Travel
I live on a boat, and have been cruising around the Baltic and North Sea for a couple of years. Do you want to join?
Previously, I have travelled by bicycle. In 2013, I travelled by bike and boat from Mexico to Colombia. I attached a solar panel to the bike and made a charger for my laptop so I could write even when away from civilisation for a while. I left with the idea of going to Patagonia, but I wanted to do something else by the time I got to Colombia. I would like to go back to South America sometime. I called the trip Cycle Who. I've written an Introduction, an FAQ, and blog posts tagged Cycle Who.
In Winter 2011-2012 I went to the Canary Islands to try and hitch a lift in a boat to South America. I didn't get there but I discovered the Canary Islands. Blog posts covering this adventure are tagged "serbla".
Work
I occasionally take on freelance software development jobs. Previously I have worked as a software engineer at internet startups on distributed systems, machine learning, and both front and back end web development. I have built a product all the way from the business model, through UX design, and front and backend development, to automated deployment and hosting network architecture.
I am available to hire now.
Radio
Sometimes I do some amateur radio, callsign MM0HAI. Most recently this has been on the boat, where I have a Baofeng handheld (probably the most useful), an Icom T8E, and a Yaesu FT-857. The last of these would be more useful if I installed an autotuner and insulated backstay, but for now I pull a wire up the mast if I feel like experimenting. I've not used it in earnest at sea.
Previously I have participated in SOTA (carrying radios up hills).
See the radio section of the site if interested.
Bloviations from the Phrontistery
River is a humanoid based on the planet Earth (pictured above). It likes electronics, computering, and adventures through time and space.
Would you care for a tickybox?
The last article I wrote was A cheap non-contact voltage detector.
The last event I replied to was Homebrew Website Club Europe/London.
I helped someone investigate their failed Ryobi angle grinder (model R18AG7). I found the big TVS on the small PCB between the battery and the motor was open. This suggested to me that the electronics were probably more extensively damaged and not worth investigating further. The TVS probably just took its last hit after a long life, and was not quite up to the job. Actually, if it’s a bidirectional TVS it might not be that…
I seem to be fixing a few multimeters recently. This time an Extech EX330. It gave erratic voltage readings. I found that the Volts input jack barrel was loose in its connection to the strap that linked it to the board. These parts are riveted together. I tightened the connection by hammering a punch into the rivet. I also cleaned the rotary switch while I was there, but it was not bad so almost certain the problem with the socket connection.
I have a university tilde page now: https://personal.cis.strath.ac.uk/river.macleod
