Hello from San Diego, CA

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Oscar Mitchell
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2017 2:48 pm
Real name: Oscar Mitchell

Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by Oscar Mitchell »

History:
Transplant from UK to San Diego, CA
Bachelor’s Electrical Engineering with 20+ years experience.

By day:
Independent contract EE (www.linkedin.com/in/oscarmitchell if you want to look me up)
Specialising in Analog, RF, moderate voltage (in other forums I would say high voltage but not around here). Almost anything except software/digital.
I have successfully designed commercial nuclear instrumentation and kV power supplies but client confidentiality...

By night:
Parent so don’t expect miracles. Thought this might have possibilities for motivating children to read physics or EE

Assets:
Access to a reasonable machine shop
Own lots of RF instrumentation
Own a couple of two stage rotary vane vacuum pumps and quite a lot of KF fittings.
Have had fun with a microwave oven based plasma cleaner (and was paid for it too!)

Attraction to fusors:
The perfect mix of electrical, mechanical and physics. The opportunity to make things (which I love).

First project of interest here:
Neutron detector.

First question:
Is there anyone on this list from San Diego? (I realise General Atomics is local).

I hope that wasn't too long.
ian_krase
Posts: 636
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:48 am
Real name: Ian Krase

Re: Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by ian_krase »

I'm curious about the microwave oven plasma cleaner.
Oscar Mitchell
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2017 2:48 pm
Real name: Oscar Mitchell

Re: Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by Oscar Mitchell »

I have to be careful what I say.
I needed to clean aluminium, nylon and copper really well.
My client rented the cleaner for a month.
I had to cobble together the rest of the system (vacuum gauges, valves, cooling, flow meters)
and then figure out how to get efficient cleaning and then confirm that it was clean where
I needed it to be clean.
The crudeness of the device left me underwhelmed.
I had to do a lot of cleaning and it was completely manual.
I am sorely tempted to make my own but automate it.
I don't want to mention the Brand/model; please don't speculate.
The results were good.

I was tempted enough to make my own that I started acquiring parts.
Other projects got in the way but it is still on the list.

Any particular area of question that I can respond to?

O
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Nick Peskosky
Posts: 135
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:02 pm
Real name: Nicholas Peskosky
Location: San Diego, CA

Re: Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by Nick Peskosky »

Oscar,

Just moved up from Coronado to Ventura about a year ago. Bruce Meagher and a few others are within a stone's throw of you.
Nick Peskosky
NPeskosky@gmail.com

"The whole of science is nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking." - Albert Einstein
Oscar Mitchell
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2017 2:48 pm
Real name: Oscar Mitchell

Re: Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by Oscar Mitchell »

Thank you.
Sent him a PM.

O
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Dennis P Brown
Posts: 3160
Joined: Sun May 20, 2012 10:46 am
Real name: Dennis Brown

Re: Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by Dennis P Brown »

My daughter got interested in fusor's at a young age (this forum) and is now studying plasma physics (finishing her BS degree) at MIT and has even spent a summer as an intern on the German Stellarator. So, yes, this can help promote an interest in the sciences.

You have a good base to work from. Best of luck and do read how people of late have achieved working fusors for ideas on an approach that might work for you.
Bruce Meagher
Posts: 148
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:25 pm
Real name: Bruce Meagher
Location: San Diego

Re: Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by Bruce Meagher »

Hi Oscar,

Welcome to the fusor site. A couple of us here in San Diego still do get together regularly. Come join us at one of our outings (PM sent).

Bruce
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Andrew Robinson
Moderator
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Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2013 1:54 am
Real name: Andrew Robinson
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Contact:

Re: Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by Andrew Robinson »

Isn't Rich Feldman out that way? He visits a Ham Fest out there every year. I can't remember if its in SF or SD. Perhaps Rich can chime in if he's poking about.
I can wire anything directly into anything! I'm the professor!
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Rich Feldman
Posts: 1470
Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:59 pm
Real name: Rich Feldman
Location: Santa Clara County, CA, USA

Re: Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by Rich Feldman »

Andrew: good guess, but I'm in another part of the state. It's easy to confuse those Spanish names of long-dead saints; in fact we have at least two unrelated San Juan's.

That hamfest I talk about happens every month from March through September, and happens to be about 15 minutes away from my home by bicycle. Sarvesh and the new guy in Palo Alto should check it out. I think Ian Krase has been there, and I bet Rex Allers, but I've not yet met them in person. Greg Courville, John McMaster, Adam Munich, and maybe Michael Kan have occasionally been seen at Fusor.net, and by me at the flea market and/or at people's houses.
All models are wrong; some models are useful. -- George Box
Sarvesh Sadana
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 9:55 pm
Real name: Sarvesh Sadana
Location: Fremont, CA

Re: Hello from San Diego, CA

Post by Sarvesh Sadana »

Yeah, I went there in March and July. It was pretty interesting, but I haven't seen any useful fusor equipment yet.

Sarvesh
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