So who are electricians?

[skotl]

For me, and this should be obvious to anyone who has been following my posts at //www.diynot.com/forums/electrics/diy-is-not-an-electrician-no-sir-not-at-all.293959/, I am not an electrician.... So, I'm a semi-proficient DIYer.

Indeed, you comprehensively 'outed' yourself in that other thread!

Kind Regards, John.

OK, I will restate my position. I once managed to rewire a 3v airfix motor and only killed one pet He did have it coming, though...

Cheers, John!

 

[bernardgreen]

I am now a self employed electronics engineer / consultant specialising in the designe of digital hardware and micro-processor programming mainly aimed at problem solving. My career has included 9 years in the electronics research and development department of a multi-national designing factory automation systems and process monitoring systems. Before that 12 years in designing the control equipment for radio communication systems. That was after two years in Germany designing telephone exchange equipment and before that two years with a UK company servicing marine and industrial equipment " if it has wires then we can service it " from radar to washing machines.

DIY In 1980 with my wife we built a large 4 bedroom house using the method developed by the architect Walter Segal in which we did 95 % of the work ourselves.

I have rewired a few houses for friends, I even rescued the in-laws from the work of a " qualified electrician's mate".

I am now doing a DIY renovation of a 490 year old thatched cottage within the constraints of it being Grade II listed. All new electrics ( LABC aware with full application submitted and self certification agreed ) and central heating being installed ( a Gas Safe plumber will install and commision the boiler ). I will be employing a thatcher to repair / replace the roof in a couple of years time, I know my limits.

People have described me as an agony aunt with a tool box for my problem solving skills and as a mad professor for some of the things I do. But why be conventional when being different makes for a better way of life.

 

[Paul_C]

45 years old. Started playing around with batteries & lamps when I was about 5, thanks to my father being a long-standing radio & electronics enthusiast, then gradually progressed to building radios and amplifiers and other "gadgets," reading everything I could lay my hands on as a youngster. Fortunately, neighbors were then kind enough to donate all manner of old TV sets, radiograms, and so on, plus there was always stuff like that available at that time very cheaply at church jumble sales and similar events. Trips to the local electronics surplus store were regular events - Thinking about it now I suspect my parents probably felt the £1 for a "bargain box" assortment of parts was a good investment as it kept me quiet sorting through it all for the rest of the weekend! I remember when I was about 11 stringing wires all around the house to hook up telephones and a kind of central audio distribution from the various radios, turntables, and tape machines I had in my bedroom. About that same time I started playing with computers as well, thanks to the various systems I had access to at school and a teacher's husband who had his own home-brew equipment I could play with at weekends.

I went straight to into the newly created BT when I left school, ended up working on international trunks, satellite equipment, etc. Went self-employed some years later, still in telecommunications including repair and maintenance of marine/PMR radios, plus some TV/VCR work when it was still just about viable, but also then writing custom software for small businesses at that time. Had a spell in TV engineering in the States before having to settle back in England for family reasons.

Currently self-employed, engaged mostly in installing and maintaining computer and telephone systems for local businesses, still with a large element of custom software development. Electrical installation is just for my own use, anything necessary as relates to the computer & telecoms work, and odd jobs for friends and neighbors.

Is that anywhere near how you envisaged me, John?

 

[JohnW2]

45 years old. Started playing around with batteries & lamps when I was about 5, thanks to my father being a long-standing radio & electronics enthusiast, then gradually progressed to building radios and amplifiers and other "gadgets," reading everything I could lay my hands on as a youngster. Fortunately, neighbors were then kind enough to donate all manner of old TV sets, radiograms, and so on, plus there was always stuff like that available at that time very cheaply at church jumble sales and similar events. Trips to the local electronics surplus store were regular events - Thinking about it now I suspect my parents probably felt the £1 for a "bargain box" assortment of parts was a good investment as it kept me quiet sorting through it all for the rest of the weekend! I remember when I was about 11 stringing wires all around the house to hook up telephones and a kind of central audio distribution from the various radios, turntables, and tape machines I had in my bedroom.

Extremely similar to my youth! being 15+ years older than you, I had the advantage that, at the time, there was a vast amount of 'war surplus' electronic equipment being sold, and there were frequent trips to Tottenham Court Road (and to some extent Edgware Road) in London - which was then almost built out of shops selling such stuff!

About that same time I started playing with computers as well, thanks to the various systems I had access to at school and a teacher's husband who had his own home-brew equipment I could play with at weekends.

Again, the age difference means that I was a fair bit older when I inevitably started extending my interests to computing (hardware first, then software) - it must have been around 1978 when I built my first computer - but by then I was approaching 30.

I went straight to into the newly created BT ....Currently self-employed, engaged mostly in installing and maintaining computer and telephone systems for local businesses, still with a large element of custom software development. Electrical installation is just for my own use, anything necessary as relates to the computer & telecoms work, and odd jobs for friends and neighbors. Is that anywhere near how you envisaged me, John?

It's not too far off. I certainly didn't think you were an electrician, but you clearly had a lot of electricity/electronics 'in your blood'.

What probably confused my mental picture of you is that there are two or three areas about which you often write and about which you seem to be particularly knowledgeable - 'old versions' of the Wiring Regs, electricity distribution networks and 'foreign' electrical systems, appliances, electrical practices etc. Apart from your spell in the US, I don't really see any explanation for any of that - is it simply a consequence of interests you have developed?

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Paul_C]

Extremely similar to my youth! being 15+ years older than you, I had the advantage that, at the time, there was a vast amount of 'war surplus' electronic equipment being sold, and there were frequent trips to Tottenham Court Road (and to some extent Edgware Road) in London - which was then almost built out of shops selling such stuff!

I missed the heyday of those, but I expect you will remember Proops on Tottenham Court Rd. That place was still something of a cornucopia when I was young, and as my father worked in a Wigmore St. office at that time, if my mother took me into "town" to meet up with my father after work we'd often stop by. They still had fair amounts of MoD and some GPO surplus available very cheaply. There was still at least one surplus place on the venerable Lisle St. as well which we'd visit occasionally. And I'd always try to get my folks to take me down to Foyles on Charing Cross Rd. when we were in the area to rummage through the electronics books as well. I think Foyles had a pretty big reorganization some years later, but at that time it was like an Aladdin's Cave of books stacked up ramshackle fashion in almost every available space, and you never knew what odd copy of some old book might be found hidden behind a huge stack of something else.

Again, the age difference means that I was a fair bit older when I inevitably started extending my interests to computing (hardware first, then software) - it must have been around 1978 when I built my first computer - but by then I was approaching 30.

That would have been about the time I was learning 6809 machine code on the home-brew system I mentioned earlier, racing to the "computer room" (in reality an old storeroom) at school every lunchtime to sit at the ASR33 connected to the PDP-11/40 at the local college, and punching paper tapes for the old Elliott 803 which had been donated to the school when it became obsolete some years earlier. And looking at the Apple II, TRS-80, and Commodore PET at the local store and only dreaming about being able to afford one! That was also when the 15-minute walk home from school could turn into an hour if I happened to run into a Post Office engineer working in the street and ended up asking all sorts of questions (often coming away with a nice bundle of multi-pair cable offcuts and jumper reel leftovers for my various projects as well). My first micro was a kit-built Acorn Atom, which served for all sorts of experimental projects until I had enough money later for a BBC B. Then it all kind of snowballed!

What probably confused my mental picture of you is that there are two or three areas about which you often write and about which you seem to be particularly knowledgeable - 'old versions' of the Wiring Regs, electricity distribution networks and 'foreign' electrical systems, appliances, electrical practices etc. Apart from your spell in the US, I don't really see any explanation for any of that - is it simply a consequence of interests you have developed?

Just a consequence of the general interests, and the fact that I'm particularly interested in the historical development of electrical distribution systems, telephone systems, and so on.

 

[JohnW2]

I missed the heyday of those, but I expect you will remember Proops on Tottenham Court Rd. That place was still something of a cornucopia when I was young....

Indeed, even though only a teenager, I got to know Sid Proops quite well (and thereby eventually got a good few freebies/bargains from him!)- and there was "Z&I Aero services" very close by (who lived up to their name by having propellers as well as electronic stuff in their Alladin's cave!

There was still at least one surplus place on the venerable Lisle St. as well which we'd visit occasionally....

Yep, one at each end of Lisle St., actually, on opposite sides of the road.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[chivers67]

My background is telecomms doing a full BT apprenticeship then Exchange Maintenance, Electro mechanical Strowger, Radio phone system 4 maintenance and Repeater Station Private wire provision.

Have Regs & 2391 which i studied on my own back while I've been a househusband, hoping to be a full time self employed spark when the children are a little more independant. Do mainly non notifyable like for like stuff but have my first full rewire coming up....

 

[bernardgreen]

Army Surplus Heaven was a shop called Jobs Stocks in St Mary's Avenue in Walthamstow 1950's and 60's I seem to recall that in the annex in Beulah Rd there was a mezzanine floor supported by "walls" of Radio Set No 19's stacked up.

All the parts for a crystal set for less than 5 bob included the new fangled glass diodes that were so much better than the springy wire that had to be adjusted until it was on the sensitive spot on a lump of crystal to form the diode.

Nickel Iron rechargeable 2 volt batteries with 3/8 inch diameter terminals. almost indestructable if one used a hydrometer to ensure the acid was the right concentration.

Nostalgia.

 

[Spark123]

I have been in the trade around the same amount of time as the Carlisle 3, time served industrial electrical and instrument technician, C&G2381, 2382, 2391.

That would have been about the time I was learning 6809 machine code on the home-brew system I mentioned earlier, racing to the "computer room" (in reality an old storeroom) at school every lunchtime to sit at the ASR33 connected to the PDP-11/40 at the local college, and punching paper tapes for the old Elliott 803 which had been donated to the school when it became obsolete some years earlier.

Ye olde DEC Personal Data Processors , can recall reloading PDP-11 based PLC processors with casette tapes , later on the VAX units.

 

[echoes]

I'm not sure whether it is a compliment or an insult, but you are one of those about whom I was not sure!

I doubt it!

I'm deadly serious. If you go back and look at your posts, and try to put yourself in the mindset of someone who doen't know you, I think you may understand. It's not just that your posts are generally correct, sensible and knowledgeable, but also that the language you use can sound 'electrician-like' (you might not like that!).

Needless to say, virtually all my uncertainties/'errors' are in that direction - thinking that a 'grey area person' or frank DIYer is, or may be, an electrician. Thankfully (to the best of my knowledge ), there have been very few (although not zero) electricians who I have thought were (or should be) DIYers!

Kind Regards, John.

Well I completely mis-read your comment - I thought you were sure I wasn't an electrician
I don't mind sounding electrician-like... after referring to various books on the subject and reading this forum so much it's difficult not to. Especially since Mr. Sheds will be quick to correct anything (and rightly so)!

 

[RMS]

I have been in the trade around the same amount of time as the Carlisle 3

lol "the carlisle 3" please feel free to exclude me form "the carlisle 2".

Do you work within the Carlisle area?

 

[Spark123]

Nah, I'm from the South of the County.

 

[JohnW2]

Well I completely mis-read your comment - I thought you were sure I wasn't an electrician
I don't mind sounding electrician-like... after referring to various books on the subject and reading this forum so much it's difficult not to. Especially since Mr. Sheds will be quick to correct anything (and rightly so)!

Ah, that makes more sense! Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[westie101]

So with the Carlisle 2 (or 3) and one in the south looks like I'm surrounded!

 

[RF Lighting]

Does that mean I'm a southerner with all you lot on here?