I'm sorry to say that due to lack of support I shall have this group removed from the forum. It has been a few days since the last post and there are several members who just don't visit. I tried to provide the local users with a local support and intro service. This seemed to work,to start. However there was no follow up. The stats show where people have been and what people view, it's a shame that this did not get support. I requested that users try to utilize this valuable tool. I costs money for APUG to provide band width for this service and we do not use. As a subscriber I help to contribute to these costs as do others. I notice that people (7) are eager to do, what we originally wanted to do here. ( a print exchange) yet nothing happened. This is not spilt milk just a disappointment. We have a powerful tool here we should use it. I shall also cut and paste this same message to all members

Am I to understand that you started this group to foster a print exchange and for that reason only?
The group has 25 members and traffic on it is as high as _I_ would have expected for a group that size, especially with the larger APUG discussion going on next door.
As for a print exchange, I print at least A2 size, most usually A1 size and am not prepared to pay what it would cost to post such prints around the country, that's why I did not weigh into the print exchange discussion as I expect that I am an odd one out there.
Peter.

That seems quite pessimistic - the entire regional Australian forum bit often went for ages without folks contributing anything, but when someone does it can be jolly interesting & useful! Similarly, having a local group of LF users is bound to be handy at some point - I think you've set up a good thing and I hope it persists!

Marc

Perhaps give it a bit of time, Pat. People will come and go as they are able and inclined, and the group hasn't really been going for that long. I would like to spend more time contributing here, but am flat out doing other things at the moment. I am not sure our little group is bankrupting APUG - plenty of other APUG groups have a lot less traffic than this one!
If you do decide that you want to pull the plug, perhaps consider transferring the group rather than just canceling it. Getting 25 people to sign up was a good job - it would be a shame to chuck that away.
Ian

I agree with the others. Sometimes things will be quiet but for the number of people here I think it's a pretty active group. I'm away for work at the moment, and was away a couple of days last week, and then for a couple of weeks a bit before that, so I'm not posting much at the moment, but these things do go in cycles.

Hi All.
Hi Pat.
I think it would be a shame to see the Forum go, Ive also been busy lately, and am off for a 3 1/2 day workshop to Falls Creek friday( with the Large Format)
Hope somthing works out.
Chers Brian

Guys, it shouldn't be up to me to suggest things on this site. I set it up for print exchanges, contacts, advice and friendship. If you have an idea do it. It's here for all of us. It think it's a shame that we don't use this space. I can appreciate that people are busy, it seems the same few people visiting. We could just email each other and get the same results. Guys prove me wrong.
Pat

I think it would be a real shame if the group got pulled, I agree with Ian that having a membership of 25 is pretty good, considering the group is only, what four months or so old? I can appreciate when you say (Pat) that there are only a handful of willing participants at the moment, but I think having a pool of local knowledge is a great thing, and even when I'm not actively participating, I love hearing the banter of other folks with similar interests, and on the same part of the globe as me! Personally, I've found the group very helpful so far, I've met up with one member in real life and had the chance to have a great chat about our craft, and handle a good number of his prints, which is something you jut don't generally get the chance to do these days. I also love floating thoughts, ideas or queries past here, even though something could be posted in one of the main groups and quite probably get a huge response in a short time, sometimes I just like the idea that I'm 'chatting over the fence' to the guy next door. Having a conversation with folks that know the places we're talking about, know the weather we're talking about, know the labs and stores we're talking about is just a fantastic feeling... I don't think I've ever heard the term "High street store" in the Leaf Shutters group

Guy's thanks for the support. It also reinforces my statement about usage. Look at the posts, look at the people here. The same faces, thanks. Peter as I said is was set up for all reasons. I you have any ideas please do them. I goes for all of you. I guess I hate waste and I know we use space here. Guys we can all make this work if we use it and promote it. If you see a post from somebody who is not a member and uses large format invite them along, that how I got this going.
Pat

If the level of traffic continues to bother you Pat, please transfer the group to me rather than closing it down.

BTW, did APUG give you any guidelines as to how much traffic they expect to be on this group?


EDIT: I've just been looking at the main APUG site. They have 40,750 members and in the two days since I checked it, 1440 new posts. That equates to 18 posts per 1000 member.days.

At that rate, we should expect about one post per two days on this group.

Peter.

I've been meaning to reply to this for a couple of days but I only get to look at it at work and I haven't had time till now. Pat, I think you've done an outstanding job to get this started and I've really enjoyed reading all the posts. I've contributed comments where I've been able to, but I don't always have something to say. This is not to say that I don't get anything out of it. Quite the contrary. Some of the things that have been written here have opened my eyes to new things or a new way of doing things, which is great. So please don't pull this off the forum.
Mike

OK computer.

"At that rate, we should expect about one post per two days on this group."

When you look at it like that, we're a bit of a lively bunch down here, aren't we

Thanks for the numbers, Pete. That puts it is perspective and does show that we are lively enough. So let's all keep this thing going. As a new LF user I really appreciate this group, and agree with Mike that just because I don't post all the time doesn't mean that I don't get a lot out of the group.

"but the ' content ' of the remarks made are important."

So true.

I,m with Barrie. I haven't posted due to a computer crash (still hasn't been resolved) and the untimely death of my scanner (why is this stuff so crappy?) I do check in to see what's going on with other members in Australia.

Hello,

I have discovered this group by chance, while trying to find out how to soften the glue holding the tacky bellows on my brand new Tackyhara 10x8"

The Tackyhara was purchased so I have a 10x8" camera that I can trudge through the SW karri forest - However, my spelling of Tackyhara is appropriate and the camera needs several modifications to make it functional - Part of the modification to allow it to work with my Sinar Shutter and allow the shutter to continue to be used on my 5x4" and 10x8" Sinar Normas

However, before the work can be done on the Tacky I need to soften the glue holding the poor quality bellows so they can be removed and a set of Sinar fitting bellows of better quality to be used - Sinar fitting so that the front will fit a Sinar front frame to allow them to be mounted on the Sinar Shutter

I am mounting the shutter at the back of the Tacky front standard as I have doubts about the Camera holding my favourite 36cm Heliar without vibration as front mounting will place the lens even further forward than it is on its Sinar Shutter friendly mount, making it less stable

This work is needed as the cost of shutter mounting three barrel mounted lenses by SK Grimes is not realistic for me

In answer to the obvious question, I bought the Tacky as at $810 brand new it was a saving of about $2400 over my 10x8" camera of choice

John
Quinninup

Hi John,
Saw the post re: removing glue. Have you tried "Goop Off" (i think) i saw it in Bunning the other day near the mineral turps and Metho. Maybe worth a try. Your mods to the Tach sound interesting, can you post some images of it.

Cheers
Shane

Hi All.
Hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and safe New Year.
It would be a shame to see the forum close, I think it has value even if some of us are slow to post, there is valuable info to be had,
If any one is interested in coming to my area to do some LF I may be able to put you up,contact me on 03 57769843,
Cheers Everyone.

I do know it is hard to post sometimes, especially in the warmer months. I check in every 2nd day to see what is happening. Shame when it goes for a month without anything happening.
Sean has set up a great site and they have given us a powerful tool I just got us the space and made it pretty, we should be using it, we are scattered across the country and all have varied ways of doing thing, post more and it may help somebody else do it easier.

I would post more, but I have not been doing much shooting lately and no longer have easy access to a darkroom to process negs. I also have to find somewhere with a scanner that takes 8x10 negs to upload. Hopefully next year will see me doing more and posting the results.
Mike