TerraHertz:
Actually I meant 'jealous' more as a compliment; I'm not actually consumed by covetous envy. Everything's relative, and compared to most people I know personally I'm very well off and have a treasure trove of equipment and tools. That wall in the pics is a small part of it, spread through multiple buildings. Most of which won't be shown due to general mess. Not quite up to the Bo Lojek scale, but not far short.
*Question is, how many folks invoked in electronics collect, restore and are invoked with technology to this degree?
That said, way to make me feel more envious by demonstrating you are a woman with both technical skills AND a philosophical outlook. Rarity squared. Sadly.
*I'll PM a pix to you in this regard. The electronics is part of my overall interest in science & technology & the humanities. There are too many involved in electronics that are narrowly focused on a specific area of electronics or similar technology, yet there is far more than just what they are focused on including art, literature, biology, cosmology, physics and all other aspects of humanity. Consider this:
EGO = 1/knowledge
As for returning to the cosmos...
http://everist.org/texts/Fermis_Urbex_Paradox.htm*I'm going to read this, give it some thought and reply.
As someone whose long experience has demonstrated that malign, cunning intent is actually much more common and harmful than bumbling stupidity, I tend to see the fading of principles of open design and educational, maintainable equipment as deliberate dumbing down and technical dis-empowerment of the population. My efforts to preserve what I can are done in that context. It's why I wish every beginner engineer could have access to physical originals of those old manuals. As demonstration of principles not just electronic, but also social.
*Goes back to classical liberal arts education. Great and enduring designs are a result of making the an amicable and symbiotic deal with nature. To do this means a deep understanding and appreciation of both the ways of nature and humanity.
"The very best circuit and systems designers are more creative artist than just engineering types."
Funny story: I got into electronics at an early age for the potential for artistic creation. Life & family kind of smashed that plan, oh well.
*Electronics can absolutely be used as artistic expression. There are more than a few who are doing this today.
I don't know why it would bother him. What's wrong with collecting these fine old instruments (and their manuals)? Hmm... how many Tek 7000 frames do I have? Um... quick count: 10. Plus assorted other old scopes, and some newer. Mostly in the 'to repair' queue. As if I'll ever have the time, given other demands.
There are plenty of people with far weirder and less useful collecting hobbies.
*That was more of a complement on how many of Paul's friends appreciate much the same things. Turns out, there are items of instrumentation that are greatly appreciated by many making ownership common among that group.
Bernice