The controversial synth opinion thread got a little sidetracked about talk of HAM radios and train model builders, and it got me curious; what are your nerdy hobbies outside of music gear?

For me, I dabble in writing horror fiction, but my big nerdy hobbies are tabletop games, especially RPGs (think Dungeons and Dragons) and skirmish games (like Warhammer 40k). For some reason when it was time for my mom to die, I just suddenly dived into tabletop games like crazy and let that distract me. I don't even have many people to play with and I play very rarely with the people in my group, but I just really like reading the books and learning the different game systems and the lore that goes into building these fictional worlds. On the skirmish side of things, when I found out how cheap Heroclix are, I kinda went crazy. I've never played, but I have a lot of the base sets for the main game and for the games that use similar Clix systems like Crimson Skies, Shadowrun Duels, and old-school Battletech. In particular, I love HorrorClix, and I'm actively trying to collect the entire set.

So what kind of geeky crap are you guys into?

Dead stock 'cheap' old school sneakers and record collecting, just lately though done something real nerdy and collected mostly all the 80s Hip Hop artists Funko Pops available from Run DMC To Kid N Play to Biz Markie etc(Just for my display cabinet in lounge).

I like watching some science videos, especially about astronomy.
But when I watch them, I'm tired/distracted most of the times, so I don't remember much. I don't dedicate much time about it, but I'm still curious (I was more curious when I was a child, though! and I used to read more, while nowadays it's almost only videos ).

I'm somehow interested into electronics and diy... but that's also music related....

Science, technology, understanding how things work and how to make/modify/repair things have always been my passions, since I was a little child. And then music, of course.


Anyway, music (music technology, to be more precise) takes the biggest share of my free time, there's not really much time for anything else.

Retro Computing,
Planets & shįt,
Psychology & Neurodivergence

Hm, I don't know if I consider it a hobby, but I read a lot of Science Fiction books and watch a fair amount of TV shows. I'm trying to watch all Star Trek in timeline order at the moment. I'm at season 5 ep. 18 of Next Generation. It's rough work, considering what Enterprise and the first two seasons of NG were like.

Autism
DIY electronics
Medical weed
Sci fi
Thrift shopping & collecting old junk
Spinal Manipulation

The only reason I am not currently playing Magic the Gathering is because my cards got lost in the move from Florida to Virginia eight years ago. I had a green Stompy deck that could regularly drop a turn three Thorn Ele, and I had a blue counter spell deck loaded with Misdirections and Boomerangs that could make my opponents weep.

I'm also into drawing/cartooning, but mostly as an excuse to draw silly pictures for my daughter.

Writing poetry. I barely have a second away from music though so I'm not sure I'd call it a hobby.

Video games and retro computing... also drawing. I've got a pretty big vinyl and CD collection as well. Sci-Fi movies, especially old B movies and kaiju movies.

Large Format film photography. Think of the classic image of a camera on a tripod with the photographer's head under a dark cloth, thats me. I shoot 4x5, 5x7, and occasionally 8x10inch negatives. I develop myself with various chemicals, and I have an enlarger that works with the 4x5 negatives. 5x7 and 8x10 I just do contact prints.

One of my cameras is one of these:



And yes, I also have an amateur radio license (USA general class - W5ARP)

My other hobby outside of music is cooking steaks and various other cuts of meat. BBQ and smokers when the weather is good and cast iron pans and roasts when it’s raining.

I also do some strength training a few times a week. I’m not sure if it’s keeping me fit or breaking me as I approach middle age.

I can repair pretty much anything.. If that counts as a hobby. Pretty good at metalwork, however only for purpose. No artsy fartsy stuff.

Watch TV. Play records, normal shit.
Now and again I'll get sucked into a computer game for a few no sleep days. Non interactive.. Start. complete. Done.

Enjoy cooking, it's edible, I wouldn't win any prizes at it.

Great thread!

I like cooking a lot.

I collect and play video games. I've got consoles and games from the late 70's to present day.

I like to watch movies, TV as well as some Youtube channels.

Historical studies and reenactments, weapons and fighting, astronomy, gardening.

My other nerdy hobbies are vintage computers and consoles (NES/Famicom, Sega Megadrive, PS1 and PS2) but also cooking thai food and baking.

I'm a player, not collector. The photo is missing three Pentiums and four CRTs.

Many times old PCs and synths are getting nicely together when I have to use floppies or SCSI medium.

-Film Noir

-MLB (Brewers)

-Hip Hop historian (pre-2000ish), I co-wrote a pretty successful book on the subject with my best friend, who's written other books on Hip Hop stuff. I also have performed live with a very well known act, which was one of the highlights of my life. I also, before they became a huge act & were just starting out, passed on being the DJ for a different act that is (was?) extremely popular. No regrets about that at all.

-I had appx 70 old arcade games & used to maintain them, taught myself/learned how to repair them.

-Bagged (air-ride) Vintage VW Beetles

-Planting & maintaining flowers. Successfully grew some beautiful Plumeria, failed with Boronia (but I'll try again someday), and had much more success with ones that thrive in the unique micro climate I live in. (My favs are probably Delphinium & Lupine)

-I make my own colognes

-Been a crate digger since '93

My non-music hobby was video gaming and nerd raging. I stopped gaming which ended the raging.
I'm trying to make woodworking my new hobby.

Geeky crap:
All things Tron
Retro rocket ships
Lego
Cell Phone Cloud Photography

Possibly the antithesis of nerdism but my motorcycle is my other distraction from the slings and arrows of life though since some health issues a few years ago not so much recently.

For those who may be interested it's a 2010 Kawasaki ZX6R.

If I was to take up another hobby besides being a synth nerd it would be collecting die-cast models from the TV shows Gerry Anderson produced in the 60's & 70's such as Thunderbirds & UFO.

It's probably Barry Gray's incredible & fantastical scores for those Century 21 productions (which I first encountered in my early childhood) that's made me such a life long obsessed fan of anything remotely musical.

I already have my favourite Dinky Toy from the early 70's sat on the windowsill of my spare room (& the start of my collection?) a Shadow Mobile from UFO.

I’m not a nerd. I just like synths.

Road cycling. College Football (my Alma Mater is current National Champion).

Road cycling

Bodybuilding

Sounds like something a nerd would say…

Growing up was a massive video games fan.

One of my faves was something called a Vetrex console that I owned probably circa 1983?

The original Grandstand console with "Pong," "Squash," & "Shooting Gallery" was completely mind-blowing when I first saw it advertised in the shop window of our local Rumbelows (around 1976 maybe?).

Having just recently survived my 4th crash, my mother wants me to give up motorcycling, and my father (my frequent riding partner) is afraid I might. Fortunately the totaled bike (2002 Triumph Tiger) wasn't my only. I still have a 2006 Buell Ulysses, but I'm still too broken to get my leg over it.

thats really specific!

I enjoy butchery. I collect all the gear, lotta boutique, lotta vintage. And friends come over when they need to cut meat. Hey Snork, I'm just coming from the market, can you cut this steak?

Wow, there's a lot of great answers here already. I kind of wish I hadn't framed this thread as being just nerdy hobbies because now I'm curious about what else everybody is into, especially since from my experiences elsewhere in the forum, there are quite a few motorcycle enthusiasts around here. I wish I could respond to everybody, but then this thread would be nothing but my commentary on Magic and cologne blending.

<---- see profile picture.

Does it count as nerdy? Maybe. I'm definitely a nerd about it.

Do we have any candy makers in here??

Can u gut and prep a whole animal?