Midweek report:


Clumpy and Kloumpios arrived safely from EU…swearing never to fly discount
airlines again, repeatedly citing experiences that are so eloquently
described in this youtube video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6pj3Fdbwng


Soon after landing at Dulles, Clumpy and Kloumpios drove to Goddard Space
Flight Center where they toured the NASA campus including an up close
viewing of the James Webb Space Telescope which just completed multi dof
vibration testing. Although a clean tent currently covers JWST, Clumpy
managed a selfie before it gets moved into the Goddard acoustics chamber
where it will be exposed to the noise levels that arise from an Ariane 5
launch. Both Clumpy and Kloumpios totally want to experience what 150
decibel racket would feel like. The boys are enjoying a warm week here in
the DC area, with the cherry blossoms almost a month ahead of schedule,
nobody’s complaining!


On Fri, Mar 3, 2017 at 2:17 PM, David Hillman <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Here is the Element Quiz Question:
>
> The Question:
> The discovery of this element lead to a fundamental
> reorganization/rethinking
> of the periodic table. This element, combine with arsenic results in a
> binary semiconductor that is very toxic. The initial extraction of this
> element requires combining monazite sand with sulfuric acid which is
> roasted at 130C for several hours. Hydrogen sponge alloys contain this
> element. Which element is being described?
>
> The Answer:
> The element is Lanthanum (La)! The electron configuration of the group of
> elements we call Rare Earth Elements (REEs) makes them a little
> controversial on their position in the Periodic Table and lanthanum is the
> first REE. LaAs is a binary semiconductor. Mischmetal contains 45%
> lanthanum. Lanthanum is in hydrogen sponge alloys which can store up to
> 400x the alloy volume of hydrogen gas.
>
> The winner of the quiz is Bhanu Sood, NASA and  he will get the services of
> Clumpy and Kloumpios for the week.
>
>
> So far Clumpy and Kloumpios have done the following:
>
> Past Quiz winners/tasks:
> Week 1 Ravinder Ajmani, Western Digital
> Week 1 Ron Feyereisen, SigmaTron Intl.
> Week 2 Louis Hart, Compunetics
> Week 3 Mark Kostinovsky, Schlumberger Ltd.
> Week 3 John Burke
> Week 4 Drew Meyer, Benchmark Electronics
> Week 5 No Winner - no correct responses!
> Week 6 Bhanu Sood, NASA
> Week 7 Keith Calhoun, Sopark Corp
> Week 7 Ian Fox, Rolls Royce
> Week 8 Leland Woodall
> Week 8 David Bealer, SMT
> Week 9 Tom Carroll, Boeing
> Week 10 Louis Hart, Compunetics
>
> Week 11 Tom Carroll, Boeing
> - Sorry for the late reply but I was busy showing Clumpy how to perform an
> FAA Test Setup Conformity for an explosive atmosphere test and then Clumpy
> started to tell me about the new dimensional transport system attached to
> his John Deere tractor. Clumpy said explosive atmospheres were the least of
> their problems during development this new technology. I can report that
> everything is working well with the new transport system. Clumpy arrived
> with a "Poof" in my backyard and he immediately started fishing off my back
> deck, explaining that the new transport system makes him very hungry
> whenever he uses it. Clumpy says that he hopes Kloumpios is having a good
> time with Scott Decker, wherever he is, and that he hopes to stick around
> here for a while since he likes watching new technology being tested.
>
> Week 11 Scott Decker, UTAS
> -   Sorry for the delay also. I was in a global even for our company and
> also working with Clumpy and Kloumpios to keep them working on the board
> designs I was doing before the event so I could stay in the event. It’s
> never a dull moment in our company and as it turns out, I still needed to
> help them out, but they did get me through until today, Friday so it was
> still all worth it! J It’s pretty amazing that they can adapt to so many
> jobs that they get sent to, I wish I could do everything as well as they
> do, I could be a star! However, that said, I try to under achieve since
> that keeps me out of the lime light and not the spot light or cross hairs…
> :-/
>
> Week 12 Matthias Mansfeld, Mansfeld Elektronik PCB Design and Assembly
> - The boys can help me to compare a reverse-engineered old multilayer
> layout
> against the x-rays from the original (no data, no schematics, no gerbers at
> all available, but the urgent need for some spare units....), can coil some
> dozens RF toroids and last, but not least (if they aren't allergic against
> cats) can entertain our tomcats* (who are not amused at the ugly wet wet
> thaw here...). I've heard Clumpy and Kloumpios can meanwhile apparate and
> disapparate like
> Harry Potter, thus there is no need to pick them up from the next airport
> (would be MUC)?
>
> Week 13 No Quiz, the boys were helping Doug Pauls, Rockwell Collins, with
> his IPC Hall of Fame Award
>
> Week 14 Matthias Mansfeld, Mansfeld Elektronik PCB Design and Assembly
> - the boys arrived last Friday, spent the weekend at some carnival events
> here around (quite cold and rainy at Tuesday, but with the help of some
> bavarian beer and a lot of mulled wine, they came back in a very good
> mood........) Later the boys finished the RF toroids from last week,
> delivered the stuff to my assembly house, where they were really surprised
> about the *poof* apparition in their backyard....., and maybe they will
> tomorrow go snowboarding with my big daughter and some friends in Tyrol..
> Here in Bavaria we have currently one week school holidays.
>
> Week 15 Bhanu Sood, NASA
> - assisted with ????
>
>
> I hope everyone has a awesome week!
>
> Dave Hillman
> Rockwell Collins
> [log in to unmask]
>



-- 
Bhanu Sood
Tel: (202) 468-8449