What are you doing right now?

[ian]

I did, ever the pursuer of trends, purchase a pair of giant headphones in the airport some years back. Then I found they were so big made my head look stupid and I'm not young enough to pull off that look.

I've no idea, of course, where they went. It's not like they were teeny. I could just tape a Sonos to each side of my head, they're about the same size.

[matthew]

Waiting to join an All member scout webinar. They are talking about 10,000 on one call. How badly do you think this could go?

[Ham]

I've been on a conference call workshop for the last hour, I still don't know which deal/contract it is supposed to be about.

[Kim]

Wondering whether a Paddington Stare beats a Care Bear Stare, or vice-versa.

[Salvatore]

Waiting for live streaming of Uncle Brian's funeral to start.

[Wowbagger]

Wasting my life in front of a computer.

[Feanor]

Spent the day listening in on a historic radio station.

Today is Alexanderson Day, when the historic Alexanderson VLF transmitter at Grimeton in Sweden (call sign SAQ) transmits a message to the world.
The Alexanderson transmitter is remarkable in that it is the last operational VLF (Very Low Frequency) electro-mechanical transmitter.
It has no valves or semiconductors; it uses a mechanical rotating alternator to produces the 17.2KHz VLF RF current.
This appeals to my latent Steampunk tendancies!

The Very Low Frequency is chosen for it's long distance propogation; this was Sweden's only link with the outside world during war years.
SAQ's transmissions can be recieved in North America.

https://alexander.n.se/the-radio-station-saq-grimeton/the-alexanderson-transmitter/?lang=en
Using a home-made VLF reciever, today's message was:

CQ CQ CQ DE SAQ SAQ SAQ
THIS IS GRIMETON RADIO/SAQ IN A TRANSMISSION USING THE ALEXANDERSON 200KW ALTERNATOR ON 17.2KHZ.=
IN VIEW OF THE PRESENT PANDEMIC COVID-19 WE WANT TO PAY TRIBUTE TO ALL PARTIES CONCERNED WITHIN HEALTHCARE KNOWING THEIR EFFORTS WILL PAY EFFECT EVENTUALLY.=
SIGNED: WORLD HERITAGE GRIMETON RADIO STATION AND THE ALEXANDER-GRIMETON VETERANRADIOS VAENNER ASSOCIATION <Message Ends>=
FOR QSL INFO PLEASE READ OUR WEBSITE:
WWW.ALEXANDER.N.SE=<Message Ends>
DE SAQ SAQ SAQ <Closing Down>


VLF Rx site by Ron Lowe, on Flickr
The VLF Rx station


CQCQCQ-DE-SAQSAQSAQ by Ron Lowe, on Flickr
Spectral plot showing SAQ at 17.2KHz


SAQ-Audacity by Ron Lowe, on Flickr
The processed audio in Audacity. This is SAQ signing off.
My Morse is not good enough to catch it all real-time, so I recorded it and used Audacity to pause and re-play sections.
You can also see the Morse graphically on-screen.

[geoff]

With a group of colleagues... working through the tome: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1001_Albums_You_Must_Hear_Before_You_Die

Last few days, really enjoyed this one: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=27.msg2514973.msg#2514973

Tonight we've got New Boots and Panties

Sent from my STF-L09 using Tapatalk

[Feanor]

Spent the day listening in on a historic radio station.

Today is Alexanderson Day, when the historic Alexanderson VLF transmitter at Grimeton in Sweden (call sign SAQ) transmits a message to the world.
The Alexanderson transmitter is remarkable in that it is the last operational VLF (Very Low Frequency) electro-mechanical transmitter.
It has no valves or semiconductors; it uses a mechanical rotating alternator to produces the 17.2KHz VLF RF current.
This appeals to my latent Steampunk tendancies!

The live video of them starting up the alternator is really something to behold:

https://youtu.be/I47HNbxNQcw

[Kim]

The live video of them starting up the alternator is really something to behold:

https://youtu.be/I47HNbxNQcw

Steampunk as fuck!

[ElyDave]

The Swedes do industrial heritage very well

[Tim Hall]

The live video of them starting up the alternator is really something to behold:

https://youtu.be/I47HNbxNQcw

Steampunk as fuck!

But nearly didn't have any steam, as they didn't turn the water on at the start.

[Kim]

Also, you have to feel for that poor little radio mic.  Sounds shit at the start of the video, then you realise what it has to put up with...

[Feanor]

Yes, not a electrically quiet environment!
I like the blue flashes coming from the exposed contactors as they open and close, switching the high-power RF on and off in response to key-up/key-down!

[Tim Hall]

I was fairly impressed by the camera operator, walking backwards, not tripping over anything and getting fried instantly and UTTERLY to DETH.

[Feanor]

The Swedes do industrial heritage very well

And the Danish, too.
Dieselhouse.

They have a Burmeister & Wain diesel engine, which was built in 1932 and remained the world's largest for more than 30 years, stands 12.5 meters tall and 24.5 meters wide and weighs 1,400 tons. It produces 22,500 HP and supplied Copenhagen with electricity. It remained in use during peak demand until the 1970s.

http://dieselhouse.dk/en/

They crank it up a couple of times a month for 5 to 10 minutes.
(That's going to play hell with the Diesel Particulate Filter!)

Here's a random youtube video of them cranking it up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6mP4z-W39M

[Basil]

Having eschewed alcohol for bleeding ages, OK, about 3 weeks, I intend to drink whisky until it hurts tonight.
Chin chin.

[ElyDave]

The Swedes do industrial heritage very well

And the Danish, too.
Dieselhouse.

They have a Burmeister & Wain diesel engine, which was built in 1932 and remained the world's largest for more than 30 years, stands 12.5 meters tall and 24.5 meters wide and weighs 1,400 tons. It produces 22,500 HP and supplied Copenhagen with electricity. It remained in use during peak demand until the 1970s.

http://dieselhouse.dk/en/

They crank it up a couple of times a month for 5 to 10 minutes.
(That's going to play hell with the Diesel Particulate Filter!)

Here's a random youtube video of them cranking it up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6mP4z-W39M

I was also thinking of a site I've audited which took a water powered cereal mill, kept all of the old buildings and turned it into a snus factory, initially just on the whim of one investor who decided he wanted to!

It's a great example of adapting your industrial heritage, they still generate hydro power from their dam, and the original wooden mill buildings are the new tobacco warehouse.  The offices are in some of the more modern (1930's) buildings

[nicknack]

Peering at Jupiter and Saturn through a telescope having just watched another episode of The Man In The High Castle.

[T42]

Eating a croissant and drinking a cup of tea.

[SteveC]

Waiting for Tesco to deliver so we can go shopping.   

[Mrs Pingu]

I was going to make some cinnamon buns and paint some woodwork but a little warm furry body has decided I should be her bed instead.

[T42]

I was going to make some cinnamon buns and paint some woodwork but a little warm furry body has decided I should be her bed instead.

Hah. I have been doing the Fandango of Gory Death around two furry dogsbodies and eight splayed-out paws while endeavouring with pointy whirling things to screw a batten in exactly the right place on our hall wall to secure panelling to.  Every time I turned around to pick up the next pointy thing the configuration had changed.

[tiermat]

Watching hockey, or more precisely CHI vs EDM in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Feels odd to be watching hockey in summer but I'll get used to it.

[T42]

Thinking that I'd be better off on the bike than vegging out here.