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Hints, Tips and Solutions (Do NOT post requests for help here) If you have any useful general hints and tips for vintage technology repair and restoration, please share them here. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

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Old 10th Jul 2006, 6:40 pm   #41
evingar
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

Quote:
Originally Posted by ppppenguin
Haven't listened to it
I have, and my advice is ......Don't
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Old 11th Jul 2006, 12:11 am   #42
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

Quote:
Originally Posted by G8DLH
. . . . And the user didn't regard a one-inch high pic as a 'problem' " . . .



The range of what the (read: some) human minds will "accept" sometimes completely amazes me . . . .

Al / G8DLH
This I belive! I encountered customers watching mono crts (usually mazda!) that were so flat you could only see the picture in a dark room... lovely picture! one customer I went to for dead set, after I got the set going I noticed the pict was horrible, the blue and green cathode plugs were swapped around so I put them right , set the greyscale and the pict was good... you guessed it ! the cust was horrified ! what have you done?? etc! I soon put it back and made my exit!
The worst was my cousins gran however , she had a Thorn 1500 ,the pict was at 45" and round! The scancoils had slipped down the neck of the crt I put it right in seconds, she was delighted it had been like it for years.... ever since she moved house!
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Old 11th Jul 2006, 11:01 am   #43
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Talking Re: The art of coarse engineering

Quote:
Originally Posted by ppppenguin:

All together now, with apologies to W S Gilbert:
[/I] When engineering duty's to be done, to be done, a technician's lot is not a happy one, happy one.[/I]
Maybe some budding lyricist in the forum will do a few verses of the coarse engineering song.

Hi! Glad to oblige!

The Art of Coarse Engineering

When the customer’s inspecting the installation,
Of the latest piece of gear he’s just received.
You’re getting ready to do Coarse Engineering,
And hoping that this will not be perceived!
Our feelings of annoyance we do smother,
When Technician’s duties are then to be done.
Bodging one bit of strange kit after another,
A Technician’s Lot is not a happy one.
When Coarse Engineering is to be done, to be done,
A Technician’s Lot is not a happy one.

When you’re faced with another design disaster,
It’s as much as you can do to wring your hands.
But then suddenly comes inspiration!
“Err, excuse me – do you have any laccy bands?”
Such is the Art of Coarse Engineering,
With chewing gum and string - we get things done.
Oh no! What’s that? I see smoke appearing!
A Technician’s lot is a very trying one.
When Coarse Engineering must be done, must be done,
A Technician’s lot is a very trying one.

When you don’t have just the right component,
To do the job according to the Book,
The Art says you must fit the nearest,
And hope that nobody else will look!
When the back’s on, you’ll find that EHT cover -
A technician’s duties – there are more than “some”.
“Adjustment” is the Art, you will discover –
A Technician’s Lot is not a happy one.
When Coarse Engineering is to be done, to be done,
A Technician’s Lot is not a happy one.
A Technician’s Lot becomes a very rough and ready one.

Last edited by Paul Stenning; 11th Jul 2006 at 5:39 pm.
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Old 11th Jul 2006, 11:19 am   #44
ppppenguin
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

Must be something in the Evesham water

And for the next timewaster:

I've got a little list,
Of engineering foulups that never would be missed......

(I once heard Bill Oddie playing Ko-Ko, it's often given to a comedian rather than a singer, and on his list was "The ornithologist" after which he did a double take and said "Help! I'm on the list")
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Old 11th Jul 2006, 11:28 am   #45
Skywave
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Talking Re: The art of coarse engineering

Quote:
Originally Posted by ppppenguin
Must be something in the Evesham water

And for the next timewaster:
Thanks! Such flattery will get you everywhere!

Al / G8DLH
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Old 11th Jul 2006, 2:51 pm   #46
mikelect
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

Try and move back on topic guys
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Old 11th Jul 2006, 3:26 pm   #47
ppppenguin
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

There are several tools of particular importance to coarse engineering. Most of them relate to the fine art of Percussive Maintenance (TM). In ascending order of effectiveness:
  • Fist
  • Claw hammer
  • Boot
  • Lump hammer
  • Sledge hammer
In many regions where Percussive Maintenance (TM) is practised there appears to be a shortage of the letter "h". As in this instruction:

'it it 'ard with an 'eavy 'eaded 'ammer!
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Old 13th Jul 2006, 8:40 pm   #48
Andy Day
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

Years ago I worked for Honeywell, who had just about every facility you could wish for. Top guy in the metal bashing shop was Harry Hooton, all the apprentices did the rounds of all the shops. One poor apprentice came to Harry with a problem one the panel he was working on and Harry delivered his judgment. At the top of his voice, "The effing things effing well effed!" Very succinct I thought!
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Old 13th Jul 2006, 10:02 pm   #49
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

Quote:
Originally Posted by G8DLH
Thanks! Such flattery will get you everywhere!

Al / G8DLH
I dont think that comment was aimed a you I think it may have been in response to my "FTW" comments about customers!
got the second two words im sure you can guess the first!
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Old 13th Jul 2006, 10:45 pm   #50
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

Hi all.
I have just discovered a fine example of CE.
I recently obtained a Roberts R707 which has been "got at".The car aerial socket is missing, and the hole is filled by an 'orrible car toggle switch for power. Strangely there is an unused pole on the on off switch. The battery connecton arrangements for the two 6v P996 batteries has been removed and the floor of the set fitted with some wood moulding to allow 2 PP9s to be used ( but there is only one battery clip) and the wooden slat fitted with rubber feet to grip the batteries. Maybe one bay was for storage. But why use PP9s?.
Most of the P996's I see are actually cheaper! Even if one is used it would probably require replacement in half the time. If I have time I'll post some pics! It's all been done surprisingly neatly, and painted black.
Quite a professional bodger!!
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Old 14th Jul 2006, 1:31 am   #51
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

I was a RAF radar technician during my National Service days and was posted to a ground radar site.

There were 3 levels of skilled personel there, The radar operator knew when the equipment needed kicking and he would call in the radar mechanic who knew where to kick it. But the mechanic would then call in the radar technician - he knew how hard to kick it!
John.
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Old 15th Jul 2006, 12:24 am   #52
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Wink Re: The art of coarse engineering

My previous job was in IT: hardware repair / specialised & rugged equipments. (You probably know the sort of stuff I'm referring to - so nuff said!). Anyway, when the occasional "intermittent / NFF" job had been thoroughly "soaked" and temperature cycled - and was still NFF - prior to returning it to the customer, we used to give it the "courier test".
The firm was based on an industrial site that had one access road to it from the main road. The site itself was thus one big ring road - with lots of "sleeping policemen". So, in the back of the estate goes the "EUT" for several quick spins around the block! A subsequent inspection and further "soak" was sometimes quite revealing!
A kinda "courier dummy run". A bit like using "sod's law" in reverse!

BTW: My quote for the week: Logic is a systematic way of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.

Al / G8DLH
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Old 16th Jul 2006, 2:36 pm   #53
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

Hi Gents, this one may have been suitable for the DIY TV thread, but is now closed so here goes.
As a teenager I attended a very good Grammer/Technical school; no rubbish latin subjects but proper tech drawing, metal work, woodwork etc and a good 6th form.
There were many tricks my radio minded friends got up to, but one that sticks in mind was carried out by our budding explosives expert. This was to suspend an old (50's) CRT neck doen in a dustbin full of water and blow the neck off. The "fountain" would go a good 8ft in the air and contained some pretty big bits of glass. We all survived these "tricks"unscathed, but a remined of the power in a vaccum.

Ed
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Old 17th Jul 2006, 11:44 am   #54
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Default Re: The art of coarse engineering

I remember an amusing flow chart for a piece of equipment arriving at a service department. Can anyone send me, or post up, a copy?
Gordon.
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