I'm very glad you have the time to post in this forum George. A book with your thoughts would be a great thing. Not sure about anyone else but I do prefer paper even if it's literally back of a napkin.
Never really thought about tubes switching, daft as I grew my teeth in a tv repair shop right at the end in the late 80s.
I think your right about not quite achieving saturation. Funny with such a stiff drive. Really no screen glow?
Anyway, I guess they are dumb questions. I have a lot to learn. I consider it a very happy situation.
Cheers
Matt.
Never really thought about tubes switching, daft as I grew my teeth in a tv repair shop right at the end in the late 80s.
I think your right about not quite achieving saturation. Funny with such a stiff drive. Really no screen glow?
Anyway, I guess they are dumb questions. I have a lot to learn. I consider it a very happy situation.
Cheers
Matt.
Really? Even if it's about a hobby involving obsolete technology?? What if you wrote a book on knitting, would they own that too? How come your website doesn't count as approved publication?
I had the same stuff imposed on me by the bank I used to work at (I analyzed cost centre spending and budgets!!!). BUT yeah, kitting would probably be construed as the bank's intellectual property too. Don't even ask about websites... they can own those too and tell you take stuff down, but depends on how far you want to push the line.
I wrote those words on a company owned and monitored computer. That IS the current company policy.
Technically, yes. However I did write a magazine article for one of the Elector publications that involved DSP chips and vacuum tubes. Times were different then.
Many old timers remember the S-100 bus computer systems in the 1970's. At the same time SWPTC, the same outfit that brought us all the Tiger series of audio amps, created the SS50 bus for the MC6800 chip. I work for the company that created the 6800 chip. We had a computer club at work, so you know which chip we used. We got advanced samples for new chips before they were publicly announced. We got our hands on the 6809 and made adapter boards to plug them into the SWPC, and eventually created some plug in boards for the SS50 bus.
Myself and a friend took our "employment agreement" and went to see a lawyer about possibly marketing those boards. After being told not to go forward we discussed other options. My friend enquired about selling bicycle related electronics since there was no relation to anything the company ever produced.
This is where we learned these words " A lawyer on staff ALWAYS beats a lawyer on retainer. Basically the company owns ANYTING that you do if they want it. It also means any infraction can be used to fire someone.
At the time I wrote the magazine article times were good and these details were often ignored. That is no longer the case. There will be at least one more major round of layoffs this year. It is cheaper for the company to fire someone than to lay them off, so it is good behavior time.
The company's policy always stated that any "secondary employment" must be approved by the company in advance. Tubelab was started by 4 employees, we applied for permission, which like most applications, sat in someone's in basket unprocessed. An old boss forced the issue by demanding that his application receive attention under threat of legal action. He was selling porn tapes on the internet. The company must remain neutral on that subject, so the approval requirement was dropped, and Tubelab was born. Other rules still apply, and some people have been fired for violations, but I have flown under the radar for 8 years. For now I MUST keep it that way, even if it hurts Tubelab. The other 3 people who started Tubelab with me, and the porn guy.....all laid off along with thousands of my friends. After 40+ years, I'm still there.
I have my name on 7 including 2 that are now owned by Google. I have a few plaques stashed in a box somewhere.
I really can't complain. I showed up in 1972 with no formal education, after my father and I had round #87 of the worthless teenager fight, answering a technician wanted ad in the local paper. There were several hundred people waiting in line when I got there. Somehow I convinced them that I could fix things because I was one of 3 people hired that day. I made $3.57 per hour tuning radios.
In 1990 I decided to go to college at age 37. They paid for almost everything. It was a lot of work, full time job, full time college, family life......But fun. I collected a degree in computer engineering. I found it rewarding enough to do it again. Lets see, I can sit in front of my computer at work, or I can hang out at the local college...... I got a masters degree in electrical engineering and again they paid for almost everything.
About 14 years ago they put in a gym and it is free. I eat my lunch at my desk and tame my hour mid afternoon showing the young guys how to throw the weights around.
I know that some large corporations have similar or better benefit plans, and some have far less. Like other workplaces the mood and morale swings from "party time" to totally depressing. At this point nothing surprises me.
Woah.... sounds kinda...opressive? Whatever happened to the American dream, eh!
They pay you to do the work, they own the work product. I don't see the issue. My patents have made millions and millions of dollars, of which I don't see a single cent- but that's why they gave me a paycheck every week, to generate multimillion dollar ideas. No complaints, I was living off my employers' money.
When you develop an idea on company time, using company materials, it is clear that the company receives the benefits.
However, when it comes to an unrelated hobby, in your free time, using your own materials, I do have an issue with an employer claiming anything. You want to claim my efforts outside payroll hours, pay me 24/7, not just 8/5...
However, when it comes to an unrelated hobby, in your free time, using your own materials, I do have an issue with an employer claiming anything. You want to claim my efforts outside payroll hours, pay me 24/7, not just 8/5...
I'm fortunate that my current boss is an avid audiophile, so I get no grief about that! Unfortunately, as management, I am expected to contribute much outside of my allotted work hours...
Our company's policy is that if you use no company assets and it's unrelated to the business, it's yours.
Our company's policy is that if you use no company assets and it's unrelated to the business, it's yours.
Every company in every different country has different ways of treating what is theirs and what is yours, but it all depends on the situation and how far they want to cover their own butts or how many benefits they want to reap.
In the meantime, I would still like to see George's screen drive circuit somehow -- not that I would understand it fully as I am not well versed in tube amp design, but understanding enough to see what is going on and learning along the way... it has piqued my curiosity.
I did a search on a guy's name back in the earlier thread (I can't recall right now) and his screen drive amps, his company, and they look awesome. And the amps are rated at more than 20,000 hours of use.
Too bad corporate can reach out and quash everyone else's fun and interests.
In the meantime, I would still like to see George's screen drive circuit somehow -- not that I would understand it fully as I am not well versed in tube amp design, but understanding enough to see what is going on and learning along the way... it has piqued my curiosity.
I did a search on a guy's name back in the earlier thread (I can't recall right now) and his screen drive amps, his company, and they look awesome. And the amps are rated at more than 20,000 hours of use.
Too bad corporate can reach out and quash everyone else's fun and interests.
American lawyers on staff at large American corporations. I know people who are subject to much greater restrictions than me. I have some friends who work for a Canadian company who have been told who they can be friends with, or even talk to. Our company is on the bad list.
Use of company assets for other than company business, and a few limited personal exceptions is a no no. There is no published list of personal exceptions. People have been reprimanded or fired for violations. Use of company phones, computers, internet access, or cell phones for a side business is the major reason for the dismissals. Porn will do it too. Buying on Ebay during lunch seems to be OK, selling is not.......
We all signed an employment agreement that clearly states that all intellectual property generated that is related to company business, past business, and future endeavors, or that uses knowledge gained from company activity is property of the company. That is a rather broad definition, that gets broader in my case since the company paid for my education (knowledge gained).
I'm sure that the case could be argued for vacuum tube amplifiers even though the company was engaged in this business in the past, but I choose not to risk it at this time. In just over a year I will be eligible for retirement benefits and my attitude may change.
Probably David Berning.
My original circuit has been posted here in post #4. It is from about 5 years ago. The new one is still in a state of flux but I will post it here when I have time.
then it would be fair i guess
widespread problem (globally) is that crisis did lots of harm, unemployment % in some countries is nightmare.
employers know that they can use more or less "fear force" to put down pressure on employees
and everybody needs money, so...
This world needs more audio engineers and amplifier designers and fewer lawyers.
And thanks George, it was David Berning. The innards of his amplifier and the description of his circuit is far above my simple understanding from his website. I did find an easier to digest review on stereophile.com from 1992 and it sure does look and sound interesting.
Berning EA-2101 power amplifier | Stereophile.com
And to correct my writing up there, that particular amp reviewed was rated at 10,000 hours and not the 20,000 hours I typed up there.
Can't wait to see your newer design George and no rush, do this after you retire (you'll have more time on your hands anyway).
And thanks George, it was David Berning. The innards of his amplifier and the description of his circuit is far above my simple understanding from his website. I did find an easier to digest review on stereophile.com from 1992 and it sure does look and sound interesting.
Berning EA-2101 power amplifier | Stereophile.com
And to correct my writing up there, that particular amp reviewed was rated at 10,000 hours and not the 20,000 hours I typed up there.
Can't wait to see your newer design George and no rush, do this after you retire (you'll have more time on your hands anyway).
high Gm fet/GM tube effects
Hi there George: Wife thinks this would be a good idea to have a stealth xrone jammer in these perilous times, with a flick of a special switch, all that would be found would be a real cool super powerful audio amplifier....regards, Michael.
Hi there George: Wife thinks this would be a good idea to have a stealth xrone jammer in these perilous times, with a flick of a special switch, all that would be found would be a real cool super powerful audio amplifier....regards, Michael.
