R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)
adrian
'Electronics and Beyond' was a magazine which had it's early beginnings as
'Electronics - The Maplin Magazine'. Many popular authors, who wrote
elsewhere in the UK electronics press, contributed many fine articles to the
magazine, throughout it's ownership by Maplin (and later Kanda Systems) and
although at times it seemed that filler articles dedicated to para-normal
were overcoming the aims of the original publication, still it was a fairly
good monthly read and for me a worthwhile subscription.
Since Maplin are now trying to remodel themselves as Tandy Mk II, it's
obvious that they had to jetison the painful hobbyists who plague their
clueless / helpless sales staff with requirements for completing some of the
projects.
Selling the magazine to Kanda systems, helped remove the responsibility -
but Kanda were hardly in a position to help, they saw the magazine and the
subscribed readers as a target for their monopolised in-magazine
advertising. Some of the articles were OK though, and there seemed to be a
bit of the spirit remaining - until the money ran out...
Now the ownership of the subscriber list has passed to Elektor Electronics,
and everything else of the original publication has been discarded. The
current issue of the Elektor magazine has no letters page, no technology
watch, no editorial and very little content that caters for novice
constructors. Most of the constructional articles seem to be written
straight from data sheets coming from the Philips / Thompson stable and
these components rarely feature in the catalogue lists of UK stockists at
the street level.
So something has died. Those of you may remember your favourite project, and
spending a Saturday morning building something from a maplin kit as
described in the articles. Some may remember some very early issues of the
magazine, articles about DJ'ing and Synthesiser construction. I do wonder
what it would take to bring these back issues on-line, it would make a
fitting memorial.
Rest in peace 'Electronics - The Maplin Magazine' & 'Electronics and
Beyond'.
Adrian
John Larkin
Poptronics is basicly dead, and Nuts and Volts has become a cruel
joke. I seriously think that very few kids will learn much real
electronics in the coming years; well, more high-priced business for
the old farts, I guess!
John
Big John
Radio Electronics AKA Electronics Now AKA Poptronics for several years. It
ends this spring and I've no intention of renewing it. It's been on it's
way down hill for years, and the last time I renewed it they screwed up my
subscription and it took six months to fix it.
Yeah, it's going to be tough for kids or other beginners in the future.
But at least we have the Internet - the last refuge for creative minds.
Big John
Philip Pemberton
news:P4s38.59567$TC1.4...@bin5.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...
> I agree with Poptronics being on the way out. I've had a subscription
to
> Radio Electronics AKA Electronics Now AKA Poptronics for several years.
It
> ends this spring and I've no intention of renewing it. It's been on it's
> way down hill for years, and the last time I renewed it they screwed up my
> subscription and it took six months to fix it.
>
> Yeah, it's going to be tough for kids or other beginners in the future.
> But at least we have the Internet - the last refuge for creative minds.
And as long as Everyday Practical Electronics (incorporating ETI) is still
being published (and is still of its usual high quality), I'll still buy it.
If it goes online-only (shudder) then I'll switch to the online version.
There's barely any "filler" material in EPE - it mainly consists of four or
five projects, "Shoptalk" (a guide to finding oddball components used in
some of the projects), "Readout" (reader's letters), a news page, "New
Technology Update", a few ads and (sometimes) a "special feature". Well
worth the UK£2.85 a month - if you're that P'd off with Poptronics, it might
be worth looking at EPE. There's the paper version at
www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk and the online version at www.epemag.com.
Later.
--
Phil.
phi...@bigfoot.com
http://www.philpem.btinternet.co.uk/
John Woodgate
SECAPITALS.com> wrote (in <KCn38.4392$ka7.9...@news6-win.server.ntlwor
ld.com>) about 'R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)', on Wed,
23 Jan 2002:
>Those of you may remember your favourite project, and
>spending a Saturday morning building something from a maplin kit as
>described in the articles. Some may remember some very early issues of the
>magazine, articles about DJ'ing and Synthesiser construction. I do wonder
>what it would take to bring these back issues on-line, it would make a
>fitting memorial.
>
>Rest in peace 'Electronics - The Maplin Magazine' & 'Electronics and
>Beyond'.
I sold Maplin only the First British Serial Rights on my articles, and
retained copyright. So I can supply copies, if anyone ever wanted one.
Some people did ask Kanda about my series on audio-frequency induction-
loop systems (AFILS), and I supplied them with photocopies.
--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only. http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk
After swimming across the Hellespont, I felt like a Hero.
PLEASE do NOT copy news posts to me by E-MAIL!
John Woodgate
THIStechnology.com> wrote (in <HzdOPCzzq98XeH...@4ax.com>)
about 'R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)', on Tue, 22 Jan
2002:
>Poptronics is basicly dead, and Nuts and Volts has become a cruel
>joke. I seriously think that very few kids will learn much real
>electronics in the coming years; well, more high-priced business for
>the old farts, I guess!
Electronics World and Everyday Practical Electronics are still going.
Cumulus publish 'Television and Home Electronics Repair' as well as
'EW'.
Mike Harrison
<j...@jmwa.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>I read in sci.electronics.design that John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandSNIP
>THIStechnology.com> wrote (in <HzdOPCzzq98XeH...@4ax.com>)
>about 'R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)', on Tue, 22 Jan
>2002:
>>Poptronics is basicly dead, and Nuts and Volts has become a cruel
>>joke. I seriously think that very few kids will learn much real
>>electronics in the coming years; well, more high-priced business for
>>the old farts, I guess!
>
>Electronics World and Everyday Practical Electronics are still going.
>Cumulus publish 'Television and Home Electronics Repair' as well as
>'EW'.
EW isn;t really a hobbyist oriented mag, and has limited high-street
distribution. There is effectively only one UK based hobbyist mag left
- let's hope the hobby isn't on its way to a total death.....!
Jim Thompson
John Woodgate <j...@jmwa.demon.co.uk>,
In Newsgroup: sci.electronics.design,
Article: <v0DeLHAU...@jmwa.demon.co.uk>,
Entitled: "Re: R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)",
Wrote the following:
[snip]
|I sold Maplin only the First British Serial Rights on my articles, and
|retained copyright. So I can supply copies, if anyone ever wanted one.
|Some people did ask Kanda about my series on audio-frequency induction-
|loop systems (AFILS), and I supplied them with photocopies.
John, I'd be interested in seeing that series on AFILS. I have a
personal use, I'm up at dawn, but my wife isn't, so I use IR earphones
to listen to the radio, but if I walk out of my office, hiss..... ;-)
...Jim Thompson
--
(If replying by E-mail please observe obscure method of anti-spam.)
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | |
| Jim-T@analog_innovations.com Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
For proper E-mail replies SWAP "-" and "_".
"Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out."
Michael Black
>
> Poptronics is basicly dead, and Nuts and Volts has become a cruel
> joke. I seriously think that very few kids will learn much real
> electronics in the coming years; well, more high-priced business for
> the old farts, I guess!
>
> John
I'm not sure I've bought a copy of Poptronics since it "started".
I guess it's a combination of dislike of them killing of Radio Electronics
(well, it was Electronics Now at that point), and just not a lot in
there that tempts me to spend the money. I bought Radio
Electronics/Electronics Now regularly for years, and even towards the
end I bought most issues. I never bought all that many of the new Popular
Electronics; this probably explains a lot because except for Sam's column
on repair, Poptronics is basically the new Popular Electronics rather
than a merging of it and Electronics Now.
I am tempted by the latest issue, with an article about Hugo Gernsback.
I'm not certain I'll buy it though. Interestingly, that article
lists magazine he started, and it lists one magazine as being the
origin of Poptronics. That can't be, since Popular Electronics which
I hadn't realized morphed from a magazine Gernsback started, died in 1983
or 1984. The lineage of the Poptronics starts with "Hands-On Electronics"
in the eighties; eventually it became Popular Electronics when Gernsback
(the company) bought the rights from the defunct magazine), and then
of course morphing into Poptronics, was it two or three years ago?
Michael
John Woodgate
T@analog_innovations.com> wrote (in <itmt4uo1m9jjinu1ft4ba8omjh9jt51cb0@
4ax.com>) about 'R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)', on Wed,
23 Jan 2002:
>John, I'd be interested in seeing that series on AFILS. I have a
>personal use, I'm up at dawn, but my wife isn't, so I use IR earphones
>to listen to the radio, but if I walk out of my office, hiss..... ;-)
OK, it will take a while because I had several other requests and I have
to work out how to do it - there are five long articles with lots of
graphics.
I use radio headphones in order not to disturb the neighbours at
unsocial hours.
John de Stigter
"adrian" <adr...@digitalmodsDITCHTHESECAPITALS.com> wrote in message
news:KCn38.4392$ka7.9...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
If you read the bios of the magazine staff, which started being printed in
every issue, ( bizarre!) you'd notice that none of them actually had any
experience in electronics. The entire tone of the magazine became more
suited to the Wall Street Journal ( The Ideas Into Profit section. ). The
writing was on the wall when they made much fuss about having a new
direction with a new team - ie death throws!
Same thing happened here in Oz with Electronics Australia Magazine.
Regards,
John.
Bob Wilson
john...@nospam.netlabs.net says...
Same is true for the once excellent German magazine "Funkschau". The last
one I saw was a joke, but now there are almost impossible to find
(fortunately). Not too many years ago it and Wireless World were the
benchmark for electronics magazines. Well, at least there's still Elektor!
Bob.
Michael Black
> The writing was on the wall when they made much fuss about having a new
> direction with a new team - ie death throws!
> Same thing happened here in Oz with Electronics Australia Magazine.
>
> Regards,
> John.
The "kiss of death" for a magazine. They throw away the long-term
readers in the hope of getting a larger, but different audience.
But since the older readers tune out, the magazine no longer has
them to sustain it while the changes have a chance to kick in.
Over the years I've seen a lot of magazines change, and I'm always
told it's to make the magazine better for "you, the reader", but rarely
do I find the changes an improvement.
And as you point out, it's often a last chance attempt at saving a
magazine, taking place too late to make a difference.
Michael
John Woodgate
wrote (in <6447bcd3.0201...@posting.google.com>) about
'R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)', on Thu, 24 Jan 2002:>77...@nasal.pacific.net.au>...
>
>> The writing was on the wall when they made much fuss about having a new
>> direction with a new team - ie death throws!
>> Same thing happened here in Oz with Electronics Australia Magazine.
>>
>> Regards,
>> John.
>The "kiss of death" for a magazine. They throw away the long-term
>readers in the hope of getting a larger, but different audience.
>But since the older readers tune out, the magazine no longer has
>them to sustain it while the changes have a chance to kick in.
Not in the case of Kanda. It was the last 'Maplin' chief who diverted
the magazine into mysticism and other stuff. The Kanda people clearly
stated their intention to bring it back to its original track. But there
were certain 'difficulties' with the transfer from Maplin that did not
help.
N. Thornton
the amount of info available to me now is probably at least 1000s of
times what it was in my nipper-hood. That is a big reason why these
mags are in decline: they are almost redundant. Even kids not on the
net have access here and there, enough to get at least a magazine's
worth.
IMO one thing that has hit the enthusiasm for electronics is the fact
that one can buy such complex kit ready made for so little. The
advantage of making your own much better equipment for half the price
is gone now, in many areas.
A shortage of skilled electronic engineers prevents our wages
plummeting.
Regards, NT
The Technical Manager
> On Tue, 22 Jan 2002 20:10:02 -0800, John Larkin
> <jjla...@highlandSNIPTHIStechnology.com> sprachen:
>
> >Most of the constructional articles seem to be written
> >>straight from data sheets coming from the Philips / Thompson stable
>
> Yeh but in fairness most of Maplin's came from Vellemann kits.
Most of the more complicated Maplin kits have been discontinued in the past
5 or so years. Its not that they were obsolete as such. Probably just low
selling or deliberataly turfed out as Maplin is turning into another Tandy.
Hardest to understand is why that mosfet audio power amp was discontinued.
Mark Daniels
<tec...@niobiumfive.co.uk> writes
What? The 150 watt one, bridgeable to 400 watts?
--
Mark Daniels
The Technical Manager
> People bemoan the loss of those magazines. Doom, gloom! With the net,
> the amount of info available to me now is probably at least 1000s of
> times what it was in my nipper-hood. That is a big reason why these
> mags are in decline: they are almost redundant. Even kids not on the
> net have access here and there, enough to get at least a magazine's
> worth.
I had a long and hard think about the issue and came to the conclusion
that in many respects the net could replace most hobbyist electronics
magazines.
Bear in mind that not all hobbyists are started from magazines. Repair
jobs or textbooks are often sufficient and half of all hobbyists
probably never bought any electronics magazines even in the heyday of
the 50s, 60s and 70s.
> IMO one thing that has hit the enthusiasm for electronics is the fact
> that one can buy such complex kit ready made for so little. The
> advantage of making your own much better equipment for half the price
> is gone now, in many areas.
I think that is true. Electronics as a hobby never really has been all
that popular and many hobbyists in the post war years were spin offs
from those who built their own radios at home to save money. With
increased complexity and declining costs of consumer electronics
building your own hardware is no longer viable. That only leaves
dabblers, vintage equipment enthusiasts or product developers as the
remaining hobbyists.
The Technical Manager
Really. Electronic engineers wages in Britain are crap considering how
much difficult material they have to study. Thats why there has been
such a decline in applicants for electronics courses in universities and
technical colleges. If you want a high paying salary you are better off
studying law, finance or medicine.
I recently spotted an ad in the papers for a European long distance
lorry driver. The annual pay was only slightly lower than what a
graduate electronic engineer would earn. To apply you had to be at least
21 years old with a category C on your driving licence. A lot less work
and studying than for most electronics jobs that require 21 year olds
with maths & physics A levels and a university degree in an IEE
accredited course.
The Technical Manager
> I read in sci.electronics.design that Michael Black <blac...@cam.org>
> wrote (in <6447bcd3.0201...@posting.google.com>) about
> 'R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)', on Thu, 24 Jan 2002:
> >"John de Stigter" <jo...@sydpcug.org.au> wrote in message news:<GOI38.2997$ko4.2
> >77...@nasal.pacific.net.au>...
> >
> >> The writing was on the wall when they made much fuss about having a new
> >> direction with a new team - ie death throws!
> >> Same thing happened here in Oz with Electronics Australia Magazine.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> John.
> >The "kiss of death" for a magazine. They throw away the long-term
> >readers in the hope of getting a larger, but different audience.
> >But since the older readers tune out, the magazine no longer has
> >them to sustain it while the changes have a chance to kick in.
>
> Not in the case of Kanda. It was the last 'Maplin' chief who diverted
> the magazine into mysticism and other stuff.
Probably trying to copy the once great science programme Horizon. Nowadays most
episodes centre themselves on pseudoscience or natural disasters.
personne
"The Technical Manager" <techmanXXXobiumfive.co.uk> a écrit dans le message
de news: 3C56E1C0...@niobiumfive.co.uk...
snip
«Electronics as a hobby never really has been all that popular and many
hobbyists in the post war years were spin offs from those who built their
own radios at home to save money. That only leaves dabblers, vintage
equipment enthusiasts or product developers as the remaining hobbyists.»
snip
Many thanks for your astute observations and condescending opinion.
HOBBY: /"hb/ noun (plural -ies) leisure-time activity pursued for pleasure.
- Oxford dictionary
HOBBY: a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for
relaxation
- Merriam-Webster dictionary
Boy, your week-ends must be fun.
Sir Charles W. Shults III
magazine- Scientific American. This year, however, I have dropped my
subscription with no plans to renew. They, too, have changed format in a
attempt to get a new and different audience. The new format truly sucks.
They removed the "Amateur Scientist" column, which was an excellent
source of hands-on material for me as a kid, and lots of fun to read until
its death. They have "prettied up" the interior of the magazine with lots
of computer graphics, but at a loss of clarity. The older, hand drawn black
and white pictures had a charm of their own and got the message across
perfectly well.
Also, they have dropped to about half of their original thickness. The
excellent articles of the past are just that- of the past. Surely we have
not stopped producing science?
Cheers!
Chip Shults
My robotics, space and CGI web page - http://home.cfl.rr.com/aichip
Jim Thompson
"Sir Charles W. Shults III" <aic...@cfl.rr.com>,
In Newsgroup: sci.electronics.design,
Article: <m%E58.483404$oj3.91...@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com>,
Entitled: "Re: R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)",
Wrote the following:
| Well, I have been a long time reader and subscriber to another venerable
|magazine- Scientific American.
[snip]
| Also, they have dropped to about half of their original thickness. The
|excellent articles of the past are just that- of the past. Surely we have
|not stopped producing science?
|
|Cheers!
|
|Chip Shults
|My robotics, space and CGI web page - http://home.cfl.rr.com/aichip
|
|
I just started getting Scientific American (free subscription,
fortunately). You're right, we've stopped producing science.
...Jim Thompson
--
(If replying by E-mail please observe obscure method of anti-spam.)
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | |
| Jim-T@analog_innovations.com Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
For proper E-mail replies SWAP "-" and "_", and remove the obvious.
John Larkin
Yeah, SciAm has been 'discovered' meaning they're trying to be another
Discover. The dumb abstract graphics and 'executive summaries' pad it
out and have displaced most of the real content. And the writing is
standard Journalism 101 hackery, mostly.
Time magazine is a lot less lowbrow than it used to be; apparently
they realized their target audience is people who - duh - READ, so
they've made it more literate. SciAm is going the opposite way.
John
John de Stigter
"Sir Charles W. Shults III" <aic...@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
news:m%E58.483404$oj3.91...@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com...
It seems to be a general trend with science/technology related magazines to
dumb down the details and explanations in order to try to appeal to a wider
audience. Real understanding becomes a casualty. Remember the Rod Taylor
movie version of Wells' Time Machine? When asked to explain how it worked,
he replied "It's quite simple really, when you push the lever forward you go
forward in time, and when you pull it backwards you go back in time."
A recently defunct Australian Electronics magazine had a hifi review of an
amplifier where they actually explained the function of the on/off switch.
Regards,
John.
Mark
news:KCn38.4392$ka7.9...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
The writing has been on the wall for Maplin for a long time though. I can
buy a pack of ten caps elsewhere for very little more than maplin charges
for one, the fact that the average Maplin shop will not even have a pair of
47K log pots is a joke and I have long since grown tired of the "I'm sorry,
that product has now been discontinued" line trotted out when I try to make
an order. Even when they had their own kits in the mag, the shops would
hardly ever be "in stock" for all the components needed. "We'll have to
order that Sir"
They have a budget apparently (per shop) and have to stock things like disco
equipment, night scopes and so on which take up a lot of their allocation.
This means not enough money left to hold sensible stock of components. Even
the shop managers seem hacked off having to tell me that not only can I not
buy 8 OHM wirewound resistors from the shop, but they are "presently
discontinued" until a new supplier is found.
Do you have 10 BC108's in your hobby box? If so, you have a higher stock
level than the Maplin store in Northampton.
Farnell Electronics allow end-user orders and the price difference is
staggering, JPR Electronics is also excellent for buying Caps / Relays &
semiconductors at a price that makes Maplin look silly. Hopefully sooner or
later a new High Street player will come into the game that holds stock of
basic components, doesn't rip you off and has staff that know the difference
between silicon and silicone.
Give it time, Maplin will end up like Tandy, 99p for two 1N4001 diodes - if
they can be bothered to hold them in stock.
Mark - rant over.
Dirk Bruere
"Mark" <ma...@lineisp.com> wrote in message
news:E1I58.39425$4i5.5...@news11-gui.server.ntli.net...
>
>
> They have a budget apparently (per shop) and have to stock things like
disco
> equipment, night scopes and so on which take up a lot of their allocation.
> This means not enough money left to hold sensible stock of components.
Even
> the shop managers seem hacked off having to tell me that not only can I
not
> buy 8 OHM wirewound resistors from the shop, but they are "presently
> discontinued" until a new supplier is found.
>
> Do you have 10 BC108's in your hobby box? If so, you have a higher stock
> level than the Maplin store in Northampton.
>
> Farnell Electronics allow end-user orders and the price difference is
> staggering, JPR Electronics is also excellent for buying Caps / Relays &
> semiconductors at a price that makes Maplin look silly. Hopefully sooner
or
> later a new High Street player will come into the game that holds stock of
> basic components, doesn't rip you off and has staff that know the
difference
> between silicon and silicone.
Quite a few times I've been in with a list of things to buy from Maplin,
which included high value items plus the usual resistors, caps etc. When I
got the above line Farnell got the whole order. If I have to get the
resistors, caps etc from Farnell it makes more sense to get the lot.
I actually wrote about this problem to Maplin, but they never even bothered
to reply.
Dirk
Dirk Bruere
"Sir Charles W. Shults III" <aic...@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
news:m%E58.483404$oj3.91...@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com...
New Scientist mag is still pretty much the same quality it's always been,
though it did go through a very bad patch in the early 70's when the Loony
Left got hold of it for a while.
Dirk
John Miles
>
> New Scientist mag is still pretty much the same quality it's always been,
> though it did go through a very bad patch in the early 70's when the Loony
> Left got hold of it for a while.
>
New Scientist is still pretty much a tabloid of the Loony Left... they
never miss a chance to criticize US environmental policies, and they
don't mind manufacturing those chances out of whole cloth, sort of like
John Goodman's incessant invocations of Viet Nam in 'The Big Lebowski'.
But I find it makes for good bathroom reading.
I don't think I've picked up an issue of SciAm for ten years.
-- jm
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.qsl.net/ke5fx
Note: My E-mail address has been altered to avoid spam
------------------------------------------------------
Dirk Bruere
"John Miles" <jmi...@pop.removethistomailme.net> wrote in message
news:3C5757...@pop.removethistomailme.net...
> Dirk Bruere wrote:
> >
> > New Scientist mag is still pretty much the same quality it's always
been,
> > though it did go through a very bad patch in the early 70's when the
Loony
> > Left got hold of it for a while.
> >
> New Scientist is still pretty much a tabloid of the Loony Left... they
> never miss a chance to criticize US environmental policies, and they
It's nothing like the 70's.
I recall one instance where it was praising the ecological awareness of the
'socialist' countries of Eastern Europe compared to the Capitalist
Despoilers in the West. What a sick joke that turned out to be!
Dirk
peter crowcroft
<aic...@cfl.rr.com> wrote:
> Also, they have dropped to about half of their original thickness. The
>excellent articles of the past are just that- of the past. Surely we have
>not stopped producing science?
>
Strangely the best place I have recently read INTERESTING up-to-date
science in full technical detail without talking down to the reader
has been the Technology section of The Economist printed in the
magazine 4 times a year. The last one explaining about how they get 80
GB into a small hard disk and how they have overcome variable length
polymers (which reduce strength) was fascinating, at PhD level and
right up-to-date.
peter crowcroft
http://kitsrus.com
PO Box 88458, Sham Shui Po
Hong Kong
John Woodgate
<atelier$al...@hotmail.com> wrote (in <jvE58.14527$yi5.1...@news20.be
llglobal.com>) about 'R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)', on
Tue, 29 Jan 2002:
>
>
>HOBBY: /"hb/ noun (plural -ies) leisure-time activity pursued for pleasure.
>- Oxford dictionary
>
>HOBBY: a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for
>relaxation
>- Merriam-Webster dictionary
>
>Boy, your week-ends must be fun.
>
>
>
regular occupation' bit.
The Technical Manager
I wonder whether the editor had a look round those countries. They were and
still sort of are the worlds biggest toxic waste dumps. They will probably
never be fully cleaned up and remain as a bad tribute to Marxist economic
policies for generations to come.
>
>
> Dirk
The Technical Manager
> "Mark" <ma...@lineisp.com> wrote in message
> news:E1I58.39425$4i5.5...@news11-gui.server.ntli.net...
> >
> >
> > They have a budget apparently (per shop) and have to stock things like
> disco
> > equipment, night scopes and so on which take up a lot of their allocation.
> > This means not enough money left to hold sensible stock of components.
> Even
> > the shop managers seem hacked off having to tell me that not only can I
> not
> > buy 8 OHM wirewound resistors from the shop, but they are "presently
> > discontinued" until a new supplier is found.
> >
> > Do you have 10 BC108's in your hobby box? If so, you have a higher stock
> > level than the Maplin store in Northampton.
> >
> > Farnell Electronics allow end-user orders and the price difference is
> > staggering, JPR Electronics is also excellent for buying Caps / Relays &
> > semiconductors at a price that makes Maplin look silly. Hopefully sooner
> or
> > later a new High Street player will come into the game that holds stock of
> > basic components, doesn't rip you off and has staff that know the
> difference
> > between silicon and silicone.
What gets at me is that Maplin was originally established in the early 1970s by
two former telecoms technicians in order to supply electronic components to the
general public as they noticed that so few component shops existed. In recent
years they seem to have thrown away their original strategy preferring to sell
populist items instead.
> Quite a few times I've been in with a list of things to buy from Maplin,
> which included high value items plus the usual resistors, caps etc. When I
> got the above line Farnell got the whole order. If I have to get the
> resistors, caps etc from Farnell it makes more sense to get the lot.
>
> I actually wrote about this problem to Maplin, but they never even bothered
> to reply.
You used to have a facility to leave a complaint to the manager on Cashtel.
John Woodgate
<jo...@sydpcug.org.au> wrote (in <TsH58.3400$ko4.3...@nasal.pacific.ne
t.au>) about 'R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)', on Wed, 30
Jan 2002:
>A recently defunct Australian Electronics magazine had a hifi review of an
>amplifier where they actually explained the function of the on/off switch.
Maybe they had evidence that it was necessary to do so.
Clint Sharp
<art...@kbnet.co.uk> writes
>Quite a few times I've been in with a list of things to buy from Maplin,
>which included high value items plus the usual resistors, caps etc. When I
>got the above line Farnell got the whole order. If I have to get the
>resistors, caps etc from Farnell it makes more sense to get the lot.
>
>I actually wrote about this problem to Maplin, but they never even bothered
>to reply.
>
>Dirk
>
>
book on the counter at my local store, it filled up fairly quickly. I
would love to see the comments in it. I am also lucky to live fairly
close to an RS trade counter, have a good local electronics shop (Hi
John) and have access to Farnell for any bits that aren't stocked
locally.
Maplin has really gone down the pan (I have three of them fairly
locally) to the point where I instructed my girlfriend to tell me off if
I even suggested going there for parts.
I also have an ongoing battle with them, I bought a copy of Myke
Predko's excellent 'Programming and customising the Pic Micro' which
came without the PCB, they won't refund because I've opened the CD
(looking for the PCB) and they say that none of their copies have it, so
I can't get the board. I have a Picstart + so it's not really a problem,
but their attitude really annoys me, they've denied that the salesperson
named on the receipt ever worked for them, any questions of how to
resolve the problem are met with blank stares and, if I'm lucky, a
shrug, head office just don't respond to letters.
--
Clint Sharp
Dirk Bruere
"The Technical Manager" <tec...@niobiumfive.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3C58027B...@niobiumfive.co.uk...
> >
> > > New Scientist is still pretty much a tabloid of the Loony Left... they
> > > never miss a chance to criticize US environmental policies, and they
> >
> > It's nothing like the 70's.
> > I recall one instance where it was praising the ecological awareness of
the
> > 'socialist' countries of Eastern Europe compared to the Capitalist
> > Despoilers in the West. What a sick joke that turned out to be!
>
> I wonder whether the editor had a look round those countries. They were
and
> still sort of are the worlds biggest toxic waste dumps. They will probably
> never be fully cleaned up and remain as a bad tribute to Marxist economic
> policies for generations to come.
The thing is, anyone who travelled there knew that, just from the smell.
And the writer(s) *must* have known.
I'd say they were using the mag as a deliberate Communist mouthpiece.
Dirk
John Woodgate
<tec...@niobiumfive.co.uk> wrote (in <3C5809F4...@niobiumfive.co.
uk>) about 'R.I.P. 'Electronics and Beyond' (UK Magazine)', on Wed, 30
Jan 2002:
>What gets at me is that Maplin was originally established in the early 1970s by
>two former telecoms technicians in order to supply electronic components to the
>general public as they noticed that so few component shops existed. In recent
>years they seem to have thrown away their original strategy preferring to sell
>populist items instead.
Result of going public, and then later selling out.
Mark
news:Bc1$cIAYP$V8E...@clintsmc.demon.co.uk...
On the subject of things coming without all the bits, I made the mistake of
buying a £99 camera from Maplin - actually a nice little camera, The
Polaroid PDC 700 which is an "almost mega pixel" camera. On the website, it
said it came with a USB cable. Inside the package it also said that a USB
cable was included in addition to the serial cable.
Only, it wasn't.
Spoke to my local Maplin store, they called "Head Office" who said the
camera was never advertised with the cable being included. I told them about
the web page and they maintained that I was mistaken stopping just slighlty
short of calling me a liar - and the web page of course has long since gone.
I told them about the piece of paper inside and this was evidently "inserted
in error".
Refund?
No, because of Christmas etc, the time taken from purchase to opening /
problem realisation was too long for their money back offer. I know I have a
cast iron case in a small claims court but frankly I have little enough time
as it is. I also don't really want to return the camera either - I like it -
I just want a USB cable - which of course is a non standard size where it
plugs into the camera and the other tiny USB cable I have from an older
camera doesn't *quite* seem to fit. Grrrrr!
I wonder if they even *care* any more what people think of them any more?
They sure have pretty grim customer service.
Mark
Michael Black
I was thinking about it in this thread, and then when looking for
something, found one of the copies I have.
It was called "Science Probe" and was subtitled, "The Amateur Scientist's
Journal". The editor was Forest M. Mims III, and it seems the first
issue was July 1991. I have the October 1991 issue. I can't remember
how long it existed, but it wasn't all that long.
Think of Popular Electronics, the Gernsback version not the original,
where instead of dealing with electronics, science is the territory.
So there are columns, and special features (like articles about
science fairs) and then the "construction articles", ie hands-on
projects that teach while you try out the experiments.
It seemed intended for the hobby scientist and the young, rather
than the focus of something like Scientific American where the bulk
is articles you simply read, with a few hands-on columns (most noteably,
The Amateur Scientist).
I only bought a few issues, because it by the time it came out,
I had long lost a lot of interest in science in general (or at least,
reading about it), but it would have been a great magazine to read when
I was younger. The fact that it didn't last that long, I suppose
that's a reflection of what interests people. On the other hand,
how can you get the young interested if there aren't magazines
like this around?
Michael
The Technical Manager
There isn't all that much reading material on newsagents shelves specifically aimed at the under 16 audience.
I once spotted a kid in the Fareham branch of WH Smith reading Elektor. He couldn't be more than 10 years old.
Michael Black
> Michael Black wrote:
>
>
> There isn't all that much reading material on newsagents shelves
> specifically aimed at the under 16 audience.
>
> I once spotted a kid in the Fareham branch of WH Smith reading Elektor.
> He couldn't be more than 10 years old.
I have mixed feelings about this, because by the time I was 11, I
sure wasn't interested in magazines intended for children.
I had a subscription to Scientific American when I was 9. It wasn't
really a practical item, since I read few, if any, of the articles.
But there was the Amateur Scientist column, and the ads were usually
interesting.
When I was 11, I started reading the hobby electronic magazines,
there were a lot more back then, and a few months after discovering
them at the newsstand, I had a subscription to an amateur radio
magazine. These magazines were not intended for the young, they
were intended for anyone who was interested in the topics. None
of it made sense when I first started reading them, but it didn't
take all that long before some of it made sense. The magazines
were what I learned from, with a handful of books thrown in.
Since I really have no idea what the "average" 11 year old is like,
then or now, I suspect I was the exception. Science somehow interested
me, and then I focused on electronics. I didn't need to be
lured into it, I just needed the material that the magazines offered.
So on some level, there probably is a need for reaching out to
the young, to get them hooked in the first place. Yet my comment
about the Gernsback science magazine was more that a lot of science
magazines are more about theory, while that magazine had a lot of
hands-on, which strikes me as more appealing when you are young.
This seems to be a reflection of other threads we've had here
over the years. You can read old science fiction, intended
for the "juvenile market", and the characters were out there
playing with science, not simply using the results. Robert Heinlein's
books come to mind. In one, someone wins a surplus space suit
in a contest, then uses his existing interests in science and
electronics to get the thing back into full working order, and
then the actual adventure begins. In another, the main characters
have a "science club", and their interested in model rockets,
photography, electronics and chemistry. The characters are young,
but unlike something like the Hardy Boy books or the Tom Swift
books, the books don't have the feel of talking down to the readership.
I can re-read those books thiry years after I first read them,
and still enjoy them (except, I've read them so many times that
it's not a new experience). Now, most science fiction seems
to be a passive experience, in that people are reading about
a future where computers and all kinds of gadgets abound, but
the characters are not explorers of the science, but only users.
Michael
Ralph Wade Phillips
"Michael Black" <blac...@cam.org> wrote in message
news:6447bcd3.02013...@posting.google.com...
> This seems to be a reflection of other threads we've had here
> over the years. You can read old science fiction, intended
> for the "juvenile market", and the characters were out there
> playing with science, not simply using the results. Robert Heinlein's
> books come to mind. In one, someone wins a surplus space suit
That they do. You DO know one reason why, don't you?
> in a contest, then uses his existing interests in science and
> electronics to get the thing back into full working order, and
> then the actual adventure begins. In another, the main characters
> have a "science club", and their interested in model rockets,
> photography, electronics and chemistry. The characters are young,
> but unlike something like the Hardy Boy books or the Tom Swift
> books, the books don't have the feel of talking down to the readership.
> I can re-read those books thiry years after I first read them,
> and still enjoy them (except, I've read them so many times that
> it's not a new experience).
The main difference between RAH's adult fiction and his juvies? In
the adult fiction, there were men and there were women, and they did what
men and women tend to do - and there was sometimes profanity. In the
juvies, there were men and there were women, but mostly they got moonfaced
over each other, if they even noticed the differences. And the worst that
was said was a "Darn!".
Sometimes he pushed it - the book "Star Beast" was about raising
"John Thomas"es - the Brits will catch THAT bit of humor! And, yes it WAS
deliberate on RAH's part, according to his notes. That, and "Starship
Troopers" started off as a juvie, and pretty much stayed that way.
RwP
Clint Sharp
Black <blac...@cam.org> writes
>This seems to be a reflection of other threads we've had here
>over the years. You can read old science fiction, intended
>for the "juvenile market", and the characters were out there
>playing with science, not simply using the results. Robert Heinlein's
>books come to mind. In one, someone wins a surplus space suit
>in a contest, then uses his existing interests in science and
>electronics to get the thing back into full working order, and
>then the actual adventure begins.
reading some old Sci Fi. Can you remember the name?
> Michael
--
Clint Sharp
Ken
Michael Black
I hadn't forgotten the title, I just didn't realize it was important
to include.
When the movie "The Last Starfighter" came out 15 to 20 years ago,
I felt it had a similar premise, ie local boy gets dragged into
saving the universe. But it being post-Star Wars, the main character
was good at playing video games, instead of useful things like
fixing space suits and building radios.
The other Heinlein book I referred to, where some kids have a science
club, was of course "Rocket Ship Galileo".
Those are the only two of his books that come to mind where the main
characters play with science. But all of his juvenile books had
characters who were adept at science of some form. They were just
passing references, rather than pivots for the plots.
I remember reading a couple of other "juvenile" science fiction
books that I took out of the library, where amateur radio or
hobby science had importance. I never could remember the titles,
or the authors. Years later, I was able to find one, Raymond
Jones "The Year When Stardust Fell" where a comet comes very close
to the earth, and whatever was in the tail affects motors.
The science fiction authors back then all seemed to have these
sort of hobbies, so they'd naturally put them into the books.
Nowadays, I don't think that applies.
As for Heinlein, I one of his less mentioned books has always
been intriguing to me, "A Door Into Summer". It's about robots
and time travel, and the "future" took place decades ago.
I believe it was the blueprint for the snatching of Byte away
from Wayne Green a few issues after that magazine started publishing
back in 1975. Carl Helmers, the first editor, once wrote that
it was one of his favorite books, and there is similarity between
what happens in the book and what I've read happened at Byte.
Michael
David J Haslett
gentleman called Keith Pacey took over. He was the guy who ran British Shoe
into the ground, sorry made it more profitable, sacked (made redundant)
loads of staff, closed factories(probably got plenty of cash for them) then
left! I wonder when I will read on these pages of a Maplin Shop closing,
they keep opening at the moment though!
"John Woodgate" <j...@jmwa.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:oB2PWaAV...@jmwa.demon.co.uk...
dlpars...@gmail.com
bill....@ieee.org
I started subscribing to Scientific American rather earlier, but it went off in the early 1990's and I haven't subscribed to it since - before then they got serious scientists to write their articles, and edited them into a form that regular readers could absorb. A recent issue did have an article written by a fairly senior US scientist, but she only wrote about work that had been done by her and her close friends, in the US. Not impressive.
--
Bill Sloman, Sydney
bill....@ieee.org
> Dirk Bruere wrote:
> >
> > New Scientist mag is still pretty much the same quality it's always been,
> > though it did go through a very bad patch in the early 70's when the Loony
> > Left got hold of it for a while.
> >
>
> New Scientist is still pretty much a tabloid of the Loony Left... they
> never miss a chance to criticize US environmental policies, and they
> don't mind manufacturing those chances out of whole cloth, sort of like
> John Goodman's incessant invocations of Viet Nam in 'The Big Lebowski'.
US environmental policies haven't been all that impressively responsible over the years.
> But I find it makes for good bathroom reading.
>
> I don't think I've picked up an issue of SciAm for ten years.
--
Bill Sloman, Sydney