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- Lucky is how I describe
most of my learning of technical matters and engineering,
before I was even into my teens I was working on cars with
my father, he was always stripping down engines and
gearboxes, repairing bodywork, etc etc, and he was always
keen for me to learn these skills, I did, and he taught me
well, it gave me an interest in motor sport,and I hardly
ever had my own cars into a garage, in my 20's I got
involved with rallying loving every minute of
it, although due to the expense and failing to
find a works drive, I left it behind,
- I managed to dig out the
photo below of the 2Litre escort MkII all fully rally
prepared.
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| But I have always
had an inquisitive mind, when I left
school at the age of 16 I had gone as an
apprentice electrician, again fortunate in that
the firm I was placed with where electrical engineers, and
good ones at that, I was to spend the best part of the next
20 years as an electrical engineer working with a variety of
companies, I was sent on courses for gas welding,
electric welding, mig welding, centre lathe turning, and a
whole host of courses for pneumatics and hydraulics. |
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During this time
though I also had a keen interest in radio, in 1964 after
finishing my electrical apprenticeship I continued with evening
classes taking a radio and television servicing course,
while in the little spare time I had I was a keen short wave
listener, starting out with a 19 set and moving on to an AR88
receiver.
| In the early
70's while still working as an electrical engineer, and as a
Dj in the evenings I was given the opportunity by a Dj
friend to visit the then new BBC Radio Leeds,
they wanted anyone interested to go out with
recording equipment and collect interesting stories on a
freelance basis, both my friend and I where keen and during
the following evenings and weekends we would get together
and visit youth clubs etc, collecting news and interviews
returning them to the studio's and editing them, yes on the
old 1/4 inch real to real tape machines
(Photo Right), in those days with spool sizes up to 17" it
was a very specialised operation, cut too much out of the
story and you couldn't put it back, unlike today's computer
program's like Cool Edit Pro (which I use Today) and SADiE,
where you can save an original copy incase of mistake,
But I thoroughly enjoyed every minute, and as I recall
we must have continued this work freelance for a couple of
years on and off. |
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Having
listened to Radio Hams while short wave listening and with a
thirst for radio, I took the RAE in 1977, now with both the RAE
and Radio and Television Servicing certificates under my belt
electronics where beckoning, call it a twist of fate but in 1982
the company where I was working as an electrical engineer decided
to close its Northern Branch and relocate everything to
London.
Although given the
chance to relocate with them, then having a a wife and children at
school locally I Chose not to go and the following September
signed onto a 3 year course in electronics, leading to a City
& Guilds level three electronics certificate, this covered
everything from advanced logic systems to microprocessor working
and design, this tied in nicely with my new interest in computers,
and a year later I was able to go self employed opening my
own computer shop with both sales and large repairs
facilities, very successful I ran this for 9 years, learning
everything from software design and website building in HTML, to
installing Business Networks, all this together with doing a two
hour show twice a week on the local Hospital Radio station, it
was no mean feat.
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Amateur Radio
wise, while a member of the Denby Dale amateur radio club, I
was to learn a vast knowledge of antenna design
from Fred G8IST photo left (Who had been
a merchant navy radar engineer). His aerial design's
where brilliant, sadly Fred passed away at the early
age of 51, but not before teaching me a lot
of interesting antenna design's and calculations
for frequency/gain and length's of radiating sections etc,
although I have never had the time to put this knowledge to
real use in the past, maybe I will one
day.
In the photo
left, you can just make out one of Fred's
antennas being put together by Fred himself, this
antenna was a double 4 over 4 8 slot dipole for two meters,
making 8 dipoles with phasing harnesses bridging each
bank of slot dipoles, Photo Below, sorry about the quality
of picture. |
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Photo of 4 over 4 8 slot phased 2m
antenna>
As the song goes
regrets I've had a few, and one things I do regret is that
having had two invitations in my early life to go to the
BBC's Evesham training college I never took the offer's up,
and sometimes wonder where that would have taken me, but I
suppose as they say you cannot do everything in
life.
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But still I say, I have
been very lucky to learn all my Technical knowledge while
still enjoying life to the full, I retired a couple of years
ago now, but still put all my electrical and engineering
skills to very great use, and as most people in my age group
say I don't know how I found the time to work hi
hi. |
 | Martin (G8NQN)
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