3 Questions to Ask When Starting Your Own Diecast Model Collection

December 15, 2018 No comments Article

If you’re interested in taking up collecting as a hobby, there are perhaps few options that are more fun than diecast models. With seemingly endless variety in terms of vehicles you can collect, when you look for diecast models in Canada, you’ll have almost as much fun trying to find the latest addition to your collection as you will crafting your own display. Here are three basic questions to consider as you start collecting.

 

What Kind of Models Do You Want?

Naturally, the first question you should consider is the type of models you wish to add to your collection! However, getting your collection off to the right start requires more than just knowing which types of cars you like. Many collectors prefer to focus on a particular theme or era, rather than an assorted hodgepodge of vehicles. This creates a more cohesive look when displaying the collection.

 

Of course, pricing and availability should also be taken into consideration. While starting your own collection will require a bit of an investment, you shouldn’t let your hobby strain your personal finances.

 

How Will You Display Your Collection?

You don’t want your collection to be hidden out of sight — it’s meant to be displayed for you and others to enjoy. You’ll want to consider the available space in your home so you can determine where you can set up a display area, as well as how much space is actually available. For many collectors, this could play a major role in determining what size of diecast models to purchase, as well as how many vehicles can be added to the collection.

 

To minimize maintenance and upkeep, a sealed display cabinet is usually best. Such cabinets protect the vehicles from dust and accidental damage while still serving as an attractive display option.

 

Where Can You Learn More?

How can you tell if you’re getting fair pricing on a model? Where can you go to find rare collectables? When you’re just starting out, it helps to get information from more experienced collectors. Thankfully, online groups and local organizations have made it easier than ever to increase your knowledge and stay informed of the latest happenings. Join and participate in these communities to make new friendships and improve your collecting experience.

 

Conclusion

Starting your own diecast model collection requires a fair amount of time and energy — but the results can be truly rewarding. As you use these questions to guide your acquisitions and join the larger collecting community, you’ll be able to find the models you want and have a lot of fun along the way.

Understanding Internet Speeds

December 14, 2018 No comments Article

It is important to know what speed of Internet you want and need before calling a provider for a quote. If you do not have any idea what you need prior to calling, then the technology lingo will confuse you fast and you will not end up with enough time to actually understand what you are getting when it comes down to the specifications of your Internet speed. The first thing to understand is the unit of measure the technology industry uses. All Internet service providers, like www.optimum.com, use this system when referring to Internet speeds. The rate of data speed in the connection is measured in units of bps or bits per second.

The smallest increment of Internet speed unit is going to be your kilobit, or 1,000 bps (bits per second), derived from the prefix of kilo, referring to thousands in the metric system. This can be represented in a number of different ways when it comes to abbreviation. You may see it referred to as kbps, KB/s, or Kb/sec. Regardless of the abbreviation variant used, 1 kilobit is equal to 1,000 bits per second.

The next increment level of the Internet speed unit is going to be your megabit or 1,000 Kbps (kilobits per second); remember that one kilobit is also equal to 1,000 bits per second, thus one megabit is also equal to 1,000,000 bits per second. Megabits can also be referred to in a number of ways by an abbreviation such as Mbps, Mb/s, or Mb/sec. This breaks down to 1 megabit is equal to 1,000 kilobits per second or 1,000,000 bits per second.

The top tier increment level of the Internet speed unit system you will likely see (it does go higher, but no provider has met those speeds as of today) is going to be your gigabit, or 1,000 Mbps (megabits per second); do you see where this is going? Gigabits can be referred to in a number of different ways also, Gbps, Gb/s, or Gb/sec. So the gigabit is 1,000 megabits, and then 1,000 megabits is 1,000 kilobits, and 1,000 kilobits is equal to 1,000 bits per second. So technically a gigabit is equal to 1,000,000 kilobits, and 1,000,000 kilobits is equal to 1,000,000,000 bits per second.

When you write it out on paper visually, the way this system works might make better sense:

Bits per second (Bps) = 1 Bps

Kilobits per second (Kbps) = 1,000 Bps

Megabits per second (Mbps) = 1,000 Kbps = 1,000,000 Bps

Gigabits per second (Mbps) = 1,000 Mbps = 1,000,000 Kbps = 1,000,000,000 Bps

Alright, so now it makes sense numerically, but what does it mean and how much of it do I need? Surprisingly, Internet speed is not a one size fits all type of thing. How many bits per second you need for your home or business is going to depend on what exactly you are doing with it and how often you will be doing it. Normal daily activities that include browsing the web, scrolling through social media, and checking emails will need about 5 Mbps at the very minimum, and this is if only one person is doing it in the household at a time. For those who like to stream music, movies off Netflix and any other HD video streaming, you will need at the very minimum 25 Mbps for it to stay stable, and again that is if only one person in the household is streaming at a time. For households with multiple members that will be on the network at the same time, regardless of what they are doing, like browsing or streaming, you will need 35 Mbps minimum for everyone to get along nicely.

For larger applications, such as streaming 4k video quality type media, you will need over 50 Mbps for no interruptions. Same for competitive gaming activities, as computer games of this magnitude require at least 50 Mbps for smooth gameplay. If your goal is to be able to do all of the activities listed above at the same time, you are looking at 100 Mbps+. The average household usually has speeds anywhere between 25 Mbps and 200 Mbps. There are internet service providers that do offer a gigabit of speed, but in reality, any household would not need 1,000 Mbps. The gigabit speeds usually are more for business needs as they have a greater volume of Internet use within the facility.