posted
  • place: Boulder, Colorado

Full dissertation text: The Regime of Amplification

Well, I guess it’s about time to put the PhD dissertation text out there in .pdf form, so, here it is (PDF download):

The Regime of Amplification

Have at it, be polite, no grabbing, pushing, or shoving. Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate. If you can prove that you’ve read it back to front, I’ll buy you a bottle of Herradura Añejo Tequila*, as long as we can split it!

*this is my hard liquor drink of choice since 1980 when it was hard to find even in the US southwest — cherished bottles imported into Iceland (bought in NYC at NY Liquors on Canal Street, the only place in NYC that carried it!) would last up to six months, like a fine Scottish whiskey, small glasses for sipping — none of that brutish slugging down shots or making margaritas with this fine distillate.

posted
  • place: South Acton, Massachusetts

Saturday, 16 November, 1963

Paul Bradbury came out & I showed him how to work on his car some more — timing, guessing, vacuum guage, etc. Didn’t get much done on the Ford.

Fixed the zipper on Johnny’s jacket — it took about an hour.

DCH to one of Woody’s parties — a progressive dinner. It broke up at 10 PM — he got home at 1 AM.

Sally stayed w/ us overnight so she can go to PSC in the morning. NJH went to dinner at the Congregational Church with Sally.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Saturday, 02 November, 1963

Rain

Arrived at PSC at 0910 to find Geo Costello already there. We put the Line Amp & Power Supply on the left rack, and tried to put the tone control in , but it didn’t work. After considerable work, we put in the 980∿ filter and seemed to gain about 6 db. As a signal source I took my GE radio in with the Pilotuner, and put a microphone in front of it in the SS Room, plugging the microphone in at the Pulpit.

Obtained an audio test film from Ideal / Mr. Ladd.

Got home about 5 PM, and went to bed early. Read in the Maksutov Club Notes for a while. They contain a great wealth of information on telescope design and construction. I found a reference to a British multipurpose machine tool that looks good. The Zeiss lens grinder seems to be excellent and not to hard to make either.

DCH sang(?) and played his pan at a Folk Song Sing at Wayland High School. He got home at 1:20 AM Sunday morning.

Ed Poore wanted to know about the TV for the CE Conference so while he was around I made arrangements with Fred Lake at home — VI3-3131 — to rent us the TRW camera that he demonstrated a few weeks ago. It will be in place starting 07 November thru 10 November.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 19 May, 1963

Clear

Took family to SS+Church.

LCH has a bad headache, and expects to see the doctor on Monday.

In the PM, went over to visit the Everett Morrow’s on Brucewood. He is a member of the Variable Star Observers group, and has recently moved here from San Bernardino: he is with SDC. They have two reflectors, a 6″ and a 10″(!) Unitron. I had a look at the sun through the 6″, seeing a few spots. He has a wide-field camera he made, and a mfrs-built one; the latter one looks as if it were just an electrical chassis box about 2″x 3″x 4″ — of aluminum; it has a ground glass and a 2-1/4″ x 3-1/4″ cut film holder.

Took DCH in to PSC in the evening.

The audio gear worked well today. After the evening service, JAC and I put the mike + amplifier in the Mayflower Room and checked it out; the Mayflower Pulpit will be used starting next Sunday night. I also advised JAC of the Friday nite mtg.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Cambridge, Massachusetts

Saturday, 18 May, 1963

Rain

In spite of the rain, Paul & I took out the White Pine in the back yard, using both cars and the rope block. We broke my new 100′ length of 3/8″ nylon rope in two places; finally we used it quadrupled.

Put a few more quadrangles in the eclipse path map, drew the CL and N+S boundary lines. Then we went to the Harvard College Observatory — Agassiz Station in Harvard on Pinnacle Road. We waited until 3 AM but the hard rain cancelled the mtg. The great wealth of the University id evident in the neat and clean way the offices are kept.

Whirlpool Svc. Man:
Eddy Savret TR6-4721/138
The Eastern Com
Belt to be tightened by bolt on top of motor with nut on top of plate that holds tub.

Put new belt on washing machine w/ Paul’s help.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Boston, and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 17 May, 1963

In discussion w/ ELE at 0815 he spoke of a coordination effort between Steve Dodd, Friedman, Mel Huslin, etc on RE problems. They need basic facts, and I’m to develop those set forth in Kent Kresa’s note of 21 Feb. 1963, plus others — the TVX’s. Worked w/ Vic Guethlen to obtain a corrected text for last Tuesday’s trip; he made several important additions. Finally got it in working order and gave it to Shirley about 2 PM.

Found three documents that have a bearing on the TV’s. Al Smith xt5750 called to say he had some TVX patterns from their -GE- range; they will be available as soon as they can be traced.

46°
Clear

It was cool last night.

Went in to PSC for a Trustee’s mtg: John Zvara reported the total cost of the roof at $133,744.61! We need about $95,000 more to pay for all of it. We will have to borrow against the Equity Fund. Bob Stater said he thot it morally wrong to engage in deficit financing. I reported on the Audio-TV, stressing 1) the racks of power amplifier donation, 2) the operational problems of the Missionary Conference. In answer to a question, I estimated $1000 more would provide a minimum system. I hope someone donates it, as I’m reluctant to go ahead.

Paul Bradbury is spending the weekend with us, so he went out with us — the girls came in on the train for the last night of Cadettes.

During the Trustee’s mtg it was voted to discontinue use of the TV lights until they can be revamped to be less objectionable to the pulpit speaker. Some of us looked at them specifically after the mtg. The ones in the ceiling light the rear wall principally.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Saturday, 11 May, 1963

36°F

Arrived at PSC about 0920. PB already there, working on the Hearing Aids. We found 3 breaks in the wires at the fourth station from the rear — they all worked after splicing in a new piece of wire. Then we put the TV monitor in, after cutting a ventilation hole in the upper part of the cabinet. Next, the 10000 ohm / 10000 / RC network was checked in the hearing aid amplifier, and the static taken out, a wire had not been connected. The TV system was then checked out. Left at 3 PM.

Worked on Willys after getting home; the left windshield wiper cable tensioner is inoperative and will have to be replaced.

Mary, John & May were out for a few minutes.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Saturday, 04 May, 1963

Clear – Warm

Met Paul B. & Geo Costello at PSC where a full day was put in. Geo installed the Master Gain & Line Amp Altec 1536A and the 1564A Power Supply with an isolation transformer from the WEZE/WECO preamp-mixer. He then connected it to the line for the Hawey & SS Rooms, took out the switches in these places, and put the 600 Ω line into each amplifier. For the first time good audio was heard in these places. We put the 2 TV sets in the Hawey Room and to my surprise they worked. I have been engaged in the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of various kinds of electrical gear for most of my life, and we have more trouble than other places I’ve ever worked in! When we left at 5:45 PM everything worked for a change!

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 28 April, 1963

Took the children in to PSC; LCH at home with a stiff neck. There are many missionaries around for the Conference, two at the Adult SS class. The church was packed, many going to the TV Room: I counted 55 at 11 AM. After missing the under-balcony volume, we found it impossible to get much, or rather enough volume downstairs in the SS Room. Effort expended in the PM located the trouble to the S-C transformer. During the morning service, Paul B. accidentally struck the gain knob on the Sanctuary speaker power amplifier causing feedback! It was quite startling and shocked everyone.

The SS mike was under the top of the pulpit, and DCH revealed that he had taken it for some operation in the Hawey Room last Wednesday night!

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 21 April, 1963

Took family to SS & church. Dave & Paul operated the new gear; their conclusion after considerable knob twisting to distribute the audio, they now want an electronic switch to cut the Sanctuary reinforcement while retaining the audio to the SS room. The Sanctuary was packed. Ken Olsen took the S-C & Knight home for servicing. He ret’d. them in the evening saying the Knight inputs were shorted, and he could find nothing wrong with the S-C. We had a good deal of trouble getting the levels in the SS & under-balcony amplifiers. Bernie S. thot the hearing aids should be on all the time.

Dave N. & Paul B. handed me a quotation on their making the tapes for the use of WHDH. I’ll endorse it to HJO & Ed Poore so an analysis can be prepared for the Trustees to see if it is sufficiently attractive over Jack Wilcox’ present operation.

Met with Woody at the evening service to hear about his proposal to send a group of senior high schoolers to the Wycliff Translators in Mexico in April ’64. The 13 families approved it — costs about $350 each.

posted
  • place: Boston, Massachusetts

Saturday, 20 April, 1963

Picked up Paul Bradbury on the way to PSC, arriving there at 0900. Ken Olsen was there with the second rack and its contents — 3 power amplifiers (Knight) and a Knight amplifier for the Mayflower Pulpit as well as a circuit-breaker panel, a monitor speaker, panel with inputs at the rear, and a monitoring switching panel. He had to leave at 1030, so, after pulling in and connecting the M-20, he and Dave N. worked on the new gear. I couldn’t get the M-20 to work, so finally brought it and its power supply downstairs, where it worked; I finally located the trouble in the WECo mixer belonging to WEZE. We got a station man in, and he finally decided the cables were incorrectly wired (between the wall panel and the mixer). He took one cable with him to the station for rewiring. We couldn’t get the S-C amplifier to operate, so, hooked up the Altec 342 and used it as the preamp. We used the Knight as the power amp for the SS Room at the morning service; there were about 45 there; the Sanctuary was packed w/ persons on the stairs on 21 April.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Saturday, 13 April, 1963

Spent the day at PSC. Geo Costello & his helper were on deck, and after some delay decided to put some filters on the SC input, which Geo’s helper did. The setup finally worked, both the PA & Radio systems. We also checked the TV; the replacement pick-up camera is no good as it has a loose connection on the rear connector. We then (Paul B. & I) worked on the candelabra but soon found that it has to be wired from the center out, so we quit at 5 PM. We put an Altec M-30 on the pulpit PA system; it sounds fine.

The organ tuners were there and by using the feedback stabilizer we could detune the organ, since the stabilizer shifts the input by 5 cycles!

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 12 April, 1963

Sent TWX to Jim Knight when it was evident that yesterday here was Good Friday at Kwaj and a holiday there; this for Larry Cianciotta.

Worked on the QPR draft text, giving it to Shirley for typing.

Cold, windy

The “drinking water” treatment for my cold of the last three days seems to have paid off; it is running down.

Fred Lake phoned — his men worked at PSC in PM. I got there about 3 PM and they had a feedback stabilizer in place between a 1567 and a 1589 80 watt amplifier. The stabilizer gave about 2 Db more gain. We then tried several pulpit mike positions and found not much difference. The feedback stabilizer didn’t do much more than 2 Db when the M-20 was used as the input, also. We then found a more serious problem, a reduced volume & pickup on the SS Room; Geo C. finally decided to bring a pair of coupling transformers to see if the speakers could be driven directly and prevent the speaker line from functioning as an antenna for the S-C amplifier. If this doesn’t work, we will have to run a new shielded cable to the SS Room. He will be on deck in the AM.

Worked out State Income Tax — looks like refund is $76.31.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 07 April, 1963

Warmer

LCH at home with JCH.

We didn’t have enough gain to drive the SS Room & under-balcony speakers w/o feedback in the Sanctuary. The radio operator’s AM radio was borrowed & put in front of the SS Room mike. After the service (AM) we wired in a Heathkit amplifier and connected it to the under-balcony speakers.

We set the level at the PM service. Ken Olsen said he would have 3 good power amplifiers next weekend; perhaps I’ll take Friday off and work on the system. Paul will replace the arms on the candelabras this week.

We also set up an operating schedule for the Missionary Conference; we are short several positions — perhaps Manny Jacques will fill in, he will duplicate the schedule.

After the evening svc. we checked to make sure we had under-balcony sound on both sides.

Picked up a small bottle of coke syrup at Rexall (Flint’s) for JCH.

I complimented Dr. Wilson on the appearance of the speaker enclosure.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Saturday, 06 April, 1963

Cool
Windy

Replaced the Willys distributor, had quite a bit of trouble with the wiring on the cap. Re-gapped the spark plugs — finding one with a broken shirt. Re-timed engine, and stopped at AMS/Maynard to put in another spark plug. Finally got to PSC at 11:15 AM. The Willys runs quite well now that the distributor is finally rebuilt. New front shocks help a lot. I put in the anti-rattle spring — obtained at Albuquerque — on the shift lever.

Paul B. and I worked hard on the HF speaker, trying to tilt it to reduce the feedback, but the available movement was insufficient to reduce it appreciably. Estimated speaker tilt — from 41˚ to 38˚.

We pulled in a 9-conductor cable between the balcony projector position and the radio room.

I left at 5 PM and stopped at Sears/Lexington.

Went to Bernie Stiff’s in Lexington to a Conciliation Party [?] — three speakers told what they do; a most pleasant time.

JCH has a stomach disorder.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Saturday, 30 March, 1963

Picked up tickets & cash at L2.

Clear

Arrived at PSC about 9 AM. Paul Bradbury already there. We ran in two new 9-cord cables between the pulpit & radio room. Sldered in six jacks at each end and checked them out. We next put in 4 Nr. 16 plastic-coated wire for the new speakers, connected the Scott and an audio oscillator. The crossover network seemed to operate — 12 Db/octave altho we have no audio wattmeter or microvolt meter, or equipment to measure intermodulation distortion. There seems to be a quick tendency to generate feedback. We put a radio at the radio choir position and ran it thru the new speakers — they sound quite good. Pit in a switch to cut out the column speakers, and made 3 new connecting cables. The S-C amplifier still picked up FM and buzzed; we tried to isolate it but couldn’t. Put the Altec back in and didn’t hear any buzzing after 1-1/2 hours of listening.

Ken Olsen came in about 3 PM as we were putting on the audio oscillator. He had a line diagram for study.

Took my black shoes to Jordan’s for rebuilding. Took the red ones to Esart’s, where I got them in October 1942, to get the left one rebuilt 1/2-size wider; they will refer it to their shoe-maker.

Left PSC at 5 PM and managed to get to Sears/Lex to pick up my front shocks for the Willys & a Ford fuel pump at 5:35! Got home about 6:45 after stopping at the Lab to get my tickets & travel mtl. for Monday’s trip to El Paso & Alamagordo.

Put the shocks on and drove around to the PO — I think they help quite a bit. Put the new fuel pump on the Ford, using the old Ford filter. This should eliminate the carburetor stoppages at low contents of the gas tank.

Finally got to bed around 11 PM.

Ken Olsen took the S-C amp home to go over it again.

DCH went off to Newton to see his girlfriend in the afternoon w/o doing his studying first — he had to stay home in PM from Dr. Boardman’s party

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 29 March, 1963

Left about 3 PM so we could get to PSC by 6:30 PM.

Had msg to call ELE on arriving back at home. It seems that DC of AFSC has changed his mind and wants a plan for putting a DPC at Holloman AFB on the edge of White Sands. This makes good sense from any point of view, as noted somewhere above.

Clear
+25˚F

Left early to get into PSC or a CE Board Mtg. LCH took the girls & JCH and 16! cakes in so she could finish her class in cake decorating. It has been quite a success.

The principle item of discussion was the Vacation Bible School. Meredith Clark has put in a fair amount of time on working out objectives. We operate with children from Columbia Point — they have no place to go when it is finished. If we go out there, more teachers and some men are needed! We can concentrate on The Hill area where there is one school. MC will look into the school statistics. It is a rough problem — two teachers have agreed to be on hand.

Looked into the sub-attic at the new speaker enclosure — it looks fine altho there is in my mind now the expectation that it will rattle or vibrate.

Ken O & JAC in, but our mtg — see above — prevented any work on audio equipment. Ken brought wire, connectors, and a Scott stereo amplifier. We stretched out the wire to put upstairs tomorrow.

Ford stalled near the house — carb flooded.

Call from ELE — have to go to Holloman Monday AM.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 24 March, 1963

Clear

Took family to PSC, arriving about 0900. The mike lines are ok, but the 6 sets of joints are in junction boxes without covers, so, some undesired pickup occurred during the service. I couldn’t eliminate it all by reducing the speech reinforcing gain. We will have to replace all three cables.

J. Alden Cheever pointed out that we (he & I) will have to reach a unanimous agreement w/ Ken Olsen, as he has been critical of what has been done. If he donates the hardware, this is fine, but not if he makes it himself. In talking with him he criticizes the logic of the block diagram from Klepper. I think part of his trouble is his lack of precise understanding of exactly what the operating problems are. He and John A-C agreed to come in Friday night and run the 4-#16 wires to the new speakers. The more of this the better! Ken agreed to also get a power amplifier to drive the new speakers with also. The Altec preamp and power amplifier belonging to Lake that they removed while I was at Kwaj was not carefully thought out, as we are now unable to send the soloists to the SS Room to support the TV as it is necessary to almost completely reduce music reinforcement in the Sanctuary! I think this will give them something to think about.

Most of our troubles stem from a lack of a coordinating architect.

Had some discussion w/ Geo. Pickering who had the architects sketch for the speaker enclosure. It didn’t reflect Dr. Wilson’s idea, so I agreed to coordinate it with the architect Mr. Abbot, 1278 Mass. Ave., Cambridge.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 17 March, 1963

Rain!

Went to PSC, taking the children. LCH in bed w/ headache.

Found two of the 9 new mike lines were dead. Later invest. showed they seemed to have been crimped with wire & bent by the plasterers. A hum in the 686 was traced to the mechanical vibration at the candelabra. JAC & KO rewired the monitoring panel, & KO checked over the Stromberg amplifier, finding it okay. They had considerable trouble last Sunday. Fortunately, we had enough lines to get by. The heat applied upstairs to dry the plaster must have caused swinging grounds. I’m glad they had this experience! Eventually we will get all the faults out of this system.

JAH went to the Korean Choir at the Tremont Temple with the Bliss family — in the PM.

Informed DCH to curtail his social activities unless his scholastic standing improves. We had a letter from Mr. Grey, HS Principal, telling us that he will not be promoted unless his grades improve considerably! As it is, he will have to take French II at Summer School.

posted
  • place: en route - Chicago, Illinois - Colorado - New Mexico

Sunday, 17 February, 1963

Santa Fe Super Chief train on Raton Pass, New Mexico

Left Chicago on SF Super Chief at 6:30 PM. Weather warm — 40˚F all day.

Overcast

Arrived at Chicago at 10:15, an hour late. Checked my bags at the Dearborn (SF) Station & then went north to the Fourth Presbyterian Church, arriving about 11:10. The sermon, by Dr. Elam Davies, was a typical Presbyterian one, with very little mention of Christ. The title was “The Nature of God’s Deliverance,” based on Acts 12:1-11. I spoke afterward with one of the assistant ministers about their audio system; he is a graduate of Wheaton & Fuller. Their system is 15-20 years old and has 2 mikes, an Altec 633 on the floor, and two RCS’s, one at each pulpit, recessed into the pulpit and with a preamp each feeding a 100-watt amplifier. Two multihorn speakers are located over the pulpit on the right side, one about 12′ up. The other about 30′ up. They expect to modernize with a Collins control center and a 601 with an Ampex panel.

Walked down Michigan Avenue to the Art Museum where I spent the afternoon. Ate dinner — whitefish — at Berghoffs on Wabash — left on the Super Chief at 1830.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Monday, 04 February, 1963

Had C. Neilson’s cy made of letter Chatterton to VAN dated 25 Jan.

Picked up camera pass.

Cold generated by last night’s exposure after church is worse, so went home in PM and to bed.

Clear 0˚F

Made arrangements w/ Fred Lake to meet at PSC tomorrow to 1) work out block diagram of system, 2) set up costs, 3) work out intercom details, 4) settle on configuration of system, 5) fix on S-C rebuild or a new amplifier, 6) M20 preamp and cord.

Found a good book in the L2 Library on “Atoll Environment and Ecology,” by Weins, Yale University Press, 1962.

Seem to be getting a cold, so got some Coricidin & Cepacol for my throat. Went home early & went to bed, This must have been generated by lack of sleep and exposure to the cold & wind last night in trying to start the car after church.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Boston, and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 01 February, 1963

Rec’d ELE’s note to WIW re: the TRAP III Spectral Film Calibration & Processing,” enumerating what I’m supposed to get done.

Made arrangements w/ Henry Lane to use a 35 mm SR camera for the Kwaj trip, and left a draft memo VAN/to J. W. Ewers requesting issuance of a camera pass.

Picked up what looks like a fine book “Space Mechanics,” by Nelson & Loft. It seems to have the irreducible elements in 245 pages.

Worked on the film specs table.

Clear -1˚F

My, it’s nice to have some cash again!

Call from Ed Poore wanting a speech reinforcement set-up in the Hawey Room on Tuesday next for the Church Annual Meeting. He said Ken Olsen had put the gear together for the ’62 Annual Mtg. I called Ken and he said he put up to more speakers in the Hawey Room, and had several mikes feeding the present amplifier now located in Doug Rafter’s office. I’ll try to connect this tomorrow.

Borrowed a tape writer from Dave Moore’s office so I can put labels on the various audio panels.

Read some of “Modern Physics for the Engineer.”

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 20 January, 1963

Rain in AM

Took family to SS & church. The floor mikes all work for the PA and radio, but we couldn’t get the M-20 ceiling mike to operate. The S-C amplifier seemed to operate satisfactorily, but both it and the Altec had to be run at higher gain settings than those we used before. Took the M-20 home and carefully measured the voltages on the tube in the mike but could find no real basis for its not operating.

JAH went home w/ Winky Bliss for the afternoon.

Started for PSC with all at 4:45 PM, had a flat on the LR, an old snow tire from the Willys I junked, near the 334 Mill Street Jenney Station in Belmont, where I had it changed after driving on it for 1/2-mile; the lug wrench was gone. A 1/2-ton pick-up truck in the station had 2 rolls of almost new carpeting that the attendant said was to be burned tomorrow, so I took one roll.

When I connected the M-20 into the WE preamp, it operated, but it still would not when we put it in place and connected it into Cable A. Alden Cheever (who came in early!) and I then put it into Cable B, & it still didn’t work. This must mean that the cabling between the mike & preamp is ineffective. I left word with Ed Poor to see to it he would ask Dave Nelson to come in & try to track down the faulty cable.

Spoke with John Zvara re: getting an outlet box & BX to the old amplifier position from the ceiling over the double doors at the front of the stairs. He will pass it to the contractor, We will use it to connect in a speaker.

DCH has fallen for a girl from Newton, and wants to use a car to pick her up on this coming Saturday night for an affair at Tremont Temple. He gets ugly when he can’t get his way on all such matters.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Wednesday, 16 January, 1963

Went to the US Public Health Hospital at Brighton — for my Yellow Fever shot in the AM.

Clear
+9˚F

Went over to the US Public Health Hospital at Brighton to get my Yellow Fever shot. Did a few errands on the way back — the Tech Store for books and a soft lead pencil for JAH, film; stopped to get bread also – $7 worth.

Call from Ed Poor at PSG re: the input impedance of the WE preamp; one of the WEZR operators phoned him to say that this Z is 30Ω. This is the tap that we now have the new 685A microphone on. He also said that Mrs. Dorothy Lee Jones Ward(!) heard both morning and evening services, and said they were both excellent! Ed also said he had heard both, & that they were good. I hope Mrs. Ward will underwrite the attic job!

Apparently some of our work is beginning to pay off!

Went to Scout mtg, where I passed 2 boys on their 1st Class Signalling — bounced one. Participated in a little planning for the Court of Honor on 30 January. A dinner for 240 is planned! I’m in favor of a larger mtg. with no food.

Put new btry in Ford.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 13 January, 1963

Rain – 32˚F

Freezing rain in PM.

Took family to SS & church. The Altec mike in the AM didn’t do very well; we checked the Z of the WE preamp at WEZE & were told it is 150/250 ohms, the impedance top the mike was on when we got it. We also had some trouble with the S-C amplifier and the balcony & hearing-aid circuits; Mrs. Stiff Sr. was unhappy, and we had some feedback.

Went back in early, taking DCH; I couldn’t find the trouble so put back the old tubes in the S-C. When Dave came in he pointed out that the WE preamp owned by WEZE was a low Z input 50 ohm, so we changed the 685A over with a profound increase in quality and congregation pick-up. Paul was listening at home and reported the transmission quite good. For the first time one could hear the congregation actually singing the words of the songs. The Altec M20 makes it possible to pick up the organ and adjust it to any level.

Made arrangements with Paul & Dave to work at PSC on 19 January. Also spoke w/ John Zvara re: taking out the duct in the Radio Room.

posted
  • place: Boston and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 28 December, 1962

Home.

Spent the day at PSC. Doug Rather came in and played while we recorded the response of the Altec M-20 microphone at 7 different locations; we found an unexpected hot spot at about 1/2 the distance between the center chandelier and the right organ loft. It sounded fine!

Asked Dave Nelson for a quote on his making the tapes for the Sunday services — $15/week if we buy the recorders.

CR to his friends in Newton.

Decided to junk the amplifier in the SS Room, as new tubes did not revive it; I’ll get a new one.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 09 December, 1962

Rain

Took family to SS & church. The Altec amplifier had 3 bad tubes, of course accounting for its lack of output the last two Sunday’s. It worked quite well today.

We stayed in for dinner at John’s so LCH could be a hostess at Fellowship. We rode in with Mary in her VW; it was quite a pleasant riding car. The sight-seers to the Commons were many, causing us 30 minutes delay in getting in.

CR at home most of the day, his evening engagement being cancelled on account of illness.

posted
  • place: South Acton, Boston, and Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Massachusetts

Sunday, 02 December, 1962

Came in at 2:25 PM and made layout of film processing plant; also made estimate of personnel and annual ops cost.

Overcast

Took DCH, JAH, & NJH to SS & church. We couldn’t get much output from the Altec, so asked Ed Poor to call Mr. Lake in the AM tomorrow to check it over.

Spoke briefly with John Zvara and Bernie Stiff re: the future plans for the church that were discussed by all the officers during the week. Each had a different story.

Ken Olsen wants to tie the lower church rooms, the Mayflower, under balcony, and tape to the radio output.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Tuesday, 23 October, 1962

Finished reading Schlesinger.

Overcast
40°F

No comment from the USSR on yesterday’s events, but a showdown is imminent as some Soviet vessels are now en route to Cuba with arms, presumably. If they proceed, they are to be stopped, searched, and if containing arms, are to be told to proceed to another port.

Started to connect the pilot tuner to the clock radio in our room, but had no solder!

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, 14 October, 1962

Cooler

Took family to SS & church. It is hard to get the audio system balanced since we have one amplifier on the column speakers and the other on the under balcony and the SS room; If the volume is reduced for the under balcony speakers, then the TV level gets too low. We need to put in a pot to the under balcony speakers and cut the choir mike into the column speakers also.

posted
  • place: Boston and South Acton, Massachusetts

Saturday, 13 October, 1962

Clear
cooler

After 4 hours lost in trying to find speaker wire, we finally used lamp cord in part of the wiring for the 25 watt old amplifier. We put both units up in the radio room and got them reconnected.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Tuesday, 09 October, 1962

Read 3 back issues of Aviation Week. The 13 August issue contains a statement by N. E. Halaby before the Congressional Committee on the FAA that his past R&D effort was made up of persons who were not system-minded, “… poorly organized, and badly managed.” !! He is to provide answers to a long list of questions by Sen. Magnuson of Washington on FAA’s management of its R&D effort. Halaby, in answering Sen. Ellender’s comments on university study grants, said that he did not consider it wrong to “pay for brainpower” when comparable talents could not be found with FAA; that the management philosophy was to do everything in-house if it could be done with agency resources and personnel!

ELE in to say that he had sent a memo on the MK 12 to VAN, Bob Weiser, Dan Dustin, WZL, etc.

Read Pike’s 22L-7286: he poses a number of questions, particularly on P13; my experience is that the military sorts out the most promising of these and then studies them themselves, via A / OEG / RAC / RAND or some other source.

Overcast
Rain

Stopped at the Stow radiator shop and saw the blue Willys — he said he would start on it, but I did not press him.

Took DCH to West Acton Fire House to an Explorer mtg. on Firemanship. On the way I must have run over a piece of glass, and had to have the LR tire repaired.

Fixed the parking brake on the Willys by lubricating it.

LCH had the Ford inspected today.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Tuesday, 25 September, 1962

Told ELE that I thot there should be a Division established to work on ECM.

I discussed with AAG, for about 2 hours, his memos on ECM dated 13 & 10 Sept. 1962. The one of 13 Sept. is incorrect in its statement of using strip chart recorders for the ECM recording; they are magnetic tapes in real time & re: the memo dated 10 Sept., it is misleading to me in that I took the terms “pattern” in its usual connotation to mean an antenna pattern — he seems to mean much more than that although his analysis seems directed toward the production of a “pattern of energy radiated…”. He has a mixture of pattern and plasma attenuation at several altitudes in his Fig. 7. It is not clear in my opinion. I suggested he recall it for the reasons as stated above and its complete lack of security classification — I was astonished at the latter situation.

It is quite evident that there has not been sufficient communication between us in “this miserable ECM business.” (See 23 July 1962)

Sat in mtg. with Lockheed to hear about the SFD tube again! This is their 2nd attempt on this one!

Cool
Overcast

Called Fred Lakewitz, and after some discussion he agreed to put in two column speakers & an amplifier to provide reinforcement in the sanctuary at no rental but we would have to pay the labor charges.

DCH got the cleanup job at the P.O.; it amounts to @22.50 every two weeks for about 8 hrs./week.

JCH ate an apple with lead arsenate on it; he complained of a tummy ache, so we took him to Dr. Weston, who thot he was getting a cold — if he was nauseated the chemical would have been toxic.

Saw Mr. Charbonneaux re: the Explorer’s party & Charles’ problem of getting a date.

Cll from Arch Magoon to see if I would function as Scout Committee Chariman.

posted
  • place: South Acton and Boston, Massachusetts

Saturday, 23 June, 1962

Overcast

Went in to PSC, taking DCH. We arrived about 0915, and found that Paul Bradley had removed the principal amplifier, making the wiring accessible for the change. Mr. O’Brian the electrician who was supposed to make the change in 110 volt wiring did not arrive so we put the amplifier back in. Joe Smith of Trimount did arrive so we spent two hours going over the system with him. He does not seem anywhere near as competent as Mr. Lakewitz. Found that the main amplifier — of 35 watts — drives 13 speakers when all the overflow space is occupied; no wonder it is overloaded.

Have run out of cash, so am unable to work on storage room & patio.

posted
  • place: Prescott, Arizona

road :: amplifier / the difference?

The amplifier/road difference would sound something like this:

I defined the amplifier as a concept which exists at many different scales and in both ‘natural’ and human-dominated systems (though that particular dialectic is a problematic one). It is a system which concentrates (and by default attenuates) energy flows. It is a defined set of pathways for that energy to flow along. (a life-form is an amplifier!)

(As an example, fundamental physical laws, such as the set of principles—gravitational attraction, strong/weak nuclear forces, EM radiation, thermodynamics, etc.—’govern’ the process of stellar evolution and ‘supply’ the ‘protocols’ for the ‘expression’ of Light energy (radiation) in a highly specific and concentrated form (compared to the availability of that same energy in any random location in the universe).

In essence, humans are simply harnessing these physical laws to form their own pathways of energy flow. Indeed we can do nothing else, as these laws govern the entire observed and implied universe. So the difference between the amplifier and the protocols that ‘define’ it may only be question of articulation — that is, those physical laws, in human terms, simply exist (for us to discover and articulate over time). The protocols arise as humans initiate articulations of the extant energy flows within which we simply are. So the protocol is, again, merely, a human (socio-linguistic) reduction of observed and extant phenomena. We cannot do anything counter to those phenomena that those laws are ascribed to. However, using these reductive protocols/formula, we set up a wide variety of sub-systems which, cumulatively, are our techno-social systems — complex systems of re-routed energies. As soon as energy is re-routed, you have an amplifier situation because you consequently have a concentration/attenuation of flows. An amplifier is perhaps merely the condition of the existence of a concentration of energies. (this does get into the question of the role of, for example, gravity as a ‘protocol’ which drives the coalescing of energized matter in the universe — or is gravity actually increasing the entropy of that matter?)

more “road :: amplifier / the difference?”
posted

From The Regime of Amplification to The Road

[editor: this document was used for a mid-way doctoral assessment at the University of Technology Sydney and no longer reflects the final content of the PhD dissertation as of the April 2012 submission at La Trobe University in Melbourne. The presentation was accompanied by the video that is posted at the end.]

Abstract

The DCA project “The Road” is a psycho-geographic perambulation through a web of personal, social, and universal trajectories which form a new knowledge-base on the cosmos as an entropic system of energy flows. Within this worldview the project explores human presence, encounter, and interaction including a close look at the effects of techno-socially prescribed protocols on those indeterminate flows of energy. As a multi-modal online data-space, the project offers a variety of navigational strategies connecting a rich variety of audio, video, text, and image sources from the candidate’s extensive personal archive of creative material.

Introduction

The armature for this DCA as originally proposed was the concept of the amplifier. An amplifier is essentially a device that takes an incoming flow of energy (signal), and through an influx of power, generates a defined outflow of energy with a greater (directed) intensity. The amplification process needs an independent energy source to increase the signal strength. It also requires a set of protocols that guide the flow of energy from input through output: a coherent signal is a controlled energy flow as defined by applied protocols.

The road, as an expression of a techno-social system (TSS), exemplifies, or, more precisely, is one of these protocol-defined pathways. It was this realization during the last year of research which shifted my focus from the amplifier to the road as both a real and metaphoric concept that opens a rich space for inquiry. The road allows the TSS to express amplified energy flows along its protocol-defined pathway. It is not difficult to conceptually extend the idea of the road as any pathway for the directed and concentrated expression of energy of a TSS. more “From The Regime of Amplification to The Road”

posted

thesis proposal :: Background

Background for Research

While individual human presence in this world has fundamental repercussions on be-ing, it is the ever-present and synergistic exchange between humans — forming what I call a “continuum of relation” — that governs much of life. This energetic field of human relation is sometimes fraught with difficulties and complications in spite of the rich and necessary dynamic it brings to life. Technology, as a ubiquitous factor in mediating human relation, often dominates while presented as providing the only opportunity for mediated connection and interaction between humans.

Presence, as apprehended by the Other, circumscribes a range of sensory inputs that require energy (from the Self) to stimulate and drive. The efficacy and sustainability of human connection builds on the very real and tangible transmissions and receptions of energy between the Self and the Other. An interconnected plurality of dialectic human relation may be described as a network. These networks, made up of a web of Self-Other connections form the base fabric of the continuum of relation. Technology appears in these networks as the mediating pathway that is the carrier of energy from node to node, person to person. Technological systems also appear to apply absolute restraints on and attenuation of the idiosyncratic flows inherent in that continuum of relation. The discrete objects that populate the (technological) landscape of the continuum of relation and that modulate the character of communications are literally artifacts of a materialist point of view. A primary assumption in my research is that a materialist or mechanistic view of the world no longer suffices to adequately circumscribe the phenomena occurring within the continuum of relation. more “thesis proposal :: Background”

posted
  • place: Berlin, Germany

The Regime of Amplification: A Primer

[ED: This text is essentially an extremely preliminary draft—written in Berlin, Germany in 2007-08—of my dissertation The Regime of Amplification.]

I decided to release this text in advance of any hard-copy publication, with another chapter nearing its final stages, and several intermediate chapters forming more concretely. The following is the original ‘final’ text, although there will be a significantly improved one in the years to come.

This speculative essay addresses the process of amplification which expresses itself at a wide range of scales and affects and which models a fundamental aspect of all human presence. It opens with a brief description of a prototypical amplifier, then frames life as the coherent self-organizing expression of energy embedded in a universal field of energy flows. It examines simple biological models of amplification and suggests possible reasons for amplification processes to exist. Narrowing its focus, it looks first at the human species, then the body, and then the collective social system as an operative field of amplification. It subsequently explores the Regime of Amplification as a general manifestation of the prototypical TSS (techno-social system) — a system whose goal is to maintain the viability of localized sub-sets of the species in the face of competition as well as continuous and universal change. Two specific examples — the radio and the military — are presented to simply illustrate the principles suggested. The conclusion reiterates the affects of techno-social amplification on individual be-ing as well as on the entire continuum of relation that the individual is a part of. It suggests some fundamental pathways of action which have an immediate detrimental affect on the hierarchic flows of the Regime.

This essay is built on the subject of one chapter in a book-in-progress titled “Energy of Being :: Dialogue of Creativity” which explores in greater depth many of the issues that are danced only Lightly around here.

KEY TERMS

TSS (techno-social system), Regime of Amplification, energy, amplification, attenuation, flow, continuum of relation, life-energy, life-time, evolutionary development, natural selection, self-organizing, radio, military systems, resonance, social energy bank, life-time=energy=life; attention=life-energy=life-time, feed-forward system, biochemical amplification, concentration, rarefaction, command-and-control … (to be continued)
more “The Regime of Amplification: A Primer”

posted
  • place: Amsterdam, Netherlands

ascending

holiday in Netherlands, Ascension Day. internet goes out. just after figuring things out with the next day’s schedule. meeting tomorrow with Carmin, Rob, Geert and Linda, uff.

several times, friends in Europe have expressed the sentiment that they should be allowed to vote for the next US president. I don’t blame them.

in a cafe. pretending that I am a normal tourist. visiting this place on a week’s break from the job. shaky premise. Chinese tourists, comfortable in their own skins, progressing to world dominance. while Amurika founders in scarce 225 years. street musicians sing “if you’re going to San Francisco, make sure you have some flowers in your hair…” or so. he’s Amurikan, maybe 40 years old. maybe more, maybe less. who knows. age becomes less knowable or even contemplated. as day after day there is yet another blank page let lie, while pretty girls smile and rub their lover’s backs. tattooed arms intertwined. and what of life trajectory, how it goes? year overtaking year. while an older guy sits down at the next table with a baby-fist-sized spherical knob on the top left side of his head. bulbous. the tattooed gal shows the dimple in her lower back to her lover. they kiss. each second of eye contact they have, I age a year. slowly sinking into anonymous senility. nothing to do but stare down the far horizon, if it could be seen at all here in the City, to spot any sign of Death approaching. but there are too many brick buildings framing the space of Rembrandtsplein. more “ascending”

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The Energy Dynamics of Technologically-Mediated Human Relation within Digital Telecommunications Networks

A proposal by John Hopkins for Doctoral Thesis research at the University of Bremen, Department of Computer Science (Informatiks) [editor’s note: this initial proposal never was submitted following the accident of 04 July 2005 that set life on another trajectory.]

1.0 Statement of Problem

1.1 Introductory note

Beginning with a series of broad general statements that converge to frame the trans-disciplinary space of my inquiry, I will move to proposals that are more specific. This approach is an important feature of the research itself — where the applicability and efficacy of a model is best challenged when looking from absolute specific cases to increasingly general situations and vice versa. In framing this essentially divergent research, I would suggest that the proposal first be considered as a whole — as I understand that the depth of my knowledge-base varies across some of the disciplinary spaces. more “The Energy Dynamics of Technologically-Mediated Human Relation within Digital Telecommunications Networks”