Wayne, Dave and all, Thank you for these stories and memories. I fear you might get too many replies to these reminisces and Eric may need tell us to desist.73 Doug EI2CNSent from my Galaxy -------- Original message --------From: David Wilcox via Elecraft <[email protected]> Date: 24/04/2021 11:20 (GMT+00:00) To: Joe K2UF <[email protected]> Cc: Elecraft Reflector <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: High school drafting class, ~1975 I took the classes but was never considered “COOL”....... mostly a “NERD”. Print shop too, but I knew I was going to college so they didn’t send me to the manual arts school down by the river. Still a “NERD” but happily so since 1960 and before really. I still break things so I can fix them.Wayne, Bless you, building a mountaineer. I didn’t have the courage back then. But I made it through medical school. My wife of 48 years thought I was “COOL” then but I think she might have changed her mind since then. Right after we were married I built an HW7 that went beep, beep, beep in the night. It’s been downhill since then.Dave K8WPEDavid J. Wilcox’s iPad> On Apr 24, 2021, at 4:02 AM, Joe K2UF <[email protected]> wrote:> > In 1955 we were the cool guys with a slide rule in a leather case hanging> from your belt and india ink stains on your hands.> > 73 Joe K2UF > > -----Original Message-----> From: [email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Wayne Burdick> Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2021 1:09 AM> To: Elecraft Reflector> Subject: [Elecraft] OT: High school drafting class, ~1975> > OK, I've really dated myself now. > > Anyone remember "drafting"? A favorite class in high school: blueprints,> mechanical drawings, schematics, straight edges, hand lettering, projections> and elevations. We invented things to draw that weren't real, but looked> like they should be. Did all the math by hand -- on a slide rule, if> necessary. Day-dreamed about what we might one day build.> > 45 years later, we're using tools we couldn't have imagined. Modeling> circuits and objects with millions of parameters and vectors, realizing them> in virtual space, manipulating them in real time. Testing finished products> before they're even assembled.> > The transformation is mind boggling. Yet the best part now, as it was then,> is the occasional burst of creative energy that propels an idea forward. The> feeling of pieces falling into place. Or forcing them into place out of> sheer necessity. > > Most of the time, we think of our new tools and techniques as advances in> the state of the art. Things we can't live without. But those same defining> moments happened just as often in simpler times.> > Case in point -- my first real project, a rendition of W7ZOI's> Micro-mountaineer. Carefully documenting it took several sheets of> 4-squares-per-inch grid paper, which may still be in my cellar, beneath a> lifetime of such drawings. With the schematic, I took a lot of pride in> making the circuits look well-organized, as if that would somehow improve my> odds. On the PC board, I drew large traces and pads with the etch-resist> pen, as if that would somehow appease the electrons. > > I etched the PCB, soldered two dozen parts, and connected a 12 V lantern> battery. Thanks to my paranoia about what would happen if I did it wrong,> I'd taken my time and done it right. > > I was rewarded with a hiss of band noise and a few CW signals on 40 meters.> > Here's to those moments, and to that timeless pursuit: turning abstractions> into reality.> > 73,> Wayne> N6KR> > ______________________________________________________________> Elecraft mailing list> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm> Post: mailto:[email protected]> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message> delivered to [email protected] > > ______________________________________________________________> Elecraft mailing list> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm> Post: mailto:[email protected]> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html> Message delivered to [email protected] ______________________________________________________________Elecraft mailing listHome: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraftHelp: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htmPost: mailto:[email protected] list hosted by: http://www.qsl.netPlease help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.htmlMessage delivered to [email protected] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected]
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