Older cubers discussions

[Selkie]

I use Hoya and chain (AvG) pairing for the simple reason that lookahead is much easier, and I wanted a method that would minimise pauses and give me rapid improvements.

I do love AVG method and was lucky enough to sit with Arnaud van Galen at comp a few years ago whilst he explained it. I would like to try chain method in combination with Yau after Exeter. AVG edge pairing is so optimised for move count.

AZCubing Winter 2016 is tomorrow.

>insert emoticon of me flailing in panic mode here<

https://www.cubingusa.com/AZCubingWinter2016/index.php

Best of luck :tu

 

[MarcelP]

I am very pleased with this average. Since I hardly practice at all, when I do practice I only do slow solving. It appears I am keeping my speed. These are the first 12 solves of the day:

Spoiler: Ao12 18.4 with 0.8 standard dev.

1. 18.34 D R' L2 D2 B' U2 L2 F2 L' R2 B2 D R F2 D F' R2 D U' B2 F U R2 B2 F2
2. 18.94 L' F U L2 R2 D2 U L' D' B U2 L2 F D' F' B' U B' L2 U2 R U' L2 F B2
3. 18.50 R L2 F2 D' F' D R2 L' B' F2 R2 B2 R2 B U2 L2 F L2 F2 R U' D' L2 U' L2
4. 17.15 F B' L2 D2 B' U' B D B2 F' R B D' F2 D U2 R2 L' D' F2 R2 U2 L U2 B'
5. 18.79 U B' R F D R U2 L' U D R' D L2 D2 F' D' B' F2 U2 F L' U2 L' R' F2
6. 18.44 D L B2 F' L' B U R' B F L2 U' R2 U2 D2 B2 L' F2 R' U2 D' R' L D' B2
7. 18.89 L2 U' D2 B' L U2 D' B' F2 D' R U B U2 L F' B' U' R L2 D' L' B' R' B'
8. 18.87 D2 R L U L' D2 U2 L' D R' U2 L U2 L2 B F' D' U' R D' F' U2 R' B2 U
9. 17.14 R' D' U2 F2 B D2 B2 R D' B' D L2 D2 B2 L' D F' L' R2 D2 U' B2 L D2 F'
10. 19.77 F2 L2 F' L' F L2 U2 B' L' R D' R L U' L' D R U2 L2 U F' R2 B2 D' L2
11. 16.96 B U2 D2 L D' U' L B R2 F R B2 U' B F' D' B' D' B' D' U B' R F' D'
12. 20.40 R D R2 L B' F2 R2 B2 D' L D B2 R D U L2 U2 L' F2 U R L2 B2 L' B
// I thought, let's not mess that 12th solve up.. so I did..

 

[mark49152]

I bought a camera and videoed a few 4x4 solves today. The room was cold and my average was a few seconds down, but here's the best of the bunch. I'm averaging about 1:12-13 at the moment.

https://youtu.be/9SQYcGdd41U

 

[MarcelP]

I bought a camera and videoed a few 4x4 solves today. The room was cold and my average was a few seconds down, but here's the best of the bunch. I'm averaging about 1:12-13 at the moment.

https://youtu.be/9SQYcGdd41U

That was awesome. With the fumbling in the beginning, and the pauses, and almost messed up OLL (had to correct with left hand) and parity.. you still managed to get a 1.03! I think sub 1 will be your average soon Btw, scrambling is half the video.. LOL.

Btw, I need a new camera. What did you buy and for how much?

 

[newtonbase]

Finished a 3BLD 2:07 which would have been a big PB. It was a completely rescrambled cube but the memo was good and it was done with people around so bodes well.

 

[mafergut]

I am very pleased with this average. Since I hardly practice at all, when I do practice I only do slow solving. It appears I am keeping my speed. These are the first 12 solves of the day:

So consistent. I did today the Ao12 for the race to sub 20 and I still get too many sup-20 solves. I already graduated some weeks ago but it's good practice and I'm not even remotely close to ready to go to the race for sub-15, so I keep doing that. Is that the Tornado? It definitely isn't your Gans 356.

I bought a camera and videoed a few 4x4 solves today. The room was cold and my average was a few seconds down, but here's the best of the bunch. I'm averaging about 1:12-13 at the moment.

So good. Could have been easily a high 40 without some minor pauses & lockups here and there. Your turning for big cubes seem quite smooth and the cube seems so smooth and silent... What cube is that? It looks like it has thousands of solves on it.

 

[h2f]

A lot of good results here. Congrats, Mark, Marcel and Mark (am I correct newtonbase?).

 

[Selkie]

I am very pleased with this average. Since I hardly practice at all, when I do practice I only do slow solving.]

Very nice average Marcel, think teh slow solving is really paying off for you

I bought a camera and videoed a few 4x4 solves today. The room was cold and my average was a few seconds down, but here's the best of the bunch. I'm averaging about 1:12-13 at the moment.

Great to see a video from you Mark, look forward to more and a lovely single solve :tu

Finished a 3BLD 2:07 which would have been a big PB. It was a completely rescrambled cube but the memo was good and it was done with people around so bodes well.

Nice times. Really wish I could tackle my nemesis ... BLD

--------

Been doing some 4x4 myself today and was trying to get a sub 1:05 average on film. It wasn't to be but did get a 1:05.31 average which I will upload to YouTube soon

 

[MarcelP]

So consistent... Is that the Tornado? It definitely isn't your Gans 356.

That's my Moyu TangLong. Very very nice cube.. I think from today on my new main

 

[mafergut]

That's my Moyu TangLong. Very very nice cube.. I think from today on my new main

It looked like a Tanglong or similar but I didn't know you had one. It's also my OH main and my 2H main (besides my old Chilong). After a bit of breaking in I'm liking it more and more.

 

[mark49152]

That was awesome. With the fumbling in the beginning, and the pauses, and almost messed up OLL (had to correct with left hand) and parity.. you still managed to get a 1.03! I think sub 1 will be your average soon Btw, scrambling is half the video.. LOL.

Btw, I need a new camera. What did you buy and for how much?

Yeah it was not a good solve and I was surprised when I saw the time, but now I have the camera I'll post videos more often and will capture some better solves (meaning better quality not just faster time). I am getting sub-1:05 solves quite frequently now. In my last big average a couple of days ago, 7/50 were sub-1:06.

I do need to learn how to edit videos though .

The camera is an SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi and it was about 60 GBP (thanks Mark A for the recommendation ).

So good. Could have been easily a high 40 without some minor pauses & lockups here and there. Your turning for big cubes seem quite smooth and the cube seems so smooth and silent... What cube is that? It looks like it has thousands of solves on it.

Thanks. It's a full size AoSu and has maybe 2000 solves on it. I was struggling with it today and found it lockier than usual, perhaps due to cold hands. I thought my turning sucked today .

 

[mafergut]

Thanks. It's a full size AoSu and has maybe 2000 solves on it. I was struggling with it today and found it lockier than usual, perhaps due to cold hands. I thought my turning sucked today .

Well, I am still around 2 min average with 1:47.xx as PB single so, for me it was lightning fast.

 

[Selkie]

Yeah it was not a good solve and I was surprised when I saw the time, but now I have the camera I'll post videos more often and will capture some better solves (meaning better quality not just faster time). I am getting sub-1:05 solves quite frequently now. In my last big average a couple of days ago, 7/50 were sub-1:06.

I do need to learn how to edit videos though .

The camera is an SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi and it was about 60 GBP (thanks Mark A for the recommendation ).


Thanks. It's a full size AoSu and has maybe 2000 solves on it. I was struggling with it today and found it lockier than usual, perhaps due to cold hands. I thought my turning sucked today .

I use the freely available Microsoft Movie Maker which is really easy to use. I currently use one of my phones to record but the quality is shocking but need a camera but was considering investing in a GoPro ready for Exeter comp but that sounds like a really reasonable bit of kit you have bought.

Coincidentally I have been using a MoYu AoSu mini for the last 6 months but it has been gettign stiffer and stiffer. I picked up my MoYu AoSu standard today and it feels much better than my mini so used the same cube as you for this session. Tried to get sub 1:05 Ao5 but it just wasnt to be

 

[Logiqx]

Nice work everyone. It looks like a bit of encouragement and friendly competition is pushing us all to improve!

I tried to get something good on camera this afternoon (sub-10 single would have been nice) but failed miserably. lol

My short term goal is sub-18 global average and my last 1000 timed solves = 18.5.

Today's distribution:

13+: 2
14+: 3
15+: 5
16+: 23
17+: 43
18+: 42
19+: 20
20+: 5
21+: 3
22+: 3

 

[Jason Green]

@Jason - not only yours pb's are skips. What's your best full step single? Main is 13.86 or something.

I'm not sure really. I feel confident saying I've had several 18.x full step. I get 18 fairly frequently, 17.x not as much. Possible one of my 17's was a full step. I've only had two 16s so far and I'm pretty sure they were skips.

@Chris & Jason: Nice videos. I can't stop watching your solves. Nice reaction to the sub-18, Jason! I'll have to try and capture at least a decent single on video one of these days.

Thanks!

AZCubing Winter 2016 is tomorrow.

Good luck! Wish I was there. Give me early heads up if you remember on the next one you plan so I can check flights early before you fill up!

Finished a 3BLD 2:07 which would have been a big PB. It was a completely rescrambled cube but the memo was good and it was done with people around so bodes well.

Sounds pretty fast, nice!

That's my Moyu TangLong. Very very nice cube.. I think from today on my new main

Guess I need a TangLong and a Yuexiao!

I use the freely available Microsoft Movie Maker which is really easy to use. I currently use one of my phones to record but the quality is shocking but need a camera but was considering investing in a GoPro ready for Exeter comp but that sounds like a really reasonable bit of kit you have bought.

I use Movie Maker if I edit, which is not often. I have an iMac I thought I would do video with when I bought it, but it's old now and too slow. I also do not care for the way the Mac software has to copy everything you import, I just want to work on the video in place! Mostly I upload direct from my phone. I too have thought about a GoPro, it would be a fun toy...

 

[h2f]

Voice was good enough. I think you were saying adjacent corners when you meant opposite a couple times but the video was very nice and your explanations very easy to follow. I just discovered that when I have a corner with the "cross" color facing up I usually rotate it twice through the bottom instead of just once over the top in the opposite direction, so I have learned something useful now. From your explanations I have come to the conclusion that there is really no magic, just maybe I need more solves with unlimited inspection to try and make sure I not only choose the better face but also the optimal corner placing order but, other than that I think I do almost all the things the same during "1st layer". It's just a question of more practise to see where that dang last corner ends up after inserting the others and maybe start learning intermediate. I also need to work on my skewb fingertricks as I still find it a very cumbersome puzzle to turn. My hedgeslammer is horrible (not that my sledgehammer is any good either).

Thanks a lot for the video.

Thanks for pointing it. I've checked dictionary and you're right - I used opposite and adjactent in opposite meaning.

I also did 4x4 solve. I tried to catch sub 1:10 but it's 1:11. My avagerages are around sub 1:20 but I havent practiced 4x4 since December.

 

[mark49152]

I also did 4x4 solve. I tried to catch sub 1:10 but it's 1:11. My avagerages are around sub 1:20 but I havent practiced 4x4 since December

Nice, very composed. I experienced a strange and annoying phenomenon today. About 20 solves into a routine 1:12ish average, I got a 55. Then a 1:26, and a couple more in the 1:20s, and the next 20 solves had an average of about 1:18. Why? They didn't even feel slower. I started to wonder if my timer is buggy .

And thanks Selkie, I'll give Movie Maker a go.

 

[Selkie]

@Grzegorz - Nice solve and certainly cannot tell you haven't practiced recently. Its 4x4 day in the older cuber thread

Can I ask what camera that is?

@Michael - Nice average. I am sure at 18.5 I had a lot more over 20 second solves than you. Love the stats, what timer did you use for that? Bit stuck in my ways and use qqTimer but it does have a few limitations

 

[earth2dan]

Thought I might practice some 4x4 today and I just shattered my PB with a 1:05.75 solve It was full step, but no parity. Too bad I wasn't recording, would've like to have gotten that on camera.

Edit: And that led to a PB AO5 of 1:18.36

Also, on the topic of video editing, I use Sony Movie Studio Platinum 13. Less feature rich than Vegas, but actually affordable to purchase. It's $80, but routinely goes on sale for $50 - $60. I prefer it to Movie Maker, but you can't beat Movie Makers price

 

[h2f]

Nice, very composed. I experienced a strange and annoying phenomenon today. About 20 solves into a routine 1:12ish average, I got a 55. Then a 1:26, and a couple more in the 1:20s, and the next 20 solves had an average of about 1:18. Why? They didn't even feel slower. I started to wonder if my timer is buggy .

And thanks Selkie, I'll give Movie Maker a go.

Thanks. I know the feeling you are describing.

@Chris - thanks. It's a GoClever - a cheaper version of Go Pro.

I use Move Maker too. And I started recording all, reading this thread and watching so many great solves.