what do you do?

I'm a (near penniless ) sixth form student, currently about to sit my A2 exams in Physics, Biology & Chemistry. Then in September I will be going off to Aberystwyth Uni to study international politics

I got into hifi through computing really, I was fed up with the appaling quality of most PC speakers, wanted to buy some better ones, then Isaac Sibson said 'don't spend £200 on some creative PC speakers, they're naff, look at hifi separates'. I went the hifi route, and it was a good decision, but blimey hifi gear doesn't half cost.

 

I work as I suspect stumblin does for the big blue. Im a software buyer, it's pretty busy but I have quite a bit of spare time. Moneys pretty good and it pays for my addiction (this is only 1 of them).......got into hifi when I bought a midi system for a grand as a teenager.....then spent six months realising how bad it was and how bad it sounded after hearing my mates yamaha/kef setup......been changing boxes for years but I think im just about happy now...........i think....

 

Blaming me now, huh?

 

Actually, not Big Blue - Big O!

 

Humm Blake,

Got me on that one apart from rewiring the things every other year, specialist in race electronics, engine managment, diganostics, traction control, lauch control ,data aquistion and nitrous oxide installations. and the odd incar sat nav, hifi.
Areospace side, Fuel systems, sevro flight systems control and landing gear, materials and stress/fatigue analysis.

 

interesting. did you say who you did that for? must say that cars (especially racing cars) and airplanes are two of my other interests. i suppose it's anything techy... do you actually race?

 

Blake,
My own company (12 years) auto Italia componshipships 95/6/7 winners or runners up class 'b' and d also intermarque racing too, Lancia Stratos and ferrari dino +
Plane stuff at Dowtys

 

ferarri dino....mmmmh. one of my very favorite cars. dowty do the landing gear systems for most of the boeing and airbus aircraft don't they? not to mention lots of military applications.

 

Blake,

Thats the chaps. also fuel systems for Harriers and Tornado's, propellars. Owned now by a French company Messier

 

my father flew 747 for years, so is very familiar with your products. what element were you involved in? design / engineering?

 

what a bloody bunch of computer geeks and general nerds if I ever saw one.

HND in electronics, law qual., post grad in teaching, now not working due to M.E. after broken arm...ouch.

last job as a paramedic in london, so a real mix.

 

partner at Andersen, consulting to investment banks around risk technology until we got Enronned (oh the irony). now ho hum IT director for a fin services institution, which is less on the edge but gives me more listening time..

got into hifi via first separates system at university, driven by getting more and more out of the music. don't give a damn about how the technology works but am interested in the output..

 

Independent IT consultant, globetrotter until 1987, Angola, Brasil, Saudi Arabia, Canada... Back to Portugal where I started 3 small IT businesses in a row, sold the first two, keeping the third for now... :MILD:

Always spent hours listening to my father's hifi, (he also flied 747), not much to do in Saudi Arabia, so I bought my first hifi there... :SCIDB:

 

Wow - I feel left out I have nothing to do with IT :cry: I just make things.

I run two companies making paper products - one makes coffee filters and other paper filtration products for the food and drinks industry, the other makes absorbent papers mainly for the meat industry (the little bits of paper you find under your chops when you open the pack from most supermarkets).

I got into hifi through my dad's cast offs, lost interest for a while after university due to other interests but have now rejoined the enlightened

 

Blake,

All aspects of the areo- industry spectrum, from intial concept, to Drop testing under carriages static at 120mph thats fun, test rigs (fuel systems), STRESS EVALUATION ON VARIOUS under carriage parts, effects of constant take off's landings etc, material treatments, from salt baths, plasma nitriding to Cryogenics.
Did that for 8 years or so, spot of proddy bikle racing 2/350lc's, in a band for a few years still do the odd 'Jam' (blues).
Personal security services for a while after the cars, plus a few other interesting postions.
Finially, meeting up with some old colleages from D's and Omiga Audio was thrown together in a back room kicking and screaming into the world.
Not I.T. or geek fest either.
Midlife,
don't/didn't anderson do all the Sainsburys contracts?

 

Catering and business manager.

 

Very little.

 

I recently left the BBC where I was a post production supervisor (on Eastenders), before that a sound recordist.
However, I got bored of London and the 9-5, so now I do up particularly knackered houses - it's funny that my bad back has gone now I no longer have to sit all day! Must be the demolition hammer.

And I got into hifi through music - played the piano from age 5, then took up bass at uni where I played in various bands and DJed (and got paid for it!).

 

Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. Currently i have a B1.1 category licence which means i can work on all Airframe, Engine, Electrical systems in an almost unlimited capacity plus any avionic systems as long as they have BITE ( built in test equipment).
I pretty much work permanent night shift 4 on 4 off , the nights are never full nights though, usually only about 6 hrs, which means i have shit loads of spare time to do the things i really like. Most of the guys i work with are old buddies from my time in the Royal Air Force ( 12 years ). As long as things work out OK ( which they nearly always do) the senior management just leave us alone to get on with it. No bosses, a democracy at work, short hours, loads of spare time and a decent wage ( but not a huge one) all on my doorstep, i often have to pinch myseelf to make sure its not all just a very nice dream...

I've moved about a little with work living in Shropshire, Devon, West Germany, Bucks, Suffolk, Fife, Essex and Saudi Arabia over the last 20 years spending at least a year in each location.

Moving away from working on RAF ( and Saudi Arabian ) fighter Jets onto Commercial airliners is a bit like going from Sports cars to buses though.

If i could be bothered trying a new carreer path then being an IT systems Techie would interest me most, only as long as i could swan around all day with a small clean and tidy toolkit and occasionally nip off in the van for a few hours to 'get some new bits' . I've just spent 18 months upgrading my Licence qualifications though and can't be arsed reading any more books for the moment.

No disrespect to anybody, but working in an Office at a desk is my idea of hell, although i've never tried it.

How did i get into Hi-Fi. Basically by trying to get the music i love so much to sound a bit better. Having 3 teenage kids has kind of put my Hi-Fi 'wants list' into more perspective now though and for the next few years, ho, hum.....

 

I was totally useless at school, and like Titian I wanted to be a proffesional footballer (West Ham or Southend United)where I was fit enough,but got my knees kicked so hard some many times by the time I was 16 they had vertually had it,so left school with not that qualifications,but wasn't botherd as I knew I was capable of running a small buisness,and dealing with people,so moved to Spain when I was 17.

It was hard here at first,you could see how general Franco had held the Southern part of Spain back,meaning work was scarce,and hard to get,but I noticed alot of wealthy people were moving here from the UK,scandinavia,Germany etc,but wern't actually living here.

So I thought who is looking after there big homes?So I decided I would offer them a complete service of the maintenance of thier properties with someone they could 100% trust,who would be honest and reliable,who they could leave the keys of there homes too knowing there house/garden/pool was being cared for.Now it includes finding other services for them,electricians etc,water irrigation systems,tree surgeon work,palm tree prunning and shaping,everything really.

So after 17 years of doing it,I look back and think that was hard,long hours,very hot temperatures,but it was all worth it,as I'm able to deal with peoples demands,to see how different people are from all around the world,all in all great fun and a good experience and something I enjoy doing.