Post date: Jun 18, 2008 3:15:35 PM
I work for a school district currently, doing computer work. So, while I have been overseeing and maintaining a rather large tape library (a backup device) with over 200 tapes in it, 8 tape drives, and a nifty cool robot arm with a laser barcode reader on it to move the tapes automatically into and out of the various slots. It is a tempermental beastie. But this morning I was checking out how it had been doing (backing up hundreds of gigabytes of data across over a dozen tapes and almost two days non-stop running).... and then had to take time out to look into the methods of calculating the design of a wiring harness for an antenna that will give "circular polarization" to the radio signal, so that it can talk to a satellite. The other person in the tech department here also teaches a few classes, and one of his classes is in ham radio stuff, so this last semester the kids built an antenna, and the maintenance shop fabricated some mounting hardware, and a computer controlled tracking device was bought with some grant money so that the antenna can track the birds as they fly overhead. Things like the ISS (International Space Station) are overhead only a few minutes..... the antenna has to move a LOT to keep it pointed right.
I have to say - it may be an unorthodox place that does not pay much.... but they don't make me wear a tie (Carharts, baggy un-tucked in shirts, and tennis shoes are my typical uniform) and if you look around, you can find something to keep your mind limber!