13 May 2012
21 December 2012 - The End of the World?
Let's see if all those believing the world will end on 21 Dec 2012 will
put their money where their mouths (or fingers in this case) are. Let's see if they're willing to sign a contract that states that on 22 Dec 2012
they will liquidate all of their assets and forward the funds to me. No
exceptions. If they're right, no harm, no foul. If they're wrong,
I'll have additional funds to help my daughter. They will, of course, get credit for their ... ummm ... selfless donations.
09 May 2012
A New Project or Two
The past couple of years have seen some major changes. One of these is health - Noelle's and mine - which has lead to some new projects. In Noelle's case it's the creation of an entire new 3D universe where we can be together (to be described later) and in mine it's methods of counteracting the fact that my hands shake more than ever. I've already had to give up working on watches because the word "Oops!" was heard way too many times resulting in missing parts until I could get someone to scan the carpet in my retirement closet here at the vets' residence with a magnifying headpiece and a pair of tweezers ... and, of course, much steadier hands.
I refuse to give up working with electronics & anything else that requires soldering or micro-welding and I refuse to give up using my watchmaker's, Unimat, Clisby et al lathe. Period. No discussion permitted. The method of counteracting the problem is the same in both cases, motorized equipment to be my hands under the control of a microprocessor or two to "do the math" for me. These are neither CAM nor CNC but rather simple positioning systems using manual and sensed inputs.
The soldering unit will primarily use resistance soldering with different tips available for different situations ranging from mechanical soldering to SMDs. For micro-welding, the first head will be a simple arc welder powered by the 3.3 or 5v outputs from two or three paralleled computer power supplies. A later addition will be a capacitive discharge spot welder but that won't happen until I can develop a clamp that will be strong enough but won't be too heavy. (It may wind up a separate unit with steppers for positioning the work pieces.)
The drives for the lathes will be much like the those for CNC equipment but the controllers will be a lot different. The idea is to use the same drawings I usually would but input each cut so it's made as I would were I doing it by hand including the machine setup. The vast majority of my lathe work is done at the headstock using a 3 or 4-jaw chuck with only occasional need of a tailstock for support. It's more common for me to use a tailstock for center drilling than anything else so having one isn't a big item.
With them is a third project which isn't immediately necessary but may be some day. That is a simple EKG that can retain up to 1/2 hour's worth of history and play it back to an LCD monitor (or an Android device) to give paramedics something to go on. They usually arrive sometime between two and five minutes after a cardiac event so have no clue what actually happened and, while not medical grade, I figure this is better than nothing. Once it's functional, I'd like to add BP and a few other things which will add complexity but also add information available during playback.
If any of these works as I hope it will, it is also part of the plan to make small production runs of them in case I find a market for them.
So much fun for a retired old fart.
I refuse to give up working with electronics & anything else that requires soldering or micro-welding and I refuse to give up using my watchmaker's, Unimat, Clisby et al lathe. Period. No discussion permitted. The method of counteracting the problem is the same in both cases, motorized equipment to be my hands under the control of a microprocessor or two to "do the math" for me. These are neither CAM nor CNC but rather simple positioning systems using manual and sensed inputs.
The soldering unit will primarily use resistance soldering with different tips available for different situations ranging from mechanical soldering to SMDs. For micro-welding, the first head will be a simple arc welder powered by the 3.3 or 5v outputs from two or three paralleled computer power supplies. A later addition will be a capacitive discharge spot welder but that won't happen until I can develop a clamp that will be strong enough but won't be too heavy. (It may wind up a separate unit with steppers for positioning the work pieces.)
The drives for the lathes will be much like the those for CNC equipment but the controllers will be a lot different. The idea is to use the same drawings I usually would but input each cut so it's made as I would were I doing it by hand including the machine setup. The vast majority of my lathe work is done at the headstock using a 3 or 4-jaw chuck with only occasional need of a tailstock for support. It's more common for me to use a tailstock for center drilling than anything else so having one isn't a big item.
With them is a third project which isn't immediately necessary but may be some day. That is a simple EKG that can retain up to 1/2 hour's worth of history and play it back to an LCD monitor (or an Android device) to give paramedics something to go on. They usually arrive sometime between two and five minutes after a cardiac event so have no clue what actually happened and, while not medical grade, I figure this is better than nothing. Once it's functional, I'd like to add BP and a few other things which will add complexity but also add information available during playback.
If any of these works as I hope it will, it is also part of the plan to make small production runs of them in case I find a market for them.
So much fun for a retired old fart.
26 February 2010
The New and Improved HORNET Universe (I hope)
In back of the mind thinking about the new and improved HORNET universe, I keep running into stumbling blocks. Technology is just plain flat out gaining on me too quickly. Even the supposed impossibilities of antigravity (hence G-force compensation), artificial gravity and FTL propulsion (albeit a dimension-hopping workaround) are coming into question, and Star Trek transporters and instantaneous communications will take a giant leap forward once quark pairing is locked down. Replication (3D printing) is already real with some materials (Some prototyping is done this way, though it is still mostly expensive.) and it won’t be long before about anything can be added to the soup … including soup.
I remember a few lively discussions in an old Fido echo about the technology I was using as well as that used by other SF authors was simply beyond the scope of any foreseeable understanding of Physics. They were, in the words of more than a few “experts”, impossible. The word “impossible” and I have never been on speaking terms, and time has invariably proven me right. We are on the bleeding edge of many of those “impossible” things with others not far off. This puts me in a bind because I’m running out of “impossible” things to use in the HORNET universe.
Someone asked my in a private mailing why use a Colt .45 is a world of *buzz* & *zap*, and, even more, why would swords still be in use. My response was that *bang* & *pow* are cheaper and easier to produce than *buzz* & *zap*, and there isn’t an accountant anywhere in the universe not interested in “cheap”. With gunpowder and related technology, you’re not giving away anything you’d really rather not give away in case of captured weapons. Infantry combat (and, counter to what theorists say, there will always be infantry) gets up close and personal which is where loud noisy weapons do their best work. Enemy personal armor will be better disabled with ECM than weapons anyway as would their weapons if they’re using high tech stuff. There’s not a lot that can shut down a gunpowder weapon … unless you load it up with electronics that can be scrambled.
My favorite of all side arms is the Colt M1911A1 .45 ACP automatic so, of course, it’s Healey’s as well. It’s not a whole lot of accurate past 50 feet as built but a lot of kits have been produced to improve the accuracy and the reliability of an already decently reliable weapon. (These mostly improve the slide action since that’s a high wear area and the clip since they tend to lose spring tension after a while – like around 30-40 years.) The metallurgy in the HORNET universe would be vastly superior so there’s no reason to suspect that the weapon wouldn’t incorporate some upgrades in that department even though they’re not stated.
Meanwhile, I’m also thinking that a form of caseless ammo might be used in the future (after the 1st book) so all the blowback is doing is loading the next round. In the original book, there are brasses hitting the deck and I want to leave them for effect but in a combat environment, I’d rather not carry metal that isn’t going to do anything except hold a powder charge. Instead, I’d rather that metal be part of the mass heading out the barrel to do evil damage to who/whatever is on the wrong end of the weapon. This may require a minor redesign of the chamber but it should be doable.
As to swords … Why do we teach edged weapon combat in the 21st century? Because it works. A bladed weapon is quiet and excellent for in close use, plus has a multitude of uses. Combat knives and bayonets are part of the individual ground pounder’s bag of tricks, and one country used bayonets with blades about 17” long and a handle attached so they could be used as what was effectively a short sword. (Argentine Mauser, I believe during WW II though it may have been earlier) Others were nearly as long and quite effective, although now they’ve settled in around 6-8” and the roles of combat knife and bayonet have merged into one weapon. Even so, one on one bladed combat is still part of the curriculum for the infantry … or was last I heard.
In general, the use of swords has fallen into disfavor as a combat weapon although the Japanese officers (and senior NCOs?) used katanas during WW II to all too great effect. They are still viewed as a “weapon of honor” in some circles, an attitude to which I subscribe. I also see them as being included at some point into existing martial arts to create an entirely new and even deadlier form as well as providing those trained in their use an added edge (pun not intended) in silencing sentries etc in a way that also can be used as a terror weapon. Nothing like discovering the people you depended on for early warning decapitated and having no idea where the person is who did the decapitating. (And, yes, I see a continuing need for living sentries since people of any species would have a better ability to use their senses than any machine could. It’s genetic. :-) )
For the Iish-nang, the sword is part of the uniform although the specific one used is up to individual taste. Healey uses a katana for the same reason I like them. While the blade is shorter than some, the weapon’s balance and “feel” is significantly better and with Healey’s modification to the blade to provide a better point, it becomes a far better thrusting weapon than the original design. (Katanas are primarily slashing weapons with less usefulness for thrusting than other swords, sabers et al.) This goes back to my own training with foil etc and a preference for thrusting over slashing.
He has one other habit of mine. Due to my height, people assume I’d attack along a high line. This wasn’t always the case. I’d feint high a lot but the attack could either be high or low dependent on how my opponent was defending. I also liked an off center attack (dangerous since they often left me open to a counter) since they were unexpected and sometimes confused my opponent enough to be successful. My arm length also put me at an advantage since with most opponents I could extend around or through their defense without danger of them scoring on me. The ones who were my height and I had fun since we knew each other’s tricks so it became a matter of who was faster or who blinked first. On the other hand, there was a girl in one of my classes who was shorter than my 2nd ex-wife and was a terror on two legs. She was fast and could get inside any defense one put up without even breathing hard. (She was cute too, but that’s a whole ‘nother story for a whole ‘nother time. :-) )
But another reason for the gunpowder and steel is that they, like Healey, are anachronisms that fly in the face of the technological wizardry and provide mutually reinforcing harsh contrasts to it. As a few out there may have noticed, I like contrast as a stylistic device.
But I’m still left with the problem of technology and trying to second guess where it will be in the HORNET universe. It’s almost enough to drive me sane!
I remember a few lively discussions in an old Fido echo about the technology I was using as well as that used by other SF authors was simply beyond the scope of any foreseeable understanding of Physics. They were, in the words of more than a few “experts”, impossible. The word “impossible” and I have never been on speaking terms, and time has invariably proven me right. We are on the bleeding edge of many of those “impossible” things with others not far off. This puts me in a bind because I’m running out of “impossible” things to use in the HORNET universe.
Someone asked my in a private mailing why use a Colt .45 is a world of *buzz* & *zap*, and, even more, why would swords still be in use. My response was that *bang* & *pow* are cheaper and easier to produce than *buzz* & *zap*, and there isn’t an accountant anywhere in the universe not interested in “cheap”. With gunpowder and related technology, you’re not giving away anything you’d really rather not give away in case of captured weapons. Infantry combat (and, counter to what theorists say, there will always be infantry) gets up close and personal which is where loud noisy weapons do their best work. Enemy personal armor will be better disabled with ECM than weapons anyway as would their weapons if they’re using high tech stuff. There’s not a lot that can shut down a gunpowder weapon … unless you load it up with electronics that can be scrambled.
My favorite of all side arms is the Colt M1911A1 .45 ACP automatic so, of course, it’s Healey’s as well. It’s not a whole lot of accurate past 50 feet as built but a lot of kits have been produced to improve the accuracy and the reliability of an already decently reliable weapon. (These mostly improve the slide action since that’s a high wear area and the clip since they tend to lose spring tension after a while – like around 30-40 years.) The metallurgy in the HORNET universe would be vastly superior so there’s no reason to suspect that the weapon wouldn’t incorporate some upgrades in that department even though they’re not stated.
Meanwhile, I’m also thinking that a form of caseless ammo might be used in the future (after the 1st book) so all the blowback is doing is loading the next round. In the original book, there are brasses hitting the deck and I want to leave them for effect but in a combat environment, I’d rather not carry metal that isn’t going to do anything except hold a powder charge. Instead, I’d rather that metal be part of the mass heading out the barrel to do evil damage to who/whatever is on the wrong end of the weapon. This may require a minor redesign of the chamber but it should be doable.
As to swords … Why do we teach edged weapon combat in the 21st century? Because it works. A bladed weapon is quiet and excellent for in close use, plus has a multitude of uses. Combat knives and bayonets are part of the individual ground pounder’s bag of tricks, and one country used bayonets with blades about 17” long and a handle attached so they could be used as what was effectively a short sword. (Argentine Mauser, I believe during WW II though it may have been earlier) Others were nearly as long and quite effective, although now they’ve settled in around 6-8” and the roles of combat knife and bayonet have merged into one weapon. Even so, one on one bladed combat is still part of the curriculum for the infantry … or was last I heard.
In general, the use of swords has fallen into disfavor as a combat weapon although the Japanese officers (and senior NCOs?) used katanas during WW II to all too great effect. They are still viewed as a “weapon of honor” in some circles, an attitude to which I subscribe. I also see them as being included at some point into existing martial arts to create an entirely new and even deadlier form as well as providing those trained in their use an added edge (pun not intended) in silencing sentries etc in a way that also can be used as a terror weapon. Nothing like discovering the people you depended on for early warning decapitated and having no idea where the person is who did the decapitating. (And, yes, I see a continuing need for living sentries since people of any species would have a better ability to use their senses than any machine could. It’s genetic. :-) )
For the Iish-nang, the sword is part of the uniform although the specific one used is up to individual taste. Healey uses a katana for the same reason I like them. While the blade is shorter than some, the weapon’s balance and “feel” is significantly better and with Healey’s modification to the blade to provide a better point, it becomes a far better thrusting weapon than the original design. (Katanas are primarily slashing weapons with less usefulness for thrusting than other swords, sabers et al.) This goes back to my own training with foil etc and a preference for thrusting over slashing.
He has one other habit of mine. Due to my height, people assume I’d attack along a high line. This wasn’t always the case. I’d feint high a lot but the attack could either be high or low dependent on how my opponent was defending. I also liked an off center attack (dangerous since they often left me open to a counter) since they were unexpected and sometimes confused my opponent enough to be successful. My arm length also put me at an advantage since with most opponents I could extend around or through their defense without danger of them scoring on me. The ones who were my height and I had fun since we knew each other’s tricks so it became a matter of who was faster or who blinked first. On the other hand, there was a girl in one of my classes who was shorter than my 2nd ex-wife and was a terror on two legs. She was fast and could get inside any defense one put up without even breathing hard. (She was cute too, but that’s a whole ‘nother story for a whole ‘nother time. :-) )
But another reason for the gunpowder and steel is that they, like Healey, are anachronisms that fly in the face of the technological wizardry and provide mutually reinforcing harsh contrasts to it. As a few out there may have noticed, I like contrast as a stylistic device.
But I’m still left with the problem of technology and trying to second guess where it will be in the HORNET universe. It’s almost enough to drive me sane!
31 May 2009
How About a Hummer Instead?
Okay, they're big. They drink fuel like they own a well or seven. They are the very symbol of fuel hoggishness. But this is more of an application-based decision. Remember the comments I made about the Jeep being a second vehicle for the communications "complex." It is 18 years old and ... well, tired. Much as I love it, an H2 with its extra towing capability (6500 pounds vs 4500 pounds for the H3 and 1500 pounds for my YJ) or an H3 with its better ground clearance and approach & departure angles would be a better choice ... especially since the Jeep only has a Bikini top and half doors which do little to keep out the weather.
Okay, so let's go back to this towing capability thingie. The way I see it, a trailer might work as well as a truck/whatever as the mobile communications shelter. Using the U-Haul type truck as an example, without the weight of the cab, driveline and all that other icky stuff and the extra length presented by a cab, this makes for an interesting and quite useable solution. In this case, I'm thinking along the lines of a trailer made the same way people use pickup beds to make trailers, although the braking would be an issue. Electric over hydraulic? Maybe. I'd need someone who knows trailers like this a lot better than I do to piece it all together.
Late addition: The H3 seems to be the best option if I can find a suitable trailer to go with it. Even without, it can be set up for light communications service like the truck would be just without the higher power equipment or the "show and tell" capability. The Jeep can pick up some of the latter slack but nowhere near all of it. For that also, the trailer will be needed.
So how was your day?
Kludge
Okay, so let's go back to this towing capability thingie. The way I see it, a trailer might work as well as a truck/whatever as the mobile communications shelter. Using the U-Haul type truck as an example, without the weight of the cab, driveline and all that other icky stuff and the extra length presented by a cab, this makes for an interesting and quite useable solution. In this case, I'm thinking along the lines of a trailer made the same way people use pickup beds to make trailers, although the braking would be an issue. Electric over hydraulic? Maybe. I'd need someone who knows trailers like this a lot better than I do to piece it all together.
Late addition: The H3 seems to be the best option if I can find a suitable trailer to go with it. Even without, it can be set up for light communications service like the truck would be just without the higher power equipment or the "show and tell" capability. The Jeep can pick up some of the latter slack but nowhere near all of it. For that also, the trailer will be needed.
So how was your day?
Kludge
24 May 2009
I need a truck!
Previously mentioned somewhere is that I am a ham radio operator only I cannot operate from my apartment for two reasons. First, the building has a few house rules that would make draconian seem wonderful, and several relate to creating an external antenna. But the second involves a more stringent set of rules, those being the physical laws related to electronics to the point that I can’t receive the WWVH time signal and the transmitters are all of 100 miles away on Kauai.
Something that would be extremely helpful for me is a small straight truck (think: older U-Haul but maybe with more ground clearance), box-type ambulance or short bus that I can convert to a multipurpose mobile communications shelter. The vehicle would have to have a GVW of under 15,000 pounds due to having a class 3 license and be able to be altered easily to allow enough ground clearance for driving unimproved roads, going over curbs and tours across more or less level fields as needed – not four-wheeling type of driving but not always on the road either. It would preferably have a 24 volt electrical system rather than 12 volt like most civilian cars & trucks (or be easily convertible to 24 volts) and have space for a gas generator for 115 VAC underneath out of harm’s way. (I would also love a Diesel engine but that would be a stretch even under good conditions.)
The vehicle would serve several purposes. The first two are personal. First, it would provide not only occupational therapy and some physical therapy for me (I’m a disabled vet.) but also help with overcoming agoraphobia and anxiety plus rebuilding something vaguely resembling self-esteem. The second is to allow me to pursue my hobby as a ham radio operator, something I cannot do from my apartment for the reasons previously mentioned.
After that come community service applications. Of these, the first is in providing communications support to public safety and medical services in emergencies. (More on this in the following paragraphs.) Beyond that, it will allow me to be somewhat of an educator, something at which I have some experience, by setting up older [mostly] military radio equipment – dating back to before WW II in a few cases – for “show and tell” at schools, the Ford Island Museum and where ever else it may be desired. Some of that equipment, mostly Viet Nam era and some later, will also be part of the emergency services communications inventory in sort of a “two for the price of one” arrangement.
(Note: This is worded for Oahu but applies nationwide.) Amateur radio operators have provided support for emergency services and special events nation wide for quite a while (measured in decades) and are well organized for doing so. If you’ve watched the Honolulu Marathon or any of a number of other public events, you may have seen the people with the handheld radios. They are amateurs providing information on the progress of the race, people who wound up at aid stations or just dropped out, and similar details to organizers, emergency personnel and anyone else concerned. In an emergency situation such as a hurricane or tsunami, they help coordinate between emergency services, city hall, CD, hospitals et al by providing communications links between them that would otherwise not exist or would do so at a high public expense.
Waianae has no coverage since the majority of the amateurs and needs are along the South Shore with the rest predominantly Windward. On the other hand, the Waianae Coast is the first part of the island cut off from the rest and the last to be “reunited.” The first time someone would show up Leeward is maybe three days in and that would be only as far as Kapolei. According to various sources, the earliest we can expect support further up the coast after a major disaster is after around a week, and that may be by sea rather than land or air.
This vehicle would be converted to provide support as one of two vehicles, my Jeep being the second. Each has strengths and weaknesses but used together properly they can provide decent coverage until help arrives. I’m also hoping that the presence of such a vehicle will entice additional support out here earlier which would be beneficial to all concerned. (The larger vehicle will also be my “home” for the duration with a bunk and at least a week’s worth of supplies and water aboard.)
For hams and other interested parties: The emergency-related equipment aboard would be predominantly HF but some 2M FM equipment would be mounted as well in hopes of overcoming the geographic problems related to creating a link there as well. I think it can be done but only by using the comm shelter as a relay between an HT or two and/or Jeep-mounted equipment. (Think: Mini-repeaters with simplex between myself and the shelter.) Aside from my own use, the preponderance of HF equipment will allow for off-net (so as to not interfere with established nets) SSB/CW/RTTY communications with the mainland which hopefully will allow the HF nets to operate in a more coordinated manner.
The educational side relates to my interest in older electronics, especially World War II Naval Air radios and some Army ground equipment. Many people see the airplanes, tanks, weapons and all the rest of the “glorious” pieces and forget things like the radios responsible for keeping things working properly by helping coordinate operations. The plan is to have on board (though not permanently) examples of each from WW II with a few as recent as the Viet Nam War. For practical reasons I can’t carry, store or even own all the sets used though I do hope to have photographs of most of the ones not aboard plus how the ones I will have were used. Before I left the mainland, I was both an instructor in computer programming and aviation related subjects plus did one-on-one with people with problems in ham radio, computers, aviation and a variety of different areas. (My time as a minister was also spent in one-on-one counseling which helped significantly.)
My own interest started over fifty years ago, first by building radios from publications printed in the 1930s and then working with military surplus equipment. I continued that use of homemade and surplus until 2006 when I acquired my first piece of commercially made amateur equipment which, incidentally, was made around 1960. This transmitter and a companion receiver will be major operating pieces aboard the vehicle to show that vacuum tubes aren’t dead yet. With luck, all of the military equipment will be operational and will be able to be tuned up on one or another of the amateur bands to see if a contact can be made. (The Jeep can also take part in this as well by supporting a few of the military sets.) I also hope to have some old amateur equipment, some made from war surplus and some older than I am … and I was born in 1945.
None of this can happen quickly since I’ll be working alone using my own funds. I don’t even know how I’ll afford registering and insuring the vehicle let alone managing the other expenses. My VA disability pension doesn’t allow for much in the way of disposable income plus I have two other projects going, taking care of my daughter (on the mainland with MS and a host of other disorders) and a non-fiction book I’ve been working on for the past several years to replace a publication I wrote some 30 years ago. None the less, I consider this a worthwhile project in its own right and hope to find a way to make it happen.
And how was your day?
Kludge
Something that would be extremely helpful for me is a small straight truck (think: older U-Haul but maybe with more ground clearance), box-type ambulance or short bus that I can convert to a multipurpose mobile communications shelter. The vehicle would have to have a GVW of under 15,000 pounds due to having a class 3 license and be able to be altered easily to allow enough ground clearance for driving unimproved roads, going over curbs and tours across more or less level fields as needed – not four-wheeling type of driving but not always on the road either. It would preferably have a 24 volt electrical system rather than 12 volt like most civilian cars & trucks (or be easily convertible to 24 volts) and have space for a gas generator for 115 VAC underneath out of harm’s way. (I would also love a Diesel engine but that would be a stretch even under good conditions.)
The vehicle would serve several purposes. The first two are personal. First, it would provide not only occupational therapy and some physical therapy for me (I’m a disabled vet.) but also help with overcoming agoraphobia and anxiety plus rebuilding something vaguely resembling self-esteem. The second is to allow me to pursue my hobby as a ham radio operator, something I cannot do from my apartment for the reasons previously mentioned.
After that come community service applications. Of these, the first is in providing communications support to public safety and medical services in emergencies. (More on this in the following paragraphs.) Beyond that, it will allow me to be somewhat of an educator, something at which I have some experience, by setting up older [mostly] military radio equipment – dating back to before WW II in a few cases – for “show and tell” at schools, the Ford Island Museum and where ever else it may be desired. Some of that equipment, mostly Viet Nam era and some later, will also be part of the emergency services communications inventory in sort of a “two for the price of one” arrangement.
(Note: This is worded for Oahu but applies nationwide.) Amateur radio operators have provided support for emergency services and special events nation wide for quite a while (measured in decades) and are well organized for doing so. If you’ve watched the Honolulu Marathon or any of a number of other public events, you may have seen the people with the handheld radios. They are amateurs providing information on the progress of the race, people who wound up at aid stations or just dropped out, and similar details to organizers, emergency personnel and anyone else concerned. In an emergency situation such as a hurricane or tsunami, they help coordinate between emergency services, city hall, CD, hospitals et al by providing communications links between them that would otherwise not exist or would do so at a high public expense.
Waianae has no coverage since the majority of the amateurs and needs are along the South Shore with the rest predominantly Windward. On the other hand, the Waianae Coast is the first part of the island cut off from the rest and the last to be “reunited.” The first time someone would show up Leeward is maybe three days in and that would be only as far as Kapolei. According to various sources, the earliest we can expect support further up the coast after a major disaster is after around a week, and that may be by sea rather than land or air.
This vehicle would be converted to provide support as one of two vehicles, my Jeep being the second. Each has strengths and weaknesses but used together properly they can provide decent coverage until help arrives. I’m also hoping that the presence of such a vehicle will entice additional support out here earlier which would be beneficial to all concerned. (The larger vehicle will also be my “home” for the duration with a bunk and at least a week’s worth of supplies and water aboard.)
For hams and other interested parties: The emergency-related equipment aboard would be predominantly HF but some 2M FM equipment would be mounted as well in hopes of overcoming the geographic problems related to creating a link there as well. I think it can be done but only by using the comm shelter as a relay between an HT or two and/or Jeep-mounted equipment. (Think: Mini-repeaters with simplex between myself and the shelter.) Aside from my own use, the preponderance of HF equipment will allow for off-net (so as to not interfere with established nets) SSB/CW/RTTY communications with the mainland which hopefully will allow the HF nets to operate in a more coordinated manner.
The educational side relates to my interest in older electronics, especially World War II Naval Air radios and some Army ground equipment. Many people see the airplanes, tanks, weapons and all the rest of the “glorious” pieces and forget things like the radios responsible for keeping things working properly by helping coordinate operations. The plan is to have on board (though not permanently) examples of each from WW II with a few as recent as the Viet Nam War. For practical reasons I can’t carry, store or even own all the sets used though I do hope to have photographs of most of the ones not aboard plus how the ones I will have were used. Before I left the mainland, I was both an instructor in computer programming and aviation related subjects plus did one-on-one with people with problems in ham radio, computers, aviation and a variety of different areas. (My time as a minister was also spent in one-on-one counseling which helped significantly.)
My own interest started over fifty years ago, first by building radios from publications printed in the 1930s and then working with military surplus equipment. I continued that use of homemade and surplus until 2006 when I acquired my first piece of commercially made amateur equipment which, incidentally, was made around 1960. This transmitter and a companion receiver will be major operating pieces aboard the vehicle to show that vacuum tubes aren’t dead yet. With luck, all of the military equipment will be operational and will be able to be tuned up on one or another of the amateur bands to see if a contact can be made. (The Jeep can also take part in this as well by supporting a few of the military sets.) I also hope to have some old amateur equipment, some made from war surplus and some older than I am … and I was born in 1945.
None of this can happen quickly since I’ll be working alone using my own funds. I don’t even know how I’ll afford registering and insuring the vehicle let alone managing the other expenses. My VA disability pension doesn’t allow for much in the way of disposable income plus I have two other projects going, taking care of my daughter (on the mainland with MS and a host of other disorders) and a non-fiction book I’ve been working on for the past several years to replace a publication I wrote some 30 years ago. None the less, I consider this a worthwhile project in its own right and hope to find a way to make it happen.
And how was your day?
Kludge
23 March 2009
07 December 2008
Post-Apocalyptic Neo-Victorian Railroad Equipment
Later on, after I've got the Noelle-machines well in hand, I hope to get a HO and/or N scale locomotive or two to convert into post-apocalyptic neo-Victorian weirdness.
Okay, let me back up on this. Back on the mainland, I ran into a few rail systems associated with mining and manufacturing operations. The track gauge ran between 15” and 18”, the same range that some live steamers and amusement park roads use/used. In doing a little research I found that the locomotives were electric, gas, Diesel and, on occasion, steam, and that the trackage ranged between one and two foot gauge. The ones I knew were mostly electric or Diesel, decidedly small and occasionally odd.
While there are some disadvantages, extremely narrow gauge railways have some distinct advantages for the post-apocalyptic world. The first is that they would be a lot cheaper to build and maintain. Track would be easy to find and, due to the much lighter equipment, a little less time and effort would be needed for relaying it as far as tie spacing et al are concerned. The second is that cars would be easy to fabricate from wood including the wheel sets, which would likely have steel tires. The third is that both steam and electric prime movers (fancy word for locomotive) could be made using existing technology engines adapted to a moving platform, though I tend to think electric locomotives powered by local generators would be the prevalent system. A cable drawn system would also possible so there is no true locomotive on a train, just a place for an “engineer” to couple and uncouple from the cable and to operate the brakes, such as they would be.
Several systems come to mind for transmitting power to an electric locomotive. The easiest is to simply electrify the rails – one on each side of the generator – with some precautions against short circuits. After that are a third rail system or a trolley wire, both of which can be found in a great number of different forms. They all have obvious inherent dangers but society would be dangerous anyway under the conditions so this would be nothing really new.
As my previous entries indicate, I like post-apocalyptic and neo-Victorian approaches to design. Combining them makes for interesting possibilities since the former is based on necessity and available materials while the latter tends to be visually appealing. Putting them together results in something that would come from an emergent society born out of post-apocalyptic necessity that can finally take the time to express itself artistically.
The status of the “oil & power barons” in the post apocalyptic world described previously would be a variable but I think that by the time a more or less uniform society (or at least regionally so) forms, some “accommodation” would have been met although not necessarily by peaceful methods. This would still be a society in which violence is way too common despite years of hammering out truces and cooperative agreements. But even with oil and electricity being more readily available, most if not all of the machines that depended on it prior to The Event would have deteriorated to the point of no longer being useable and/or would have been stripped for parts.
Model railroad narrow gauge track is designated with a three part identifier. The first is the scale – HO, N, O, 1/2” (1:24), etc. Then there’s an ‘n’ to designate narrow gauge. The last part is the track gauge in inches except in cases like HOn3 which is 3’ gauge, a common size used throughout the US for narrow gauge roads. Sometimes, just to confuse things, 30” gauge is designated as 70cm, thanks to our European cousins who actually are responsible for standard gauge being 4’ 8-1/2” which dates back to Roman times.
Model railroad track size is expressed in thousandths and designated as the track’s “code.” For example, code 40 is .040” tall while code 125 is .125” tall. The ones I can recall right off are 25 (or 30?), 40, 55, 70, 83, 100 and 125. In N scale code 125 track is 20” tall but in 1/2” scale it’s only 3” tall – really lightweight track that might be used for normal narrow gauge right of way, though I think even that was heavier. On the other hand, that’s about the height of the track I remember seeing at a few mines and more than one factory.
HO scale track is reasonably close to being 1/2”n15 (I know – it’s not a recognized gauge.) while N scale track is closer to On18 which is recognized but as a mining gauge. For those who are curious, Z scale track comes out to be On11 or HOn22, the latter of which is close enough to 2’ to be useable. I think they qualify as narrow gauge. N scale track is 1/2”n8.5 which is like the On11 – not too useful except for pushcarts. Mostly
Anyone who’s got a grasp on how my mind works knows that I don’t have a real grasp on it. Or reality, a lot of the time. As I suggested a few paragraphs up (as well as in previous posts), necessity drives invention and that, in turn, can create some rather unusual combinations like N scale trucks on code 125 track. To anyone accustomed to seeing reasonably scaled layouts, this would be ludicrous but were I to model this equipment, it wouldn’t be anything even vaguely resembling conventional and the combination would fit perfectly.
I’ll add more as the sketches solidify
So how was your day?
Kludge
Okay, let me back up on this. Back on the mainland, I ran into a few rail systems associated with mining and manufacturing operations. The track gauge ran between 15” and 18”, the same range that some live steamers and amusement park roads use/used. In doing a little research I found that the locomotives were electric, gas, Diesel and, on occasion, steam, and that the trackage ranged between one and two foot gauge. The ones I knew were mostly electric or Diesel, decidedly small and occasionally odd.
While there are some disadvantages, extremely narrow gauge railways have some distinct advantages for the post-apocalyptic world. The first is that they would be a lot cheaper to build and maintain. Track would be easy to find and, due to the much lighter equipment, a little less time and effort would be needed for relaying it as far as tie spacing et al are concerned. The second is that cars would be easy to fabricate from wood including the wheel sets, which would likely have steel tires. The third is that both steam and electric prime movers (fancy word for locomotive) could be made using existing technology engines adapted to a moving platform, though I tend to think electric locomotives powered by local generators would be the prevalent system. A cable drawn system would also possible so there is no true locomotive on a train, just a place for an “engineer” to couple and uncouple from the cable and to operate the brakes, such as they would be.
Several systems come to mind for transmitting power to an electric locomotive. The easiest is to simply electrify the rails – one on each side of the generator – with some precautions against short circuits. After that are a third rail system or a trolley wire, both of which can be found in a great number of different forms. They all have obvious inherent dangers but society would be dangerous anyway under the conditions so this would be nothing really new.
As my previous entries indicate, I like post-apocalyptic and neo-Victorian approaches to design. Combining them makes for interesting possibilities since the former is based on necessity and available materials while the latter tends to be visually appealing. Putting them together results in something that would come from an emergent society born out of post-apocalyptic necessity that can finally take the time to express itself artistically.
The status of the “oil & power barons” in the post apocalyptic world described previously would be a variable but I think that by the time a more or less uniform society (or at least regionally so) forms, some “accommodation” would have been met although not necessarily by peaceful methods. This would still be a society in which violence is way too common despite years of hammering out truces and cooperative agreements. But even with oil and electricity being more readily available, most if not all of the machines that depended on it prior to The Event would have deteriorated to the point of no longer being useable and/or would have been stripped for parts.
Model railroad narrow gauge track is designated with a three part identifier. The first is the scale – HO, N, O, 1/2” (1:24), etc. Then there’s an ‘n’ to designate narrow gauge. The last part is the track gauge in inches except in cases like HOn3 which is 3’ gauge, a common size used throughout the US for narrow gauge roads. Sometimes, just to confuse things, 30” gauge is designated as 70cm, thanks to our European cousins who actually are responsible for standard gauge being 4’ 8-1/2” which dates back to Roman times.
Model railroad track size is expressed in thousandths and designated as the track’s “code.” For example, code 40 is .040” tall while code 125 is .125” tall. The ones I can recall right off are 25 (or 30?), 40, 55, 70, 83, 100 and 125. In N scale code 125 track is 20” tall but in 1/2” scale it’s only 3” tall – really lightweight track that might be used for normal narrow gauge right of way, though I think even that was heavier. On the other hand, that’s about the height of the track I remember seeing at a few mines and more than one factory.
HO scale track is reasonably close to being 1/2”n15 (I know – it’s not a recognized gauge.) while N scale track is closer to On18 which is recognized but as a mining gauge. For those who are curious, Z scale track comes out to be On11 or HOn22, the latter of which is close enough to 2’ to be useable. I think they qualify as narrow gauge. N scale track is 1/2”n8.5 which is like the On11 – not too useful except for pushcarts. Mostly
Anyone who’s got a grasp on how my mind works knows that I don’t have a real grasp on it. Or reality, a lot of the time. As I suggested a few paragraphs up (as well as in previous posts), necessity drives invention and that, in turn, can create some rather unusual combinations like N scale trucks on code 125 track. To anyone accustomed to seeing reasonably scaled layouts, this would be ludicrous but were I to model this equipment, it wouldn’t be anything even vaguely resembling conventional and the combination would fit perfectly.
I’ll add more as the sketches solidify
So how was your day?
Kludge
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