[Boatanchors] Apology - My Commentary Part 1

[Kludge]

I'm going to take things out of order here, Bob.  My responses will make
more sense that way.

-----Original Message-----
From: boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of rbethman
> I would also like the entire group to accept that Michael has INDEED 
> extended an apology. 

Yes, and in private email, I got a few responses that I found interesting
including a *demand* from a member that I leave the list.  How quaint.

> The remainder of Michael's rambling is only "just" that - rambling.

Pretty much the ramblings of a diseased mind, as I sometimes tell my
psychiatrists.  And, yes, I'll tell them about this fiasco.

> I do NOT post this as a "defender", from the viewpoint of a "supporter", 
> or as a "close friend". I post this as a disabled veteran whom has seen 
> MANY of the Viet Nam Era vets that have lifelong issues.

100% disabled - mainly psych but physical issues as well.  The latter
include but aren't limited to my inability to get in and out of a car
without extreme difficulty although trucks, vans etc I can climb *up* into
and anything I can straddle like a motorcycle is fine.  The motorcycle has
to be a trike due to another problem - inner ear damage affecting my sense
of balance - but that's not a deal breaker.

> The entire thread has been off topic to "some members" of the list. I 
> would like to point out that THIS list and ANY other one DOES have 
> periods where we stray.

And it evolved & devolved both at the same time which was kind of
interesting.  There were buried nuggets of good info and humor and a few
other things, a lot of which was missed during the devolution which was sad.


The following isn't a justification or excuse so much as explanation of my
part in this.  

Besides active & passive components and lots of wire, BA radio equipment has
lots of hardware.  Like a few others here, I have a mechanical (specifically
aeronautical) engineering background as well as electrical, the former
probably slightly stronger than the latter, and would be degreed were it not
for inter-institution academic politics.  (Split major in EE & AE with a
split minor in Math & Physics - definitely not an easy load)  Anyway, to me,
the hardware aspect of the equipment is at least as important as the
electronics and that would include things like all those myriad screws, nuts
and other assorted bits and pieces.  It is sufficiently important that I
will make my own in a few cases where what I need simply doesn't exist, the
antenna adapters for the AN/PRC-47 I mentioned being but one such case.
Once I can find or create the drawings for it, a coax antenna connector (or
adapter to something more common) for a BC-312 family receiver to replace
the unobtainium one is another.  

One thing I have is a small home machine shop - small being an operative
word since it includes several watchmaker's lathes - and I know others have
shops or access to them as well.  What I forget is that not everyone does
nor is everyone even interested in the mechanical & machining aspect of
boatanchors.  

Oh, well ... more ramblings and I haven't even covered the last point yet.
That's in Part 2.

Best regards,
 
Michael, WH7HG BL01xh
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/NTH/index.aspx 
http://wh7hg.blogspot.com/ 
http://kludges-other-blog.blogspot.com 
Hiki Nô!