[PCR-1000] Old and New Technology (was: Replacing the logic board)

Wed, 10 Mar 2004 14:09:07 -0500

Hi Max,

I'm a big fan of building things, at least in theory, though my projects 
tend to be fairly simple these days - antenna amps and controllers etc 
rather than the kit I used to build when I had more time.   I agree that 
many people don't build like they used to, I guess there are many reasons 
for this:
1) performance of modern sets (receivers especially) are so much better 
than one could achieve with home-designed equipment, though I suspect this 
applies less to transmitters and aerial systems than to receivers.
2) Use of Surface Mount technology - not exactly like soldering wires to 
valve bases or breadboarding low speed ICs now is it?
3) Space available for workshop facilities - land costs more these days.
4) Peer pressure by friends. Even if it's always the 'smart kid' in Disney 
films who builds a rocket or radar system to save the day, in real life 
kids that do this stuff get picked on.   It's a shame, but that's a fact - 
no-one wants to be a geek these days, unless it's something 'cool' like 
writing pathetic viruses or hacking disastrously insecure web sites.
5) Lack of peer training.   This I suspect is the big one.   I had a cousin 
over recently and she wanted something for 'show and tell' at school, so I 
showed her how to make a crystal set from bits in my scrap box.   I didn't 
have a crystal ear-piece so had to make do with an impedance matching 
transformer and crummy headphones.   It needed a large aerial to run it and 
didn't work very well but she was amazed at what we'd built - her eyes 
popped out of her head when she heard signals.   I guess many parents don't 
spend enough time working magic like that now.

If we want to address this technology gap, it's mainly down to education, 
and that starts with us, and with our kids.

73,

Martin Francis
=======================================================
 NDBList:   Official Mapmaster + Country Co-ordinator
 Location:  Richmond Hill, ON, CANADA
 Lat / Lon: 43.53'08"N / 79.27'30"W / FN03GV
 Beacons:   517 received since May 7, 2003

 Antenna:   Twin K9AY 140' loops on 300 feet of coax
 Receiver:  ICOM PCR1000 (2.8KHz filter) + DSP-599ZX
 Software:  NDBWebLog, WWSU, Argo, Goldwave, SkySweep
 Web Site:  http://www.classaxe.com/dx
 NDB Maps:  http://www.classaxe.com/dx/ndb/maps
 NDB Log:   http://www.classaxe.com/dx/ndb/log
=======================================================

-----Original Message-----
From:	Max Topley [SMTP:[email protected]]
Sent:	Wednesday, March 10, 2004 1:49 PM
To:	[email protected]
Subject:	Re: [PCR-1000] Re Replacing the logic board

----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Francis" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 4:41 PM
Subject: RE: [PCR-1000] Re Replacing the logic board

> Hi fellas,
>
> may I step in?
>
> Let's all draw a breath and shake hands before we end up with a possible
> mini flame war on our hands.

That's fine by me.

> As one of the new technologists who programs computers for a living, I'd
> like to weigh in by saying that I have enormous respect for people who
> understand vacuum technology and analogue circuitry in general.

Me too. I'm happy enough with logic and digital circuitry, but I need lots
of hand-holding when it comes to analog and RF stuff. I couldn't come close
to designing the RF board in the PCR-1000, for instance, but I've written
code for sat-com systems in airliners. The complexity of modern electronics
means makes it necessary to specialise.

> I collect
> and restore vintage radio sets (I have 50) and some of these things are
> works of sheer genius.

A friend of my dad gave me an ex-RAF R-1155 comms receiver when I was a 
kid.
I thought it was a technical marvel at the time and, considering the state
of technology at the time, I still do.

But I'm really surprised at how many radio enthusiasts nowadays throw up
their hands in horror if you suggest reaching for a soldering iron. When I
first got my VHF/UHF licence, around 35 years ago (gulp!), there was simply
no commercial kit available, so you had no alternative to modifying or
scratch-building. There's no substitute for hands-on experience when it
comes to judging the limits of what is possible.

> Hats off to technology old and new, and to all of
> those who practise it!

I'll drink to that!

--
  Max

______________________________________________________________
PCR-1000 mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/pcr-1000
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/faq.htm
Post: mailto:[email protected]