Enhancements started less than 24 hours after I picked her up!

Enhancement I
I had the APR Stage I ECU upgrade enabled the day after I took delivery. I picked in up on Thursday and by Friday afternoon it had the APR Stage I ECU upgrade redone by James at HP. Oh, and genuine Audi OEM rear mats installed.

I’m very happy with the Stage I ECU performance. Response is much smoother through the range. Still getting caught by surprise by the torque. Not that it is brutal like many other worked turbos, instead it is an almost silky rush. A few nights after installation, I moved out to overtake whilst in 4th and found myself moving really quite fast, quite quickly without any conscious effort.

Enhancement II
My second enhancement was to have the Audi OEM Satellite Navigation/Multi-media system retrofitted. The is known as RNS-E to most owners. It consists of GPS Satellite Navigation, Radio, Twin SD card slots for MP3 playback, Integrated Phone (if factory Bluetooth fitted - as mine is). It replaces the Double DIN stereo and fully integrates into the DIS and wheel controls.

RNS-E

Forthcoming Enhancements
Carbonio Cold Air Intake in the next week or so. 

I did my first Glorious & Nebo (SE Qld’ers will know what I’m on about) run in my A3 last weekend. Aside from the odd Sunday driver (45km on a straight in an 80 zone ) and a couple of idiots (hazard of those roads ) it was really good fun.
Really quite happy with the handling and the engine response .

Seido Juku

After just 10 months of Seido Karate we have advanced a Kyu on average every 2 months. However, acheiving yellow belt marks the end of our rapid advancement as the next grades require attendence at twice as many classes and at least 4-6 months gap.

Actually this is no bad thing as the number of techniques and kata we are required to know and become proficient in has grown alarming. If nothing else our 10 months of karate training has simply reinforced how much constant practice and polishing is required to achieve a basic competence, let alone the casual mastery that our Senpai (seniors) demonstrate.

OSU!

• Motherboard - Intel DQ45CB (mATX, 5 x SATA, 1 x eSATA, Intel Gigabit)
• Processor - e5200 (2.5GHz, 45nm, 65w max)
• Memory - 4GB (2 x 2GB Geil PC6400 DDR2)
• Storage - 2 x WD Green Power 1TB, 1 x 500GB Samsung, 1 x 400GB Samsung
• OS - Windows Home Server PP2.
• Case - Antec Mini P180
• PSU - Antec NeoHE 500W.

Total Storage is 2.64TB with just over 1TB used so far.
Most folders have the duplicate option enabled.
PC backups are working well, and Media Centre Connector works (if a little slowly).

The solution is virtually silent thanks to the Mini P180 design and the HD’s are typically running at between 32-38C.

Just looking at automation of moving recorded shows from my VMC box to the WHS.

Jane is going for 5th Kyu aka Advanced Yellow (half-way to Black Belt), and Ben & I are grading for 7th Kyu aka Advanced Blue.

It’s been a bit tougher this time with many new techniques, increased demands for improved physical fitness (I’m now down to 95 kg! 13kg less than 9 months ago), as well as “Non-Quitting Spirit” our Dojo’s motto for the year.

Osu!

It’s been a blast, and I’ve enjoyed pretty much every aspect of owner a fantastic sports car. She’s been ultra-reliable, fun, the quality build and value is still evident. I still think the car looks fantastic. Downsides have been tire wear (gotta corner properly!!), exciting moments in the rain, and the fuel economy of a Tiger Tank!

My daughter is disappointed as she views the RX-8 as a  cool school taxi. However, as the kids get older the practicality of “suicide” doors are limited and in terms of enhancing the performance of the RX-8 the only real options are quite expensive.

There is no doubt I’ll miss the RX-8. Driving away from the dealership where I sold her, I was already experiencing a few pangs of regret/doubt as I glided the RX-8 into a corner. However, the excitement and anticipation for my next car is still building. Due to long Easter weekend (dealer closed) and a pre-planned short-break, I don’t pick my new car up until next Thursday (a whole 7 days!).

My new car is an Audi A3 2.0 TFSI Quattro 5 door.

• 2.0 Litre turbo charged engine - stock performance 147kw 280nm @ 1700 rpm ~ 7sec to 100km/h
• Comfort Pack - two tone leather, electric lumbar support, Factory Bluetooth
• Aluminimum Roof rails and Inserts
• 18″ S3 Alloy Wheels
• Full Oettinger Body Kit
• Brilliant Red
• 2 year unlimited km warranty & roadside assist.

She’s not new (2006) but is in excellent condition and has had one very careful and expert owner (more of this later).

So what attracted me to the car? Especially to replace something as sporty and classy as the RX-8.

Well if you’re either a Audi or BMW person, I’m the former. I’ve always desired an Audi, didn’t quite get one when we lived in the UK, and until now I’ve not had the opportunity or budget to get one that ticked all my boxes.

Of course I wanted performance, ideally a Quattro (an Audi signature technology), good looks (always subjective of course), practicality, better fuel economy, and the potential to cheaply and easily improve the car.

This car ticks all those boxes, and indeed I believe there is an element of fate/kismet/luck to this whole sage.

After seeing the car advertised online, I went to view the car last weekend, but it was off-the-yard having some paint chips fixed. The dealer (Gavin) called me Monday to say it was back, and I arranged to go view it. However, before I could escape from work, Gavin called me to say it was sold “subject to finance”. I was disappointed (understatement) but thanked him and asked if he could keep an eye out for anything similar.

The following day I was on a course when the dealer’s number flashed up on my mobile and I listened to the voice mail at the earliest opportunity. The car was back on the market due to the the other buyer’s accountant who pointed out that the buyer couldn’t afford it.
You’ve heard of “being subject to finance” but never dream it will fall through for the other party. But it did.

So I escaped once again from work, and shot down to the Brisbane Audi Centre used car lot. Showed my license and a few minutes later took it for a test drive - a very fun experience (helped by the fact that the Audi dealers didn’t accompany me). Tested the brakes ( courier vans  ), pulled over 2 minutes later and rang my better half to inform her I wanted the car, and drove it around for another 20 minutes and then returned to the dealer.

A few minutes later I had traded in my RX-8 and agreed a reasonable change over and shaken hands. By the far the easiest and most grown-up car buying experience of my life

Her previous owner runs Harding Performance - who specialise in improving already impressive Audi’s, VW’s and Porsche’s. The car was a technology demonstrator and his wife’s daily drive. It was fitted with the Oettinger Body kit and a full raft of go harder technology including

• APR ECU Upgrade 
• APR full turbo back exhaust   
• APR Carbonio Airbox    
• Haldex performance controller  
• RNSE Navigation & TV Tuner   
• German factory Ipod interface 

First an update on the karate/exercise/losing weight front…..and it’s good news!
Last Saturday, Ben & I successfully graded to 8th Kyu (which is a Blue Belt in Seido Juku) and Jane graded to 6th Kyu (Green Belt). Add to this that I’ve lost 10Kg since July and I feel pretty proud of our achievements.

Second, since late August we’ve been very busy with construction of a swimming pool in our back yard. The pool is complete, but the retaining wall, final pool fencing and paving remain to be done. The pool is 8m x 4m and solar heated and getting constant use at the moment. It was also quite a bit more expensive than the original budget.

Work hasn’t been quite as positive as due to the current global financial farce, the headless chickens are ruling the roost and Rio Tinto (where I’ve been since March 2007) is laying off 14,000 (or 8% of it’s workforce) including a very large number of contractors (potentially including me). My contract has been renewed but with a reduced notice period so we’ll wait and see. Ohh and the best bit is that they announced it a couple of weeks ago but won’t tell the individuals affected until next year. 

It can be found here.

It’s very hard not to get immensely frustrated about the effort required for consumers to actually access the full features of the product they have bought due to the “consumer last” position of the media companies and their willing accomplices in the PC and HT audio industry.

A health check with the doctor found nothing alarmingly wrong except for a number indicators of future health issues and increased risk of bad things like strokes and diabeties.

So what to do? Lose weight and excercise - especially the later.

Well, we’ve taken up Karate as a family … well minus Holly who only lasted one lesson. For the rest of us (Jane, Ben & I) we now have our karategi (Jane simply got her old one out as she’s done it before) and our bagdes are ready to be sewn on (we’ve joined Seido Karate as it’s Brisbane dojo is just 4 blocks from our home).

And Osu!?  It is pronounced “OSS!”, with a long “O”. It is used in Seido classes in place of Ha (yes) and is usually uttered many, many times by all karateka (students).
It is used as a word of many meanings, expressing the willingness to strive against all odds, to persevere on the road to physical, mental, and spiritual strength, an expression of respect of ones seniors and responsibility to ones juniors.

After 3 weeks, I’m still reaquainting myself with long lost muscles and learning the basics but I am enjoying it and hope that we will perservere. Osu! 

So what happened?

I got busy at work, busy at home, and celebrated our 19th Wedding Anniversary with a weekend in Sydney where we did the Harbour Bridge Climb. For anniversary presents (other than leaving the kids behind with their Nana - thanks Mum!) my wife got a huge jigsaw and I got a book entitled “Thrill Power Overload - Thirty Years of 2000AD“. Splundig Vur Thrigg as Tharg would say. 
Ohh and the 10 free redemption movies from Toshiba finally turned up more than 4 months after I claimed them and they were a pile of poo like Blades of Glory and Nacho Libre.

Got myself a shining new Dell 2707WFP screen (very impressive) this week for $800, and have been gradually swapping out the storage drives in my PC and the HTPC for 1 Gigabyte Western Digital Green Power drives.

It’s time for a new laptop for me as my old T41p used by my daughter has expired (fan and a number of other parts have failed) so I’m donating my T60 15″ (non widescreen) to her and looking for a new laptop for myself (I am still able to salary sacrifice as it is for business purporses). At the very moment I’m waiting for the 14 July to roll-in when the new Intel chipset are released along with the new models from the vendors. In the running is either a T400 (Lenovo are changing the naming scheme on Thinkpads) or possibly an X300.

So was it worth it?

YES! A resounding “Yes!” actually. All other family members noticed the improved picture quality and the richer colours, and brilliant contrast that was now consistent across all sources. I’m very happy with it.

I learnt a lot observing and discussing with the engineer doing the calibration. It was interesting to see that the final configuration was quite significantly different to my own settings!

One of the issues that came up was that despite the advances in thin panel technology fewer (not more panels) have advanced configuration options that can really assist in getting the best out of the panels. The engineers’ personal view was that in the current market Pioneer (Professional or Kuro) were best for plasma and the Sony X series for LCD and pretty much the rest should be left alone. Fortunately my now venerable (in flat panel terms) Fujitsu 50″ was the last of the models with advanced calibration options.

Much like the purchase of a sound meter and a good hour with a how-to that were a revelation on the audio side, I have found that the display calibration has really improved the quality of my HT experience, and I can highly recommend it for those who have made a substantial investment in HT environment.

One consideration is that you need to have all your source devices available and cabled up to your final specification as changing devices or even connectivity types will impact on the display calibration.