Posts by horsham_sparky

Reg hack attempts gutsiest expenses claim EVER

OMG!

An expenses beancounter with a sense of humour? whatever next? hens with teeth? :-)

Teleconferencing 'shifts hundreds of NHS bed-blockers out the door'

Re: wonderful

Agreed

But this is really a sticking plaster on the wider problem.. a properly thought out system and supporting process for patient records and management, that's unified for all hospitals.. I wonder how many times this wheel has been re-invented?

There are huge savings available if only they could get a decent system in place.. £150k p/a is barely enough for another doctor

wonderful

So the NHS is up to the 90's in terms of technology... whatever next I wonder?

Multimillion-pound hoard of 50BC GOLD PIECES found in Jersey

Re: Am I the only one with the urge to say ARRRRH!!!!

yes, but the rest of us managed to show some self-restraint.. :-)

That said, you've let the parrot out onto the shoulder..YARRRR!!! X marks the spot me hearties!

Re: i must have missed the IT angle

There's quite a bit of gold used on circuit boards, IC's etc inside computers..

OK, a slight stretch, but there's more to life than IT you know (beer for example)

Re: Searching over the same field for 30 years?

maybe someone saw a leprechaun and they were searching for his pot'o'gold..

guess they found it :-)

dammit!

I knew I left them somewhere! :-p

Guess this is the early version of loosing your change down the back of sofa :-)

Ministers consult public on 'opt in for smut' plans

Re: Instead of moaning at stupidity, do something

Done.. no wonder people don't like consultation questions.. same question phrased 30 different ways!

yet another well intentioned but misguided law in the making

Anyone remember anti-terrorism laws being used to stop photographers snapping the police, train stations, public places?

anyone care to speculate exactly what is meant by "harmful content"? I can see this being mis-used and abused as yet another form of censorship, that is ineffective at stopping the thing its meant to stop (i.e. stopping kids watching porn)

Any kind of controls the ISP's/Government put in is likely be easily bypassed by the kids who probably know more about the interwebs than these ministers!

An earlier poster had it right.. it's down to the parents to ensure they're in control of what their kids see, and to decide what is best for them.

LOHAN seeks failsafe for explosive climax

Re: Electronics are going to be much more reliable

Sorry :-p well guess I should know this stuff seeing though I'm an Electronics Engineer... only mechanics I know is from A-level maths (I did Pure and Mechanics). I'm sure there's stuff you could teach me about fluidics, thermal flow, stress etc etc etc

Just goes to show, doesn't matter how much you know, there's always someone that knows more :-p

Re: Electronics are going to be much more reliable

try measuring the signal from a fuel cell (1mV full scale deflection), when you've got TETRA radio signals bouncing around (80V/m.. normal EMC test is 3V/m or 10V/m at the most) :-)

modern devices, properly laid out and implemented have incredible common mode noise rejection

Still.. ho hum, that's life

Re: Electronics are going to be much more reliable

Ahhh, University electronics.. those where the days

you problem was probably the prototyping breadboard.. lack of groundplane is normally what instrument amps don't like too much.

I've been using them without problems for years

pressure switch

or you could just use a commercial mechanical pressure switch like these :-)

http://www.impress-sensors.co.uk/low-range-pressure-switch.htm

Re: Electronics are going to be much more reliable

Sorry, you're wrong :-)

OK, partially right, but depends on the circumstance and device you choose

if your source is relatively low impedance (e.g. wheatstone bridge device like a strain gauge), then they're pretty stable and will work down to -40 C (industrial grade devices). They will typically consume less than 50mW (an AA battery has around 3Wh of power, so that would last 60 hours.. plenty of time to launch)

older devices are less stable and use more juice, but modern devices are pretty good these days

Re: pressure switch

Actually, on second thoughts, for more reliability, replace the foil contacts with a conventional micro-switch and have the rubber membrane push on that instead. Means you can put some decent current through it without worrying too much about contact resistance etc

pressure switch

OK, my idea as follows..

take 1 thin rubber sheet, 2 pieces of aluminum foil and 4 small plates of plastic/wood/insulating material of choice.

the stack of of the device is as follows;

1st plate with small hole in the center. Around the hole on bottom is aluminum foil and forms one part of the switch.

2nd plate is a insulating spacer and has a large hole in the center.

rubber membrane comes next with another piece of foil in the center, this is the second part of the switch

3rd plate comes next and has another hole same size as the 2nd plate. The rubber needs to form a seal against this hole

4th plate (with no hole), closes the air gap at sea level pressure. Again needs to seal.

The idea is that as the pressure drops outside the switch, the trapped gas inside the sealed compartment expands the rubber, eventually causing the two bits of foil to meet and close the contact. This sets off the BOOM time! Trigger pressure can be set by playing with the thickness of the rubber and the 2nd plate and testing in your nice vacuum chamber.

Simple, one one moving part, should be pretty reliable :-)

Virgin Media site goes titsup in Pirate Bay payback attack

who cares?

took me all of 20 seconds to bypass it.. proxy anyone? there's even people doing bypass it "the hard way" for a bit of fun

I don't condone "freetards" as el-reg likes to put it, neither do I condone the blatant profiteering that has marked the music/movie industry for so long. I think artists/programmers should get fair money for their efforts, and I'm happy to pay them for it. the problem is the labels and the megacorps that want money for nothing.

blocking pirate bay is like flicking peas into a black hole... pointless, laughable and a complete waste of time (and peas). Virgin media have it exactly right.. give consumers a viable alternative and they'll come flocking (myself included) :-)

El Reg posts dirty pics for old computer buffs

Thanks for making me feel young again!

professional Electronics Engineer, been doing it for the past 12 1/2 years.. just turned 35 and starting to feel like an old fart with all the young-uns starting now without a clue about what real engineering is about.. but having seen those pics.. yay! I feel like I'm still and at the cutting edge (or at least the bread knife edge.. still sharp and able to cut, but can't quite manage the real crusty stuff!)

Anyway, while I'm please to say I don't recognise ANY of those old computers.. (in todays terms a 50p PIC), I recognise some of the technology and why its out of date :-)

Readers suggest LOHAN mount single mighty rod

instead of rods..

how about 2 U shaped channels to retain the craft? kind of like this little txt art [<o>] you can build in sufficient tolerance to allow for thermal expansion without causing the craft to jam in the rails.

Just a thought :-)

LOHAN lifts skirt on 3D printed parts

I thought you would have looked at it :-)

quick google search shows gives the following useful link

www.unitika.co.jp/plastics/E/nylon/nylon6/04.html

so you can probably seal it in a chamber for a few days with plenty of dessicant to remove any moisture, then give it a suitable coating to seal it before it absorbs any moisture.

Nylon?

it has a tendancy to absorb water.. which there will be plenty of in the atmos, around the office, in the back of the el-reg van (or vulturemobile for the lack of a snazzier name)

Planes flying around normal altitudes are probably OK, but sending up into space? water freezing then expanding inside the nylon? some home nylon bakery + moisture proofing to avoid it all ending in tears (and possibly lots of itty-bitty pieces of plane) might be appropriate, as well as asking the venerable prof Scanlan how high he managed to fly Sulsa!

Also, a lot of plastics become brittle at low temperatures, would be worth checking what Nylon will do.

I'm sure you have thought about this of course, and have many answers ready for curious idlers such as myself, I will await the responses with baited breath :-)

Stab victim protected by Bulgarian airbag

Health and Safety law

Now here's an opportunity for the health and safety police to actually benefit society for once, encouraging the use of "safety" implants..

Uterior motive? Moi?!? never! *hopes nobody noticed the crossed fingers*

Korean boffins make e-books more like real ones

Since when do existing patents, being bleedin' obvious or prior art make any difference to apple patents? (or subsequent lawsuits)

Pay attention, 007: Wi-Fi cufflinks perfect for a spy

These are not the cuffs you are looking for

they don't have batteries..

Oh noes!!

Don't like the tinfoil hat brigade get wind of these.. wrist cancer is a terrible thing to inflict on them!

(yes I know they need to be plugged in to work, but since when do facts get in the way of a good scaremongering)

Iraq demands return of Saddam Hussein's arse

Maybe they can split it

one cheek for UK vets, the other cheek for iraq vets..

there are going to be plenty of cracks on this story!

ALIEN ARTIFACTS can best be FOUND ON MOON

Lunar desk?

How many desks do you guys have at el reg? is it just one desk with lots of titles? or do you have lots of desks that you move around between? or alternatively, are these just hypothetical desks that the reader should furnish with their imagination?

mmmm moon-cheese desk.. gromit! gromit! we've forgotten the crackers!

Apologies for the slight tangent there..

Smartphone accessories

The microvision project is based on laser projection (MEM's scanning mirrors)

Sound like boring techy details? well think again! unlike most projectors, this little puppy won't go out of focus if you project it onto a curved surface.. benefit of projecting with coherent light from a laser instead of the normal LED/filament bulb. It means you can use any surface at a variety of different angles and the whole imaging will stay in focus

Cool huh?

LOHAN fires up sizzling thruster

I also wonder if the reading was accurate.. I've noticed on some kitchen scales that the reading varies depending on where on the scale the force is applied.

sometimes simple isn't always best.. we use force guages for these kind of measurements

Fair enough! Just don't put your electronics anywhere near it, specially radio devices (e.g GPS, radio modem etc). They typically have Temperature or Oven controlled crystals in them to ensure they can tune accurately to the correct radio bands. These might have difficulty doing that if they rapidly move between extremes of temperature

Temperature will not be homogeneous across the assembly

There will be hotspots.. thermal camera would have been best (you would need to shield the exhaust from its view)

Otherwise, a multi-channel thermcouple data logger would have done the job..

MPs: This plan for proper navy carriers and jets is crazy!

Since when does common sense (or even the greater good) ever come into the heads of politicians? 'specially when vested interests, pubilicity or tabloid opinion are so much sexier

remember, it can't be cynicism if its true :-)

would need to be large enough to supply the necessary power for long range radar systems, so being unmanned doesn't help that much

LOHAN to suck mighty thruster as it goes off, in a shed

what about using some of your low temperature grease to form a seal? I've seen glass vacuum jars sealed with this method.. as long as both surfaces are flat, you should get a good seal.

caveat: I could be completely wrong and you end up being sprayed by expensive ice cold grease, at which point I will absolve myself of all responsibility and claim it was someone elses idea

of course if it works, I shall expect kudos in the form of free beer and much back patting :-)

So when you fire this thing off into the heavens, I'm assuming the air pressure will drop at an equally slow rate to avoid similar deformation? :-p

perhaps you should evacuate at the same rate as the air pressure will drop, this way you get a 2 for 1 one test :-)

Easily sorted, just bung a couple of bags of dessicant in there a day before the experiment and put a partial vacuum on it to seal it against ingress

LOHAN spaceplane project starting to shape up nicely

offer still stands

if you need help with the sparky stuff (firmware/hardware electronics),, the offer still stands, I still have time between worky "optical metrology" and hobby "uber-fast drag-racing model train" projects :-) you need but wave the sodden beer-mat of surrender above the bar

my fee remains equal share of any booze that get handed around and the well earned kudos of something that actually works (assuming it does, and the mechy boys haven't made a balls-up :-)

p.s.

you can minimise your weight load by having a single battery for all your electronics and boost/buck converting for the various voltages that you need. there are plenty of low mass/volume devices kicking around for just that.

Parmo v poutine: The ultimate post-pub nosh deathmatch

Kebab!

Deep fried pork.. you can't go wrong :-D

having said that, picking up some dubious "meat" wrapped in flat bread with generous helpings watery chilli sauce with "salad" for those of us with a health conscience from your local turkish/greek cholesterol vendor (kebab shop) is:

A: Safer whilst in the wobbly fermented (insert fruit/hop of choice) drink induced state that leads to unexplained injuries (and sometimes traffic cones) that are discovered sometime the next day after you've managed to crawl out of the bed/bathroom floor

B: less likely to result in spouse induced aural pain when he/she discovers ground-zero where the kitchen used to be

C: has chilli sauce.. nuff said!

Boobs on display in Duke Nukem web game

muuuh.. wuuuh... boooobiiiesss...

As a certified, qualified and bespectacled geek, I have now lost the ability to reason, communicate or engage in any kind of intellectual process as a result of

A: the boobies in the game (got to them in about 60 seconds!)

B: your talk of Boobies

C: the thought of being able to see boobies

D: the thought of being able to touch boobies

E: the thought of doing C or D anytime I liked

F: where was I? Oh yes.. mmmmmm Boobies *drool*

Apple seeks patent for keyboard that sucks

Actually its very feasible

Actually, all the technology to achieve this has already been invented and is in some cases already mature. Most of it will be based on MEMs (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) which is basically technology which can implement moving parts on a microscopic scale, usually (but not always) implemented on silicon. Examples of these technologies:

MEMs pump:

http://www-mtl.mit.edu/research/annual_reports/2006/pdf/ms/ms_137.pdf

MEMs pressure sensor:

http://www.aero.org/publications/helvajian/helvajian-3.html

MEMs ultrasonic transducer (could be used as a proximity sensor)

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fiel5%2F10674%2F33678%2F01602897.pdf%3Farnumber%3D1602897&authDecision=-203

To me this is perfectly feasible, and could probably done in a cost effective way (thanks to economies of scale). The real question is why would you want to? a technology that sucks and blows.. well don't the big bad MS have the monopoly on that? :-)

US Navy's electric plane-thrower successfully launches an F-18

dual use?

hey, maybe this is what Lewis meant in his previous railgun article by "Blitzer's projectiles are already finned - it would be comparatively easy to make them smart, though the railgun would need to be aimed reasonably accurately to begin with"

Change the finned darts into an F35C fighter with pilot.. well they don't come much smarter than that! and its ship mounted too! :-)

'Blitzer' railgun already 'tactically relevant', boasts maker

smart railgun dart? unlikely

Great technology and article, I have been following this for a few years now. Just a point about this sentance

"but the Blitzer's projectiles are already finned - it would be comparatively easy to make them smart, though the railgun would need to be aimed reasonably accurately to begin with."

I see two problems with this. Firstly the acceleration is extremely high (60,000g from your article), much more so than conventional projectiles and even more so than missiles. A typical gyroscope (lets take for example the analog devices ADXRS453) is only rated up to 2000g powered or unpowered, so the act of launching the projectile is likely to destroy the controlling electronics, optics/radar/GPS etc.

Secondly as its electromagnetically launched, the transient fields generated from this will be HUGE and will induce some high voltages onto any conductor (circuit boards, chips etc) within the dart. As an electronics engineer, I can tell you that designing electronics and shielding to deal with that is not a simple task, you could spend a long time just finding out if its possible.

So in summary, Whilst it may be possible (with a hell of a lot of work), I would certainly not call it comparatively easy to make the finned projectiles smart. I felt the need to write this in case any misguided project managers at general atomics takes your article to heart and decides to give the local sparkies a hard time!

yours respectfully

pedantic electronics geek

Note: no electrons were harmed during the creation of this educational missive, they were merely inconvenienced for a short period of time