The last Dambuster

[Floyddroid]

I was saddened by the passing of the last remaining Dam buster pilot and how along with the inventor of the bouncing bomb Barnes Wallace and his brave and amazing colleagues will always have a place in history. I was thinking of my favourite designers, Engineers and innovators in the world of audio in a similar light. They are the last dam busters of hi-fi and in my mind living legends. I site Les Wolstenholme, Colin Wonfor and Bill Beard as just three of the many inspirational figures who brought great designs and solid engineering principles to the hi-fi buying public. Sadly some dam busters are no longer with us, Harold Leak, Julian Veriker and many more. Please feel free to fill in the blanks and site your dam buster alive or since departed.

We as enthusiasts are fast becoming the rear guard of a dying art and should celebrate it and enjoy the whole concept until our terminal breath. I fear we are the last generation that will listen to music in such a way and enjoy the principles of it's reproduction.

[Barry]

My audio 'dambusters' would include:

Peter Walker of Quad
Gilbert Briggs of Wharfedale
Edgar Vilchur of Acoustic Research
Paul Voigt
Raymond Cooke of KEF
John Bowers of Bowers & Wilkins
Alastair Robertson-Aikman of SME
George Hadcock of Hadcock
Robert Gudmandsen of Ortofon (SPU)
Jim Rogers of Rogers
Spencer Hughes of Spendor
David Hafler of Dynaco (and later Hafler)
Arthur Radford of Radford
Dr Bailey
Stanley Kelly of Acos (and Decca)

and

Jason Bloom and Leo Spiegel of Apogee (ribbon speakers).

[struth]

The Guy who designed the A1000... Italian name.??

[southall-1998]

I don't know who created the small JPW Speakers?

Whoever that person is, gets a thumps up from me!

S.

[struth]

Tim de Paravicini... A1000. think he did the A1 as well

[Spectral Morn]

Tim de Paravicini... A1000. think he did the A1 as well

Still very much alive and well.


Regards Neil

[Floyddroid]

A grand list Barry.
My audio 'dambusters' would include:

Peter Walker of Quad
Gilbert Briggs of Wharfedale
Edgar Vilchur of Acoustic Research
Paul Voigt
Raymond Cooke of KEF
John Bowers of Bowers & Wilkins
Alastair Robertson-Aikman of SME
George Hadcock of Hadcock
Robert Gudmandsen of Ortofon (SPU)
Jim Rogers of Rogers
Spencer Hughes of Spendor
David Hafler of Dynaco (and later Hafler)
Arthur Radford of Radford
Dr Bailey
Stanley Kelly of Acos (and Decca)

and

Jason Bloom and Leo Spiegel of Apogee (ribbon speakers).

[Firebottle]

First name that came to my mind was Peter Walker, a genius of his age.

+1 to the great list Barry :)

[petrat]

Ronnie H Rackham & Guy R Fountain
Harold J Leak
Saul Marantz
Hiroyasu Kondo
Ken Shindo
Yoshiaki Sugano

[Ali Tait]

Nelson Pass.

[anthonyTD]

+1
Nelson Pass.

[mik_rik]

I think Alan Blumlein richly deserves a place on any list of this type.

[Barry]

I think Alan Blumlein richly deserves a place on any list of this type.

Yes, indeed - probably at the top of the list! Despite working for EMI, it is only recently that he is getting the recognition he deserves.

[cloth-ears]

James Sugden for his work on Class A amplifiers gets my vote :)

[sq225917]

Jonathan Carr, Joachim Gerhard, Nelson Pass, Douglas Self, and all those unknown journeyman Japanese designers.

[mik_rik]

What about wotsis name who founded Mullard's,I think his name was Arthur or something :)

[PaulStewart]

Norio Shibata, not just for the stylus, also other designs and developments for JVC/Matsushita

[Colin Wonfor]

Mr. Walker at Quad,
Mr. Tom Fletcher at NLE (Dais).
Mr. Brian O'Rourke Ruark Acoustics.
Mr. John Michell Gyro Fame.
Mr. Nelson Pass.
Mr. Anthony Wonfor my Dad.
Mr. Tesla.
Dr. S.Cuk
Dr. D.G.Yurth
Dr. Peter. G. Wioka
Dr. Allan at Bristol Hospital.


These and not in order are mine.

[Barry]

There's no denying Nikola Tesla was a genius, but what was his contribution to audio reproduction?

[Ninanina]

I was saddened by the passing of the last remaining Dam buster pilot


I believe there is still one remaining Dam buster....not a pilot but a Flight Sergeant and bomb aimer.....George 'Johnny' Johnson is now 94...

[Floyddroid]

Yus muy dear!
What about wotsis name who founded Mullard's,I think his name was Arthur or something :)

[Floyddroid]

I had the great pleasure of meeting the late Tom Fletcher whom i bought a couple of turntables from. Les Wolstenholme and myself were recently trading stories about him. A great character and a person i feel richer having met. As for Brian O'rourke i never got to meet personally though i have spoken at length to via the all English electric telephone on numerous occasions. As a consequence i have owned many pairs of Ruark speakers and still use a pair to this day. I must also mention John Farlowe. Despite some of his yet unproven penchants designed and built some amazing amps. And of course yourself Colin. I only got to speak to you once when you lived in a bungalow somewhere in the west country. A conversation you will never remember but it stayed in my mind for many years to come. My Claymore bit the dust after i fried it trying to bi-wire a pair of speakers and i never did get those Inca Tech pre-powers i was hankering after. I have been mooching around for a coloured Claymore for the past ten years or more and still never found one. amazing amps Colin and testament to your talent. I doth my cap sir and nominate you as one of my last Dambusters.
Mr. Walker at Quad,
Mr. Tom Fletcher at NLE (Dais).
Mr. Brian O'Rourke Ruark Acoustics.
Mr. John Michell Gyro Fame.
Mr. Nelson Pass.
Mr. Anthony Wonfor my Dad.
Mr. Tesla.
Dr. S.Cuk
Dr. D.G.Yurth
Dr. Peter. G. Wioka
Dr. Allan at Bristol Hospital.


These and not in order are mine.

[Colin Wonfor]

There's no denying Nikola Tesla was a genius, but what was his contribution to audio reproduction?

Transformers

[Colin Wonfor]

Yes Tom was great mate, he commissioned me to make him 1KW/ch amps for is Buckinghams, this was the start of ProAC Magnum and then Magnum Amps, so if you have one of these amps it was due to Tom and his kindness, the Claymore was for Brain he encouraged me and was a great mentor. I met him in Southend as I was passing his shop on the way to Maplin, I was making a tuner for Mike Banski.
I needed the loo and he let me use his, there I listened and bought Diesis speakers the forerunner to Ruark. I was so upset when they both died far too early, Brian would be so proud of his son Alan and family now.

"GREAT" the first of the parts have arrived for the new claymore, so blue smoke time. :)

[Barry]

Transformers

I think credit for that could go to Michael Faraday.

[Firebottle]

"GREAT" the first of the parts have arrived for the new claymore, so blue smoke time. :)

Great stuff Colin but why is it always blue? Pity we can't have yellow or red :eyebrows:

[Colin Wonfor]

Then why do we use Tesla in calculations for transformers, and why do we have AC main not DC. Why do we have non-incandescent lamps, and who did invent radio?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoY_7mbm5ng

[Barry]

Then why do we use Tesla in calculations for transformers, and why do we have AC main not DC. Why do we have non-incandescent lamps, and who did invent radio?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoY_7mbm5ng

I agree that Tesla promoted the use of AC for electricity distribution as the higher voltage used the, lower the ohmic losses, and he pursuaded the Westinghouse company to use his ideas. Transformers are obviously needed to reduce the voltage at the customer's end to a relatively safe level.

But Tesla did not invent the transformer - it is arguable that it was Michal Faraday who came up with the idea. Faraday knew a direct current created a static magnetic field. He reasoned (erroneously) that conversly this static magnetic field could create a current. He experimented with two separate coils of wire wound on one iron former. He found when a direct current was passed through the first coil, no current flowed through the second coil. However he did notice that when the current was switched off in the first coil, a brief current pulse was created in the second coil, and so too when the current was switched on again. Switching the current on and off quickly produced a corresponding pattern of current in the second coil. From that Fraday deduced what is now known a Faraday's law of induction.

Tesla's name is used for the SI unit of magnetic flux in honour of Tesla's work with magnetic fields, just a Faraday's name is used for the SI unit of capacitance, again for the work he did with electric fields. And again, just as Tesla did not invent (or even discover) the magnetic field, neither did Faraday discover the electric field or invent the capacitor. The SI units were a rationalisation of an older system, which used units named after earlier workers: such as Gilbert, Oersted, Gauss and Maxwell. Transformers were being designed successfully long before Tesla's name was adopted for the SI unit.

As to the invention of radio, well there were several people around the world who working towards radio; Tesla was not the only one.

[Colin Wonfor]

Well done, reading is good for you.

[Barry]

Well done, reading is good for you.

Nikola Tesla is one of my heros (along with Alan Dowker Blumlein and many others). Whereas I despise Edison's approach to business, and his vindictive rivalry with Tesla and the Westinghouse Company.


As to your barbed comment, I assume migh be referring to this:

"The Man who Invented the Twentieth Century: Nikola Tesla, Forgotten Genius of Electricity"

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LO79bdLpL._AA160_.jpg

A book I bought many years ago and have read.

[Colin Wonfor]

Nikola Tesla is one of my heros (along with Alan Dowker Blumlein and many others). Whereas I despise Edison's approach to business, and his vindictive rivalry with Tesla and the Westinghouse Company.


As to your barbed comment, I assume migh be referring to this:

"The Man who Invented the Twentieth Century: Nikola Tesla, Forgotten Genius of Electricity"

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LO79bdLpL._AA160_.jpg

A book I bought many years ago and have read.

No it was not intended to be barbed or rude, it was pleasure to see somebody else knew about Tesla.
And as you say Edison was not that nice a man.

My grammar in English is poor along with my spelling, forgive me if it came over rude. Sorry.

[Us-&-Them]

We as enthusiasts are fast becoming the rear guard of a dying art and should celebrate it and enjoy the whole concept until our terminal breath. I fear we are the last generation that will listen to music in such a way and enjoy the principles of it's reproduction.

Like all the men, women and children of world wars - they are the bravest of the brave !! As for us being the last generation that will listen to music in such a way and enjoy the principles of it's reproduction - I TOTALLY AGREE!!

The youth coming up have been born into a world of profit driven mass consumerism that is totally about plastic fantastic throw away quantity and definately no quality. In the past, quality came as standard, but now, if you want quality - you gotta pay exorbitant money (unless you find that unknown gem). I have to admit, I've even tried to educate my own kids but alas, for them, they say its quick and easier to play music on the computer or the ipod. :steam: One good thing, my son does buy his own music on CD instead of that RIP OFF iTunes; talking of which, if that isnt the biggest con on the planet, I dont know what is - the quality of the music off there is CRAP !!!!!!!!

[walpurgis]

if that isnt the biggest con on the planet, I dont know what is ![/B]

How about being taxed on pensions that were paid for with money you'd already been taxed on?

[Colin Wonfor]

How about TAX on pension and the ex wants it all and your TQ shares, and the house.

Is not our laws a con ? money first to fix law, what law.

Sorry bad day.

[PaulStewart]

How about being taxed on pensions that were paid for with money you'd already been taxed on?

Or being told, pay till you are 60 if you're a woman or 65 for a bloke, then you get a pension, and then being told "We have changed the rules, eork an extra 3 years" :steam:

[Colin Wonfor]

And at 62 the ex-wife wants it all, just shit.

[Floyddroid]

Mmmm, It's about Dambusters remember?

And at 62 the ex-wife wants it all, just shit.

[Hipper]

This is a good book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/617-Squadron-Dambusters-at-War/dp/1852600411/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1444759467&sr=8-1&keywords=617+squadron+bennett

It in fact covers 617 Squadron operations after the dams but does this by looking at individual air crew.

I recently read James Holland's 'Heroes' book. In it one pilot found that he was one of 1,000 aircrew sent to the Middle East. They were packed onto a ship for the voyage which took them round The Cape and up the east of Africa to Suez. On arrival they were kept on the ship for three days and when they finally disembarked there were not enough tents to accommodate them.

It appears it was an admin cock up. Apparently the RAF Middle East had actually ordered 1,000 airscrews (propellers)!