in defence of the time served spark

[MDJ]

We are getting a lot of stick from short course guys at the moment telling us we are miserable old gits and part of an old boys club. I would like to apologise for taking 4 and a half years to become an electrician on block release at college and with on site training, to add also with a further 2 years under supervision to get approved status which then meant we could work alone. I appreciate times have changed and we are out of date and past it, taking 6 and a half years to get approved which is possible in 5 weeks today seems a little silly I know, we are living in yesterday years, we only know about things that today would not be seen much due to the invention of twin and earth and part pee building control regs and apologies again to the short course takers. We are not a bad bunch even if our old city and guild qualifcations are considered to be laughable in todays high tech exam courses. It wasn't our fault the Achievment mesurement and city and guilds were around back then, apologies for being out of date and out of touch, we may be past it but we did have it once and may still be able to work on Domestic properties today with further training.

Profound apologies from us the older generation who didn't do Modern short courses .

 

[Geordie Spark]

Redifussion still going m8 the now make flight simulators believe it or not

Really??!!

I thought they missed a golden opportunity when cable tv/telephone/internet came along.

I mean; Redifusion had most of the north east already wired for radio & tv and it would have just been a matter of upgrading what they already had to give them what the likes of Virgin Mediocre have now.

 

[moospark]

My Uncle was Redifusion, and had one of the first VCRs up here, then duly started the first video pirate operation in Gateshead. Pretty much paid his mortgage off.

 

[trev]

My Uncle was Redifusion, and had one of the first VCRs up here, then duly started the first video reproduction business in Gateshead. Pretty much paid his mortgage off.

Amended on behalf of your uncle out of respect for his enterprising nature

 

[moospark]

Sorry did I mis-spell 'private'? Cheers for the correction.
Anyhow He's got dementia kicking in, so can stand up in court and say "Sorry, I can't remember".

 

[PEG]

i predict that by the year 2023 all electrical training will be replaced by simply downloading a mobile phone "sparks app" from the place that sells the crazy frog ringtone - thereby creating the 5 minute wonder.

and all certificates shall be issued via a text message from C&G saying " Yay ! you've passed ! you're not such a loser after all "

thus we will enter a period of mankinds evolution where Electrical Trainee's will be revered as ultra qualified god like industry leaders , rulers of all they survey !





an old skool installer will remain in cryogenic stasis just in case a pyro job crops up.

:-D

According to my 12 year old son,there will be no need for cables,chases,termination etc etc,as everything will be cordless,with a "device" (he wasn't very specific:bigear in every room that controlled this....i can hardly wait for his invention to fund my retirement ...

 

[trev]

Peg I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this is already being looked at. Apparently it's doable using microwave transmission

 

[Knobhead]

Many moons ago a company devised a radio device that once implemented meant we didn’t need a plant operator in a control room. Instead of watching the plant conditions he would be pushing a broom around (IE doing some thing that could be seen as useful).

We operated kilns amongst other thing. The operator could see something abnormal was building up and would react to control the situation. Catch the problem first and you don’t have to clean up the resultant mess afterwards.

The main problem was this new super wiz bang bit of kit only radioed you when things had gone wrong.
It never got off the drawing board!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Miserable old git...

hmm

have you wired that bell yet?..

 

[NickD]

Peg I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this is already being looked at. Apparently it's doable using microwave transmission

And with the benefit of a free vasectomy if you stand in front of the beam.

Used to work with satellite dishes anything up to 3m diameter and (I think) 50W transmit power. Every so often you'd see a pigeon land on the LNB arm at front and centre of the dish, sit there quietly for a minute and then, very slowly, fall over.

 

[moospark]

Many moons ago a company devised a radio device that once implemented meant we didn’t need a plant operator in a control room. Instead of watching the plant conditions he would be pushing a broom around (IE doing some thing that could be seen as useful).

We operated kilns amongst other thing. The operator could see something abnormal was building up and would react to control the situation. Catch the problem first and you don’t have to clean up the resultant mess afterwards.

The main problem was this new super wiz bang bit of kit only radioed you when things had gone wrong.
It never got off the drawing board!

It's just an app. away.

 

[Engineer54]

Used to work with satellite dishes anything up to 3m diameter and (I think) 50W transmit power. Every so often you'd see a pigeon land on the LNB arm at front and centre of the dish, sit there quietly for a minute and then, very slowly, fall over.

I've got a 3.4m dish in my back garden to pick up the UK's SKY system. ... lol!!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I've got a 3.4m dish in my back garden to pick up the UK's SKY system. ... lol!!

didn`t have you down as a shopaholic eng...

 

[D Skelton]

Well, while all you old farts moan about 5WWs I've taken it upon myself to join their club! I take back everything I said in parliament, it ain't half going well for me!

I got my cert through last week and am now a qualified domestic practitioner of orthopedic surgery! The phone hasn't stopped ringing!

I'm doing hip replacements for £150 a pop, so as this forum is full of moany old gits, thought I'd pitch up here and sell my services to you lot too ;-)

 

[HappyHippyDad]

hmm

have you wired that bell yet?..

Tried to.. couldn't get it to work.... Everytime I pressed it it just said "you are not authorised to connect this bell, please retrain and try again"..

 

[ipf]

Send us a card, doc