How's the weather?

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
9,744
Yesterday we had rain. All of 15 seconds of it. Over the mountains there was thunder. I went out to watch. What a show. Constant thunder and almost constant lighting. And the mountains got some much needed rain. Meanwhile the town of Herriman UT took a direct hit from a flash flood. Nothing like they got from the hurricane and tropical storm moving up the east coast.
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/herriman-under-flood-advisory-due-to-creek-overflow
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,891
Today started wet but now it is beautiful which is good. After being postponed last year for COVID the Cleveland National Air Show is running this weekend. This year features the US Air Force Thunder Birds and while being a NAVAIR type and liking the Blue Angels the Thunderbirds also give a great performance. Next year The Blue Angels as they alternate year to year. :) Nice to have great weather for the holiday weekend. :)

Ron
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
9,744
Next year The Blue Angels as they alternate year to year.
OK, I'm officially jealous. I love the T-birds and the Blue Angels. Here at the AFB every other year the T-birds come to town. So, maybe next year I'll get to see the TB's. They fly right over my house.

Speaking of sky jockeys - there's a pilot who must have a lover near by. At least once a month he buzzes his/her house, low and with afterburners cooking. Quite the roar. When he/she does, he's (I'll stick to one gender) he's headed west. About a half mile past my house he banks hard and comes back to the east. He only does it once, just the two passes. And it's impressive as hell. Doesn't exceed Mach 1, that's illegal when we're not at war in the homeland. But he's pushing probably Mach 0.8 easily.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,891
OK, I'm officially jealous. I love the T-birds and the Blue Angels. Here at the AFB every other year the T-birds come to town. So, maybe next year I'll get to see the TB's. They fly right over my house.

Speaking of sky jockeys - there's a pilot who must have a lover near by. At least once a month he buzzes his/her house, low and with afterburners cooking. Quite the roar. When he/she does, he's (I'll stick to one gender) he's headed west. About a half mile past my house he banks hard and comes back to the east. He only does it once, just the two passes. And it's impressive as hell. Doesn't exceed Mach 1, that's illegal when we're not at war in the homeland. But he's pushing probably Mach 0.8 easily.
I do enjoy the air shows. A veteran of Naval Air several years ago I was going to Florida to visit old friends. This time I went vis Pensacola which is home to the Blue Angels so when not traveling you can watch them practice daily. I was so into the NAVAIR museum I spent an extra day there before getting down to my friend's place. I also as a civilian engineer for NAESU (Naval Engineering Support Unit) did the first two full deployments of the then new CVN 69 USS Eisenhower. I was in the cruise book, I am third from left under technical representatives. That was 1979 when it was the newest Nimitz Class carrier. Hard to believe 40 years have passed.

Anyway, I have always had a love of aircraft. Really happy we had a great day today and tomorrow is looking real nice also.

Ron
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,491
I used to play golf at the 9 hole course that used to be on the Glynco Naval Air base before it was decommissioned and became public. Now it is the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center belonging to Homeland Security. Their 5000' + runway is now the local airport. Playing a round of golf, machine gun fire coming from the FLETC range, cars squealing around their training track, and F/A - 18s screaming by overhead at treetop level getting ready for the weekend airshow. Quite a day to remember, hell I can't even remember what my score was.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
9,744
@Reloadron Awesome!

A small portion of my career has been to work with aviation equipment. Started with MacDonnell Douglas in Long Beach CA, then a year with Aerojet General. From there I went to Lockheed Aircraft servicing where I got to work on C-130's and built a couple TA-4's. Watched the C-5 Galaxy land and take off. Damn that's a big flying box. They have the C-5 at the air show. Even when I walk through it I don't remember it being that big. But much of my career has been in Quality Assurance and Quality Control, having a lot to do with Oilfield electronics and Defense electronics. Did some medical too. But the most fun I had was at Northrop Grumman Space Technologies in Redondo Beach. Messing with satellites was pretty exciting. Also worked on a laser defense system. Got a job with JPL but before I could start NASA cut the budget and they couldn't bring me in.

From there I went to work at a steel shop inspecting welds on tanks and piping. Totally new field to me, and I didn't much care for working in a tin box that in the summer time you went outside to cool off and in the winter time you went outside (no, not a mistake - I had to go outside) to warm up. Relatively few days in the shop that were comfortable. Since then I've worked several machine shops and did a short contract with Parker Hannifin doing EDM machining. Had issues with the lead. He figured that since I've had a career in inspection that I must not be good with my hands. Well, I think I could have been every bit as good at EDM as he was. But I never got the chance. I ended up turning in my badge and declaring that I just couldn't work with the man.

Since then I've done some contract work in electronics inspection for DRS Naval Power Systems and Plexus, where in Plexus I inspected a lot of defense boards. As a seasoned and qualified inspector I knew the IPC-610 standard like the back of my hand. I had an issue with one of the ladies who declared "I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 20 YEARS!" To which I replied, "I'm approaching 40 years. I was there when IPC began." She called an engineer to support her claim that my work (as a solder tech) was not per the print. Long story short, the QC Engineer came and said she was right. So I asked him where he got his engineering degree. A dumb look washed over his face. So I asked what he was doing before he became an engineer. He said he was working at Plexus as an inspector. "OK, what did you do before that?" Car salesman. No quality background whatsoever. OK, he was the engineer. So I asked him if he had any formal training in drafting. Nope. Had no idea what leader lines were. The print clearly indicated the requirement for 0.080" clearance between a lead and a solder pad. The lead went over to another lead then bent 90 degrees to another pad. The rejection was that the lead that was at the pad, where the bend was wasn't 0.080" from the pad it soldered to. Go figure. The guy was as sharp as a fuzzy tennis ball. So how did he get the job? He applied for it. No one else did, so they gave it to him. Without formal education or experience. For many many years I've worked with engineers and came to know the jargon as well as many of the disciplines. With my drafting training, I knew more than that kid will ever know. So yet again that woman with 20 years experience declared yet another unacceptable solder joint. As far as 610 was concerned, it was acceptable as is. What she was having many solder tech's doing was wasting time and materials and running boards through unnecessary thermal excursions. And given the nature of what was being soldered, considerable heat and dwell time was required to reflow those "bad" solder joints. "THE CUSTOMER WON'T ACCEPT THEM!" No, the customer MUST accept them because they are per IPC-610. Says so in the purchase order. Plexus was to build to IPC-610 rev E. And the joints complied fully. IF the customer were to send it back, and I was the QE I would contact them and ask them what they were basing their rejection on. What section, paragraph and subsection. No doubt they wouldn't be able to. Since the PO ordered compliance with 610 - it had to be accepted.

Many of the people at Plexus were farmers and "Cheese Herders". I think most herded cheese before they got the job at this high tech company.

OK, enough of my rant. I'm semi retired now. I may take a contract job from time to time but now I'm building my own woodshop. Going to take a stab at a business making custom cabinets and wood furniture. Time will tell how that goes. Just half an hour ago I finished the drawings for my work desk. Simple enough - just two boxes with drawers and a desk top. Drawing is to dimensions. 60 inch desk will fit into a 62 inch cubby in the shop. Room for my computer, printer, UPS and network connection. The shop will have a table saw, sliding miter saw and a bandsaw. Also a jointer, surface plane and two drill presses. One is a bench top drill and the other will be a floor model. There's dust collection but it needs upgrading. My electronics hobby has taken a hit this past year what with all the planning for the shop and the construction. Right now I'm so damned sick of mudding drywall. But it's almost done. So in two weeks I will be applying for final inspection. I still mess with electronics from time to time. Still my first love. Since I was a young boy and took apart an old tube radio I've been messing with electronics. It's a shame I didn't do better in math. I could have learned a lot more and done more. But I am where I am.

Oh, the weather? Nice day today. Not too much smoke from the California fire(s) and the temperature was in the 80's.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,891
Another nice day here too. Thinking mid 70s today with sunshine. Nice air show final day. :)

The little A4 (Skyhawk) was an incredible plane. As small as those wings were I watched many make it back to DaNang with major wing pieces missing from SAM damage and the C130 I can never say enough about.

You have been around the block. :)

Ron
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
9,744
Today's weather forecast calls for sunshine, followed by darkness tonight.

Actually, average temperature is 85 but they're forecasting 93. I hate it when they refer to the average temp and call it "Normal". No - normal is when the temperature is around the average. When it's not "normal" is when it's extreme. Whether warmer or colder than average to some sort of extreme temperatures. But since temp's vary on a normal basis - exactly what is normal? Well, if I could get a hold of the data from which they calculate the average temp I'd do a statistical analysis on it. My opinion is that 1 standard deviation would be "Normal". 2 standard deviations would be "Above or Below normal", and 3 standard deviations or greater would be "Extreme". I think that would yield some useful information. But it irks me when they say "Today will be 86 degrees. Above normal for this time of year." No, that's above average. It's not normal to have daily temperatures ALWAYS be exactly average. That's not how numbers work.

Anyway - I digress.
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,330

killivolt

Joined Jan 10, 2010
836
Expected 20°F tonight a little snow in the Valley up to 1’ in the mountains, rain tonight cooler weather ahead, got 2 snowblowers ready. I’m thinking if it’s anything like a extraordinary years past, when snow fell so mush so it was difficult to get out of the driveway. Lakes and Streams Brimming, lets face it we live in a Desert, I expect years of drought followed by years of moisture abundance.

To me in times past we go through drought conditions leading up to a heavy year of snowfall and moisture.

I could be wrong but, I’m preparing anyway, all the hose bibs disconnected, water off to outside and cooler disconnected.

kv

Edit: Albeit also up to winter, will be repetitive hot, cold, periods. Although I’ve seen it snow heavily in the Mountains but moderately in the Valley’s. Only Mother nature knows for sure, and she keeps secrets.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
9,744
I’m preparing anyway, all the hose bibs disconnected, water off to outside and cooler disconnected.
Just shut down the swamper yesterday. Also turned off the sprinklers. Going to blow them down this week so they don't suffer from freezing conditions and possible ruptured piping. I'm talking about blowing down the supply lines as well as the sprinkler lines. Sprinkler lines are not threatened very much but the control valves may be more susceptible; so blowing them down gets rid of just about all the water in them and they won't crack from a freeze.
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,661
Yeah, life it tough in the winter time. Cold weather is about to set in here. Coconut oil freezes at 25.6°C (78°F) and you just can't get it out of the bottle. I am thinking of pouring some coconut oil into wide mouth jars to I can spoon it out and still cook with it for the 3 or 4 weeks the weather stays below 78°F.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,891
Yeah, life it tough in the winter time. Cold weather is about to set in here. Coconut oil freezes at 25.6°C (78°F) and you just can't get it out of the bottle. I am thinking of pouring some coconut oil into wide mouth jars to I can spoon it out and still cook with it for the 3 or 4 weeks the weather stays below 78°F.
You are evil Dick Cappels. :)

Ron
 
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