Hi, I'm Amie!

[Amie]

Hello.

My name is Amie.

I'm a student, I'm twelve years old, and I grew up around music and electronics.

I admit that I'm a bit of a square peg with some of my interests, but my love of (particularly) old electronic technology, and "homebrew" radio experiments, I inherited from my late Dad, and continuing with that, and looking after his collectables, is my way of keeping his memory alive.

I've been working on a few ideas and projects in the last year, but that's for later, I just wanted to warn you that I may need a knowledge resource, and I do ask questions if there's something I'm not sure of, lots of questions!

I pestered Mum to let me join some of the forums, and she agreed with the reservation that she controls the account, and that administration and members alike know my age, also, sorry, open forum only, no pm without my Mums prior consent.

Mum, incidentally is the musical inspiration in my life, and my teacher of guitar and ukulele.

If I'm ever a pest, please don't be afraid to politely tell me so.

Amie.

[ppppenguin]

Hello Amie

Welcome to GVR. I'm sure you'll feel at home here. Questions are good - all of us, however experienced, are always learning. Please also feel free to join in with existing discussions. We're serious when we need to be but otherwise fond of a bit of humour. We don't mind if threads wander off topic though it's sometimes useful to start a new one. I'm sure you've read the rules - they're short, simple and common sense. I don't think we give the moderators much to worry about.

Many of us started young, sometimes very young. About 3 in my case, which ultimately led to a degree in electronics and a good career in engineering.

Looking forward to seeing your contributions to GVR.

Best wishes

Jeffrey

[BusyBee]

Hi Amie, welcome

I started at an early age too as I was amazed by the box on the table that could receive speech and music over the air just with a few glowing valves.As Geoffrey said, we are always learning. It is a good way to keep young lol. My career went in a similar way too although more applied in healthcare. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have queries. We all come from different backgounds with equally different strengths so someone will know.

It's nice to meet you!

Tracy

[Refugee]

Welcome to the forum.
It sounds like you are keen to do a lot of learning.
I would go for learning how individual components work and then build up to more complicated circuits and then radios.

[Doodlebug]

Welcome to the forum, Amie. You do write exceedingly well
for your young age.

Being a square peg is something that I relish
in myself and others, so carry on being very square.

[Refugee]

Welcome to the forum, Amie. You do write exceedingly well
for your young age.

Being a square peg is something that I relish
in myself and others, so carry on being very square.

I have sever seen or heard of a square radio valve

[Doodlebug]

I have sever seen or heard of a square radio valve

Way back when I listened to, 'The Brains Trust,' on
the then Home Service I'm sure the o/p valve became
squarish in appearance during the broadcast.  

[Terry]

Hello Amie and welcome.

Oh how I wish forums like this were around when I was 12 years old! My only source of information was the public library, although I was lucky enough to live close to the Central Library which did have a good selection of useful books in the Junior Library - I doubt you'd find anything useful under the 621.384 classification these days!

The only other resource I had was Practical Wireless magazine - a completely different animal to the current offering but, if I couldn't find the answer to any query in a book or magazine, I was stumped, because I didn't know anybody I could ask.

You no longer have that problem, so feel free to ask anything you like here - whether your questions are about simple things or more complex, it doesn't matter. Just ask away!

Incidentally, if you want to know what Practical Wireless looked like when I was your age (in 1956!) there is an excellent archive here: http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Prac...gazine.htm

You will also find lots of other UK magazines archived here - look under 'Bookshelf and International' - 'United Kingdom'. Some are very old and others relatively modern, just look around.

One I would avoid is Wireless World - definitely not for beginners! - but you might find Radio Constructor useful, especially for its 'In your workshop' series in which Smithy the Serviceman explains things in detail to his assistant Dick. You should find these very educational!

[Terry]

Way back when I listened to, 'The Brains Trust,' on
the then Home Service I'm sure the o/p valve became
squarish in appearance during the broadcast.  

I doubt if Amie's mum, let alone Amie, has ever heard of the Brains Trust! An interest in Vintage Radio receivers is one thing, Vintage Radio programmes is another!  

EDIT

Just noticed that there was a brief revival around the turn of the century, so I could be wrong about Amie's mum!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brains_Trust

[Mike Watterson]

Some of us still enjoy vintage stuff because we are still 12 on the inside.