Crowcon Detection Instruments, the Business Park, Abingdon-on-Thames (1995-97)Mechanical and PCB (Printed Circuit Board) assembly and soldering of Gas Detectors, for the Oil, Mining, and Water Industry.I used to walk into work along the Ock River, which flaws into Old Father Thames, and into the Industrial Estate. Most people drove in and ate in their cars. Some used Bicycles. Cars are becoming prohibitively expensive to run. If you don't live near the shops you have to drive to the supper market, and work. In the old days the house wife used to go to the shops in the centre of the town or village three times a week and carry the food back. "Armoured Towns" are springing up by train stations, and you can travel by train and dispense with the car. Like Radley Train Station near Abingdon. I had a bit luggage type bag to put the weeks shopping in and carried it back learning on my side.There may be a shortage of Technicians as the pay is low, people are over qualified, or no one has heard of the job. Soldering is easy but somewhat boring, and doesn't use your brain. Soldering is easy to learn. It is better to keep the work in this country as we keep the Foreign Exchange, and the money goes round the local economy. Also quality may be better. They have a good Pension Scheme, that you get after 1 Years Service, and you pay a little in, as does the Company, and possibly the Government. A few staff walk to work, and some bicycle to work. There is a bicycle good shed.
The Sub-Assemblies SectionThe Sub-Assembly Section Job paid about £10,500 + holidays + pension. The job involved making batches of about 20, 50 or 100 circuits from templates some where very complicated and took days to complete. I didn't mind the job but didn't really get on with most of the people in the factory although some were very kind and decent. There was guy I particularly hated for quite legitimate reasons I won't go into who came each and every day to have lunch with us even though he knew he was in the wrong. I had to put up with him as there was no where else to eat not even any benches in the Industrial Park due to Thatcherism false economies which make for bigger turn over of labour due to poor working environments.Some jigs had been made by workers to increase productivity e.g. like wiring a connector and holding it in place, by Soldering. Solder in made from a mix of lead and tin, with flux in it. My Section had the following Production Technicians: Peter Wilder my Friend (who knows how to make music amplifiers for people he knows in Oxford, and likes Ice Skating), Derek (who had a HND in Electronics, a Girlfriend, and played Darts at his local Pub), Tracy Stunnel (half-German, and Junior Supervisor), Teresa, and William (a young but keen worker who said the wage was a bit low). We had a good selection of tools. And a supply cupboard for masking tap, solder reels etc...
Test and RepairMalcolm Spinks gave out the computerised order sheets which you took to Stores. It listed the Components and you put them in a rotating caracel to pick and insert for each board, and component place. He also did 'Test and Repair', and knows the circuit board has to be 'Certified' passed, and how to bias a Transistor. Chumbawamba is a Junior Test and Repair Technician which paid £13,000 and helps Malcolm. He probably has Children now. He like a Drink in the Club with his Drinking Mates. Malcolm knows a few fixes he isn't telling, which Chris (his real name) needs to save boards being thrown out.I tried a bit of Test and repair but was too slow. You put the boards in a frame and run a computer programme. Every board tested needs a number typed in, repeatedly for no reason when the software programme could have set it itself as a constant. This cost 12% of time for no reason.
CalibrationCrowcon make Gas Detectors for the Oil, Mining, and Water industry. Two people work in Calibration. One guy there called Alan bought old Amstrad Computers and Sold them to Mombasa, Kenya for a prohit, as he had a Kenyan Wife, and one Son. He copied some of my disks, and got 16Mbytes? of extra RAM for my newer PC to run my Computer Game with moving Ambassadors, or Leaders.Amstrad stands for Alan M. Sugar Trading. My Amstrad had 512Kbytes of RAM (Random access Memory), two 330Kbyte 5.25 Inch Disk Disk Drives, a Monochrome Monitor, three expansion slots which I used to build my Input/Output card (See: baec.tripod.com), and a cheap dot matrix printer. Software included Wordstar Word Processing with Dictionary, SuperCalc_4, DBase_3, Turbo Pascal (Eligent Teaching Programming Language), COBOL (Commercial Programming Language), Chess, and Elite (Space Fighter, and Interstellar Trading Game - it's very difficult to Dock without a Docking Computer).
The Racking SystemBig Tony (part Norse) also enjoyed a conversation, and wit at the Lunch Table. His Job was to put Cards (Electronic Boards) in a Rack with some others, for the Electronic Gas Detection Main Monitoring Unit. He left because he was unhappy with his wage £12,000 / Year, and ended up getting a worse Job. Being Big, he eats a lot of Meat. He couldn't afford it so stole the 'Meat Only' from the Shop because he was very Hungry. He was warned a dozen times, and put in Hell in Prison.
The Lunch TableWe did the crossword at Lunchtime. The workers at the Lunch table included Jack an Electronic Quality Inspector who used to repair Videos. Apparently all you need to do is check them bits and replace them from the van. The power supply always works. Someone put a sandwich in one. Jack had a good sense of humer and got on with everyone. Nicko was also there, he was from Southern Italy, he wanted to go to America but couldn't get in. He worked as a Quality Inspector from £13,000. And Teresa, an Old English Catholic who was pleasant, and enjoyed a good conversation. She also had a Friend from her Church there the didn't say that much; and there was also an Irish Woman who didn't come to the our Lunch table (there were another 3) who worked in the Wiring Section, with her a Geordie Woman Friend; also called Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland: they fought for King George.There is a Tea and Coffee Machine of course. It's always too hot. I've seen a machine that makes half cups, and then you top it up from the Water Fountain. We got 1 hour for Lunch, and 2 15 minute breaks. Mark and his Friend Justin were also at the Lunch Table. I think Justin is half Saxon and half Celtic. A long haired lay about, who worked a bit then left. Came back for a Year and left again. And was out after two fails. He's in financial difficulties how. The cost of living is too expensive. Mark is predominately Anglo-Saxon (South Oxfordshire was part of the Kingdom of Wessex + Berkshire & Hampshire of King) of King Alfred who famously Burnt his Cakes.
The Wiring SectionThere was also Darren Rogers who isn't liked in his section because always coming in, saying nothing, and putting his headphones on. I did like him until he told me his secret. He gave me a clue for the Monkey Island Commodore Amiga Computer Game: mix the condiment with the meat to put the guard dog to sleep at the Governor's Mansion. The game is set in the West Indies in the time of Pirates: Hearty Lads. They even had some Black Pirates. He also lent my the Commodore Amiga Game X-Com Interceptor, about fighting UFO's on Earth. He believes in UFO's.Justin left the Wiring Section because he was lazy, twice, and now is short of money. Mark his best Friend (from Technical College, studying an OND in Electronics) says "Once more to the Breach dear Friends" for Star Trek which both Mark and Justin like. It has the majic formulae about seven main characters with different abilities, and a "Front Man" on the View Screen to negotiate with, and a New Adventure every week. It is had a Mobile Filming Lot mainly in Southern California, as the set was quite big. I particularly liked Star Trek Deep Space Nine as it is a bit like the "Master of Orion 2" Space Empire Computer Game, or "Civilization 2". They also liked listening to REM's 'Man on the Moon' CD in Wantage and Grove apparently. Gene Roddenberry invented and directed/produced Star Trek. He was born on August 19, 1921, in El Paso, Texas. Justin, and Darren helped make the wire (a job for simple people). A machine cuts the wire to length off the rell by typing in the size, and then in is striped of insulation, twisted by hand, and put in the solder pot. They is also a crimping machine for small crimps. And a powered foot operated crimping machine for large crimps, which are difficult to do by hand.
The Robotic Pick-and_place MachineThe Robotic Pick-and-Place Machine makes Circuit boards, using a X-Y Axis Picker of very Small Electronic Components. He put the reels of components in, and the Machine collects and places them.
StoresStoremen get £17,000 / Year because they are always on their feet, work fast, and must get every order correct. You can put in a form for 1 or 2 missing components if needs be. This is rare. Pam runs Stores booking in the kit on a custom made computer system. she gets £25,000 / Year.
The OfficesThere were several Office around the edge of the floor for Engineers, and Managers. Production Engineers compile the Component List for a Circuit Board, from Electronics Catalogues, and Component Reps.; Test Engineers test the product to ensure it works correctly. It must be certified or it can't go to market.Managers pay the payroll, and compile a list of orders from the Sales Department to go to Stores. The people in the office get lots more money, and don't always do much work. One got £30,000 (£40,000 in today's Money) a Year for writting the same three quality reports three times over and over again. He has two degrees. He won't stay for less money as he sites around all the time doing nothing, and gets very bored. Gas Detectors have to be certified or they won't sell. They are used in mines and on oil rigs. There are also specialist gas detectors for School Science Departments incase a gas tap is left on. There's also a receptionist, and employment officer. And they advertise in the Newspaper.
Research & Development Department, on the First FloorThe Development Engineers got £30,000 - £50,000 today, even though there's less work. most products have reached their final perfect end development. They have to work fast, and with near perfect accuracy. They consulted the Chemical Scientific Laboratory in Birmingham. And were lead, and driven by the Chief Development Scientist / Engineer. Who had had two degrees, and authority. He got £60,000 a year.Design or Research Engineers / Chemistry Scientist's Design the Circuit on a Computer, and the Circuit Board, and Silk Layer (drawings of Components). There is now a considerable surplus of R&D Engineers. And they're only good for two Projects, then go on Unemployment for a Year (without claiming), and might get one other Job. The Circuit Boards are made from fibre glass, with silk layer image of components, well drilled, tinned, with re-inforced PCB (printed circuit board) component holes.
SalesThe Sales Team work hard, on the Telephone, and Computer. And get £30,000 a Year for bringing in the Orders.
The DirectorPeter Wilder has been known to talk to the Director. The Director got £70,000 a Year (now negotiated down to £60,000). He gave back of course: £20,000 to Charity. He had a Office Helper who double checked the hours. Every jobs time was written on a sheet by the Production Technicians.
The Production Manager didn't want me back, and some of my Friends would haveHe turned away three workers who would have been satisfactory. So the work went to Germany at £20,000 per Year. The previous Manager was more friendly, and would have given them a fair go.I stayed there 1 1/2 years, but the environment made me rather nervous especially at break time when I was trying to work with everyone staring in my direction, there were three separate 15 minute breaks in a row as there was very little canteen space. There was one guy who I worked next to who couldn't read due to problems with his brain but who could read a circuit diagram very easily and made money on the side making and selling Music Amplifiers. He also had a computer that could speak text for him, and a milling machine in his flat! He was very fast at his job but kept his bench in a very dirty state. They brought in one device that I nick-named the iron-maiden. It shone a light on the next component to be inserted, and then went immediately on to the next one. Built to infuriate the user. The boss of our department left and was replaced by someone I hadn't got on with, so I was unable to go back or get a proper reference.
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I've tested and reworked Psion Palmtop computers using a 400 degree C hot air gun which I had to share. SMT is tiny components that drive you mad trying to solder, assembled by robot pick-and-place machines, which always seem to leave a few loose components. It generally meant replaced the MAX233 chip which blew-up very easily. I also used a ATE (Automatic Test Equipment) machine, which ID'ed bad components which you simply had to change. Also there is no Psion 4, only 3 and 5 as 4 is unlucky in China. The factory was designed by some sadistic bastard in such a way as to have some one staring at you no matter what direction you looked. With a big glass partition between areas and open plan everywhere. If it had been divided into offices I would have been a lot more comfortable. But the company obviously preferred a extremely high turn over of labour which cost them a fortune in Agency fees. Only paying me £4.50/hour for technical work. The Agency probably got paid £9/hour + a bonus when the worker went permanent. This meant only the most unpleasant workers tended to stay. The boards may have gone un-repaired after I left, leading to big looses for the company, and un-environmentalism. One test and repair guy also filled the flux pot with the wrong type of flux from the pick-and-place machine which made me ill. There was also a shortage a chairs and soldering irons. And the industrial estate again had no where to sit to have your lunch, and you only got 1/2 hour anyway.
I worked with Doug a Scot who had left RAF Abingdon (with Helicopters) being he didn't like bitherwake (camping with the Men). He was a good Electronic / Mechanical Technician, but couldn't afford to pay for the mortgage, and his Wife and Son. He liked Football. Doug DID talk, about the RAF, Work, and Football. That's all.
The games called "Spacestation" (Comp98)- spacest2.z5 - a working version of Infocom's Planetfall Educational Transcript game that comes with the game Packaging and Manual.
Check: http://infoscripts.tripod.com
This took a Year to write on and off, plus looking after my allotment. It requires a lot of digging to make vegetables. Rhubarb once established grows endlessly, and required no cultivation.
I programmed 'spacestation' for 1 1/2 Year between Jobs. Unemployment Benefit may have paid for a few interesting projects in Computing.
Most of RM's Computers go to Schools. The Scotish Woman who ran the line sacked endless people for being slightly slow. They may now run out of Labour as every one in South Oxfordshire has given it a go.
They sent me on Warehouse Work, Washing-Up and Cleaning. You go where they send you, and if it works out you stay if you find it enjoyable / comfortable, and if not you try somewhere else. There was this one warehouse where they expected you to work really fast, and if you didn't you were fired a the end of the day. Some African Immigrant worked his guts out, probably because it was the only work he could get, wouldn't be entitled to benefits, and had no work in his home country.
I worked with the Site Manager Neil Moon, who was Senior Caretaker at Fitzharries School, Abingdon-on-Thames. He was half Texan, and half Wantage, Oxfordshire - an Anglo-Saxon: Yellow Hair, with courage, and a bit fat because Angles used to like the cakes; and Religious. He also signed for the Electricity, a Cleaners wages - with the Headmaster.
There was also the Caretaker, now retired who was decent and hard working. He is in financial difficulties now as he didn't take out a Council Pension while working, and only got £13,000 / Year. And my Friend Morris, another Cleaner. Some of the other Cleaners talked or not a they felt like. And I passed a couple of words with the Teachers; generally marking as I could only clean a Classroom when Class was out.
I had little money but was happy, and doing my bit. The Job was vert Meticulous which is in my nature. I walked to work as well.
I have had jobs in the electronics industry. PCB (Printed Circuit Board) assembly jobs are easy to do by anyone with a modicum of intelligence. This is better paid better and had a pension and days off. Agencies have now been forced to give days off. I didn't mind doing the job. I have a meticulous suitable to the job, you just sorted and put the components in a carasol under your workbench, they came in little re sealable bags, place them on the spot indicated by silk screen layout and take them to the cropping machine. Why they couldn't make components with short leads and save component wire and cropping I don't. When I did my computer job form at school where you tick all the boxes saying what you like and are good at it recommended I should be a type setter, so this was a very similar job really. The circuit board with components was then put through the flow soldering machine, a skilled job and came back for re-work. Straightening any off components with a Soldering Iron. It's easy to learn soldering all you have to do is hold the iron against the wire for 5 seconds then apply the solder, made of a tin-lead-flux compound. You need to know how to read a component list and recognise a component but basic Electronics at school can teach you this. IC's had to go through a hand forming machine otherwise they wouldn't fit. Again why can't they make formed at the right angle already? Resistors also went through a hand forming machine which you clamped to your desk. Mechanical forming machine are available for large quantises of components which our attached together by something similar to masking tape which falls off with the cut leads. Electrolytic Capacitors and Resistors are generally the only components treated in this way. Most PCB assemblers are Women yet no Girls never seem to study Electronics which would have helped them learn the Job.
I had to do a computerised questionnaire while at school that advised you on the job you where most suitable for. It came up with type-setting (now done by computers but once manual) which is similar to PCB assembly.
If you are at all interested in electronics check out the Website I maintained for the now defunct British Amateur Electronics Club. Before computers and the internet everyone made simple electronics circuits. They sure like their Microcontrollers: a miny single chip programmable computers of which my final year University project was about. The code was OK (a term Billy Bunter questions coming from America now in very popular use, thanks party to Windows, but once regarded as rather vulgar). But I couldn't get it to work I either staticed it or didn't programme the lock-up address for the first line of Machine Code correctly, I used an interface in BASIC attached to a PC to drive a little slotted wheel driven by a stepper motor and SAA1024 stepper motor driver chip, an infra-red send-receive LED-transceiver-transistor which slotted in between the wheel and some debounced buttons using a Schmitt Trigger Chip also invented by Bell Labs.