Panasonic and EasyPix Low Self-discharge Battery Results
I've recently completed the full suite of tests on the Panasonic and EasyPix low self-discharge battery offerings. The results are included in my battery comparison article. Read More >>
View ArticleOverhauling the AO-29 Amplifier in the Hammond M-100 Series
Well built vintage electronic circuitry can last a very long time, as evidenced by the number of Hammond organs that are still working, some from as far back as the 1930s. Hammond's engineers designed...
View ArticleHammond Organ Tonewheel Generator Capacitor Replacement and Calibration
The Hammond M-series organ service manual describes the operation of Hammond's tonewheel generator this way: Electrical impulses of various frequencies are produced in the "tone generator", which...
View ArticleRejuvenating and Expanding a PAiA 1550 Stringz'n'Thingz Synthesizer
When I was in the 8th grade, I was nuts about analog synthesizers. I'm not talking about the "analog revival" here, but the original heyday of analog synthesis. Although I'd read about Moogs and...
View ArticleUpdate to Low Self-Discharge Battery Tests
Although I hadn't planned to perform tests for storage periods longer than seven weeks, I recently discovered my pack of Powerex Imedion AA cells, which I hadn't used since I completed the 7-week test...
View ArticleFaber-Castell 111/38 Stadia 360°
The Faber-Castell 111/38 Stadia 360° desktop surveyor's rule seems to be extremely rare. My searches of the Internet have brought up a few examples of the 111/38 Stadia 400g, but almost none of the...
View ArticleFaber-Castell Novo-Duplex 2/83N
The Faber-Castell 2/83N desktop rule (and its less common pocket-sized sibling, the 62/83N) is probably the most sought after slide rule, especially after Dr. Clifford Stoll's Scientific American...
View ArticleReview: Tenergy Centura Low Self-Discharge Rechargeable 9V Battery
Every since I tested the first AA low self-discharge NiMH rechargeable battery, I've been waiting for someone to produce one in the 9V (PP3) size. It seems like everyone is producing the AA size, and...
View ArticleSoftware Portability by Virtual Machine Emulation
I completed my Master of Mathematics degree in Computer Science at the University of Waterloo in 1989, under the supervision of Dr. Gaston Gonnet (now at ETH Zurich). The topic of software portability...
View ArticleMy Fountain Pen Collection
I didn't plan on becoming a fountain pen collector. I really didn't. I've always had at least one fountain pen since 1976, but I've never had more than three at once. Suddenly, in late 2010, I started...
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A Comparison of Fountain Pens, Inks, and Papers
As a fountain pen user, I’m always on the lookout for good quality paper. Most of today’s mass-market paper is made for laser printers or ballpoint pens, the needs of the fountain pen user having been...
View ArticleA Comparison of Fountain Pens, Inks, and Papers
As a fountain pen user, I'm always on the lookout for good quality paper. Most of today's mass-market paper is made for laser printers or ballpoint pens, the needs of the fountain pen user having been...
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Gathering of the Classics: An Adventure at Edenvale Aerodrome
Brianna at the controls of C-FPMC. I think she needs a smaller headset! Today I flew to the “Gathering of the Classics” vintage automobile and aircraft exhibition put on by the Edenvale Classic...
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On the Nature of “The Hammond Organ Sound”
My 1962 Hammond M-111 tonewheel organ, which uses additive synthesis to produce the "Hammond Sound". Why does the Hammond tonewheel organ (or a good clonewheel) sound like no other electronic organ?...
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Side by Side: Pelikan M605 vs. Sheaffer No Nonsense
Pelikan Souverän M605 While reorganizing my collection of fountain pens recently, I was struck by the similarities, at first glance, between my new Pelikan Souverän M605 and my early 90′s Sheaffer No...
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Musings on Faster-than-Light Neutrinos
I am not a theoretical physicist! I can do Newtonian physics in my sleep and I’ve read one book by Einstein, but when it comes to quantum mechanics, string theory, and the rest, my knowledge is sketchy...
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My Workshop
My small-hobbies workshop. 2004-Jun to 2006-Feb: When I first set out to build my own airplane, my workshop space was rather limited. I had one 10′ x 17′ room with two workbenches in it: a 9′ x 2′...
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Destination: Misery (Bay)
Our planned course (magenta) and actual track (blue). I like to go on at least one all-day flight every year, although I haven’t managed to do so since 2006 (unless you count my half-day trip to the...
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Fuselage Assembly
Continued from Fuselage Construction: Sides. I used a laser to mark a straight line down the centre of the workbench. 2011-Oct-11: Although I didn’t realize it at the time, the previous entry would...
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Does the Demise of Cursive Writing Really Matter?
I’ve read a lot of posts on The Fountain Pen Network and His Nibs’ blog bemoaning the demise of cursive handwriting, and the state of penmanship in general (especially among the younger crowd)....
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