slow going yet one more "rush hour" home, but this time the bus was delayed for only 20 minutes. it has been as bad as several hours.
kind of like an old-fashioned winter this year... used to be when I was a kid, it snowed an inch or two every two or three days. we've got it back again. and most people can't seem to deal with it. a snowplow whacked a power pole in Chanhassen tonight, for instance, and 6200 people are out in a swath across 25 miles of the greater metro Twin Cities area.
really. people. pay attention, now. IT'S WINTER, DAMMIT! IT SNOWS! IT'S ICY! THE ROADS ARE SQUIRRELLY! WHAT PART OF SHIFT DOWN AND TAKE IT EASY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?
hope to get back to the cx7 monday, I have a couple days of errands to run.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
meet the new year, same as the old year
finally got somewhere on the CX7A power supply. pulled an arc. was not supposed to have been pulling an arc, however ;) there are a lot of step-downs from a central 34 volt master supply for the semiconductor stuff in that hybrid ham transceiver, and at least one of them is shorted. in chasing down the cause, I determined the 34 volt master works.
or at least did until I whacked the supply to a short. back to it in a few days. it's nasty getting to the pass transistors in the machine, and that's where I pulled a temporary short. bad design put the transistors below a bunch of connection jacks, daring you to try and work on the thing.
the supply is supposed to go 0 volts with no current via a foldback loop in case of overcurrent, so the master should be OK. if it's not, I go to a 6-part regulator using a packaged 3-terminal regulator chip, and move forward. because the 34 volt master is fed from something approaching 50 volts DC, I'm using the high-voltage input version of the regulator.
signal/one had a history of issues with that power supply board, and I'm hoping the usual modifications using 3-terminal regulators for the 3 critical semiconductor feeds settles that bookful of problems. if so, it's pull the output tube, and start sneaking up the other supplies. for instance, it's quite helpful to get the screen supply working first, because that lights the Nixie tubes that display frequency. but light up the screen grid in a power transmitting tube without the plate supply of 1600 volts on, and you end up with a flash-bang exercise in making what is now a $540 power tetrode into a $0 gassy triode that just gets hot and does nothing remotely useful.
have written about this in other venues... but the machine was bought off eBay perhaps 8 years ago because it was top of the line and scarce when it came out in 1969... and at $2395 list, way, way out of reach for a new Novice ham in his senior year of high school. monkeys had apparently tried to fix it, losing all the undercover shields. the PS had a bunch of roasted parts, the plate compartment had some issues, appeared to have a grid-cathode short in the output tube, blew the top off one of the 20-watt power transistors driving the tube, burned up circuit board for the display and counter section... and then monkeys tried to fix it.
it's much better now. or should be.
just have to get power on it and see if the sparks and magic smoke stay inside the parts.
or at least did until I whacked the supply to a short. back to it in a few days. it's nasty getting to the pass transistors in the machine, and that's where I pulled a temporary short. bad design put the transistors below a bunch of connection jacks, daring you to try and work on the thing.
the supply is supposed to go 0 volts with no current via a foldback loop in case of overcurrent, so the master should be OK. if it's not, I go to a 6-part regulator using a packaged 3-terminal regulator chip, and move forward. because the 34 volt master is fed from something approaching 50 volts DC, I'm using the high-voltage input version of the regulator.
signal/one had a history of issues with that power supply board, and I'm hoping the usual modifications using 3-terminal regulators for the 3 critical semiconductor feeds settles that bookful of problems. if so, it's pull the output tube, and start sneaking up the other supplies. for instance, it's quite helpful to get the screen supply working first, because that lights the Nixie tubes that display frequency. but light up the screen grid in a power transmitting tube without the plate supply of 1600 volts on, and you end up with a flash-bang exercise in making what is now a $540 power tetrode into a $0 gassy triode that just gets hot and does nothing remotely useful.
have written about this in other venues... but the machine was bought off eBay perhaps 8 years ago because it was top of the line and scarce when it came out in 1969... and at $2395 list, way, way out of reach for a new Novice ham in his senior year of high school. monkeys had apparently tried to fix it, losing all the undercover shields. the PS had a bunch of roasted parts, the plate compartment had some issues, appeared to have a grid-cathode short in the output tube, blew the top off one of the 20-watt power transistors driving the tube, burned up circuit board for the display and counter section... and then monkeys tried to fix it.
it's much better now. or should be.
just have to get power on it and see if the sparks and magic smoke stay inside the parts.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
the Vile Queens Curse: last weekend of 2010
doesn't it seem like a freezing apocylypse happens everywhere the Vile Queens go? they're presently at halftime in the Eagles stadium, two days after the east coast got shut down by a northeaster. coming back home tonight or tomorrow.
well, VQs fans in Fargo will have bookend blizzards Thursday and Friday. same in Barnesville, except their MNDOT road maintenance building burned out this afternoon, they lost two graders and three plow trucks. the twin cities will be getting freezing rain, sleet, and ice Thursday night, changing to 2-4 inches of snow on the ground for the Friday commute.
just about the time the VQs head off to Detroilet for the last game of the year. unless half the team is in the ditch, and the airport runs out of deicer fluid for the planes.
and then facing a 7 billion (or as we typed in the news business, 7 (B) billion) dollar state defecit, they send their VP of begging up the hill crying for a new stadium, with one year left on all their contracts and obligations to the state.
you know, I'm thinking the Howling Wilves didn't escape disaster when they shifted from town center developments in Jersey to football players in Frostbite Falls.
headed back to the trainwreck on tv... .
well, VQs fans in Fargo will have bookend blizzards Thursday and Friday. same in Barnesville, except their MNDOT road maintenance building burned out this afternoon, they lost two graders and three plow trucks. the twin cities will be getting freezing rain, sleet, and ice Thursday night, changing to 2-4 inches of snow on the ground for the Friday commute.
just about the time the VQs head off to Detroilet for the last game of the year. unless half the team is in the ditch, and the airport runs out of deicer fluid for the planes.
and then facing a 7 billion (or as we typed in the news business, 7 (B) billion) dollar state defecit, they send their VP of begging up the hill crying for a new stadium, with one year left on all their contracts and obligations to the state.
you know, I'm thinking the Howling Wilves didn't escape disaster when they shifted from town center developments in Jersey to football players in Frostbite Falls.
headed back to the trainwreck on tv... .
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Scarrrryyyyy Krishhhhhnassssss!
well, not really. but hope you had a fine Chrismas. I'm not into the "letters" thing, because it's too much work inventing all that unlikely crap and embellishing it with kingdoms for the ladies and Pope hats for the guys.
history would have perhaps been milder if we had 35 or so sitting Popes at once, right?
light one here. we buried Mom in April, and snow buried us in December... those are the high points. Son #3 bought tickets to a stunning Vegas show two months ago, and he flew down for the holidays to pick up an old buddy at tech school and cruise up the west coast. which has slid out to the barrier islands under heavy rains, and many roads are still "closed, no updates" in Caliphony, and may be that way for months. oh, we weren't told what stunning Vegas show that will be. should be a clue.
got a root canal for Christmas, and just found out Mom's sister had a heart attack on Christmas day. much better all around, thanks.
the Vile Queens have their third snowout in a row; the Philly game in Philadelphia is blizzarded out and set back to Tuesday night. that's how bad it is. guarantees they won't be moved to LA, who'd want all that freakin' snow on the beaches?
happy new year, and enjoy yourselves!
history would have perhaps been milder if we had 35 or so sitting Popes at once, right?
light one here. we buried Mom in April, and snow buried us in December... those are the high points. Son #3 bought tickets to a stunning Vegas show two months ago, and he flew down for the holidays to pick up an old buddy at tech school and cruise up the west coast. which has slid out to the barrier islands under heavy rains, and many roads are still "closed, no updates" in Caliphony, and may be that way for months. oh, we weren't told what stunning Vegas show that will be. should be a clue.
got a root canal for Christmas, and just found out Mom's sister had a heart attack on Christmas day. much better all around, thanks.
the Vile Queens have their third snowout in a row; the Philly game in Philadelphia is blizzarded out and set back to Tuesday night. that's how bad it is. guarantees they won't be moved to LA, who'd want all that freakin' snow on the beaches?
happy new year, and enjoy yourselves!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Howling Snowpocylpse: 5th largest storm on record
per modern records (1860-on) at the weather service.
17.10 storm total inches in minneapolis, about the same in st. paul, and we are around 17 inches here in the near North Burbs. 22 inches in Oakdale. going to go higher in west central Wisconsin.
one drift on the south side of the roof probably passed 4 feet deep and could be 4-1/2 feet. 3 foot drifts all along the south side of the house roof, a little less over the garage.
so I had to bust out the Avalanche roof clearer, and in three shifts got the drifts broken, and the roof clear up to halfway up. the rest, something apparently like our 17 inch storm total, hell, it'll clear. first wind that comes along will make me feel lots better.
Shawn pushing the blower and me kicking down the drifts, we got the drive clear. if you want to come to the front door, better wear snowshoes and bring your own St. Bernard for rescue, the drifts after we dumped snow in that direction are up to the 4 foot snow fence for a ways, and we'll let God take it away in his own time.
the plow knocked down my front yard snow fence full of Christmas lights and stuff, so I had to stomp out there and dig it out and shore it up.
and the Vile Queens... man, are they snakebit. the Giants were to play here Sunday noon... except the airport closed down and they had to bunk in Kansas City overnight. at 5 am, three rips in the Metrodome room, and it collapsed, with a couple dump trucks worth falling on the field. they might get the HumpDump fixed for the 21st game, and they might not. undt ZO, Zigmunt, ve hear you do not want ze roof in new stadium, yawohl?
there's a reason I love Minnesota.
this ain't it.
17.10 storm total inches in minneapolis, about the same in st. paul, and we are around 17 inches here in the near North Burbs. 22 inches in Oakdale. going to go higher in west central Wisconsin.
one drift on the south side of the roof probably passed 4 feet deep and could be 4-1/2 feet. 3 foot drifts all along the south side of the house roof, a little less over the garage.
so I had to bust out the Avalanche roof clearer, and in three shifts got the drifts broken, and the roof clear up to halfway up. the rest, something apparently like our 17 inch storm total, hell, it'll clear. first wind that comes along will make me feel lots better.
Shawn pushing the blower and me kicking down the drifts, we got the drive clear. if you want to come to the front door, better wear snowshoes and bring your own St. Bernard for rescue, the drifts after we dumped snow in that direction are up to the 4 foot snow fence for a ways, and we'll let God take it away in his own time.
the plow knocked down my front yard snow fence full of Christmas lights and stuff, so I had to stomp out there and dig it out and shore it up.
and the Vile Queens... man, are they snakebit. the Giants were to play here Sunday noon... except the airport closed down and they had to bunk in Kansas City overnight. at 5 am, three rips in the Metrodome room, and it collapsed, with a couple dump trucks worth falling on the field. they might get the HumpDump fixed for the 21st game, and they might not. undt ZO, Zigmunt, ve hear you do not want ze roof in new stadium, yawohl?
there's a reason I love Minnesota.
this ain't it.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
early Howling Snowpocylpse report
first 8 inches of the Howling Snowpocylpse, before noon… drift in the driveway was over a foot. the half-blower bites 10 inches. I was making slow headway when a contractor with a plow came by, and I spent the best $20 of my life 
clearing the way because the night before, as I was making sure we had K1 and charcoal lighter and sale Christmas lights, I called home to make sure wifey didn’t need anything. “Nope, we’re fine.”
this morning… “uh, I made a mistake. we don’t have stuff for the holiday breads for work.”
we got plowed out, pulled all the cars across the street to the park, and son #3 said, “hey, don’t want you freaking out or anything, I’m driving.”
event highlights included sliding off the road coming back, on the wrong side of the highway… getting stuck in the middle of an intersection two blocks from home… and enough raw language to make a Chief Petty Officer turn his head.
but hey, I didn’t freak out or anything. thanks for taking that over, my friend. when it was massively obvious the car was not going anywhere two blocks from home, I pulled my parka hood tight and walked a long, long block to a discount store and back with a car shovel for the son and a bag of cat food for traction.
those Minnesnowtans, they’re soft. We North Dakota kids, we take 40 below with the stinging snow blowing UP in stride.
and I slept the whole afternoon
at 7 PM, we're at 15-1/2 inches in North Burbs, with 20 over at Oakdale MN. the airport shut down before the city buses did, at 11 am. some two foot drifts here, including it appears on the translucent roof over the high deck at Chez Swschrad.
clearing the way because the night before, as I was making sure we had K1 and charcoal lighter and sale Christmas lights, I called home to make sure wifey didn’t need anything. “Nope, we’re fine.”
this morning… “uh, I made a mistake. we don’t have stuff for the holiday breads for work.”
we got plowed out, pulled all the cars across the street to the park, and son #3 said, “hey, don’t want you freaking out or anything, I’m driving.”
event highlights included sliding off the road coming back, on the wrong side of the highway… getting stuck in the middle of an intersection two blocks from home… and enough raw language to make a Chief Petty Officer turn his head.
but hey, I didn’t freak out or anything. thanks for taking that over, my friend. when it was massively obvious the car was not going anywhere two blocks from home, I pulled my parka hood tight and walked a long, long block to a discount store and back with a car shovel for the son and a bag of cat food for traction.
those Minnesnowtans, they’re soft. We North Dakota kids, we take 40 below with the stinging snow blowing UP in stride.
and I slept the whole afternoon
at 7 PM, we're at 15-1/2 inches in North Burbs, with 20 over at Oakdale MN. the airport shut down before the city buses did, at 11 am. some two foot drifts here, including it appears on the translucent roof over the high deck at Chez Swschrad.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
do you know what happens when you pay off credit cards?
it would appear they close 'em as soon as the money transfers.
considering the particular outfit that I just got a letter from, which shall remain nameless but there are all sorts of interesting rumors of cranky stockholders and peek-and-tell outfits about this one, there is only one reaction possible.
Halleluia, Halleluia, free at last!
while you are paying them down, it has become commonplace for the issuer to let you get 800-1000 dollars ahead, and then drop your credit limit down so you've only got enough for an emergency bus ticket home.
you know, this is not a bad thing. leave the big cranky banks in the dust. wind down personal debt and let those boys go whistle.
not that I want it all cut, but give it a month or so for all the reports to gel in the credit bureaus, and I'll be in really good shape, able to buy Rhode Island on a signature.
considering the particular outfit that I just got a letter from, which shall remain nameless but there are all sorts of interesting rumors of cranky stockholders and peek-and-tell outfits about this one, there is only one reaction possible.
Halleluia, Halleluia, free at last!
while you are paying them down, it has become commonplace for the issuer to let you get 800-1000 dollars ahead, and then drop your credit limit down so you've only got enough for an emergency bus ticket home.
you know, this is not a bad thing. leave the big cranky banks in the dust. wind down personal debt and let those boys go whistle.
not that I want it all cut, but give it a month or so for all the reports to gel in the credit bureaus, and I'll be in really good shape, able to buy Rhode Island on a signature.
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