Hello,  After over 16 months as a quiet lurker on MMD, the discussion
of various roll reading approaches in recent days finally got me to
write.  I am an AT&T retiree, electronics type, having played about
31 years with device testing, and then 6 years of network management.
I say played because electronics has always been my main hobby, and
such a job can't be called work.  Years ago a soldering iron was a
primary tool, but now a computer keyboard has become the first choice.

I joined MMD when I planned to repair my Knabe Ampico B as a winter's
project.  No rush, would rather do it right the first time.  The Ampico
repairs went well, with the main complication being the previous rebuild
about 25 years ago, done with that wonder material Perflex and PVC glue.
That plus some oozing vinyl tubing cost a good part of the total work,
just to get rid of all traces.  No, that previous rework was not mine,
but my brother (deceased).  In any case, it is playing well again.
Numerous notes from the MMD archives helped me along, thanks to many
of the authors here.

 [ The letter continues elsewhere in this Digest.  -- Robbie ]

Bill Earnest  -  Allentown, PA, USA  -  Linux Powered
wde@fast.net
"Computers, like air conditioners, work poorly with Windows open."

 [ Bill, welcome to MMD, and I thoroughly enjoyed the description
 [ of your roll reader which appears later on.  Jody is a UNIX expert
 [ and he equipped me with Linux, but I'm still clinging to my old
 [ Macintosh.  One of these days I'll be weaned!  Our readers who
 [ aren't too dazed with this torrent of technical papers will enjoy
 [ reading about your elegant application of the mouse and the contact
 [ lens.  ;)   I'm glad you've emerged to join the MMD authors.
 [ -- Robbie