Sometimes we're right and it feels so damned good and more important,
isn't it great that little kids think we can do anything.
Pat, K9JAUAt 11:20 PM 12/6/2008, you wrote:
>Well, this isn't exactly a ham radio experience, but it does involve
>electronics. First, a little background might be in order. I had just
>gotten married and my wife had two kids, a daughter 7 and a boy ten. The
>daughter and I hit it off right from the start and we're still close
>today. Anyhow, the county I lived in only had a population of about 2000
>people, and I had lived there all of my life, so everyone knew me and
>certainly should have known my capabilities. But, you know most sighted
>people think we're incredibly stupid and helpless.
>
>The movie theater was in a town about ten miles away, and an aunt and
>uncle came by and picked us all up to go to a movie. The movie didn't
>start, and after a long wait, I asked what the problem was. They said
>they couldn't get the sound to work so they were going to cancel the show.
>I said I'd be glad to take a look, but was told there wasn't any need as
>they already had 3 or 4 people take a look at the amp, including the guy
>who use to run the theater. I was told, "if they couldn't fix the
>problem, there is no way you can." My daughter said, "my dad will fix it,
>just wait and see. They reluctantly took me up to the balcony where the
>projector and amp was. Now, this was an old tube amp, which I knew as I'd
>been up there before. I don't recall the number, but most of these tubes
>were the old 8 pin jobs with a grid cap on top. I started touching grid
>caps and when I found one that didn't make a hum in the speaker, I said,
>"give me this one." The guy said, "it isn't a tube, we checked all of
>them in a tube tester." I insisted, and as soon as I plugged in the new
>tube, we had sound. The guy never said a word. When we walked back down
>stairs, my daughter said, "See, I told you my dad could fix it!" One of
>those moments fun to remember.
>
>They had already sent everyone else home, there were just the six of us.
>The guy asked if we wanted to see the movie, and I said we certainly did,
>so they ran the show.
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