CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[CitroJim]

What frequency is 19km?

A very low one Peter...

Rugby GBR was on 16KHz as I remember... used for submarine comms as the VLF signals will penetrate deep under water and go world-wide...

The difficulty is that only very slow data transmission rates (by today's standards) can be used...

[Peter.N.]

Thanks jim. You ought to be able to hear that! Was that the transmitter they used for clocks and time switches?

Peter

[CitroJim]

Was that the transmitter they used for clocks and time switches?

No, the Time and Standard Freq. Server was MSF on 60KHz... The 16KHz GBR TX was strictly military...

It's still going but not from Rugby... It moved to Anthorn in Cumbria...

I have a pukka radio clock that listens to it...

The 16KHz transmissions are still going too but again, I believe, from Anthorn...

[bobins]

The large control panel for the Rugby VLF transmitter is on display at the Hack Green Nuclear Bunker museum near Nantwich.

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi ... pannel.jpg

[CitroJim]

The large control panel for the Rugby VLF transmitter is on display at the Hack Green Nuclear Bunker museum near Nantwich.

Good to know something of it has survived

I have a control panel from an old Ferranti Argus 700 mainframe I worked on for many years on my lounge wall

[bobins]

I have a control panel from an old Ferranti Argus 700 mainframe I worked on for many years on my lounge wall

<cough> Interesting !! I've seen where one used to be

[CitroJim]

I have a control panel from an old Ferranti Argus 700 mainframe I worked on for many years on my lounge wall

<cough> Interesting !! I've seen where one used to be

You must tell me in a PM where that was... I have a good idea

I also still have an Argus 700 Processor Box up in my loft as another memento of those 20 years I spent intimately involved with them. I developed a big fondness for them and when they were decommissioned I could not bear to be part of the demolition team...

The bits I have I rescued from a skip...

They were bloody excellent and gave us some very sterling service indeed. Incredibly reliable and trustworthy... One place (amongst many) they were used was in Magnox Nuclear Power Stations and in that role they had to be good...

[myglaren]

Jim, you mentioned earlier about problems with a portable oscilloscope.

I haven't looked in to it but received an email about a very cheap and easy to make one using an arduino here:
Oyvind Dahl.

Could be crap, no way of knowing until I try it, which is unlikely to be any day soon.

[CitroJim]

Now that's interesting Steve Thanks for that....

The only problem with my little Thander, one of these little bad boys:



Is duff rechargeable batteries...

On mains it's perfect and just the job for car work...

I've not looked at it yet but I suspect the rechargables died in the cold over winter... They were a good few years old and only cheapies to begin with...

[Hell Razor5543]

I hope that the batteries are a common design, and easy to get hold of.

[CitroJim]

I hope that the batteries are a common design, and easy to get hold of.

Yes, just a few C cells James, 4 if I remember correctly... It's designed to run on rechargables or non-rechargables at the flick of a switch...

It's so old it'll have been designed for old-school Ni-Cds and the charger possibly does not do a good job of caring well for modern rechargables which maybe is the reason they have died...

[Hell Razor5543]

OK, so next time I see Aldi or Lidl doing rechargeable batteries (and the charger) I will let you know. The batteries are normally around £3 per pack, and the charger (with a discharge capability) normally costs £12, and can handle Ni based batteries.

[myglaren]

Now that's interesting Steve Thanks for that....

The only problem with my little Thander, one of these little bad boys:



Is duff rechargeable batteries...

On mains it's perfect and just the job for car work...

I've not looked at it yet but I suspect the rechargables died in the cold over winter... They were a good few years old and only cheapies to begin with...

That looks a familiar item Jim. Sure I have used one in the past but a long time ago now.

I dragged some batteries out of their hiding place a few days ago and recharged them. Big mistake - they were alkalines and bled all over the place
Should have had my stronger glasses on.

[CitroJim]

OK, so next time I see Aldi or Lidl doing rechargeable batteries (and the charger) I will let you know. The batteries are normally around £3 per pack, and the charger (with a discharge capability) normally costs £12, and can handle Ni based batteries.

Thanks James

Steve, that 'scope is old now, it's got to be 40 if it's a day... It has a baby CRT in it and was really quite amazing when it was first introduced...

Now it is truly vintage but still very usable and useful...

[elma]

Vintage rules, I am younger than most vintage stuff but I'd rather buy an old clock or barometer than a modern one. Old stuff lasts and usually has quite amazing mechanics. Modern stuff lacks these charms. Thats why I'm off to the boot sale in 10 mins and also the Antiques fair tomorrow although the antiques fair is purely to observe.I used to threaten my laptop with replacement by typewriter when I was a student because I got so fed up of software issues that often manifested about a day before a hand in.