Actually, very accessible, if they're interested. We have a local startup, Elecraft, that makes ham radio kits and accessories. Most of the qualified hams in the area are now working for them.
There's not much design work being done locally, but the engineers and techs certainly know how the radios operate.
I have a similar problem. When I was still designing electronics, the major obsession was reducing the cost. At that time, it meant reducing the component count. If you get my attention, I can waste enormous amounts of time, on futile exercises in component count reduction. Same with unusual ways to implement simple things.
You can get a fair idea of the number of hams by diving into the FCC ULS database and searching for counts by your local zip codes.
For 95005 (Ben Lomond, CA), it shows 61 licenses. Unfortunately, the FCC updates the data perhaps every 10 years, so some hams that have moved out or died are still listed.
Worse, most hams seem to live in post office boxes.
We have one local supplier (other than Radio Shock). They're expensive, but not outrageous.
Yep. Just finding the part in my mess is difficult. However, I do have a fairly good collection of 1980's vintage discrete parts, which are useful for raising the dead and repairing the antiques.
One problem with specialization is that it tends to create some rather bizarre implementations. I once reverse engineered a microprocessor design that could have been replaced by a quad op amp.
Hint: I never build or design anything that I can't sell or turn into a sellable product. When I do build something for myself, I usually build 3 to 5 extras, to sell to friends and recover my expenses. Expertise in PCB layout is a must.
Note that it's still possible to have fun with electronics: "How to blow up a microwave"
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Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
I'm fairly sure about the 2800 hams in Santa Cruz County. The other numbers are from many years of experience dealing with exactly the issues that were mentioned. For example, the local electronics dealer (Santa Cruz Electronics) often sends me customers who need some expertise beyond what could be provided by the counter sales person, but not so much that it would require a consulting contract. Much of the stuff people want designed already exists. Other time, I end up building some abomination for yet another get rich quick scheme. Sometimes, I have to ask for help (i.e. I'm a lousy programmer), so I have a clue as to how many locals are available and able to help. Of course, since I'm a member of both SCZ County radio clubs, I know how many of those are hams. My numbers might be off perhaps +/- 25%, but not much more.
Well, if you mean topic drift, you're discussing the problem with the chief culprit. If the original question is boring or of little interest, I simply change the topic. If the OP wants his question answered, he can simply rephrase it so that it's more interesting and less boring.
That's easy. Just grep through the answers and see how many answers supply calculations, numbers, references, and specifics. It won't be many, but if you look hard, you may find some specific answers. URL's don't count because most people don't explain why the URL should be read.
In my case, I always try to add something useful to my answers. It may not answer the original question, but it should be at least interesting.
True. Quantity is a bad substitute for quality. Just ignore the quantity of my words and postings.
That would be 100%. I doubt that everyone is interested in helping the OP as much as grandstanding, ego inflation, or some kind of power trip. It's a futile effort, but it's still commonly practiced. My motivation varies radically by the day. For example, todays endless drivel is justified by my procrastinating on working on my income taxes. Other days, I'm don't have a clue about the original question, but am sufficiently interested in the topic to do the necessary research on the topic, and present a passable summary of what I've found. In rare cases, I may have some experience or knowledge about the topic, and deign to pontificate about it. Whatever works.
Not really. I ask very few questions. My last attempt resulted in demonstrating how I can ignore the obvious by installing several polarized capacitors backwards.
Even so, there were plenty of wrong answers supplied by various people trying to be helpful. In most cases, I can eliminate the clueless by simply looking at the writing style. No numbers means no clue. One line answers means no thinking was involved in crafting the answer. Pontifications without substantiation means that they're not really certain about their answer or their abilities. I don't even bother with RTFM type answers. However, I'm perfectly willing to grovel through the garbage for an answer and NEVER pass judgment on the author. The reason dates back to my introduction to usenet, where I managed to accidentally insult a well known expert, who didn't have the time or interest to offer more than a general clue.
Incidentally, I've seen more wrong answers by established experts, who are either too much in a hurry to supply a complete answer, or make assumptions that the reader may not be able to catch.
On the contrary. Everyone is an expert on something. Where the problems start are when they go out of their area of expertise. The recent discussions on nuclear reactors in various forums is a great example. Most of those posting are perfectly competent in their areas of expertise, but rather marginal when discussing nuclear power. Similarly, the amazing number of climate experts in the global warming discussion should make one wonder how there can possibly be so many climate experts in a field that didn't really exist more than perhaps
10 years ago.
Incidentally, ever notice that the more insignificant the question, the more answers are supplied. Really well written and important questions, rarely get any attention.
At the bottom of every dumpster is a diamond. It's yours if you're willing to dig through the muck.
Sure. However, the typical 10 minute monologue on 80 meters doesn't offer much of an endorsement.
--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
As far as I can determine from Googling, the 3rd and last edition was published in 1986.
Hmmm... that's odd. It's not listed:
--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
I seem to recall making comments to that effect ;-)
In the mid 70's, I had to design a replacement "front panel" for a Nova (2 or 3... I can't recall) minicomputer. This is the vintage equipment where you "bit-switched" (toggled) data into memory (real core!), forced a value into the program counter and then hit "run".
The actual front panel was bulky -- all those "bats" on the front panel switches plus plastic molding, etc. Since the machine only had to do certain very fixed things (I guess it qualified as an "embedded system" -- even though the processor was the size of a small washing machine!), it was silly to ship the bulky panel with the unit.
The panel worked by driving values onto an "open collector" bus and stroking control lines. So, any replacement "front panel" needed logic to interface to a few dedicated switches (reset, IPL, etc.), decode logic to drive the right values onto the bus, some crude timing (remember, we are emulating things that a human being does "by hand") and, of course, open collector drivers to actually *drive* the bus.
I ended up with a design that used a 7 segment decoder (!) wired in a bizarre way to (coincidentally) get the right values onto the bus based on an examination of the switch states connected to the BCD inputs thereof. (this predates FPGAs, GALs and even *PLAs*!)
My boss was impressed -- but too scared to risk such a bizarre implementation: "How will anyone ever know how it is *supposed* to work?" (to me, that was pretty obvious: the devices work just like any other devices... read the data sheet!)
Lots of ZIP codes in 9000 square miles. I'll leave that as an exercise for the student...
Yes. Though, if you're smart, you use a non-USPS "p.o.box"
I bought some small lytic's for ~$2/ea. C'mon, now... (then they complain when folks buy mail-order from firms out-of-state!)
I find more use for *hardware* (screws, connectors, etc.) than "components". As I get older, time is more valuable to me than "mundane cost saving experiences" (though I replaced a power cord on a make-up mirror, yesterday... can you spell "mindless"?). So, if anything "complex" dies, I typically just recycle it and replace it (I collect "spares" of lots of things so this often just means taking another off the shelf). To invest any serious amount of time, it either has to be a really interesting problem
*or* something of considerable value (including "irreplaceable")
I had a colleague design a state machine for an LCD controller using a 64KB EPROM (back when a 64K EPROM was *big*!). When I dumped the EPROM, I discovered it implemented a simple logic function of *3* variables (despite all the "inputs" that were wired to it's address lines). I.e., it could have been replaced by a quad _______ or, perhaps, a dual AOI.
He didn't care. On to the next design...
I tend to take the *opposite* approach. I like building "one of a kind" pieces. Especially as gifts. I.e., the value of the gift is the fact that it is unique. And, sufficiently expensive to undertake "duplication" that it would need to have a significant number of "buyers" to make it worthwhile (i.e., it is not economically feasible for a "competitor" to make something like this, thereby rendering the uniqueness of the gift meaningless).
Difference Engine would be cool as it would require lots of
*mechanical* skill/assembly/fabrication -- not something you could just run off a set of Gerbers!
Anything that I design lately that would appeal to others I just release as "open source" (hardware and software) so anyone who wants to invest the time/energy can copy at will.
I've thought about setting up a tesla coil proximate to the hummingbird feeder to zap the *woodpeckers* when they try to use it. But, it would be hard to control where the discharge went... :<
It's an option I'm already using. Well, not through my ISP, but using one of the dozens of free photo hosting sites out there. In fact, the forum I'm using (see below) doesn't let me post pictures directly, so I have to first post them to a hosting site, then give a link to the picture in the forum posting. A little cumbersome, but not too bad.
The thing I like about the web forums (I'm using Electro-Tech now, as suggested above) is that you can post pictures *in your message*. What a concept! So rather than dicking around with "binary" newsgroups (which I don't use anymore since I stopped downloading pron), I can post schematics, etc., right in the message.
As I said, I still prefer Usenet for most online communication. But these newfangled Web thingies sure have their good points.
--
The current state of literacy in our advanced civilization:
yo
wassup
nuttin
wan2 hang
k
where
here
k
l8tr
by
- from Usenet (what's *that*?)
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