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Old engineers never stop moving, they just flow from one electron to another...

nevadaOZman

Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2021
Messages
39
Location
Nevada
Hello to your special world. What's my story?... Well, I'm a retired electronic/electrical design engineer. I joined the "kick-back" club a few years ago but have never in my life been so busy!! For real! I have a history that includes starting out in high school playing the trombone... first chair trombone! in the orchestra, and I was also in the marching band. Had a blast! While going to Amador (in mid CA) as a junior, I actually received an invitation from Tommy Newsom (of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson - - if any of you remember those guys) to audition. I didn't know him personally, I hadn't met ANYONE famous yet, but my grandparents lived next door to his parents, and one thing lead to another... Even tho' I could literally play ANY piece or type of music, the issue at the time was I literally had zero self-confidence and ended up respectfully declining. OMG did I come to regret that about 10 years later! (and ever since).

Back at high school I was (WHAT?!) failing a typing class. WOW, I had never typed a thing in my life, never even touched a typewriter, and my mid-term grade was a "D"?! Even tho I was typing BY TOUCH, 43 words a minute on an IBM Selectric (I believe it was called), the teach docked a full GP for each error... Yeah, my avg error rate was 3... so, you know, I was a flaming D student. THAT was totally unacceptable to me and I quit that class that very day. I argued with myself: You came, you saw, you conquered. Okay, so I quit, BUT, I definitely could now type!

My counselor placed me into a 1st year electronics class (recall this is mid-term) so I had to dig in , catch up, or... Well, there is no try, there is only DO - right?! My new world was composed of such things as TUBES and "condensers" and point-to-point wiring (of all things) but I was positioned to be square in the middle of all things electric/electronic - through all manner of industry changes... You know: first it was basic transistors, then more types of diodes and caps, then the first IC's (TO-88 potted parts), liquid crystals, LED's, and the real IC revolution which heralded in various "families" and ultimately: microprocessors. (I even taught some on that subject in Jr College and as a pro-bono teacher at a night Tech School in Phoenix). I ended up with a very broad background, and even still design circuit boards... Oh the stories I could expound concerning the evolution of circuit boards!!!

So as not to be too-oo boring: I worked in myriad technical industries and there developed a number of unique products. My short-list of achievements is: Developed a cool: 2-player against the game version of Table Pong (Mirco Games - the best... NO it wasn't Atari, "WE" had the best. My version included a random game miss set of electronics so it WAS possible to beat the game... Unfortunately, the company folded and my version was lost forever before becoming a reality. I finally threw out my last pong boards and working prototype about 20 years ago. ) Developed the 1st G-sensor non-weight-and-mass Safe and Arm electronics package, the 1st microprocessor based seat ejection electronics design for the USAF and USN, worked a bit on Star Wars projects, developed the 1st private microprocessor based payphone, developed a programmable (bunker buster) munition and various types of protective (for our troops) munitions, developed the 1st H2S monitor capable of reading less than 100PPM - (my design could read to less than 1PPM and had a self-cleaning sensor), and designed a multi-sensor RFID based Transducer Alignment System. I was granted a patent for the 1st fully digital control of AC power in '81, and later, was co-inventor on multiple other patents for other products.

I was a Scoutmaster in Arizona, and later moved to Nevada. I was a Staff volunteer at the Reno Crisis & Suicide Prevention Center, and (even tho I considered myself a Rock 'n Roller) I joined a really tight Country dance team and community. We worked many women's and children's charity events to raise funds for the abused, in-need and disadvantaged in the Reno/Sparks area. One SUPER benefit of what we chose to do (help the community, etc) was we got to personally meet great Country stars, many of whom hosted our fundraisers.

I also write and play (and sing... I "think" one could call it singing. Perhaps not...) in my music room (2 keyboards, 3 guitars, mic's and a lot of support equipment in a 6 foot rack) when I have a "chance" these days. (That means about 3 times a year!) I also have a pretty cool electronics lab (with SMT soldering ability and a dual optical microscope) I often tinker in. My other indoor hobby is acrylic painting with bristle brush and airbrush. Been a while since I have been able to do that. I love to read and as a life-long "sensitive" (with numerous very special and unique experiences) I am much attuned to New Age/Higher thought and philosophy. I'm in the process of writing my memoirs (with pictures) for the family and am having fun doing it - THAT effort will take me awhile. (like I have nothing else to do... ;) .... aside from all the consulting tech work I do at the request of others. )

So meeting a few folks from the VFC last year I opted to explore your community by joining. Having done so I'm still finding my way around. I decided to put my Motorola EXORset 35 (no not a '30... she's a rare WORKING! '35) up for sale here. You can see my Feb 2022 post to find out about it if you're at all curious. Any-hoo, my wife says I talk too much, so I better sign off for now. Glad to be part of your community. Thanks.
 
Wow, you have had a heck of an interesting life, @nevadaOZman ! I’d say that you should come and meet some of us in person, at VCF East, but that’s quite a trip for you, I’d suspect.

It’s great to have you here.

- Alex
 
Hello. That is quite a story. I am impressed. But you didn't write it to impress me. That's your history. I wish I could get to VCF East this year as it's always exciting. But too far for me. I hope you enjoy it here. I know I do and learn quite a bit.
 
Welcome to VCFED (from the other side of the pond).

I saw your 'EXOR' up for sale. Would love it - but (again) the wrong side of the pond!

I also will not be able to explain to my wife a trip to the States for VCF East either...

Dave
 
Wow, you have had a heck of an interesting life, @nevadaOZman ! I’d say that you should come and meet some of us in person, at VCF East, but that’s quite a trip for you, I’d suspect.

It’s great to have you here.

- Alex
Hi Alex, thank you for the ping, and yes I have and I'm very appreciative for it. I would love to visit VFC functions but can't travel. I have heart issues which unfortunately prevent that.
Cheers,
Dave
 
Welcome to VCFED (from the other side of the pond).

I saw your 'EXOR' up for sale. Would love it - but (again) the wrong side of the pond!

I also will not be able to explain to my wife a trip to the States for VCF East either...

Dave
Hello Dave, thank you. Is there really a "wrong" side?
Mmm..... rhetorical at best. :biggrin:.
Yeah, the "wife".
I have too... so I understand that special carbon lifeforms' behavior pretty well.
Have a great week ahead,
Dave
 
Hello. That is quite a story. I am impressed. But you didn't write it to impress me. That's your history. I wish I could get to VCF East this year as it's always exciting. But too far for me. I hope you enjoy it here. I know I do and learn quite a bit.
Hello tradde, a professor once told the/my class (in another lifetime it seems): "You can never fail with detail"... so I've pretty much followed his philosophy all my life. Anyway, hope the result of my rhetoric was that most members might garner some understanding of whom nevadaOZman is. Yeah, would like to make it myself but I can't travel due to heart issues which prevent doing that.

Cheers,
Dave
 
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