An Interview with Alan Yates - Recondite Radiation Raconteur

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Welcome to another awesome guest: Alan Yates, VK2ZAY!

• Alan works on pyrotechnics for fun(?!)
• While he's not worried about burning out over doing similar hobby/paid work, Chris has written about burn out recently and how that might be a part of it.
• He also is an active ham operator, mostly working with PSK31 type communications.
• Ham could have been a good option for the recent SF BART shutdown.
• Low frequency transmissions could be possible with fractal antennas.
• RF, Analog, all are needed in spades in the Bay Area...or elsewhere!
• Alan did two killer designs for the 555 contest, the adding machine and the HF spectrum analyzer.
• For radiation related sites, Alan is also a fan of TechLib, Burkhard Kanika's site and the Maxim app note 2236.
• Alan also likes the 2N4117A for an input JFET. Chris is more a fan of National's LMP7721 for an ion chamber.
• HP has announced a drastic shift in their business by selling off their PC division and moving away from consumer goods.
• Why isn't HP making innovative products anymore? Possibly because they're not spending the time like they used to!
• Though it has many names, Chris just learned it is called "bootlegging" as well.
• In other news, Taiwanese companies are getting undercut by Chinese companies in parts of the already low T&M market.
• You could make your own kit (though not a new scope yet) with the newly revised Heathkits.