To: 999 (all members)
From: E6F (John Clarkson)
Subject: Electronic Interests
Although I have only just started in
the field of computing I have since my
early days in the 1950s while in the
Royal Air Force had an interest in
radio. While at RAF Kinloss I was a
member of its Amateur Radio Society. On
my demob for a few years after I did
a fair bit of short wave listening
but this stopped while bringing up the
family, however in 1990 I was disabled
from my work as a design fabrication
engineer. So having worked all my life
I had to find something to do and I
eventually went back to radio. I sat
down and looked at the situation only
to find those beloved valves had gone
out of use. So I had to rethink my
radio strategy. I could not afford to
pay the prices, and with necessity
being the mother of invention, I
designed a circuit, made the board,
stuck the bits in and messed about
until I got it to work. At the moment I
have 13 working receivers of which only
4 are commercial products and 3 of
those have been modified. I spend a
fair amount of time on the Air Bands as
I have friends who fly and I am still
proud I was in the RAF.
My other interest is in the field of
Renewable Energy. At present I run a
solar panel with an output of about
14pW which charges a bank of sealed
lead acid batteries, giving an output
of 12 volts at 53Aph. This runs my
radio station alarm system and standby
lighting system. I shall shortly be
increasing the output of both the
solar unit and the storage batteries.
I am also hoping to build a small wind
generator to see if it is a viable
project but at the moment it is just a
dream.
To: 999 (all members)
From: E6F (John Clarkson)
Subject: Drifting Gray Cloud
Or John the Shaman- Having as a young
lad lived through the last war and
having also a great love for the
natural way of love peace and
tranquility, I have for many years now
studied the North American Indian and
the way they used to live. This also
brought me into contact with their use
of nature's medicines, a subject I have
been looking at for many years.
Although I am disabled, I grow quite a
lot of my own herbs (not hemp). I also
get out when I can (walk that is not
in my wheelchair) and collect some
off waste ground near to where I
live. I use these to make medicine to
treat my own ills. I also use
Aromatherapy for the same purpose but
I have to buy in the essential oils as
I have not the skill or equipment to
produce them myself. Since 1990 I have
visited the doctor only twice, the
first time about 6 years ago. I cannot
tell you what his face looks like. All
I can tell you is he had 17 holes in
his head where his hair was falling
out. Needless to say I did not pay him
another visit. I have, for a layman,
quite a large collection of books on a
number of subjects from herbal
medicine through to crystal healing,
from astrology to the runes and bones.
How I ever found time to go to work I
shall never know. Still, now I have a
lifetime to study all the things I
want to (including how to operate this
computer)
To: 999 (all members)
From: E6F (John Clarkson)
Subject: Cyclops The One Eyed Monster
This part is to deal with my computing
interests. I have left it till now so
that it will be easy to understand.
The reason for the heading is that for
the past 10 to 15 years since I have
lived on my own (that is off and on) I
have had no TV on my premises so this
computer now like everything else has
a name.
I am going to try and learn enough to
be able to marry it up to the radio
station and use it to decode morse
rtty and weather sattelite information.
I shall also be looking at the decoding
of digital transmitted information
like inflight info etc.
It is with this in mind that I would
appreciate any info on these subjects
bearing in mind that I am only a
learner (I have been learning all my
life. You are never too old)
I would like at this time to say
thanks to you all for letting me bore
you all
Have a nice day
Till the next time May your god be
with you
John Drifting Gray Cloud