Recommended Standard 232

I've built two more probes in the last week, each with slight differences. Cheryl needed a 35cm probe, aroung 30cm more than I expected. I was unsatisfied with the quality of this second one, so I made a third one, which is the best, while still mediocre. Still, with the simplicity of the Langmuir probe, I think that aesthetic beauty isn't a priority. The obvious hack jobs are illustrative of my need to get better at building. I'm looking out for a project that perhaps I can do at home.
This week I also spent a lot of time reading through the manual for the GT6K. Justin did great job documenting everything necessary for the probe driver. He even made a disk with all the manuals, software, and other useful things. I can't imagine the confusing mess before everything was assembled. Even now, its all over the place. I've understood enough to at least start the diagnostics. When I came in the morning, there was a small problem: The wire I needed, RS-232, was nowhere to be found. After looking all morning and most of the afternoon, I just started making my own, and I will hopefully finish it by tomorrow. I was rushed tonight to try to finish half of it and consequently made a sloppy job of it. Obviously, planning is something I need to work on. Admit ignorance!
I met Jake Edmand today. Since he came late in the year, and finals and vacation are around the corner, I don't think he'll accomplish much before the new year. Still, getting used to the lab was something that took me a while, and even if its just surfing the web in the control room, being in the lab is beneficial. Yesterday and today, he has been learning about plasma characteristics, diagnosing and terminology, as well as how the Langmuir probe works. It will be fun to work on different sides of the same project with someone of my own lowly knowledge set.
Yang Zhang went off to LA to do one of the last experiments for his thesis. Both he and McWilliams will be gone for a few days.
I've been learning how to use a slide rule. They are so cool. Old school. I'm thinking of bringing it back.
Also, I'll have spent around 17 hours in lab this week. Go me!

Langmuir Probe Built

I finished building my probe today. Nothing more than some soldering and spot welding. The challenge will be installing the probe driver.
The GT6K, as its called, can make precise motor movements inside a vacuum. From there, the langmuir probe will help us track the induced current vesus voltage and position inside the vacuum. The probe is actually fairly new. Only last year did Justin C. Feng write a manual for the installation and data gathering procedures for the GT6K.
I noticed there was an ethernet port on the probe. After talking to different students around the lab, I decided it was possible to configure the probe to be operable via the ethernet port, which would bypass 1980s equipment the size of refrigerators. One day hopefully I will be able to control the probe from home, which would especially be useful on cold mornings.
I am no longer the new kid on the block. Jake Edmand joined us this week. He is also a freshman, and I'm sure we will be working on a lot of the same projects.
Finals are coming up, but they wont be time consuming. I have an essay in existentialism, an exam in Calculus (I scored a 108% on the last midterm) and an open book and open note final in Geography.

I'll be home by Thursday.