I believe he's a retired machinist. He's on the waiting list for a Helicycle single-place turbine helicopter kit. Maybe the waiting is driving him a little batty!
He also is working on 1/3-scale Harley engine replicas that run, and apparently has quite a few well-off bikers interested in them as a novelty. His process for casting pistons was an amazing thing to see explained. ----- Original Message ----- From: Tom To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 1:07 AM Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: just thinking Now THAT takes skill! I can't even imagine someone doing that. Do you know what his occupation is? Is it related? Tom --- In [email protected], "Paul Plack" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I think this comes down to a matter of personality types. I've always been a little on the A.D.D side, discouraged by projects of overwhelming complexity. I enjoy designing systems to the block-diagram stage, then get somewhat frustrated trying to figure out small details, especially if I know other people have already invented that wheel. > > I'm a ham, not a pro, so nobody's keeping track of my productivity on a project, and I'm not punching a clock. I just like to get my personal projects right the first time. > > On the other hand, I acknoweldge - and respect - people who find personal satisfaction in working out the details. I'm grateful they exist, and we even make a pretty good team. > > I was at an aircraft meet recently where there was a guy who built a 1/3-scale Chevy small-block V8, accurate in nearly every detail, and the thing even runs, burning Coleman lantern fuel. He used weedeater carbs, but made his own castings, even down to the water pump, and welded steel tube headers for it. I couldn't imagine doing that myself, but I sure admired his work! > > 73, > Paul, AE4KR > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Tom > To: [email protected] > Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 12:15 AM > Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: just thinking > > > Jim, > I, too, worked in electronics for some 45+ years, mostly in LMR > communications and I concur 100% with your post. It's easy for me to > forget that there are commercial folks here also that need to get the > job done in the most correct and quickest way possible, especially > since I have been retired for a while. My comments were (incorrectly) > assuming a 100% hobbyist readership. Now days nothing happens quickly > for me; something I only dreamed about while I was working. Anyway, > for the hobbyist, I still advocate trying to work out the issues first > by yourself and then, if you still see a blank wall, look for help. > You just may be VERY pleased with the result. > Tom > > --- In [email protected], Jim Brown <w5zit@> wrote: > > > > Tom, its really a matter of productivity. Doing something as a > hobby is one thing, and you do learn more by doing it yourself and > then finding out how to really do it right, but that sure does not cut > it if you are in a commercial environment. > > > > I started as a circuit designer and after 10 years, I supervised 4 > groups of 5 engineers each, and one thing I did was lean on my folks > to discuss problems with their piers to find a faster and less > complicated solution to a particular job. I found my 4 supervisers > very quickly as the folks who interacted with others in the groups and > tried to help with any problems that came up. > > > > When I shifted to Systems Engineering, I knew right off the bat that > the guys to listen to for designing a system that will work are the > guys that are going to have to build it. A free exchange of > information that leads to a design to fit a goal with the fewest > pitfalls in the implementation is the most reliable way to success. > > > > I tend to view repeater building the same way. Listen to the folks > who have been there and done that. Even though I have been building > repeaters since the early 1970s (WR5ADU and WR5ADV) I can say that I > have learned a lot about repeaters on this list and from the repeater > builder site. I feel free to plagerize any design or idea that will > help my project - HI. The NIH (Not Invented Here) way of thinking is > a sure fire way to make your efforts much more difficult. > > > > 73 - Jim W5ZIT > > > > --- On Sun, 7/20/08, Tom <tallinson2@> wrote: > > From: Tom <tallinson2@> > > Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: just thinking > > To: [email protected] > > Date: Sunday, July 20, 2008, 12:29 AM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > This is not to minimize Repeater-Builder and other good > sites that are > > > > a tremendous resource of information that would be difficult, or > > > > impossible, to obtain in times past; however having the answer to most > > > > every obstacle takes some of the fun and challenge out of the process. > > > > It's almost become a "cookbook" experience. Having to scrounge all > > > > over He??'s half acre for answers to the obstacle at hand was part of > > > > the challenge and resulted in an enormous sense of accomplishment when > > > > the answer finally was found. Yeah it's easy and more sure, but a lot > > > > of the "mystery" is gone. Just my 2cents. > > > > Tom > > > > > > > > --- In Repeater-Builder@ yahoogroups. com, Jim Brown <w5zit@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Amen to that !!! 40 years ago would have been even better - (if > > > > there had been an internet) > > > > > > > > > > 73 - Jim W5ZIT > > > > >
