A new Lotus experience, going slow.

[The Veg]

After doing 46 years as a travelling service engineer at 30,000 miles a year covering Scotland, Northern England and the Midlands, going slow is not easy for me.

Interesting Eric; I'm also a traveling service engineer though I haven't been at it as long and I travel the USA, but comparable mileage. Being in such a huge country, sometimes I fly before driving and still pile on the miles. Did that this week in fact: fly from home near Atlanta to Long Beach near Los Angeles, see two customers there then drive to another in Phoenix, then another in New Mexico then fly home. I've also flown to Virginia or Miami then hit several along the drive back to home. During the eraly days of Covid my employer had me avoiding aeroplanes and that resulted in very long drives to places like Kansas City or Chicago.

This kind of work suits me well, as from the earliest age I've been a natural road-tripper. I spend more time traveling than doing the actual work of the job. Keeping it between the lines and listening to the radio beats being chained to a desk anytime, anywhere.

What do you work on? For me it's analytical instruments used for quality-control in the plastics & polymers industry.

[ericbushby]

Hi Veg
I worked for Radyne for 30 years, installing, servicing and fixing breakdowns on high frequency and radio frequency heating equipment. It was used at low frequency for induction melting and forging, under 3Khz. Next for heat treatment and case hardening, 3khz to 500 Khz. then valve oscillators up to 72Mhz for plastic welding, for instance the rear window in an Elan DHC. There was a lot of overlap in these ranges depending on the application.
Most of it was an electronic control board, high current power circuit and water cooled circuitry and cables.
There could not have been many service engineers who carried an oscilloscope and an 18" pipe wrench in the same car. Power output ranged from 500 watts to 2Mw
I then worked independently for 16 years in competition with my former employer working on their and other manufacturers equipment. It would be fair to say they didn`t like that.
I enjoyed my job and the driving to and from, I had a good relationship with my customers and always tried to give them just a little more than they were paying me for.
I knocked off working Fridays when I reached 65 and Thursdays at 68. I then went on two days a week and finally stopped work at 73. I worked from home all that time and arranged my own schedule.
There you are see, it serves you right for asking.
What were you working on if you did not need an estate car full of spares and tools every day.
Cheers
Eric
Edit
Oop`s sorry, you did tell me

[Verve]

Are we on the right website? Maybe the Oldie would be more suitable

Eric we must get together, I'd love to see your S3.

Paul are you stopping off with Richard on his way back from Duns?

Hi Rob ,

Yes , we are hoping to get to as many events as possible this year ( at any speed ) & it will be great to see you !

Not only have we missed out a lot these last 2 covid years ... but it`s also my 40th Anniversary this Summer , since I broke the bank , sold everything .... & bought an Elan !

I don`t know where the 40 years have gone but I`m still lovin` drivin` the little things ... all 4 of them now !

I just can`t help myself .... !

Paul .

[Mazzini]

Hello Paul!

I'm meeting Roy at Le Mans, it would be great if you could join us.

Looking forward to seeing you soon

Rob