
Which strap adapter type to get?
Good question, and I have a good answer.
Generally speaking, most strap adapter kits come in two types. Slip-through and band.
Slip-through has a slot on each adapter, meant for one-piece straps, as in NATO or Zulu style.
Band has protruding lugs on each adapter meant for two-piece straps or bracelets.
My favorite part...
...is that you can finally escape the skinny PUR straps Casio uses on so many of their lower cost watches.
For example, you could, if you wanted to, have a Casio F-91W with a 22mm strap. That would look all sorts of ridiculous, but the point is yes, you could do it (although it would be much more sensible and look much better to use 18mm for an F-91W).
Remember that fabric nylon straps do not taper. What that means is that the strap does not get skinnier as it approaches the buckle. The width is the same for the whole strap. Using the F-91W as an example, the stock strap tapers down to a very skinny 16mm, so if you switch over to adapters and use an 18mm NATO, believe me, much better. Gaining 2mm width on a strap may not sound like much, but it does make a noticeable positive difference.
And for larger watches, punching up to 22mm wide is oh-so nice.
You finally have access to the most comfortable watch strap that exists
The most comfortable strap for a watch is the stretchy elastic fabric band. These are primarily made for smartwatches, but guess what? With Casio strap adapters, you can use those straps on a Casio too.
This strap type alone can make a plain Casio digital your favorite watch. If the one thing keeping you from wearing a plain Casio is an uncomfortable stock PUR strap, switching to an elastic fabric type will finally make it comfortable to wear.
Tools needed?
Just one, and if you own a bunch of watches, you may already have it, a spring bar tool. You need that to get the spring bars out to install the strap adapter.
If you don't have one, my suggestion is to get a small watch repair kit. It will come with the spring bar tool, and most will throw in a small bag full of extra spring bars. And you might need that because if that bar goes flying across the room when taking it out, you'll never find it again. Good to have spares.
I should also note it's super cheap just to buy a 360-piece spring bar set if you just need the bars. Again, if you have a bunch of watches and switch out straps every so often, sometimes spring bars go flying and get lost forever. It's totally worth the 6 to 8 bucks to have extra bars.
Does Casio themselves make strap adapters?
Yes, but only for G-SHOCK models. And it's quite the production to even get them. You either have to buy a G-SHOCK that comes with a fabric strap to get the adapters, or have to find a Casio parts supplier that can actually get them for you.
For example, two G-SHOCK models with made-by-Casio adapters on them with a fabric strap are the GM2100C-5A and GM2100CB-3A. On either model, you'll see the strap adapters right there in plain sight.
You either get one of those models, or find an authorized Casio supplier that can put it an order for them. How much for official-from-Casio adapters? I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if it ran you $35 or more ordering direct like that.
I only mention this information for Casio watch owners out there that like things to be "100% official". Some just like having everything to come from the original manufacturer.
I'm not so picky. I'm totally okay with third party strap adapters because they do the job, they're very affordable, and they allow me to use something far more comfortable than a stock Casio PUR strap. And I can have it on a regular models that aren't G-SHOCK.
fixing a car radio
It's old, but it works. Mostly.
I finally got around to fixing the wonky volume control for my car radio. It's one of those pretend-analog things where there is an actual potentiometer in there, but the signal it controls is digital. Mine was in a state where it worked, but turning it in either direction could increase or decrease the volume and it was really difficult to land it on a specific volume.
The fix? DeoxIT D5. I've been mentioning that a lot recently, but yeah, it worked here. I pulled off the volume knob, gave a spritz in there, turn-turn-turn back and forth, spritz again, repeat. Knob back on, done. Now it works like it's supposed to.
Part of the problem with this control to begin with is that it's a pseudo-infinite adjust, which means a smooth feel when turned. If it had detents, then the problem never would have happened. And, wouldn't you know it, the knob on right side for choosing a radio station has detents. No problems with that one. I rest my case.
My car radio is not at 100%. Only 3 of 4 speakers work due to age. The front two work, but the driver's side rear never has since I got the car. I've literally been debating for years whether to replace the rear shelf speakers or not. Every time I consider doing it, the decision is always nope, not worth the effort. And that's due to the first car I ever owned. More on that in a moment.
The CD player stopping working a while ago. It will take a disc, but it's a tossup whether it will read or not. Also, it's a tossup whether the unit will actually eject the disc. The last time I had a disc in there, I honestly thought it was stuck, but after trying over and over again, the disc finally ejected. I've not put another disc in there since. Yes, I could take the whole radio out, take it apart, clean the lens and lubricate the mechanism. But like with the rear speakers, it's not worth the effort.
Everything else on the radio still works, including an AUX IN that I never use.
Do I even listen to the radio? Rarely, and that's the first reason I've not bothered replacing the rear speakers.
The second reason is that my very first car, a Civic from the early '80s, only had two front speakers. The car didn't have any radio originally, and the guy who sold it put in the cheapest AM/FM radio-with-cassette deck he could find, slapped in two speakers in the door panels and that was it. I was happy to have any way to listen to music in the car at the time.
The third reason is that me and car radios do not get along.
For that first car I had with that cheap AM/FM cassette deck thing, it never had a problem. Never "ate" tapes, and the radio always worked. True, it wasn't that loud, but it was good enough. It was just about every car radio I had after that which developed a problem or two or more.
Many moons ago when I was making regular trips from Vermont to Connecticut, I would be driving on I-91 and listening to the radio because there was music there I didn't have on tape. I could actually gauge how far along the trip I was because of one station I'd listen to for many miles. Once that station was out of range to where it was just static, I knew that I'd driven a little more than half the trip. And that kind of sucked because there weren't any other stations to listen to until I got to my destination. But that was how things were at the time in the long-ago 1990s.
What I've learned over the years is not to mess with car radios. If I try anything fancy, there will be problems. Just like car radios of the past, I've had CD players stop working and speakers that fuzz/blow out. And if I try to get fancy and connect something, be it wired or wireless, something will go wrong.
It absolutely does not matter how careful I am with a car radio. It could be absolutely bone stock without a single modification done to it, I could clean it regularly, never play it too loud and be super careful with it. Again, doesn't matter. Something on it will bust at some point. And it will be something decidedly annoying.
That first car radio spoiled me just because it always worked, even as cheap as it was.
What I've learned over the years with car radios is that if the radio and two front speakers work, I'm good.
I fixed the volume control. The front two speakers still work. The radio still works. I'm good.
strat shaped guitars with no pick guard
While I'm happy with my Yamaha Pacifica PAC112VM and it absolutely works for me, it does have a pick guard. Granted, it only covers the middle and neck pickups along with the selector switch, but still, that disqualifies it from the "super easy to maintain" category.
Truly super-easy Strat shape guitars have no pick guard at all because you can access the electronics for maintenance from the rear via small panels, so let's look at those.
Two things out of the way first:
First, if you gotta have a Fender Strat but want one with no pick guard, only two exist that I've mentioned before. Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster and Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS. That's it. So if you just have to have Fender, there you go.
Second, I'm specifically going to concentrate on mid-tier guitars, but if "I want a Strat shape with no pick guard, I want it new, and want it cheap" sounds like you, see Jackson JS11 and JS12 Dinky models. To the best of my knowledge, that's the absolute rock bottom lowest cost no-pick-guard Strat shape you can get for a fully assembled guitar.
In my research for mid-tier Strat shape guitars with no pick guard, Ibanez and Schecter rule the roost here.
...is something I am seriously impressed by considering what you get for the money. The carve in the back is insanely good to get access to higher frets, which Ibanez calls the "Super All Access neck Joint". The neck itself is roasted maple. Can you say stainless steel frets? The AZ24S1F has them, and they're of the wide/tall flavor. Body is alder, pickups are alnico 5's, and yes, that little switch changes from humbucker to single-coil.
Ibanez claims you can get 10 different tone types out of this guitar because of the dyna-MIX10 system with "power tap" mode.
Can you?
Incredibly, yes.
Holy crap.
Even before mentioning the other guitars, the AZ24S1F is the best of the lot. No question.
...doesn't have as many features as the AZ24S1F does. But it does have 3 pickups instead of just 2, and the output jack is top-mounted instead of side-mounted, which is more convenient.
Also, the guitar is just straight up gorgeous. Natural finish with tastefully done flame and gold hardware. Even the tuners are gold. Yep. Also, something I personally like better about it is that it's a hardtail. No vibrato system whatsoever.
Simple, solid, easy-player, gorgeous guitar.
Schecter Traditional Van Nuys...
...is the old school Schecter design. Instead of the 3x3 tuners they use on basically everything, it has the 6 inline tuners like a Strat does. This is an HSS, and the humbucker has a nice chrome cover on it. Push-pull exists, so yes, you can get single-coil goodness out of the humbucker.
The only finish offered is Gloss Natural Ash, so it has that coffee table look going on. Ordinarily I don't like this, but this has a darker hue and it carries all the way to the headstock, so it works.
Schecter C-1 Exotic Spalted Maple...
...proved to me spalted maple can actually look good, because otherwise I can't stand the spalted maple look. This C-1 model somehow pulls it off and it looks right.
Again, this is one of those coffee table looking things, but Schecter just seems to get the right combination of colors while other guitar makers can't. Schecter just knows how to do natural.
In this one is a pair of zebra humbuckers, the body has binding (and looks good), the knobs have a mysterious red/brown look to them (which you'd think wouldn't work, but again, Schecter knows good color), and yes, I think this earns "Exotic" in its name.
As for the sound, it's the Schecter Diamond '78 humbuckers, and yes there is a toggle for single-coil sounds.
Straight up gorgeous guitar, just like the Ibanez offering.
Is the no-pick-guard Strat shape the way to go?
For a lot of guys, yes.
With all electric guitars, there's maintenance. Maintaining your guitar should be easy, because if it's complicated, you get annoyed with that real fast.
Also, one of the best parts about the double cutaway Strat shape is no neck dive. Not only is a no-pick-guard Strat style guitar easy to maintain, but also is an easy player sitting or standing.
I covered the mid-tier stuff because there are guys who want something nice that's not insanely priced and easy to maintain. Yes, you can get it, and do so without going to the poorhouse in the process.