Welcome to AAC Retirees Club

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,711
One thing that I miss in retirement is access to about $250,000 worth of equipment that I had when I was working. I worked in RF, so the high frequency stuff is pretty pricey. I often come up against a problem that I say, "Well, I'll just hook it up to the S-parameter test set on the network analyzer...", only to realize that I no longer have ACCESS to one! I've had to resort to testing the way it was done in the "old" days before such niceities.
I've been thinking seriously about how to solve this.

I have access to $500k worth of equipment which I wish I can access when/if I retire.

Wouldn't it be nice if you can create an Old Timers Club in your location wherever you are where you have a facility with ???-sq.ft of space to house a machine shop, wood working shop, electrical/electronics workbench, technical library, coffee lounge, for old timers and retirees to come, mingle, relax, do community work, instead of hanging around at the food court of the local mall?

Just looking for a benefactor to fund this.
 

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,345
Wouldn't it be nice if you can create an Old Timers Club in your location wherever you are where you have a facility with ???-sq.ft of space to house a machine shop, wood working shop, electrical/electronics workbench, technical library, coffee lounge, for old timers and retirees to come, mingle, relax, do community work, instead of hanging around at the food court of the local mall?

Just looking for a benefactor to fund this.
Isn't that a makerspace?
Unfortunately none near here.
 

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,345
When I was a kid electronics was my hobby. After school I was told that I shouldn't work in electronics as I would lose my hobby. Well, I ignored that and, as it turned out I got paid for indulging my hobby. Now I am retied I am back to my electronics hobby full time :)
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,711
When I was a kid electronics was my hobby. After school I was told that I shouldn't work in electronics as I would lose my hobby. Well, I ignored that and, as it turned out I got paid for indulging my hobby. Now I am retied I am back to my electronics hobby full time :)
Yep, I'm off to do my hobby!
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
Some days I think about trying to do something with it all other than just trashing the lot.
If you get to the point where you're going to trash it, give some AAC members, particularly retirees who don't have a lot of disposable cash, the opportunity to pay the cost of shipping to have some of your treasure.
 
One thing that I miss in retirement is access to about $250,000 worth of equipment that I had when I was working.
I've been thinking seriously about how to solve this.

I have access to $500k worth of equipment which I wish I can access when/if I retire.
Not to 'kibitz' but IMNSHO avocations in retirement are at least as important (from a mental/spiritual quality of life standpoint) as occupation-related activity during one's working years...

Point being: For heaven sake just 'bite the bullet' and purchase your own equipment (plus decent service contracts/extended warranties) such that you may enjoy your well-earned leisure time whenever the spirit moves you!:cool:

Very best regards
HP:)
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
I retired about 18 months ago. The decision was forced on me, as the small company I had worked for had lost some major contracts. I was in IT, and there was intense competition by the young bucks. We had considerable savings and just received a large payout from an old pension.

I decided to retire.

It was just a few weeks before my daughters wedding. Then a few weeks after the wedding divorce proceedings started.

Once everything settled, I had time to travel and become involved in theater once again. I used my electronics hobby on a model railroad, theater special effects and other projects. I had no trouble adjusting and for many reasons, retirement has been good for me.
 

ericgibbs

Joined Jan 29, 2010
18,766
Hi Ron,
I closed down my company of 15 years in 2002 and retired aged 70..
Kept the company running for 4 years after my wife died, but it wasn’t the same and my heart was no longer in the business.
Lived alone for the past 22 years, as they say, if you don’t enjoy your own company, it loneliness, if you enjoy your company its solitude.
Fortunately it’s the latter for me.

Kept all of the companies electronics bits until recently, when I gave most of them to a fellow AAC member who runs teaching classes for disadvantaged children.

I am kept busy and active doing jobs for my children, there is always some techno gadget that needs fixing/building , also writing animal breeding/feeding programs for our farm in South Africa, designing animal weighing scales., etc

My 31 offspring keep me young at heart, I am a lucky guy.

At this time all my ‘old’ equipment is operating within specified parameters.:rolleyes:

Eric
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,711
Not to 'kibitz' but IMNSHO avocations in retirement are at least as important (from a mental/spiritual quality of life standpoint) as occupation-related activity during one's working years...

Point being: For heaven sake just 'bite the bullet' and purchase your own equipment (plus decent service contracts/extended warranties) such that you may enjoy your well-earned leisure time whenever the spirit moves you!:cool:

Very best regards
HP:)
Inasmuch as I see your perspective, I would like to think that there are good reasons to my idea.

1) You avoid overwhelming your partner's space with your stuff.
2) You have a chance/excuse to get out of the house.
3) You get to mingle and create "real" AAC community instead of the virtual reality kind.
4) You can collaborate and work on volunteer/community projects.
5) You create a drop-in center for youth, less privileged, and marginalized parts of society.
6) You can reuse/repurpose/recycle and protect the environment.
7) And best of all, when your ticket gets called, all your stuff remains for posterity instead of being carted away to the dump.
 

Aleph(0)

Joined Mar 14, 2015
597
Not to 'kibitz' but IMNSHO avocations in retirement are at least as important (from a mental/spiritual quality of life standpoint) as occupation-related activity during one's working years...

Point being: For heaven sake just 'bite the bullet' and purchase your own equipment (plus decent service contracts/extended warranties) such that you may enjoy your well-earned leisure time whenever the spirit moves you!:cool:

Very best regards
HP:)
Inasmuch as I see your perspective, I would like to think that there are good reasons to my idea.

1) You avoid overwhelming your partner's space with your stuff.
2) You have a chance/excuse to get out of the house.
3) You get to mingle and create "real" AAC community instead of the virtual reality kind.
4) You can collaborate and work on volunteer/community projects.
5) You create a drop-in center for youth, less privileged, and marginalized parts of society.
6) You can reuse/repurpose/recycle and protect the environment.
7) And best of all, when your ticket gets called, all your stuff remains for posterity instead of being carted away to the dump.
MrChips I say in addition to all your reasons, you also don't get stuck with agro of looking on stuff u paid good $$$ for now after it's totally obsolete in a just a few yearso_O So I say for ppl who want to setup home lab, leasing can sometimes be better option:cool:!
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,711
MrChips I say in addition to all your reasons, you also don't get stuck with agro of looking on stuff u paid good $$$ for now after it's totally obsolete in a just a few yearso_O So I say for ppl who want to setup home lab, leasing can sometimes be better option:cool:!
While leasing may be an option if you have the financial means or you are doing this as a paid professional, I am referring to equipment that you already have and require no additional expenditure. Us ol' timers learn to make do with whatever equipment we have regardless of the fact that it might be totally obsolete. My Tek 422 oscilloscope serves me well when nothing else is available.
 

Thread Starter

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
One thing that I miss in retirement is access to about $250,000 worth of equipment that I had when I was working.
That is another interesting subject.Where I worked in the "out buildings" we were a sort of skunk works area. While I had a great lab and budget I also had access to a great machine shop where we did prototype work. I really miss that machine shop and some of the best ME type engineers in the business who were always right there to nurture me and guide me in my "side project" mechanical and machining endeavors. The lathe is a fun tool and combined with a good milling machine one can make some really cool stuff. Wasn't unusual for me to be there during second or third shifts working on my own pet projects. Damn I miss that machine shop. :)

I have all the electronics here at home I'll ever need. Likely too much stuff.

Ron
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,711
That is why I added a machine shop to my wish list. An electronic workbench does not take up a lot of space. While I have a radial arm saw in the garage and a drill press in the basement, there is no way I will get the XYL to agree to a machine lathe, and I wouldn't want one at home anyway. Fortunately for me, I have access to a lathe and mill at work.
 

SLK001

Joined Nov 29, 2011
1,549
I've got a good wood shop and a South Bend Heavy 10 lathe. I want a vertical milling machine to complete the set. However, it is the electronics equipment that I am lacking.

And what is an XYL?
 
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