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[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Had an industrial placement at English Electric Valve Co's Lincoln factory around 1984, working on microwave duplexer production and test. These were for pulsed radar with peak power in the 10s of kW – but average power much less than that. If I switched on the duplexer leakage tester I was developing without remembering to insert a duplexer, you could smell the ozone. Radar / microwave doesn't do anything insidious like sterilise you or give you the Big C on the sly – if anything you'd wonder why your skin was getting hot. I never noticed anything beyond the ozone smell.

It could have been a factory making plumbing fittings, as most of the materials were copper, brass, ceramics etc and processes were induction brazing, spot welding etc. The biggest valves they made then were giant thyratrons the size of hot water cylinders. IIRC, they also made parts that went into the Exocet missiles the Frogs had sold to the Argies.

A couple of years before this when I was at school, the Falklands War was going on and a friend and I constructed a 1kW linear amp for 2m band using a couple of valves rather like the finned one shown above. Power was 1kV and they lit up when you transmitted. Despite coupling this up to a large Yagi beam on a rotator, we failed in our quest to contact a family friend on a RN ship down there. Would have been something to talk about but it came to nowt. Quite possibly we would have miscalculated the transmission time but the distance was perhaps a bit ambitious.

Another valve we played with was one of those "acorn" valves. These were tiny by valve standards but we failed to prevent it from hooting uncontrollably at something like 500MHz. Transistors were a lot simpler to use!

Murray

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

UK gun law is now totally weird. You may have something like a blank firer, certain airguns e.g. Brocock or military surplus tucked in a cupboard or box could get you locked up. An example is that it's illegal to own a realistic replica of say a vintage "cap and ball", even in plastic unless you are a member of a recognised re-enactment group, movie maker or similar (painting it orange make it OK) but you can own a REAL one if you are a collector. There is definition of a collector but just get a couple . You can even own a semi-automatic pistol if the ammunition is no longer made commercially. There are few restrictions on muzzle loading weapons either so you can happily make that miniature cannon. Power for it is UK as long as you have less than 10kg. Of couse take any of these out in public and you will get locked up. Then again people have been locked up in the UK for having a "rocket launcher" the disposable tube from a Light Anti-tank Weapon (LAW) which is probably less of a weapon than a piece of drain pipe. I've modified my daily carry Leatherman multi tool so the blades (which are accessible single handed without opening the body of the tool) no longer lock. carrying a locking knife (even a "Stanley" carpet knife) in public need a good reason. The authorities do monitor sales of some substances and equipment and that's not new. I personally have had direct experience of questions being asked. No problems because it was all legitimate. Even the new(ish) EPP licences don't apply to businesses or professionals.

Robert

Edited By Robert Atkinson 2 on 21/09/2018 13:03:10

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