360alex

I'm gonna try and keep this short - even though the problem has wasted hours of my life. Here's how it breaks down. I downloaded a movie .. used mkv2vob to convert/mux the movie to a Ps3-friendly format. Plugged in my external USB drive ... and can't transfer the movie because it's too big (7gig). After some research, I realized the drive was FAT32 and couldnt accept above a 4gig transfer. ANYWAY, i use cmd to 'switch' it to NTFS. I copy the file over eventually and go downstairs to plug the drive into the Ps3. Guess what - the Ps3 doesn't recognize NTFS drives!!! BOOOOO! Alright then I'll just convert it back to FAT32 now that my movie is on the drive. Nope, can't do that apparantly. I'm stuck in a horrible catch22 and all I want to do is watch this Changeling movie which is probably gonna suck anyway. Any ideas?

MY BROWSER IS KILLING ME - mods plz delete the previous posts I made here. 1) Girlfriend knocked a still-burning Mya off the coffee table .. luckily a pair of soccer shorts broke the hot coals' fall. The carpet still got burned but some gross hookah water extinguised them thank god haha. She used the vacuum on the spill (ITS NOT A WET/DRY VAC WOMAN!) so the vac got ruined as well during that episode. 2) Same Mya - I was cleaning up my apartment for move-out (had burned carpet from Ep:1) .. I smoked a bowl then let the coals fizzle out on top of the foil for a while. Took the bowl off the stem and emptied the contents into a trash bag and walked away. However, the pea-sized red hot coals burned through the bag and into the carpet AGAIN. Smell burning and after investigation I saw that the little coalette had burned through the carpet and pad. No deposit for me. 3) Just moved into a new townhouse, new carpet. You can see where this goes. I was reclining on the couch smoking away taking a break from moving in ... and decided to be ULTRA COOL and snap a cell phone pic of the hookah with my feet propped up next to it. So i propped up my feet and kicked the hookah over .. hot coals on the carpet again. Same familiar smell, same disasterous results. Same pissed gf . HOOKAH IS A LIABILITY PEOPLE! BE CAREFUL!!!!!! The hookah room in my next house is going to be a tile floor

I have a desktop PC and a macbook pro. PC is for gaming, mac is for audio production. It also helps that the mac is portable - PC notebooks are a joke. However, the PC has been in the OFF position a lot lately since I got a PS3 and do 100% of my gaming on that now.

QUOTE (engineonmute @ Jan 12 2009, 11:38 PM) QUOTE (voski @ Jan 12 2009, 04:29 PM) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Ja5OUPeac hmmmmm i dunno if this matters or not. but i do two layers of reynolds, but i put the two layers on at the same time. the guy in the vid did them one at a time. does that make a difference...? it shouldn't. i put them on 1 at a time - but thats just to make sure each layer is good and tight. you're gonna be poking holes thru both of them you know.

UPDATE! Last night I did what you guys suggested. Packed the bowl tighter, added more coals, poked some bigger holes. BEST SESH EVER! I think I finally got the formula correct. THANKS to all you guys, this forum rules.

QUOTE (Zinite @ Jan 10 2009, 12:57 PM) QUOTE (360alex @ Jan 10 2009, 12:56 PM) QUOTE (chinamon @ Jan 10 2009, 12:52 PM) put tobacco loosely in bowl until it slightly goes over the outer rim (so the tobacco is higher than the center hole). If you pack the shisha higher than the center hole, then cover with foil, wont that top layer of shisha get all toasted? Not any more so than half a centimeter below the rim. oh nice, i gotcha now. thanks for the speedy reply my man.

QUOTE (Zinite @ Jan 10 2009, 12:51 PM) MOOOORE COALS! I'm gonna start a brush fire on top of that bowl tonight and see what happens. Thanks for the tip.

QUOTE (chinamon @ Jan 10 2009, 12:52 PM) put tobacco loosely in bowl until it slightly goes over the outer rim (so the tobacco is higher than the center hole). If you pack the shisha higher than the center hole, then cover with foil, wont that top layer of shisha get all toasted?

<sorry, the forum wouldnt let me edit the previous post so here is the whole thing> Okay party people - I received my spankin' new tangiers clay phunnel and was ultra excited The good: -flavor is awesome -sessions last a while The bad -THIN SMOKE I'm using AF shisha - HOLLAND natural coal fingers, and tin foil (ditched the metal screen.)&nbsp; I poke holes all around the outside (on top of the shisha) but no hole in the center.&nbsp; I think that a hole in the center would just allow more fresh air into the hookah and thats not what I want.&nbsp; I've tried adding more coal, but if I add too much the smoke gets harsh and still not really thick and billow-y.&nbsp; My hookah is 99% airtight as well. Whats the problem here?&nbsp; I thought a phunnel would easily produce massive cloudage .. but I've gotta say i'm a bit disappointed so far.&nbsp; DONT GET ME WRONG - the phunnel is an amazing device - i'm getting really awesome flavor out of the machine now .. but damn I wish the clouds would show up! Any help is appreciated!

Okay party people - I received my spankin' new tangiers clay phunnel and was ultra excited. The good:

QUOTE (QuiltedMaple @ Jan 7 2009, 10:49 AM) As the session progresses, you will lose flavor, no doubt. How long does it take for the flavor to turn "ugly"? 15 mins? 45 mins? 4 hours? -QM Sessions last about 30 minutes. Flavor escapes at about the 10 minute mark. Smoke weakens at about 20 minutes and the hookah is headed to beats-ville soon after.

Heres the thing. When I used to go out to hookah bars in DC and Vegas and whatever .. we smoked really tall hookahs (KMs?) and the sessions were managed by the staff. The clouds were huge, the flavors were really BRIGHT and TASTY, and remained that way for the entirety of the session. Strangely, one of the best sessions I saw that the tobacco was packed WAY too high and the coals sat on a foil-covered hump of shisha over the bowl. ANNYWAYS... I pack up my mod clay bowl with AF and Fumari - good brands ... pack it properly with a metal screen and some natural coals on top. I change the water, scrub the whole hookah with "Bling!" and she seems really clean you know. I have a sahara hookah (with the wide base btw) The first few hits produce lots o' smoke and good flavor .. but not even close to those clean, bright, crisp flavors at the hookah bar. As the session goes on longer.. the smoke loses all flavor and just tastes like kinda "aftertaste-like" stale smoke. This is long and I appreciate it if you're still reading. I just need to know whats wrong here? I'm doing everything right and using good quality coal/tobacco. Do I need a new hookah or something? I just ordered new shisha, a phunnel, and a new hose so maybe that will help. Thanks for any advice - you guys rule and this is the best forum in the universe!

Hopefully these items ship monday - can't wait! I hope the $20 hose is worth it. <ordered from hookah company> 1 Nammor Hookah Hose $18.95 Customizations: Choose Nammor Hose Color:: large black $3.00 1 Al Fakher 250 g $9.95 Customizations: Choose Al Fakher 250 g Flavor(s):: watermelon 1 Tongs-Discounted Tongs (discounted) $0.95 1 Heba Diffuser $9.95 1 Phunnel Hookah Bowl $12.95 Customizations: Choose Phunnel Bowl Color:: Black Phunnel Bowl Certificate/Discount Code: Hookah Forum Discount -$6.87

QUOTE (mushrat @ Dec 28 2008, 12:01 PM) Have you considered a lamp shade and just sitting it on a shelf? yeaaa definite great idea. however, i doubt my coals will output enough light lol.

I'm 24, have my own place with a dog and a girl, and most of the time (24/7) the saharasmoke hookah is proudly sitting on my downstairs coffee table. However, when parents or other relatives come over, I feel compelled to hide the hookah and accessories in the unfinished basement. Its not that I dont want them to know I smoke, because they do (not hookah). The thing is, most "late people" look at a hookah and immediately think NHT NHT NHT NHT! Anyway - I was wondering if any of the other younger people on here feel the same way. The hookah is a beautiful device and deserves NOT to be hidden away like some NHT related items. Hopefully more people will realize that the hookah is for enjoying shisha only .. and ALSO compliments nearly any decor.

its really crazy how things work out sometimes. i'm not religious at all, so i chalk it up to chance/luck. i'd take it though, for sure. most of the time, things like this don't work out in my favor at all! sometimes the energy of the world makes good things happen. be safe out there!

Yo orange - I checked out your films but I"m at work so i didnt have any sound. I'll definitely give them a closer look when i get home. The 16mm stuff was awesome looking dude, gotta be honest. Anyway, I'm a sound designer and music composer on the side - and have a pretty decent home studio setup. If you ever need sound effects or music for your films, please let me know! I'm extremely cheap and sometimes free, I'm just trying to get some practice ya know. Let me know if you're interested in some sounds! Keep up the good work. -Alex

QUOTE (liquidglass @ Dec 15 2008, 07:31 PM) QUOTE (360alex @ Dec 15 2008, 06:07 PM) I just tried this method last night and was pleased with the results. Just used my drill to make a hole down the middle - then used a smaller bit to make some holes all around the sides. The only problem was that my stem sits about 3/4" from the bottom of the vase - so the cork bottomed out on the base. The stem was not "fully" inserted into the hookah, but the large stem-to-vase grommet still provided a good seal, thank god. I enjoyed the diffused bubble action - cant really say it improved taste too much, but I think my hookah is permanently tainted with some taste because I can't ever seem to clean the thing after use (too hookah'd out). The sound was near silent - great for watching TV with .. no intense bubbling action. I'll definitely keep this mod going on my hookah. Thanks to Patzke for the great non-lethal idea! sounds like a great idea and I'll have to give it a try but as far as your hookah use vinegar to clean it out, or effervescent tablets. Or it could be your hose. yeah def the hose - drawing on it when its not attached to the hookah produces the ass-tasting results as well. i'm pretty sure that the hose is washable (made of rubber, etc) so maybe i'll take the risk of washing it up. the only effervecent tablets I have are Airborne, so maybe i'll clean the vase and it will also get an immune system boost.

I just tried this method last night and was pleased with the results. Just used my drill to make a hole down the middle - then used a smaller bit to make some holes all around the sides. The only problem was that my stem sits about 3/4" from the bottom of the vase - so the cork bottomed out on the base. The stem was not "fully" inserted into the hookah, but the large stem-to-vase grommet still provided a good seal, thank god. I enjoyed the diffused bubble action - cant really say it improved taste too much, but I think my hookah is permanently tainted with some taste because I can't ever seem to clean the thing after use (too hookah'd out). The sound was near silent - great for watching TV with .. no intense bubbling action. I'll definitely keep this mod going on my hookah. Thanks to Patzke for the great non-lethal idea!

Representing Falls Church here. Where are the good hookah shops at? And don't say "havana maxx" in georgetown.

Hows it going fellow hookah enthusiasts?! First post - thought i'd say hello. I've got a hookah from Sahara I believe - not sure exactly what brand all the parts are. My experience has been up and down; I've had 2 hookahs in my life and both of them have produced mediocre results. Can't seem to get those perfect sessions like I do when I go to a 'real' hookah lounge. Anyway - things have been better since I've been using natural wood coals and actually heating them up all the way. Still have some temp control issues though but its all good. I smoke mainly AF and Fumari shisha - even though the Fumari is kind of stemmy. Anyway - just thought I'd say hey to everyone here. I've lurked on this board for a while looking for product reviews and all that, and you guys have been quite helpful .. so thanks! PS - I see the word "tangiers" on here a lot - is that the best shisha available? Any other insights would be cool too. See you guys out there.