Realism - more than Patriotism

[michaelmaltby]

"... Put the camera in a ziplock bag with rice/dessicant. Toss in trash."


I'm sad to say, Matt, but you're right. The Canon is not coming back to life. Time to think about a replacement. In the meantime ......

MM

 

[michaelmaltby]

Family Values II - Left Seat or Right Seat ..?

In Post # 185, I introduced my Mom's clan, the Dinsmores.

Gunner Arthur D. Dinsmore went overseas in 1916 with his Dad in the artillery, returning in 1918, Pilot Officer Arthur Dinsmore. Peacetime brought new challenges but few of them in military aviation. Arthur, now 20, took accounting and migrated to Detroit where the automobile industry was creating a new kind of industrialization and consumerism. He worked for the Dodge Brothers as a purchasing agent. He was making good money and used it to keep his flying hours up.

In April, 1924, the Canadian Government launched the RCAF and Arthur returned to Canada to get on board. Before anything amounted to much, a massive fire at Camp Borden destroyed the few aircraft assembled along with facilities and that effort put an end to a military career for Arthur. Back to the Dodge boys, he went. Still flying with every cent he could spare.

The Depression of 1929 devastated America along with the rest of the world and Arthur returned to Toronto and joblessness, eventually finding work with Union Carbide where he worked until Canada launched the Commonwealth Air Training Plan at the outset of WW2, in 1939.

Based in Windsor Mills - just south of Montreal, Arthur worked as a Civilian pilot, flying Canadian-built Avro Anson's for Navigators-in-training. He was driving a windsor gray 1938 Dodge.

When Arthur learned that RAF Ferry Command was hiring civilian pilots out of Dorval airport, Montreal, Art and a couple of mates drove up and applied as pilots. After checking his log book and reviewing his experience, a stern civilian recruiter (the operation was managed in Canada by the Canadian Pacific Railway) posed the decisive question: "You depart Gander flying northeast. At a given set of co-ordinates you descend to sea level and turn north up a fjord in Greenland, and land with the wind behind you. No second tries. Can you do it, Dinsmore ..?"

Arthur replied that he could do it, but opined that it might be smart to make the first run in the right chair, along side a Captain who had already done it. Wrong answer . Arthur flew the rest of the war in Ferry Command as First Officer Dinsmore, relegated to the right seat. He mostly flew for younger, less experienced pilots, but in his telling of this story to me, I never heard complaint or bitterness about his fate. He had already survived Paschendale and one war, and he knew it.

So, from his vantage point, he ferried Hudson's, B-25 Mitchell's, Boeing Canada-built PBY Catalina's to Britain. His age and experience were recognized and he was assigned to the Command's Communications Squadron, flying stripped B-24 Liberator's to Europe, the Middle East and India via Bermuda. The crew were never given disclosure of their cargo or passenger manifest. In this role he flew until the Command was closed in Canada. In peace, he and his wife Vera travelled coast-to-coast in the '38 Dodge, looking for a place where they would be happy. They settled near the 1,000 Islands. He renovated a farmhouse and opened a Guest House. It was beautiful -- and it failed.

PHOTOS: Anson. '38 Dodge. Dorval Ferry Command. Bluiefijord - various views: today and back then. Catalina at Bluieiford. Communicatiobns Liberator over Montreal. The calmest man I've ever known.

MM
Proud Canadian

 

[Readie]

Good to read Michael and thank you for sharing.

 

[michaelmaltby]

Leks gets inspired .....


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNMBXxJZJyM

MM

 

[michaelmaltby]

Leks on water ... at the Cabin in the Bush, and in Estonia:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXFXaGeSfxQ

 

[michaelmaltby]

Father's Day - Replacement Camera

Thank you Leks.

The memory from the Canon that went swimming (April 22) works in the replacement Canon, so I thought I should pick up where I left off.

The Falls in full flood. Various shots around the Village of Burnt River on the drive up that morning. I appreciate that this flooding is trivial compared to what Hungary and other areas in Europe and GB have endured this spring.

Wish I'd had the new camera on the weekend. Saw deer, wild turkey and a birch tree involved in a recent lightening strike.

Back in business.

MM

 

[michaelmaltby]

Dock in ... First Swim

Brisk, lasted about 3 minutes but wonderful to feel that strong current again. Mosquito bites gone immediately in the cold water.

Flood mud on lower platform. Harley racing a 'ghost train' on the old RR. Lilacs in smoke. Someone is watching you.

 

[Readie]

Fantastic pictures Michael.

 

[michaelmaltby]

Thank you, Sir.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I love the pic of Harley!

 

[Wildcat]

Lovely shots!

 

[A4K]

Great shots mate!

Sorry to see you have flooding too, we do aswell at the moment (the Danube rose almost 10m - thankfully receding now)

As for the camera, don't dump it yet! The PCB has probably just oxidised from the water, causing bridges between the component legs which distorts current flow and prevents it from working.
Either get some PCB cleaning solution from an electronics or hardware supplier and brush every component carefully with a toothbrush, or get some Isopropol alcohol and give the panel a bath for half an hour. It will dry itself when you take it out, but I prefer to blow the alcohol out of every recess with either a high pressure (cold) air source, or hot air source (household hair dryer on low heat is a good makeshift solution). This will ensure no alcohol remains trapped to possibly further oxidise.
(I was a professional micro-electronics solderer for 10 years, and saved a couple of mates' panels this way!)
-Btw, if it still dosen't work, get it checked by a repairer. May simply be a case of changing a simple component.

 

[michaelmaltby]

Thanks A4K -- my son replaced it with the same model for Father's Day so I have a work around, but will play with dead camera. I was impressed that the memory suffered no damage. Do you think that going for a swim "powered up" might have blown up one or more components that would not have failed had the camera been "off" when it met the river??

MM

 

[A4K]

No worries mate, glad you got a new one!
If the other was powered on at the time, there is a chance atleast some of the ICs may have carked it. That said, a colleague once accidentally washed her husband' phone (turned on) in the clothes wash, but was able to dry it out ok with no detrimental effect!
Most components are replacable though anyway, depending on type, so try washing it like I said, and get it checked by a skilled 'trouble shooter' if no good. Of the thousands of panels I have soldered and repaired, only very few were unsavable.

Evan

 

[razor1uk]

While at Uni, my Chinese friend in 2004, managed to drop his Nokia phone in the toilet (before flushing...) - he dried it out and it still worked perfecrly fine, albiet he soon changed it as when speaking into it hed could smell his/its 'soaked' in odour.

Most modern electronic curcuit boards have a varnished layer upon them - mostly to stop dust shorting them, but solong as the power flowing isn't strong enough to cause gap jumping, and usual detergents, heat and other cleaning chemicals processes, accidental washings shoudn't effect the much - depends more upon how and what (materials, methods and qualiy etc,) connections there is to the board(s).

Naturally any electronics shouldn't intensionally be washed, but if so, the cleaner and colder the fresh water is, the more chance of least affection there is. Salt(ier) water should be avoided though, as salt is corrosive and likes 'charged/powered-up' items mpre so.

 

[A4K]

Yep, good info there mate. The really lacquered boards are a b@stard to solder too, especially in R D work when you're hand soldering the entire board(s).

As for your uni mate, I bet everyone was ringing him for a bit!

 

[razor1uk]

As far as I know only a told a few people, then again, it didn't seem to 'pong' to me, but I suppose if it was a long call (rotflmao) he'd notice it more, more so as it was his own, so he was perhaps more accustomed to noticing it... ahem.

 

[A4K]

 

[michaelmaltby]

Then and Now

Willy's big meadow ......

 

[Njaco]

tick heaven!