What Did you do Today 2022

[HowiParticipant @howi]

Posted by Joseph Noci 1 on 08/07/2022 20:42:00:

Posted by Steviegtr on 08/07/2022 18:59:55:

Grinned from ear to ear. My Radio Ham licence came through. I only took my City & Guilds RAE exam in 1989. But they still accepted them.

Steve.

How did it 'come through'? How does an '89 result qualify for a current Amateur License in the UK? Or is the Tech Exam no longer required in the UK? Like a CB 'license'..?

What' your callsign?

Joe

V51JN/ZS6JGN

I took my RAE in the early 70's, followed by the morse test at Trusthorpe near Mablethorpe. I held G8LWD followed by G4GPF. I stopped ham radio in the late 80's but resurected my licence when I retired.

So Yes! still valid and having looked back at the RAE exam (a web site has all the old papers) I can see why.

If you passed the RAE you were considered to be techy enough without a seperate Tech exam.

When the morse requirement ceased G8's were given full licence status as the class A and class B designations ceased.

Looking at the current state of licenced amateurs technical knowledge (or lack of!) makes me wonder if we should reinstate the old RAE.

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @bobunitt1]

Posted by bernard towers on 08/07/2022 12:08:45:

Found it Bob ,Go to settings then my account its at the top of page change selection and hit update preferences.

Thanks. Still not working though – when I go to 'Account Settings' the only relevant setting would appear to be 'Thread Start Page', which has two options 'Default to first' and 'Default to last' – there's no 'latest posts' option anywhere.

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

Selecting "Default to last" button takes you to the top of the last page Bob. This is as close as you are going to get as far as I know…

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Posted by Joseph Noci 1 on 08/07/2022 20:42:00:

Posted by Steviegtr on 08/07/2022 18:59:55:

Grinned from ear to ear. My Radio Ham licence came through. I only took my City & Guilds RAE exam in 1989. But they still accepted them.

Steve.

How did it 'come through'? How does an '89 result qualify for a current Amateur License in the UK? Or is the Tech Exam no longer required in the UK? Like a CB 'license'..?

What' your callsign?

Joe

V51JN/ZS6JGN

Hi Joseph. The exam i took in 1989 was the RAE. At that time morse code was still an active part of the future exams. But as someone below has remarked, that was scrapped & no longer a part of the tests. The main limits of the Foundation licence are with the max 10W power. But most frequencies are open to use. I am M7DOZ. I simply rang Ofcom & asked the question. They emailed me a application form. I sent this back filled in , with copies of my City & Guilds Certificates.

1 Week later i had my callsign etc. I need to sit the Intermediate exam now.

I have sat a couple of mock past exam papers & passed with around 75% The pass mark here in the UK is 60%.

Steve.

[Joseph Noci 1Participant @josephnoci1]

Posted by Steviegtr on 09/07/2022 22:48:19:

Hi Joseph. The exam i took in 1989 was the RAE. At that time morse code was still an active part of the future exams. But as someone below has remarked, that was scrapped & no longer a part of the tests. The main limits of the Foundation licence are with the max 10W power. But most frequencies are open to use. I am M7DOZ. I simply rang Ofcom & asked the question. They emailed me a application form. I sent this back filled in , with copies of my City & Guilds Certificates.

 

Interesting – Thanks Howi and Steve. Morse is dropped here (Namibia – and in RSA) – RAE options are the usual exam, or present a suitable project, ie, a 'reasonably' complex Radio receiver or tx/rx ( not regen, etc) , properly documented, and explain the build, design drivers, how it works, etc. Problem here is that the explainor might know what he is talking about, the explainee has no idea at all and listens blankly… If you lapse your ticket, you redo it all..

Ham Radio is a difficult hobby – this part of the world it is dominated by us Old Farts and the entry has been rather dumbed down to try and make it easier for new blood – that has not worked here – to many other easier tech's for the young folk to be enthralled by!

So to keep in line with the thread heading – What I Did Today..is just finished my weekly chat on the Namibian Ham Sunday morning bulletin..

Joe

Edited By Joseph Noci 1 on 10/07/2022 08:19:36

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Joseph Noci 1 on 10/07/2022 08:17:27:

Posted by Steviegtr on 09/07/2022 22:48:19:

Hi Joseph. The exam i took in 1989 was the RAE. At that time morse code was still an active part of the future exams. But as someone below has remarked, that was scrapped & no longer a part of the tests. The main limits of the Foundation licence are with the max 10W power. But most frequencies are open to use. I am M7DOZ. I simply rang Ofcom & asked the question. They emailed me a application form. I sent this back filled in , with copies of my City & Guilds Certificates.

 

Interesting – Thanks Howi and Steve. Morse is dropped here (Namibia – and in RSA) – RAE options are the usual exam, or present a suitable project, ie, a 'reasonably' complex Radio receiver or tx/rx ( not regen, etc) , properly documented, and explain the build, design drivers, how it works, etc. Problem here is that the explainor might know what he is talking about, the explainee has no idea at all and listens blankly… If you lapse your ticket, you redo it all..

Ham Radio is a difficult hobby – this part of the world it is dominated by us Old Farts and the entry has been rather dumbed down to try and make it easier for new blood – that has not worked here – to many other easier tech's for the young folk to be enthralled by!

…

Joe

 

Similar the world over I think. When Steve took the RAE in 1989, I think the UK was still operating a two tier system. Everyone had to pass the RAE, which covered technical, procedure and licence conditions. Passing the RAE gave instant access to a 'Wireless Telegraphy Class B (Sound)' licence, which restricted operation to VHF (144Mhz) and higher frequencies. Class A licences were needed to operate on Shortwave, and to get one it was also necessary to show Morse Code being sent and received at a minimum of 12wpm. ) But all radio amateurs met the same technical standard.

When I got my Class A licence the requirement to know Morse Code made sense because there was still a lot of commercial and military Morse on the bands, and they overlapped. It was also common for amateur equipment to be home-built or modified ex-military, which required technical competence. But as time passed, the need to interoperate with professional Morse services faded, while the ever increasing complexity of radio equipment turned most of us into box operators.

Now the UK has a 3-level system, where privileges increase with technical competence:

• Not really Ham Radio, Citizen Band. Two high frequency bands, commercial gear only, low power, and antennas of deliberately reduced efficiency.
• Foundation licensees can only operate commercial gear and are limited to 10W. Not all bands are available. Much more flexible than CB and I don't think there's any restriction on the all important antenna!
• Intermediate licensees (another harder exam) have more choice of equipment and frequencies and are allowed to use more power (50W)
• Full licences (yet another harder exam) have the fewest restrictions: access to all bands, power 150W, and are allowed to build, modify and use any equipment on the assurance the operator knows how to keep it within license restrictions.

Interestingly, although I have a full licence, most of what I do could be done with a Foundation Licence. My small awkwardly shaped garden makes it hard to erect an efficient antenna. Even worse, I'm on a corner plot surrounded by other homes and overhead power and telephone cables emitting high levels of interference. As running high power into a low short bent antenna causes electronic mayhem in my house, I'm not going to inflict it on neighbours. (Much easier to manage RFI complaints when you can show your equipment doesn't interfere at home.) So I tend to use low power – 5W to 10W. It gets out OK, but ordinary operating is frustrating because I can only hear replies strong enough to overwhelm high levels of local noise. I need to move house! Not going to happens: fortunately home metalwork, 3D CAD and burbling on the internet are cheaper, easier and more fulfilling.

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 10/07/2022 09:53:34

[RobinParticipant @robin]

My very first gear wheel, ever. A 45 tooth, 16DP in cast iron, press fitted to the mandrel

Looks okay but I can't test it until I have made another. Will they mesh?

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

Did not do much in the way of practical work today as I felt a day off was needed.

I did read through a pdf copy of Practical Mechanics dated October 1933. It was one of the best reads I have had for ages. Jam packed from cover to cover with things to do/make & experiment with. Lots of really neat adverts for all manner of things. I really enjoyed that and spent nearly all day reading it. I wish modern magazines could replicate the way these old ones were filled but alas I fear those days are gone.

regards

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, today I went to the Weeting Steam Engine Rally, saw lots of interesting things, had a chat with a workmate from many years ago, who had his full size traction engine as he has been attending it for more years than I can remember but it's the first show in three years. Took a few photos of stationary engines and thought I'd share them for those who are interested, the first one shows how to run an old Rapidor power saw in the field without any electrical supply.

Next a Ruston engine running very sweetly.

Then a small Lister driving a cutaway section engine

and a Fowler engine driving a Petter A2 cutaway section engine.

I also spent a few pennies on some unused wooden file handles with very good ferrules for £1.00 each

a couple of off cuts of aluminium, 1" x 1" square bar x 15 – 1/2" long and a piece of 5/8" 6" x 7" for £6.00 each

and for a few pennies more, a piece of Brass Hexagon 2 – 5/8" AF x 2 – 11/16" long for £16.00, which just took my fancy.

Then on my way out, had another look at one of the pitches and spotted a couple of weights trying to hide up under some other second hand tools, only to reveal 5 in all from 4 lb to 4 oz and got the lot for a fiver. (don't tell Neil Wyatt though, as he might be envious)

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 15/07/2022 22:46:09

[Terry BParticipant @terryb]

Hi Nick

I also went to the Weeting Rally on Saturday. I believe that I must have visited the same stall as you as I purchased several pieces of brass bar and aluminium bar and plate all at ridiculously low prices just in case I need them in future. My wife refused to carry them or I would have purchased more!!

Terry

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Really good turn out at Wheeting. I went Saturday too.

These are the group of showman's engines on the Saunders Collection area. The grandson, Alex has just completed a mechanical appenticeship in the Lab's Mechanical Workshop so that is at least one young man who is learning how to make stuff.

regards Martin

[modeng2000Participant @modeng2000]

* Hi Joseph. The exam i took in 1989 was the RAE. At that time morse code was still an active part of the future exams. But as someone below has remarked, that was scrapped & no longer a part of the tests. *

When I progressed from G6ABA/T to G8APC and then to G4LRX the morse test was still a requirement.

Trying to learn morse with pidgeons cooing in the background was a bit off-putting.

John

[lee websterParticipant @leewebster72680]

After a lot of searching on the net for a small solar panel to power a very small floating leaf shape pond fountain, with various amounts of "no luck", I bit the bullet and drove to a garden centre to buy a water feature of a green frog dribbling water into a green bowl. The unit had a solar panel, so I bought it. £79.00. My floating leaf fountain cost £15.00 new and can be bought for £25-ish now. But this one belonged to a dear friend. I had to use the small pump that came with the frog, but I will fit the original pump as soon as I can. The floating leaf is now doing its job, floating in my pond and spraying water. Hardly any of the spray is missing the pond, so the water level shouldn't drop much. £79.00 to get a £15.00 fountain working? Worth every penny.

In memory of Sadie.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Handed over a dozen valve shaft sleeves for gauge frames to the railway…

 

Like the contra-threaded nuts for the same assembly, the work was a bit intense on concentration. It started with cutting 2.25" round bar down to 1.48" AF hex on the Bridgy clone. Thread's a 1" BSPP, 11 TPI , so it's just over 58 thou deep, and it does less than 2 1/2 full turns. I had to do it in reverse with the tool upside down to cut away from the chuck, as I'd be at dead-cert risk of colliding with the hex shoulder if I tried it towards. I was taking a couple of thou per pass because there wasn't too much in the chuck to hold on. Time and brain-consuming.

There's a 9/16" reamed through hole although the shaft I measured was about 12 thou smaller at 13,99mm. – but the seal isn't between the shaft and that sleeve, it's between the major diameter of the shaft and some kind of slightly squashable bush that's drive-fitted in the body casting.

I haven't got, and can't readily mount, a 3/4" radius form tool to do a radius like the original. Looks entirely cosmetic to me, so they want that, they'd better make the tool and some kinda mandrel fixture to hold the job.

Oh, and the reamed bore is relieved about 1/16" larger except for about 1/2" at each end – I replicated that, but I suspect it dates from an earlier variant of the valve where accurate spindle to sleeve fit was required.

Edited By Mick B1 on 20/07/2022 16:09:55

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by modeng2000 on 17/07/2022 14:47:01:

…

When I progressed from G6ABA/T to G8APC and then to G4LRX the morse test was still a requirement.

 

The number of radio amateurs on the forum suggests we should start a net. In the best traditions of the forum we will divide into those transmitting morse code from British valve equipment made in 1942 and third-class citizens using PSK31 from new Far Eastern radios. Old boys will cut their antennas in feet, whilst youngsters can use metres…

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 20/07/2022 16:25:09

[NR67Participant @nr67]

Hi

G0UMM here.

I did the RAE then the morse test way back, cant remember. Sold all the gear some while back. The shack is now back to its original condition. Super 7, Mill, shaper and stuff.

The morse was a one week wonder. Learnt it passed the test then forgot it, although sometimes when morse is on the telly I find myself reading it, or some of it.

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

I cut a Ø6 x 1mm Löwenherz thread for the first time today. I have a friend who repairs music boxes and he isn't sure what thread he needs for some missing bolts but thinks it is continental and similar to M6 but not the same. The thread I have done is for him to test if it the right one then I will make 4 of them for him. I might dig out a 0BA bolt as well for him to try.

Martin C

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Used a dividing-head fully (with the holey discs rather than in just rotary-table on its side mode) for the first time !

With grateful thanks to those on here who helped me sort why I could not make 50 go into 360º. The problem proved a mixture of my wonky arithmetic and a minor fault on the dividing-head itself, preventing the index-fingers closing that last little bit.

This was to engrave the lines on two hand-wheels, for a 'Stent' tool-&-cutter grinder I'd bought unfinished, second-hand oh, umm, quite a while ago and am slowly finishing alongside other projects.

To get 10, 5s and 1s lines of their equal lengths I improvised a simple stop on the milling machine, having removed the original stop so I could fit a DRO magnetic-strip in its T-slot. To answer the obvious question… for a repetition task like this it is far easier to work to a physical stop than trying to match numbers!

The cutter is a broken end-mill ground approximately to engraving-cutter form. It works so can't be that approximate!

…..

Even before that, I had successfully completed making the "Tool Holder Body" for the same machine.

This required turning a mild-steel cylinder to be a smooth sliding fit in the already made mounting-block, and boring it to a similar fit around a one-inch diameter holder. I used as bore-gauge a big milling-cutter's shank, having a ground finish far more accurate and smooth than anything I could have achieved.

Screw-cutting a non-standard Whitworth-form thread on the end, using an insert thread-form tool; and making a nut to fit by single-point steel tool, was also a bit more advanced than my previous turning experience.

The two threads were slightly rough with a tight spot, but careful mutual lapping, by hand, with fine-grade valve-grinding paste corrected that. Followed by thorough washing in white-spirit and an aerosol solvent cleaner, and temporary protective coat of WD-40.

The drawings call for knurling both components. Such a shame to rough up the beautiful lathe finish I succeeded in obtaining, using HSS tools, but anyway I think they might be too large for my knurling-tool, so I will have to flute them instead.

I have no idea what its grade is, but the "pre-loved" steel I used machined superbly on the elderly Harrison L5. The HSS tooling gave a lovely finish, better than that from the carbide tips I used for the bore and male thread. I will keep the off-cut, about 3/8" thick, as a one-inch ring-gauge.

How to protect the finished parts before assembly? Petroleum-jelly then e.g. bubble-wrap or the mesh bags sold wrapped around tangerines.

.

After all those adventures with screw-cutting and rings of holes I felt the "Nineteenth Hole" calling, to celebrate and relax with one of my caving-club magazines and a very pleasant pint of Copper Brewery's Scramasax pale ale, a light, slightly dry session brew of 4.2ABV. Well, two pints to make sure I was right about the first. They also had Proper Job (St Austell's?) on the beer-engines, and I do like it; but the other was new to me so, like dividing-head arcanities, there to be tried.

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

Really something I did yesterday, went and picked up this little Unimat that was advertised on the homeworkshop site, trip over to Essex to meet Robin who was selling it behalf of the previous owners widow. Had a great chat and a good look around his workshop, picking up a few more good ideas in the process. I've always wanted one of these, there was a hardware shop in our nearest town that sold them and had a display in the window, I must have been around 11 at the time and owning one was completely a non starter, anyway over fifty years later this has come along, in good condition just needing a good clean and service, and I will change the motor suppresion capacitors. Sent for some new belts and looking forward to playing with the little thing, one of those things I didn't really need, but I've just had a significant birthday so treated myself, can even take it indoors on really cold days. There must be lots of accessories to make for these that'll keep me out of mischief!

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by Dave Wootton on 22/07/2022 12:47:43:

There must be lots of accessories to make for these that'll keep me out of mischief!

Have a look at this from Archive.org

I have (for reasons very similar to yours but including a possible temporary downsizing) just succumbed to the temptations of a Unimat 3 with Milling attachment, top slide and fine feed attachment, all in the original box.

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by Dave Wootton on 22/07/2022 12:47:43:

There must be lots of accessories to make for these that'll keep me out of mischief!

Have a look at this from Archive.org Link

I have (for reasons very similar to yours but including a possible temporary downsizing) just succumbed to the temptations of a Unimat 3 with Milling attachment, top slide and fine feed attachment, all in the original box.

Edited By Nick Clarke 3 on 22/07/2022 13:53:47

Edited By Nick Clarke 3 on 22/07/2022 13:54:30

[steamdaveParticipant @steamdave]

Another good book is 'Making the Most Of The Unimat' by Rex Tingey.

Should be available for download off the Internet, but if you can't find it, I can let you have a copy.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

Thank you Dave and Nick, I'll have a look around the internet and see what I can find, If I can't find the Tingey book I will PM you Dave, offer much appreciated.

Itching to make a start on the little lathe but have a couple of jobs to get out of the way first, I did convert it to a milling/drilling machine today and am impressed by what a clever design it is. Hopefully drive belts will be here next week and I'll make a start.

Dave

[Clock polisherParticipant @clockpolisher]

I'm constantly amazed at how versatile my Unimat SL is, given it's age. I use it practically every day fixing old clocks.

The 8 minute run time for the motor soon got very boring, and I'm currently working on a stepper motor drive for the long travel.

regards,

David

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Started on a batch of 33/34 tooth gears, now buried in swarf!

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